hey guys I downloaded the latest xfer serum from the sister site. Is there a way to block it from calling home? I need to still be connected to the internet but when I save a preset it seems to trigger something for it to call home and i then have to generate a new serial number. Any help would be much appreciated my DMs are open also

 

If macOS, Little Snitch. Or edit the Hosts file and include the Xfer address.
If Windows, edit the Hosts file the same.
Be aware though that your daw will call home for Xfer if you are online with your daw on, so you may have to block your daw too if this is how you roll.

 

Yeah im on windows 10.. there is a way to type in the address but im not sure how to do it for the firewall im wondering if you could just block the .dl plugin itself.. im at work right now so ill have to check tomorrow.. and is there a equivalent to little snitch but for windows 10?

 

I had the same problem on osx in Logic - how would I block Logic from calling home for serum in little snitch?
Thanks!

 

Maybe also helpful: https://objective-see.com/products/lulu.html

 

You know, encouraged by this thread and the thread called "Xfer Serum 1.3.0b1 calling home" that I cannot find for some reason, I installed v1.3.0b6 from the sister site, with a serial number that works - which means you don't get any weird messages when you press the preset browser button, in a VirtualBox VM Windows 7 optimised for audio my way [many services disabled, loads of garbage removed etc., only CCleaner for cleaning the redundant files and registry] in Linux Debian 9 and installed a TCP/UDP tracer from Nirsoft [oh so many handy and small, portable utilities there] to be able to see if Serum is calling home. I have firewall disabled, no AV, only hosts file that blocks some websites and 2 xfer records websites, for just in case.

To cut to the chase, I've been playing with the Serum for hours and the TCP/UDP tracer didn't detect anything coming from the Reaper 4 DAW or Serum plugin. It actually didn't log anything since I started the daw and exited it. Nothing. I wonder why? I've been using like 5-6 instances of Serum, browsing presets like mad just to try to trigger something and nothing happened. I saved the project and loaded it, everything fine. TCP/UDP tracer haven't logged anything suspicious the whole time, and I didn't even use the patched version!

Could it be that Serum uses some services like firewall, background transfer, or some other service that I have disabled? I know it doesn't like [in other words it "bombs"] those entries that block its website in the Windows hosts file, too. Anyway, just wanted to report this find. Maybe I've got a really good serial? But people claim that Serum checks its website, often when changing patches.

Does anybody have something to add? This test encouraged me to use this version, unpatched, with my main audio computer. I wonder if I missed the "trigger" of some kind during those couple of hours of testing.

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Oct 8, 2020

Maybe u can't find it because it was written referring specifically to 1.30b1 or 1.301 I think.

 

Onm windows, install WFC (https://www.binisoft.org/wfc.php) and add your DAW plus all other .exe in the daw folder to firewall blacklist and you're done - daw and all plugins can't call home.
Using this since years (!) without any homecall yet.
It's easy, it's free.

Well, you just have to understand, that the windows firewall is pretty good, technically. It just has the most awful UI, that's why I suggest WFC.

 

Mine did a check when I saved a new patch.. browsing through presets its fine.. I ended up just buying it through payment plan on splice.. which I've been wanting to do anyways for awhile I wanna be able to go fully legit by 2024.. but I wish you guys luck with it.. it was just a pain to always be tinkering with it to get it to work.

 

Thanks @FrankWhite23 brother. I'm going to try saving patches, and then if it doesn't work I might be forced to do just as you did. I respect Steve Duda very much, but I'm generally and especially now under lockdown, rather scrapped for money. Concerts were one of the main sources of my income. Quick, no fuss, fun, money. Not much, but enough. Mine and my wife's needs are humble. We don't crave luxuries of any kind, nor we're druggies [except for alc often and pot sometimes - we're both depressives].

I wasn't too obsessed with Serum until just recently when I took it for a ride [meaning making your own patches from scratch] and discovered that I really like it, both sound and workflow. Some time ago I thought it wasn't worth using much, but after getting deeper... it's really good. Complements my other "love" Spire, which is a bit more convoluted for programming, nicely sound-wise. It really is one of the best ~5 soft synths out there, worth forking out for, hopefully at discount somewhere.

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Oct 10, 2020

Somthing different i can type name of a presets in serum folder if i try type then it play sound no letters

 

I use NetLimiter on Windows, it's very similar to Little Snitch, which I use on Mac :-D

 

What you want when using cracked software is a firewall that blocks EVERYTHING, UNTIL you specifically click "allow".
The front-end GUI of some offer that mode of operation.
Once installed it means having to allow the normal things through, but it's pretty easy and nice to realize how it is actually working as it should.
WFC (Windows Firewall Control) was mentioned and that is what I've been using for years.
It provides a nice GUI for managing Windows built-in firewall, and to me seemed the easiest after trying a few in Windows 7.
I am on Windows 10 now and it works just as well.
With WFC, just make sure you enable notifications in the options, or you might wonder why nothing connects to the internet, and it never asks for your permission. ;)

 

does it not work with the normal Windows firewall on the PC and initially I have deactivated FL Studio and its plugin manager in the firewall

 

Little Snitch or an active internet connection has nothing to do with Serum calling home. Previous k'd versions would call home whether you have or not an internet connection.

Thankfully, 2 months ago a working version was posted on the sister site just install this one and that's it, done!

 

Hey i've been searching forever to find the post on the sister site and no matter what I search, I cannot find it. I'm on page 12 of OSX software and still haven't found it. Could you possibly PM me the link? you'd be a life saver! Thanks

 

can one me pm i would take this i am still stuck on the old version 1.2.8

 

The problem with normal Windows firewall is that it may allow without notification, and you might initiate a process not realizing what other processes will be triggered.
That's a reason to have a "front-end" for normal firewall.
With WFC it is also easy to look at "user created rules", filter and deleye the invalid ones (maybe ones that were run from unzipped folders that no longer exist, for example) and duplicates, etc.
It's now owned by Malwarebytes but is still free.
I saved the last version that was independent, but i noticed after a few Win 10 updates, it would block some things even after i allowed them, but it was just update processes so I'd change the WFC profile while updating.
But someone else was wondering how the Malwarebytes version was so i installed that one instead (keeping "all current rules" when uninstalling the old one, so i did not have to choose for all those again) The new version catches and asks about a few things, so maybe the old one was not matching process names accurately or something. Even if they decide to charge, I think it is one of the few progs i would buy. Originally i donated around $15 for a lifetime license, so i will feel kind of ripped-off, but with small devs there is always that risk. They hired the dev at the time and he said he was not seeing anything intrusive planned for it.
The only thing i see is a link to open MBAM if you have it installed (and maybe that button opens a web page to get it if you don't have it installed. I did have it installed but didn't realize. I rarely use it. It made me look at installed programs and realize i am running a 2017 original install (although dozens of restores from backups after finding time bomb or deciding I didn't like the way i installed some big suite, and even a glitch or two with Windows itself (losing certain settings if i recall right).
My backup software i also found worth buying:
Easeus TODO backup. Acronis is fine too, but TODO is easier for me and customizable exclusions, compression, and cpu use. (I always do full DISK backups - NEVER "system" or incremental or differential. When i restore i want it exactly as it was and this is the best way to be clear about that. As i said, it's worked dozens of times on this machine and hundreds for me since around 2001 when i began maintaining 3-4 computers at a small business.
Backup and firewall at the most important programs to me besides the OS.
It is one reason i don't mind installing many big suites i may not use..because i have dual redundant backups (same copies on 2 HDDs) and in 40 minutes step back to a perfect setup from 9 months ago (of course ill need to update windows if i did... I rarely go back past the last backup or two...
I usually know if i want to keep the setup,and some programs i just uninstall and don't worry about the remnants.
But if i see any weirdness in my system (even poorly executed conventions such as as folder naming or locations) i will restore a backup to avoid the remnants.