Wouldn’t have thought that. Hope the software will keep running, otherwise there might be real issues when opening old projects.
Other people have bigger concerns about this than I do, but what I’d really like to know is what happens to the activation of purchased software if the company goes bankrupt or undergoes structural changes. So, what would happen to the activation of Rack if VCV disappears from the market? Is there an official answer to that?
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Not all that surprised; but didn’t think it was that dire :S.
Rack Pro and commercial modules would probably stop working, at least for new installations. That’s the devil you dance with when using commercial software in the modern world. Rack Free will always be open source so can basically be used for ever.
We can ask for it ?
Maybe start a “VCV Rack interest group”.
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That concept actually brings up an interesting idea, of software escrow for Rack developers that would opt in to that for their open source plugins. Might solve some of the big problems we have had with abandonware and lack of a real plugin-adoption policy in case of abandonment, where the plugin is open source.
Could be as simple as an opt-in pledge that plugin developers could send to Andrew, and subsequently display in their README: “I (developer) hereby give permission, that if my plugin (plugin) is abandoned, and I do not respond to contact requests for 6 months, then, at your discretion, another developer applying to take up the maintenance and development of the plugin, is allowed to do so, including keeping the branding and naming intact, and submitting new versions to the library”.
Might be interesting to gauge the interest amongst developers for that, and perhaps reach out to Andrew…?
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mmm I forgot that RX is on the same boat…shhhhhhh…do I upgrade to advanced or not 
I think there was a discussion related to this here:
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Hi Marc! Oh yes, I remember it well and feel it’s sadly unresolved. So what occurred to me was that the concept of “software escrow” might be a minimal, simple, effective mechanism that might draw broad support. Maybe… Anyway, we should probably stop polluting this thread with it, and continue on that other topic you linked, if there’s an appetite to debate it further. Good to “see” you.
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Can’t say I’m surprised… Traktor hasn’t been competitive in 10 years, and Massive, Reaktor, and FM8 feel like using abandonware.
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…However, the antique Absynth was updated to v6, recently. Massive have a new declinaison as MassiveX (but I don’t know compatibility between each other), and I agree Massive and FM8 are ugly old museum pieces!
N.I. focus on making a mountain of money (by buying iZotope / plugin alliance etc), by becoming the “petroleum king” - a French expression “roi du pétrole”, instead of focusing on their existing products. Looking as similar financial policy than… Boeing!
Technical support is just catastrophic, worse everyday. On forum, you can’t critic any product (even by stay polite, but it’s wrong for bu$ine$$), it’s a dictatorship.
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Really interesting comments, opening up a fan of thoughts and issues from software escrow to private equity. Time will tell…
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With regard to the software escrow for open source modules: they can already be downloaded freely from Github, so if you can’t live without some module, you can download the code and archive it yourself for day X.
Plus, unless a developer actively deletes the repository on Github, the code continues to be there, for example if the developer loses interest or cannot maintain it anymore.
Yes, but you can’t distribute the plugins, which matters even more for most users.
I was having some trouble logging into the reaktor instrument library. maybe everyone is trying to download the 1000+ instruments in case they stop being available.. one of my drum selection packs uses a free drum synth from reaktor and I go through thier catalog quite often .. maybe it is a good idea to grab what you can from reaktor.
I can’t get in either. Accessing the server is not allowed. I searched all over and found a few other people had the same problem, but people in Europe didn’t. I thought it was something to do with the insolvency thing. Given my own experience with NI (KORE anyone?) I thought it was just another kill something move by NI. But who knows, there hasn’t been any official announcement about serger problems visible anywhere…