So you suggesting to use terminal to add these IPS to the firewall? cause ei get so many errors on osx sequoia

Last login: Sun May 11 23:22:35 on ttys000

MAC ~ % sudo pfctl -f /etc/pf.conf

Password:

pfctl: Use of -f option, could result in flushing of rules

present in the main ruleset added by the system at startup.

See /etc/pf.conf for further details.


No ALTQ support in kernel

ALTQ related functions disabled

/etc/pf.conf:29: Rules must be in order: options, normalization, queueing, translation, filtering

/etc/pf.conf:30: Rules must be in order: options, normalization, queueing, translation, filtering

/etc/pf.conf:31: Rules must be in order: options, normalization, queueing, translation, filtering

pfctl: Syntax error in config file: pf rules not loaded

MAC ~ %

 

I'm on PC and using a firewall where I can specify a fully qualified domain name like xferrecords.com and the firewall will resolve the domain and ALL of its associated ip addr's and block them accordingly. I can block all of them or any number of them automatically. In this case to keep the system isolated from that domain all the ip's associated with the domain must be blocked. I do not run a firewall or most other services of this type on any of my production machines. This being due to none of them being connected to the internet. Things like A/V, any kind of updaters, firewalls, or any other autonomous running internet facing services are not required on a non-connected machine.

All the rules for the firewall in apple OS are stored in a file /etc/pf.conf. This file comes out of the box with your mac. The file comes with preloaded anchors that give the basic layout for the firewall. You can check the basic configuration of your firewall by using the sudo nano /etc/pf.conf command. You can also refer to this apple support doc on the apple os firewall and how to manage it. Here's a nifty manual of firewall commands and editing of pf.conf directly.

I do know that using a HOSTS file to block it wont work because of the additional ip addr's involved.

 

Last edited: May 11, 2025

yeah im spoiled on Mac, I tried using chatGTP and the terminal commands and it made so many errors, I still cant create a list of things, chatGT was telling me to erase back up and temporarily be online with ZERO IPS blocked instead of add ips to a black list.

 

ChatGTP ...

Isn't there a 3rd party firewall you could use like LittleSnitch or "lulu" that is smarter than than the built in firewall? Seems like it should be a fairly easy one to block the domain and have the firewall resolve all the associated ips.

 

You have to imagine a firewall like a house with doors. You leave some doors open (programs that are allowed out) and close some (programs that aren't allowed in). I find the Windows Firewall sufficient, and it does what you tell it to. It usually protects you very well. Why change something that's running smoothly?

 

Yeah. right. The windows firewall sucks ass. Always has and probably always will.

The rule's all interact with each other, there is no real time network monitor, it's extremely difficult to manage, and supports the windows garbage and bloatware. These are some of the main reasons why savvy folks can't wait to get rid of the dam thing. But then you would already know this if you had any concept of windows system optimization. Getting the WFW to engage in blocking an entire domain that exists with multiple ip addrs would probably send it into oblivion.

Plus, the user I was responding to is on an apple system not windows.

 

Last edited: May 14, 2025

Always the same excuses: Windows is bad and the firewall... man, I can't stand hearing this whining anymore.

As an old PC Windows pro, using it since 1998, I won't let you assume I have no clue. If you download a program from the sister site, there's almost always a NFO, and if not, you can ask your questions in the forum here.

The NFO contains installation instructions and whether you need to block it with the firewall or the host file. If you always follow the instructions, everything will work great. Don't make it more complicated than it actually is.

I'm not a Mac user and I don't provide Mac support.

 

thanks for letting us know ... (too late ?)

 

Question for people who like to synthesize their own kick drums: is "DR - Kick Designer" preset in Serum 2 better than Sonic Academy's Kick 3 plugin? Does Serum give you more freedom when sculpting kicks? (Even if it might take slightly longer - I don't care).. I'm considering uninstalling Kick 3 as I'm trying to use as few plugins as technically possible. Thanks.

 

Last edited: May 14, 2025

I'd recommend using Kick Drum 3 or this one:

BazzISM produces the perfect KickBass for your dance tracks. https://ismism.de
BazzISM was the first kick synth plugin on the market and still is the standard.
It's easy to use so you'll find your individual kick sound within minutes.

 

Kick3 is not a big plugin in terms of file size. The storage space for it is very minimal. Do you even like making kicks in Serum and think they turn out better? I don't. If you want to reduce plugin count, there are much better things you can probably get rid of. I'd use samples before using Serum for every drum. Too much cpu use to run an extra instance of Serum as a drum machine. That's probably why he created Nerve in the first place.

 

Thank you for your reply. Could you please clarify what specifically makes kicks from Kick3 sound nicer to you than Serum2? Do you find Kick3 has features that Serum2 is missing? If so, what are they?

Kick3 file size is not an issue. I’d like to have as few plugins installed as possible for my OCD/minimalism. CPU usage isn’t an issue either, because I bounce my synthesized kicks to audio and trigger them from Ableton’s drum rack. I don’t want to use third-party samples as I’m trying to learn audio synthesis myself. And so my initial question had to do solely with the level of sound design freedom/possibilities when it comes to synthesizing kicks in particular. Could Serum2 be considered a better learning/experimentation tool in this regard?

Am I going to be missing out on anything in the kick synthesis department after uninstalling Kick3 and using Serum2 instead?
Thanks.

 

Last edited: May 14, 2025

Use the Init preset from Kick Drum 3 or D16 Grup Punchbox and create your own kick drum samples.

 

Not whining at all. Statements of facts. Windows and mickeysoft corp sux ass. Apple corp sux ass. What are you left with == Linsux which is about as backward a system as using DOS in a modern setting.

I run windoze because it is the path of least resistance and because it is malleable - that is to say it's lame as fuck, BUT, the user has many avenues available to them to make it non-lame (or mostly non-lame) by reverse engineering all the b.s. from the out-of-the-box system - this process being more widely known as "optimization".

And Yes. The windoze firewall is a complete PieceOfShite (as is "defender"). Which is why there are so many third party firewalls and A/V's available. For decades I have run a 3rd party firewalls and A/V's on internet facing windows machines because I want powerful ease of use and management of network rules, little to no interaction between rules, and Real Time monitoring of all my network traffic.

Blocking a domain like xferrecords is not possible (as some others have already experienced) by means of HOSTs file entries due to the fact that domain (as many do) has multiple IP's attached to it in DNS. The windows firewall has no easy facility for dealing with adding/subtracting multiple rules and the rules that are there conflict with each other making it almost impossible (waste of time really) to find out which rule(s) is/are the culprit(s). I'm not saying it's not possible to block something like xferrecords with the wfw but it is insanely more difficult than it has to be to make it work correctly. So much so that it's a waste of time in comparison to employing a real firewall with powerful features and ease of use. I actually have been using a 3rd party firewall along with NetLimiter due to the ways windows (with svchost) has ended up covertly calling and running garbage and unwanted services and tasks. NetLimiter used in conjunction with a good 3rd party firewall is about the best defense you can employ on an internetwork that is desperately trying to fuck you at every turn.

I realized that defender and wfw were lame (many folks did) from the first time I dealt with them back on WinXP. I dropped 'em both in the bit bucket then and never looked back which his the smart thing to do as most savvy users have found.

 

Last edited: May 19, 2025 at 11:57 PM

I used Windows from 1990 to 2014. So I can pretty much tell. Windows is bad! And its firewall is a big ridiculous joke!
Back then we had to use hardware proxy server to get a proper security. Windows and its "security" tools were made for the masses, mostly end users without any advanced knowledge. That's why Windows is sh*t! Microsoft could do it better, if they would care a bout their customers.

 

The only saving grace is that windows can be made to comply by the end user, unlike apple os which is pretty much an accident waiting to happen that the end user is stuck dealing with hoping for a good outcome. Apple will never make their os malleable like windows which is why I have shunned it as long as it has been in existence. Unfortunately win/appleOS are really the only two workable solutions that are supported industry wide. Some will bellow "linux" but all of us who wish to get work done in a timely manner know that linux is not a viable option.

 

I don't believe a word you say. Can you give some practical examples of why you came to your conclusions?
Are you a developer, or where do you get your supposed expertise from to judge this?
You're joking, bad. How about some arguments? All you need to do is open and close the ports (doors)...!

Port States
Ports can have multiple states. The state of a port defines whether communication with an underlying application is possible or not. Simplified, there are three states:

- Open
- Closed
- Filtered (Blocked)

It is usually sufficient to categorize all ports into these two (open, closed) or even three states (open, closed, filtered). However, there is a way of viewing ports that allows for more states. The port scanner NMAP recognizes a total of six port states, which we will not discuss further here.

Open
The "Open" state is present when an application is listening on a specific port. "Open" means that a connection can be established to the application via that port.

Closed
The "Closed" state is the default state of a port. It is present when no application is listening on a specific port. The host will actively reject a connection to that port. "Closed" means that there is no application to which a connection can be established via that port.
At least at the TCP/UDP level, there is no connection possibility. The "Closed" state can also apply if the contacted system is protected by a firewall and actively rejects connection attempts on a specific port. However, this also means that no connection can be established to the underlying application.

Filtered (Blocked)
The "Filtered" or "Filtered" state occurs when the contacted port is protected by a firewall and does not respond to connection attempts. This means that the connection is neither confirmed (Open) nor rejected (Closed). Therefore, one must assume that the connection attempt is being actively blocked. However, this only applies if the host is generally online, i.e., allows a connection on at least one other port.
The "Filtered" state indicates that the port cannot be reached, for example, because it is blocked by a firewall rule. However, this state can also occur if the contacted host is not reachable at all.

 

Then use legitimate, purchased software! Buy the Serum. I also installed Serum V.R. and it works without problems

I permanently deleted Defender and permanently stopped the updates. Windows does what it's supposed to do, and it does it reliably. What you need is a good backup so you can fully restore your system in the event of a virus, Trojan, etc. infection.

I've experienced Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, and now Windows 11! If you set it up correctly, you can make music, write, play games, and much more with Windows. Windows is a monopoly and certainly not a consumer-friendly company, but many users with technical knowledge provide us with tools and know-how to make Windows more manageable.

 

Last edited: May 20, 2025 at 8:50 AM

You need to stop talking about things of which you have no understanding.

Your goal is to spam as many comments here as possible and farm likes.

I doesn't matter how long you've been using Windows, if your opinion is false and uninformed. This is a logical fallacy called "appeal to authority".

 

You say he has no arguments when you commit blatant logical fallacies? Do you even understand the basics of debate?

No, copy pasting definitions from ChatGPT will not cut it. You have no idea what you're talking about, you are just being stubborn and contentious.

Further AI slop posting will be reported. Have a nice day.