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Varian 300 vs Workbench


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I have one of the original Variax guitars, but I've found that workbench no longer recognizes the guitar.
Workbench 1.75 won't install on my Mac - it says it requires OS 10.5 or above. I'm at 10.13 (Which I'm pretty sure is newer that 10.5)

This is a problem - guitars shouldn't become obsolete... Any one have a clue about what to do to make this work?

 


 

Screen_Shot_2018-09-19_at_7_16.24_AM.png

Screen Shot 2018-09-19 at 7.33.09 AM.png

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2 hours ago, Skipernicus said:

Workbench 1.75 won't install on my Mac - it says it requires OS 10.5 or above. I'm at 10.13 (Which I'm pretty sure is newer than 10.5)

 


 

 

I don't pay much attention to the numbers themselves, so I'm not sure what the latest version is, but the numbers attached to OS versions go up, so 10.13 would not be newer than 10.5. Sometimes however, Apple has versions labeled with multiple decimal points (such as 10.10.1, or similar), so at a quick glance you might misread what you currently have installed. Double check exactly what you've got and see where it falls relative to the system requirements for Workbench. 

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Hey all, let me clear some things up (and thanks for your responses!)

I already have Workbench HD installed (supports my Shuriken, what a lovely guitar), and it works like a champ for anything JTV or beyond. That's the first photo - it doesn't support my 300.

Second photo: 
I tried installing the original Workbench 1.75, (and then 1.73). The error message I get on install is that 10.5 or better is required. I'm using a Mac OSX 10.13.6 (High Sierra) which is pretty new... 10.5 was Leopard (much older). 

I also have a windows machine in the studio, but it's Windows 10 - which none of the old workbenches have been marked as compatible.

(What I really need is some genius to make me a raspberry pi computer that only runs workbench 1.75, but as long as I'm wishing I'd also like a pony)

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Okay, so the definitive answer is:

"We appreciate your interest in our Legacy software product, Variax Workbench.  This program is not compatible with computers running on operating systems after Windows 8 and OSX 10.8. There is no pending update on schedule to make this software compatible with current operating systems."

So, if anyone comes up with a clever work around, I'm all ears. Thanks!

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5 hours ago, Skipernicus said:

I also have a windows machine in the studio, but it's Windows 10 - which none of the old workbenches have been marked as compatible.

 

Tell the search you use Windows 8... or even Windows 7... then download that version. No need to be so honest :) 

 

1 hour ago, Skipernicus said:

"We appreciate your interest in our Legacy software product, Variax Workbench.  This program is not compatible with computers running on operating systems after Windows 8 and OSX 10.8. There is no pending update on schedule to make this software compatible with current operating systems."

 

ABSOLUTE BS! Both my desktop and laptop are on the latest versions of Windows 10... it works fine! For the record, I also own a Variax 300.

I don't use Mac, so I cannot comment there. For Windows 10, it is simple. 

 

1: Go to JAVA.COM and install the latest version of JAVA

2: Go to the Line 6 download area, and download the latest version of the original Workbench software... not HD. If you choose Windows 10 as part of the search it will not find it, enter Windows 8 or 7 into the search and download that version (as mentioned above)

3: Install Workbench but de-select the option to install JAVA... you already installed that in step on. If it throws a Java error, ignore it!

 

Launch workbench and enjoy! 

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2 hours ago, Skipernicus said:

Okay, so the definitive answer is:

"We appreciate your interest in our Legacy software product, Variax Workbench.  This program is not compatible with computers running on operating systems after Windows 8 and OSX 10.8. There is no pending update on schedule to make this software compatible with current operating systems."

So, if anyone comes up with a clever work around, I'm all ears. Thanks!

 

If that's the official Line 6 position, my official position is that its horse doodoo. Obviously the software will run on newer operating systems with workarounds (as some have figured out), so it shouldn't take many resources to make any required fixes. They are basically saying that Variax guitars (as a customizable instrument) have a very limited lifespan compared to normal guitars. The reason I bought a Variax in the first place was so I could create custom tunings, etc.  

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In regards to using Java - I am an international traveller (many networks), and Java present huge security issues, so I'm no gonna take that route - but good answer!

Regarding "horse doodoo," I'm sure it's a matter of they don't want to support our workarounds, which I understand. It is a weird situation, though. I've had printers die with OS updates, but never a guitar before. I'm gonna check out those threads, though, and many thanks codamedia and soundog!

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2 hours ago, soundog said:

 

If that's the official Line 6 position, my official position is that its horse doodoo. Obviously the software will run on newer operating systems with workarounds (as some have figured out), so it shouldn't take many resources to make any required fixes. They are basically saying that Variax guitars (as a customizable instrument) have a very limited lifespan compared to normal guitars. The reason I bought a Variax in the first place was so I could create custom tunings, etc.  

 

It might not be ideal, but for a tech-heavy product, it's par for the course... it's a 6-stringed computer. Can't think of it as if it were a nice LP or a Strat...I've got guitars that are 20+ years old, but I never expected my JTV to remain "current", or to be supported that long. It just isn't how things work anymore. 

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11 hours ago, Skipernicus said:

In regards to using Java - I am an international traveller (many networks), and Java present huge security issues, so I'm no gonna take that route - but good answer!

 

If you don't want to go the JAVA route, then you will never be able to use the older Workbench. It is required and used to be part of the the Workbench install until the installer "pointer" no longer pointed to the correct URL at JAVA.COM. That is why you have to do it manually now. 

 

 

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9 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

It might not be ideal, but for a tech-heavy product, it's par for the course... it's a 6-stringed computer. Can't think of it as if it were a nice LP or a Strat...I've got guitars that are 20+ years old, but I never expected my JTV to remain "current", or to be supported that long. It just isn't how things work anymore. 

 

Although you may be correct, planned obsolescence of a guitar can't be good for sales... especially as it becomes widely known. 

 

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2 hours ago, codamedia said:

 

Although you may be correct, planned obsolescence of a guitar can't be good for sales... especially as it becomes widely known. 

 

 

Well unfortunately the alternative is to continually lament the way things are, and never buy anything for fear of how soon it'll become a paper weight.

 

We live in a disposable economy, with the planned obsolescence of nearly everything we buy. It's been that way for quite some time, now.... as far as I'm concerned, just about the only thing you can buy and keep forever at this point, is a Zippo. I'm not saying it's a good thing, merely that it is. So I see myself with two choices: 1) I could get pi$$ed every time the "latest and greatest" becomes yesterday's news...or...2) Get used to it, and approach purchases accordingly. The $1K I spent on my JTV wasn't chump change, but I didn't need to take out a home equity loan for it either. Gotta choose your battles...I knew what I was getting into when I bought the thing. 

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When folks get a Variax they believe they are buying a guitar, not a computer.

 

If Line 6 perceives the Variax as a disposable piece of electronics with a vastly shorter lifespan, I'll never buy another one. Look, we're not asking them to update the ding-danged hardware .... just the editing software. It shouldn't be that difficult to keep Workbench running. (Its more like a DAW plug-in, and most of the popular ones are updated to stay compatible with changing operating systems for decades.)

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4 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

We live in a disposable economy, with the planned obsolescence of nearly everything we buy. It's been that way for quite some time, now.... as far as I'm concerned, just about the only thing you can buy and keep forever at this point, is a Zippo.

 

I expect products to die... when the electronics start to fail in the older Variax guitars, so be it... that is life. 

 

When L6 claims that Workbench (original) doesn't work on Windows 10.... and I am comfortably running Workbench original on two computers with Windows 10.... that's BS! They just don't WANT to tell people those old guitars still work, or make it convenient for people to keep them working! 

 

4 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

Well unfortunately the alternative is to continually lament the way things are, and never buy anything for fear of how soon it'll become a paper weight.

 

Guitar players have a lot of choices that will NEVER become a paper weight.... Sure, they will require service and repair, but that will never be a problem. You can't compare a Variax to an HP Printer... 

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2 hours ago, codamedia said:

Guitar players have a lot of choices that will NEVER become a paper weight.... Sure, they will require service and repair, but that will never be a problem. You can't compare a Variax to an HP Printer... 

 

Sure I can...

 

Of course there are other options if all you want is a guitar... but that's not the primary reason for buying a Variax, is it? We all want the fancy signal manipulation for one reason or another, and that's the part that's guaranteed to evolve. So as far as the electronics are concerned, the HP printer analogy is perfect, imho.

 

If all I wanted was another Strat (or clone thereof), there are better options in terms of fit, finish, and build quality in the $1000-$1500 price range, which will remain exactly the same 20 years out. And I wouldn't need to do any mental gymnastics with computer operating systems in order to play it. 

 

The guitar itself will always be a guitar, long after the guts crap out or become obsolete...but lets face it, it's just an OK assembly line instrument, who's primary function is to serve as a delivery vehicle for fancy electronics.... so when those electronics become the butt of Commodore 64 jokes, then it's off to the toothpick factory. It's not as if it we're the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and can't live without. I'll get used to whatever comes along to replace it. 

 

We may not agree, and that's fine...but I stick by everything I said. Know what you're getting into. If you want a decent quality instrument that'll remain exactly the same forever, unaffected by the cyclone of technology, then don't buy something loaded with exotic gizmos and software that's dependent on computer compatibility and interaction. Because that stuff is guaranteed to go the way of the dodo a whole lot sooner than any of us would like... and way before 6 strings and a couple pieces of wood will have outlived their usefulness. 

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I bought a Shuriken, and it is an amazing bit of gear - not just for the cyborg qualities either - it feels good, and is remarkably “positionable” - the forearm and tummy cut are really nice. And it has a decent magnetic pickup, so only part of the guitar might expire. But the part that my age out is... the orchestra. I hate the idea that some future version of workbench will not work with it. That’s a horrible thought. When you have a favorite axe, you want to marry it. Don’t make me a widower, Line6!

 

I have a bunch a guitars, but lately, that one is becoming my main. If I could find one with bad electronics, I would buy it and just use it as a single pickup guitar. Because I love it - it is my guitar, and the others in my collection are more like a reference library.

 

The 300 is the “goes to parties” guitar. If it gets stolen, it’s a lesser (but still a) loss. I’d like to reconfigure it, though. You know, leverage the tech. And as a loaner to the trustworthy, it’s a great evangelical tool to promote the truth and beauty of Line6, it’s name be praise, hallelujah.

 

I think the thing for me to do is get a cheap old machine to run workbench. Maybe use the remainder of the hard drive as a jukebox...

 

 

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16 hours ago, Skipernicus said:

think the thing for me to do is get a cheap old machine to run workbench.

 

Herein lies the caveat. Workbench won't install on an older machine either without the steps of manually installing JAVA. So the options are... old machine that L6 claims Workbench works on, but it won't install without a workaround. OR - Newer computer that L6 claims it won't work on... but it does, with the same workarounds as the old machine needs :) 

 

NOTE: That's the options for Windows.... I don't know about MAC.

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I was able to get an older version of Workbench running on a newer Mac with runtime Java, but it was a pain and a lot of trial and error. Other users have reported been unsuccessful. Plus, I'm always afraid to upgrade my OS for fear it will break forever.

 

So, on the Mac the options are somewhere between painful and impossible.

 

Just fix it, please.

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I did a little window shopping and found I could get an adequate old pc for about $100. I could use java on it, as it would spend the remainder of it’s life as an offline property.

 

Although, an even better solution is, as you say, just fix it.

 

This issue certainly colors my view about buying another Variax.

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On 9/21/2018 at 10:59 AM, Skipernicus said:

This issue certainly colors my view about buying another Variax.

 

I bought a used 300 for this very reason. If I am buying disposable gear, I am going to pay disposable dollars :) 

 

At least the newer models (JTV, Standard, Shuriken) come with pickups... so the guitar itself can stay relevant in a worse case scenario. 

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