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Workbench Version For Mavericks


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When is there going to be an newer version of Workbench to work with Mavericks? Workbench 1.75 is almost 20 months old. I need to migrate workbench from my XP pc really soon (Microsoft is stopping supporting XP in a couple of days). I have a brand new 15" Macbook Pro Retina that I want to use. 

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There is not going to be any further development on the original workbench software.

I find this to be a very frustrating response. I realize line 6 is in business to make money, but historically people retain analog guitars for very long periods time and I would think line 6's business model would hope people would keep their digital guitars for a long period of time. Part of that long term commitment is I spend my hard earned $'s to buy line 6 equipment and line 6 supports it for a long period of time. Line 6 has chosen to use the "personal computer" to provide a critical, highly marketed component (Workbench) of the variax guitar line of equipment. Changing/evolving operating systems is a given in the computer world that line 6 operates in. I am pissed off that 3 1/2 years after I bought my Variax 600 new, a critical component is SOL. I expect I am going to soon find out that my PodXT pro won't work with my MBP either.  That is something I will explore at a later date. I have been a loud proponent of Line 6 equipment with everyone I talk to about music but this experience is souring me on Line 6. I wonder what the people who have spent $1.5K to $5K+ will think when in a couple of years down the road line 6 chooses not to support the operating system they are using for workbench!!!!

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the original variax was released in 2003, the current software will still be available for download, and there are a number of ways to use it.

Other users have reportedly had it working on mavericks without issue, but there is always bootcamp, parallels, other VM software, or even a 10.8 or lower version of the mac osx.

I've explicitly seen other users proclaiming working software on mavericks, so it's likely that you just need to get Java correct under the hood.

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Unless we all want to spend a whole lot of time being disappointed, we may as well get used to the idea of increasingly short product lifespans. Ever changing technology has made rapid obsolescence the new normal. One could debate all day long what companies "should" do with regard to older product platforms...but in the end it won't matter, as all decision making is ultimately driven by $$$. I just don't get too attatched to anything anymore...there's no point. Fight it if you like, but you're gonna lose.

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Funny how no-one questions the need for constant OS updates - everyone else has to follow Microsoft, who are also in it for the money. How long do you expect support for given the constant updates that MS and particularly Apple keep throwing out?

 

I don't believe MS have an 'off' switch built into their OSs, so I expect XP will work happily after the support date ends.

 

Personally I would look into dual-booting the Mac so you can have a Windows XP partition.

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  • 9 months later...

for those using Yosemite (Mac OS X 10.10) and probably Mavericks (10.9) and previous, I found a way to have Variax Workbench to work. These are the steps that I followed (that doesn't mind that all are needed, specially I think that the upgrate to Java 8 is not required, but I include it for completeness.

Step by step:

- Installed Variax Workbench 1.54, but it couldn't start due to a java error.

- Download and install Java 8 from https://www.java.com/es/download/mac_download.jsp?locale=es

- Donwload Variax Workbench 1.75. I downloaded it from http://fr.line6.com/software/?hardware=All&name=Variax+Workbench&os=Mac+OS+X&submit=Show%3A (you can use the same acount that for the english site).

- This version won't let itself to to install in my disk. So I downloaded Pacifist https://www.charlessoft.com

- Mount the variax workbench disk image that you have downloaded (Variax Workbench 1.75.dmg) double clicking on it.

- Open the Pacifist software (you don't need to registrer, just wait the 21 seconds) and drop on top of it the file  Variax Workbench.pkg that's inside the disk image you mounted.

- You'll see a window with a level called "Contents of Variax Workbench.pkg" that inside have:

- Contents of Variax_Workbench.pkg and Contents of Variax_USB_Interface.pkg

- Open the first one "Contents of Variax_Workbench.pkg"

- You'll see a icon called VariaxWorkbench.app. Clic on it and extract to the folder Applications > Line6 

There will be a "Variax Workbench" app there from the previous installation, but the new one doesn't have the space in the name, it's just VariaxWorkbench.

- Close Pacifist and dismount the disck.

- Now you can make double clic on VariaxWorkbench and it will open and work.

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I find this to be a very frustrating response. I realize line 6 is in business to make money, but historically people retain analog guitars for very long periods time and I would think line 6's business model would hope people would keep their digital guitars for a long period of time. Part of that long term commitment is I spend my hard earned $'s to buy line 6 equipment and line 6 supports it for a long period of time. Line 6 has chosen to use the "personal computer" to provide a critical, highly marketed component (Workbench) of the variax guitar line of equipment. Changing/evolving operating systems is a given in the computer world that line 6 operates in. I am pissed off that 3 1/2 years after I bought my Variax 600 new, a critical component is SOL. I expect I am going to soon find out that my PodXT pro won't work with my MBP either.  That is something I will explore at a later date. I have been a loud proponent of Line 6 equipment with everyone I talk to about music but this experience is souring me on Line 6. I wonder what the people who have spent $1.5K to $5K+ will think when in a couple of years down the road line 6 chooses not to support the operating system they are using for workbench!!!!

 

You are right about analog gutiars, but the Varaix works as advertised without Workbench. Workbench was seperate piece of software to enhace the instrument. Being software it will eventually not run on every OS that comes out and no software company can maintain products forever. Yes Gearbox is already out of date as well for you XT as well. I recommend keeping a machine around that you can use to edit them. Just because MS doesn't support XP anymore doesn't mean you can keep an old machine around to run it, as long as the machine works. BTW both of those software parts do work in windows 7, so you could get a machine that runs that to use them if you wanted something slighly newer. I'm not an Apple person but I'm sure you could find a older Apple machine with OS that might run the software as well.

 

Bottom line, if you don't want to be able to update your machines and still use older software/hardware combos on the guitar, then maybe digital ain't for you.  It's just part of the equation in working with digitial equipment, regarless of which company produces it.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Because my Variax 700 somehow got its brain scrambled in storage, learning how to A: recalibrate the model selection encoder and B: get Workbench 1.75 running on ANY Mac around here has been a nagging priority. I can't thank you enough for the introduction to Pacifist. This worked exactly as described, and now I've got the encoder fixed (different process altogether) AND Workbench running on Yosemite. Yes!!! Thanks for the info!

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  • 2 weeks later...

for those using Yosemite (Mac OS X 10.10) and probably Mavericks (10.9) and previous, I found a way to have Variax Workbench to work. These are the steps that I followed (that doesn't mind that all are needed, specially I think that the upgrate to Java 8 is not required, but I include it for completeness.

Step by step:

- Installed Variax Workbench 1.54, but it couldn't start due to a java error.

- Download and install Java 8 from https://www.java.com/es/download/mac_download.jsp?locale=es

- Donwload Variax Workbench 1.75. I downloaded it from http://fr.line6.com/software/?hardware=All&name=Variax+Workbench&os=Mac+OS+X&submit=Show%3A (you can use the same acount that for the english site).

- This version won't let itself to to install in my disk. So I downloaded Pacifist https://www.charlessoft.com

- Mount the variax workbench disk image that you have downloaded (Variax Workbench 1.75.dmg) double clicking on it.

- Open the Pacifist software (you don't need to registrer, just wait the 21 seconds) and drop on top of it the file  Variax Workbench.pkg that's inside the disk image you mounted.

- You'll see a window with a level called "Contents of Variax Workbench.pkg" that inside have:

- Contents of Variax_Workbench.pkg and Contents of Variax_USB_Interface.pkg

- Open the first one "Contents of Variax_Workbench.pkg"

- You'll see a icon called VariaxWorkbench.app. Clic on it and extract to the folder Applications > Line6 

There will be a "Variax Workbench" app there from the previous installation, but the new one doesn't have the space in the name, it's just VariaxWorkbench.

- Close Pacifist and dismount the disck.

- Now you can make double clic on VariaxWorkbench and it will open and work.

I am running the latest version of Yosemite and by following these instructions I now have Variax 1.75 working perfectly...A big thank you to this post!!!

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  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Hi! 

Any experience running Workbench 1.75 on a MacBook Pro OS X El Capitan 10.11.1?

 

Yes, I am interested in this as well. I tried the steps above, but couldn't get it to work. Any help would be appreciated.

Cam

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  • 8 months later...

Thank you from me also, mundofer.  I believe your solution has enabled my Variax 700 Acoustic to talk Variax Workbench to my new MacBook Pro running OS10.11.6 , as well as enabling my POD HD500 to speak WorkbenchHD.     Line6 really should think about whether it wants to sully their brand by not supporting their hardware with working updates for the applications needed to use them.  Relying on user hacks is a pretty offhanded slap to their customers.  Line 6 gear is not cheap and good enough to become respected creative tools for the long haul.

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  • 1 month later...

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