Updating from v2.02 on OS9

[ableman]

Hello all

I am a recent Pulsar 2 owner after having lusted after a Scope system since I first heard about them back in 1999. I have managed to get it functioning inside a Quicksilver G4 alongside a Korg Oasys PCI, which I can already see will be an insanely capable and distinct sonic pallet.

This is then connected to the main DAW, a Haswell i7-4790 3.6Ghz running RME HDSP and Ableton on W7x64, via the optical I/O. Word clock via BNC syncs the signal on the RME and the Oasys to the digital card of an ISA428, whist the Pulsar collects the sync signal via ADAT.

I've only just got this up and running, having never used Mac OS9 before. The Oasys used to live in a customised XPC Shuttle case, but it always seemed like not-quite-the-finished-article, due to the DSP programming application (SynthKit) being OS9 only. Similar to Creamware, Korg chose to not develop OSX or XP drivers for their cards, creating a strange situation where we have these bizarrely powerful DSP cards frozen and bound to technology from the last millenium. As such, it always seemed to make the most sense to get this inside an OS9 box.

Even with the mega-frustrating OMS.

At some point, probably when I can afford a Korg Oasys keyboard and a Nord Modular G2 at the same time, I could be convinced to relinquish OS9, but for now, I happy with my dinosaur DSPasaurus.

However, the version of the install I have for my card is v2.02. I understand the latest verson that worked on OS9 was around 4.X, which I downloaded from the Sonic Core archive when initially trying to get the card running.

Here I hit a brick wall. I was suddenly presented with a demand for serial numbers for all these devices, when all I had was a one week old, 2nd hand Pulsar 2 with a legible but faded serial number on a tatty old manual. I certainly didn't have anything that resembled the serial numbers being demanded, and I went back to the included v2.02 install disc, which eventually worked.

And wow... What a fantastic sounding and flexible little card! Having it connected to the Oasys via lightpipe in the same machine is a dream I do not want to wake up from just yet!

So, this introduction is a way of asking any one who might know what I can do re: my licensing on this old machine.

SFPv5.1 is discounted until this evening. I have the funds ready to buy it, but I don't actually want v5.1 - I want to be able to run the latest most stable version of the Scope software on Mac OS9. I have emailed Sonic Core with this question, but I suspect I will not hear from them until after the upgrade offer expires.

Does anyone know if buying the 5.1 upgrade would allow me to use 4.x?

Does anyone have a copy of the last version 2 (v2.04 IIRC? :-s) Or v3.1 for that matter?

Does anyone else still run this gloriously spectacular card on OS9?

Thank you for reading and for such a great little forum.

(which I did search previous to posting this, but all my keywords are too short.)

Wishing everyone a very prosperous 2016!

[fraz]

Gee that's old software -

I had 2.04 a [I'd need to check] then an update to 3.1 b or C on Windows - Off the top of my head the upgrade from 3.1 b to 4 or 4.5 was free for registered users [or maybe there was a charge I forget]-

Back in the day this was on Windows 98 SE -

Today I'm not even sure if Mac computer is supported anymore but if you are registered user then you should have what is necessary to unlock the software

[jksuperstar]

If you have ver 2 installed, within that you should be able to check the serial number of the card.

Since Creamware is no more, it might be difficult for you to get ver 4 from Sonic-Core. However, you can always install the card, with 5.1, on a new mobo with PCI slots. This works on Win xp thru win10, and 5.1 has a ton of new devices included with it to make it worth while.

[borg]

First, garyb is the man to talk to for keys/registration issues. Here on Z, I think Hubird is the only posting member to still use OS9.

I used my cards in a G3 until 4 years ago, and iirc, v4 was free, v4.5 was a paid upgrade and a step towards v5. v5 is indeed not working on a mac, neither OS9 nor OSX. I doubt you can still buy the v4.5 software.
Again iirc, v3 and v4 were essentially the same, except for some added devices and minor changes. At some point the registering system changed (different key structure), but your keys should work at least on v3 (I think) which I would recommend until you put your card in a windows box.

Anyway, welcome!

[borg]

As jksuperstar said, v5 is a giant leap from old versions, enough for me to switch to a windows machine, which I essentially use the same as my old G3, as a outboard zero latency superrack connected through adat to RME on my main computer.

[ableman]

Thank you so much for your input guys. Some food for thought here in terms of how this actually might pan out.

I didn't expect one on new years eve, but I got a reply from Sonic Core answering my queries!

The short version is that they were happy to drag my v2.02 right up to SFP4 for gratis. However, they also said that if I did buy the v5.1 update, they would generate v4 keys for the newer plugins, so I can use them (unsupported) on OS9.

So... I bought the update. For £80 I got to update all the software and effectively bring some future-proofness to the system. I suspect that the move back to a PC will come when the perfect combination of the availability of more DSP power, a free-slot laden motherboard and some spare cash converge.

I also suspect that this may come much sooner than I anticipate, just due to how good the stuff coming out of this card sounds. I imagine a couple of XITE-1's and a couple of UAD Octo cards with a RayDat would be verging on the orgasmic.

I've spent a lot of time building and tearing down budget studio's over the years, and my prefered way of working has become to use native, DSP and selected analogue bits, all chained through a flexible system of pre-amps and filters. I'm not there yet, but the Scope stuff brings into the clear just how effectively this sort of system could be run.

Thank you again for your help. I think this is going to be start of a beautiful relationship...

(* If you define a beautiful relationship as being one between a human and a DSP Resource Meter.)