Elektron has announced that it is banning discussion of specific firmware hacks or mods from its official forum, Elektronauts, because of concerns over protecting its intellectual rights and the potential for ‘bricking’ hardware.
In recent months, there has been an explosion of development in the areas of virtual hardware and firmware modes. Examples covered here include Elektron Monomachine Alternate Firmware, an Open-Source Project Brings New Features To Elektron Octatrack, and a New Project That Brings Elektron Monomachine, Machinedrum To Your DAW.
Elektron shared this statement:
“We wanted to contribute to the discussion around hacking that has developed here on Elektronauts and other forums in recent weeks.
Firstly, we very much understand the excitement around exploring firmware and hardware and modding instruments. That spirit of curiosity and experimentation is, after all, a pretty important part of our own early story here at Elektron.
But importantly, as many of you have already mentioned, Elektronauts isn’t the place to be sharing hacks, or facilitating or promoting the modification of firmware on currently supported machines or those from preceding generations. That includes sharing, requesting, or directing people to the files, tools, repositories, or instructions needed to do so. We would always warn against modifications to our firmware and/or machines that could brick them (potentially rendering them unusable), prevent future updates, affect warranty coverage, and in some cases raise concerns around Elektron’s intellectual property. Something that looks like a simple change in isolation can lead to major problems elsewhere, particularly when a later official OS arrives, and can confuse users about which features are officially available on our machines.
For this reason, we’ll be removing topics or comments that we consider to cross that line, including in relation to gear from other manufacturers. The same applies to our official social platforms.
This policy also covers all legacy machines. We also need to protect Elektron’s intellectual property, and therefore do not permit the development or distribution of firmware or hardware that makes unauthorized use of it, for profit or otherwise.
General discussion around the topic is one thing, and not something we seek to inhibit, but we draw the line at distributing actionable material or actively encouraging people to install modifications that could damage their machines.
Curiosity is understandable. Bricked boxes – as we are sure people will understand – less so.
If anything here requires further clarification, please contact our Support team directly.”
This trend is not limited to Elektron. Third party developers have announced projects to create virtual machines for a wide range of synths in recent months, along with alternate firmware for vintage machines from Roland and others.
These hacks and mods can being new life to old hardware, and let vintage digital synth firmware work within modern workflows. But developers have to walk a fine line to ensure that their projects do not infringe on company’s copyrighted code.
How do you think companies like Elektron and Roland should handle this emerging trend?
Maybe these companies should hire the “hackers” and create an open sourced hardware device that can be completely programmable via a community of developers and musicians. Imagine a Roland SP404 that you can completely control the user interface and program everything or try other people’s programs.
Essentially what Ableton Move has become with the Schwung OS. There are now well over 100+ new modules for Move now, from Access Virus to Elektron style sequencers and UI, internet recorders, Oberheim OBX, SH-101…it’s become the greatest groove box of all time IMHO.
Schwung is as unofficial as any of this Elektron stuff
Ableton have seemed passively supportive of schwung, though. And they have officially added a RNBO takeover mode that opens it up for all sorts of “hacks.”
Ableton’s official RNBO hacking on Move might be a better example. Plus the way they’ve opened up Live to user-programmed extensions.
This exists it’s called Deluge.
It’s only logical.
There are several other places to host those files and discussions.
The official Elektron forum is not the place for alternative firmware, as less tech-savvy people could somehow think that some kind of endorsement or approval is implied. And those people are exactly the ones you don’t want tampering with their machines.
That’s what the statement already says, Jose. Thanks for repeating it.
You’re so funny! You must be a comedian. Thanks for your witty remark.
You make the world a better place.
Especially with the tendency for questionable/sloppy AI code.
As much as I love my share of vintage synths, I feel uncomfortable with places like The Usual Suspects. Its too dark grey. For every legit hardware owner, how many just see it as free access to the original as software alone? If I get that hot for a Prophecy, Korg offers one pretty cheaply.
Elektron has every right to draw a line against hacking versus honest experimentation by real users. Its not 100% simple. A small, useful hack can encourage further purchases where a big one can become theft too easily.
Even moreso, sounds themselves are “open-source” now. You can drop anything you like into a sample player (including several free ones) and roll. You won’t get the original hardware experience in any case. It all depends on how badly you think you need a specific instrument. How grey you go is up to you.
I don’t really get your logic with The Usual Suspects. It’s old unsupported hardware, many units are failing, and most of it was EOL decades ago. They’re not hacking firmware either, they’re emulating hardware in software. That’s like telling Linux users they really shouldn’t use WINE or Steam users you shouldn’t really use proton because the games were only designed for Windows and so what you’re doing is dark grey. Granted Wine Is Not an Emulator but then you have VIrutalBox and QEMU etc etc etc. I have some of the hardware they have emulated and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, in fact it’s improved my workflow with the VIrus TI as I still prefer the hardware but use the software to transfer patches and use in my daw.
My point of view is that if companies no longer support the hardware they should release the Firmware Opensource as long as there are no licensing violations. What Synthstrom Deluge has done is amazing. Users taking the time to improve firmware is awesome and it’s great for the community. Manufacturers to tend to move on and not care about those old products.
“Manufacturers to tend to move on and not care about those old products.”
this.
You are supposed to buy the new box from them and not get a new kick out of things they sold to you years ago …
Absolutely. Opensourcing end-of-support firmware and drivers is great PR alongside cuting down on our digital waste problems.
I have a FireBox interface lying around that became unsupported just a couple years after I bought it. Presonus decided to stop driver updates with WIndows 7, calling it an “old” product just 8 years after release. It’s a great device that I’d love to use through firewire over thunderbolt… if it only had a stable driver. I’ve never even considered a Presonus product since.
Synthstrom’s Deluge community focus is awesome, and Ableton is fostering something similar with officially supporting RNBO takeover on Move and seeming unofficially supportive of the Schwung project. Plus they’ve opened up their software to a sort of hacking through extensions. If these companies can support user innovations with current production products, surely others can open it up for legacy ones.
The patent protection for those hardware devices has long expired. I see exactly zero ethical issue.
There is organisational reputation. With a hacked box not working but still bearing their name, reputation can be affected. Also why should they support and moderate software they have no control of, especially with their products involved
So what kind of reputation / public image would you prefer to have exactly?
Lawyers and suits or musician friendly and accessible?
Choose your poison, now. ^^
Good job Elektron, you just killed your own forum.
By banning 6 threads out of the roughly 5000 that are on there?
Banning topics and long time users that had enthusiastic community support is BS, yes. There had been alternative firmware/ modding/ utility software threads (specifically for Elektron gear* running there for years with abundant community support. Elektron’s (prior) openness to this was one of the things the community valued and offset the intermittent complaints about official developer opacity and lack of engagement or feedback on feature requests. I go way back in that community, prior to when it became it became Elektronauts, so this isn’t some generic ‘freeze peach’ rant..
It’s logical, but it’s probably not the best for marketing. Imagine them saying – it’s legacy hardware, lets see what you people come up with? – And suddenly they would be at the center of attention. I love what Usual Suspects is doing – I can have my Virus for performing and as it has 0 support for computer use, then I could at least run an emulator and its usable, unlike their software, which never really was (at least on a mac it never was).
bonnier group are money grabbing bedwetters 🙂
Fear about losing $$$
What a terrible business move.
Electron aside, it would be neat if people modified the firmware of synths emulated by The Usual Suspects, and then The Usual Suspects modified their emulations to take advantage of the modified firmware. It could be a way to simplify loading custom waves into the oscillator section of the JD-990, for example.
I like that take, adding new functionality that didn’t exist before is cool
It makes me think of Roland with their analog circuit behavior being used to go way beyond what a normal emulation would do, like the tr 606 models and being able to tune the hats and kick and things which didn’t exist on stock 606 units but did on some modded ones
Elektron’s entire legacy began with a hardware hack of the SID chip. Their current policy is completely hypocritical.
If it’s open source, why not include it in your own firmware releases?
What better way to honor the legacy of, err, legacy hardware?
can’t sell new devices if a vst of the old device is better.
Totally agree … 🙂
I find the statement from Elektron a bit concerning, but maybe they should take it as a wake-up call to start listening more closely to their end-users and giving their hardware more firmware updates and new features.
I still haven’t seen a single update for my Elektron Heat FX+ since I bought it three years ago, and honestly, I think that’s a bit uncool.
Then again elektron devices sometimes brick with original software/operating system.
There should be a save way of completely resetting the devices software without a boot up required – is there?
“Something that looks like a simple change in isolation can lead to major problems elsewhere, particularly when a later official OS arrives, and can confuse users about which features are officially available on our machines.”
Let me translate that:
We are afraid of user asking about functions that we won’t deliver, it makes us look bad.
^^
It’s weird that companies sell us what are essentially computers in custom cases, but discourage us from writing or using our own software. If we wanted circuits carved in stone, we’d buy analog devices instead of digital grooveboxes.
this is how I view Elektron’s response.
I understand protecting the company from failed experimental mods, but once you void the warranty… why can’t the hardware I paid for be fully mine? And why can’t I discuss these mods with fellow synth owners? Is there a liability issue here? or is me getting information about my purchase seen as “bad for business”?
You can, can’t you? Just in a different forum.
Yeah.
The solution is, as (almost) always, Reddit.
Who is stopping you?
They just don’t want to be blamed for your tinkering, in case you don’t know what you are doing.
You are free to experiment with your hardware. But don’t ask for troubleshooting and support, or give the brand a bad reputation because of your ignorance.
In other words, you can set your pants on fire, but don’t go crying to mommy about it.
Well, since you’re asking: Copyright laws and other legal restrictions regarding distribution of modified protected code, trademarks, warranty limitations, CE/product-complience limitations, anti-circumvention laws, encription, DRM, restriction of documentation and information exchange… Depending on your jurisdiction, a lot of mechanisms are set up to discourage you from “tinkering” with the firmware of the devices you own. Sure, ultimately, no one can stop you from getting around these rules. But companies like Critter & Guitari and dadamachines show that there’s another way.
No one really cares about what you do with your Elektron machine as long as you don’t go asking for support or repair. There is no firmware or hacking police. No one is going to check…
But, again, if something goes wrong, don’t blame Elektron. It’s that simple. And understandable.
Critter & Guitari, along with other companies, also has its share of problems with beginners.
Every person who has worked in IT knows that users can be really dumb. And I mean REALLY dumb.
Custom firmware is not suitable for all kinds of users. Expert users will find the way.
A good, sensible community manager would never allow hacks, alternate firmwares of any kind in a general, official support forum. At least not in plain sight! Maybe in an expert section, accessible only by invitation, or a minimum of messages. Then it would be OK.
I see a certain contradiction here: on the one hand, you advocate for user responsibility. On the other hand, you’ve said that information should only be accessible to experienced people. I’m pursuing a different goal, because I’m focused on a political and societal shift that allows for—and comprehensively safeguards—the right to freely use and modify the software on purchased devices, so that there is no longer any reason for electronics manufacturers to restrict the flow of information.
The problem with this argument is that it jumps from “users should have more freedom” to manufacturers have no legitimate reason to restrict information.
If I buy a piece of gear I should be able to experiment with it but that doesn’t automatically mean the company owes me the keys to every bit of software inside it or that firmware should be treated like some open playground without consequences. Firmware is still proprietary software.
The right to modify your own property is a valid. The mistake is assuming that this automatically creates a right to unrestricted access of someone elses IP.
“access to somebody elses IP” is such a lawyers way to go about things.
where is all that unique IP that can’t be replicated?
everybody is cooking with water. 😉
this is the first thought that came to my mind:
“When money is involved, hippies turn into gangsters, punks turn into bankers, and ecologists turn into war supporters.”
Of course it is not so, but there are tendencies. Thank you Synthtopia for this article and discussion. Actually I wasn’t aware of all this, I visit the Electronauts forum regularly.
Modifying firmware for a better and probably removing bugs is totally ok for me. There are good guys which emulate by heart and passion and vibe coders relying on code from others with only money in their mind and don’t care about anything. I already saw pictures of an emulated monomachine but why emulating a groovebox which needs hardware to play with? Elektron can do what they like but shut their mouths when something is better done than they did. They had their time and only god knows how many requests for features they received and ignored because kinda “philosophy”. Why not build up a official vst-vault which also honors the developers of these emulators and sell them for small money? All these things happen anyway and why not give legal use a chance? I had all the hardware which is successfully emulated and paid the price for wonky encoders, leaking parts and often simply bad psus. All gone to hell and having them back as VST is kind of compensation.
Boomers! Like Metallica during Napster!