Is this even allowed?

And while we're at it, are there any more examples perhaps?
(besides using the original hardware as a guideline for creating a GUI obviously)

http://witchpig.co.uk/plugins.html#anchor-nevermore



https://www.soundtoys.com/product/

 

Yeah, that's pretty shameless. Copying the design almost verbatim is one thing, but I can see that they even used the exact same wood grain frame pattern lmao.

 

It may be this person works for Soundtoys, anyways it is a free plugin so he isn't profiting from it.

 

Free or not, that's pretty bad.
That might even be infringement on SoundToys trade dress (if that applies to software).

 

...and "Nevermore" is (or was) a band. Copy copy copy. Does it at least sound good? If amazing, all will be forgiven

 

The free Szechuan Saturator on Sister is a McDonalds style infringer and I'm strangely comfortable with it. This website just looks like a Soundtoys fanboy at work: http://witchpig.co.uk/presets.html#anchor-soundtoys

 

Out of curiosity, I spoke to SoundToys but they weren't aware of this yet, so their 'legal team' will look into it.
Free or not, he's clearly not working for them, so if he's a fanboy he should've ask for permission first.
Of course, it's not the biggest deal in the world, but still. This is so wrong on several levels haha.

 

This thread is ridiculous. Have a look at some of the big developers copying the look and feel of Roland 303's and 808's. Did they get sued? Of course they didn't.

And a couple of lines at the top of a coloured panel is hardly a distinctive design element. Do less fanboy fapping, more music making.

 

Let's sue people over fake woodgrain panels.
I'm old enough to remember the fake woodgrain vinyl people used to put over bars and furniture.
It was back in the days of furry dice

 

Honestly, copying/cloning the aesthetics (or sound) of rather unobtainable, deeply culturally-relevant legacy instruments is different than copying almost verbatim the GUI of a popular plugin. I don't really care, and especially so since the Witch Pig plugin is free. It's not selling itself as a Sound Toys plugin, which is where the pain would be. I ultimately agree with your point now, but still, your example is somewhat poor.

 

I think this is intellectual propriety of Soundtoys, and intellectual proprieties should be respected in the name of the people who created it. No one here would like to have your song copied by a fan, even if you're super famous. Why shouldn't the front end designers be respected also?

All the companies have a different design for 1176's even if its the same gear. the same with pultecs. the only company that is allowed to have it's rights violated is called NINTENDO, but it's talk for another thread

 

''SZECHUAN SATURATOR ADDS SEXY HARMONICS
TO FILL THAT HOLE IN YOUR LIFE.''


damn... i became disturbed at the first look at the plugin's page... i don't want any hole filled with some crazy waveshaper... damn!!....


"AROUSED? DOWNLOAD SZECHUAN SATURATOR
TODAY BEFORE MCDONALD'S SUES ME."

he knows the winter is coming.

 

This. Exactly this.

Tbh this thread is really making me mad, this is 100% the same reasoning used when Reaktor Ensembles get rejected so you could only get on dodgy websites because NI said it looks too much like a Moog Grandmother.
NI and OP, stop ruining the fun, your grandmas are the real lamers here!

The front end developers of Soundtoys won't suffer a bit from a random guy copying their interfaces.

If anything it will make them marginally more popular than they already are.

I'm taking one for the team here cuz Reaktor developers deserve it...

Also, do you really believe the guy that made the Fairchild faceplate suffers in any substantial way financially if a plugin manufacturer chooses to put the "Fairchild" logo on their emulation that already has Fairchild looking knobs on them which is btw not a crime, showing you how contradictory the IP laws are to begin with?
Their shit is out of stock dude they don't make those units anymore, since decades

 

Last edited: Jan 6, 2023

This is complicated. Even if their out of stock, the holders of the rights still exist, even by familiar successors in the case the person itself is dead.

I'm not saying soundtoys will suffer. And the guy is not totally wrong, since it's free and he supports the company. But, by the time his work starts to get "serious", its something he should be worried.

 

well it is free and his intent may be to stir some hype about it by copying sound toys interface, he also distribute some soundtoy presets in the site, so he may be a soundtoys fan.
The plugin actually helps with the phasy bass tone of Nirvana Nervermind.

I am trying it...
(publicity stunt worked here)

 

Last edited: Jan 6, 2023

I'm writing a song called Stairway To Heaven and using WitchPig SPX Nevermore on the guitars.

So there!

 

Reading is difficult, isn't it?
1) I'm just asking a completely legit question about something I came across.
2) See the bold text below.
3) This is also the 'Lounge' section.

And yes, about this particular subject I disagree and stick to what I said: "he should've ask for permission first" because he already knew this will be discussed, when sharing and promoting starts. Saw it already at Instagram, even before my post. Call it piggyback on someone else's job, which in this case is the unique and recognizable GUI style of SoundToys (and not related to any hardware). If you created something, whatever it is, and another party used it without your knowledge or permission, how would that feel?

 

It's perhaps at best an homage to SoundToys and is blue color which closest rsembles their Little Primaltap (I think) free delay plugin albeit without the 3D-ish lighting effect or the triple pinstripes. The Witch Pig is a limited flanger effect which tries to imitate one preset from a Yamaga SPX 90 (which I used to own in the 90's) and doesn't try to emulate either the sound or resembles...does SoundToys even have a flanger? There are at least 20 free old 32 bit plugins that I can somewhat remember that had fake wooden panels before SoundToys was a thing, so to follow logic perhaps they owe an apology to all those developers. In addition, from KVR says of one SoundToys product, "PhaseMistress provides classic phase-shifting, emulating the likes of the Bi-Phase, Boss Super Phaser, Phase 90, to the Moogerfooger 12 stage, Small Stone, Trine and many more..." I doubt that they asked permission to copy the vibe of those iconic boxes. And what of the plethora of Moog wannabes that mimic the panel, knobs, flow and wood of the originals? A name change is all it takes and they're as good as gold.

No harm, no foul.

(And no, I have no life right now but to lay in bed with a hacking cough from a hard influenza and watch movies in between falling asleep and trying to read...to perhaps entertain some's thoughts of my trip in answering, LOL. And no, I'm not really writing a song called Stairway To Heaven, though Butthole Surfers did a bang up job on Hairway To Steven which is a very badass album)

 

Reminds me of Pro-Q3 being copied by Kirchhoff-EQ

 

Nahhh lil bro snitched lol