To access the forum ► Click Here:

VI-Control was founded in 2004 by Frederick Russ as a place where people could speak freely about composing and sample libraries. At the time, Northern Sounds used to be what VI-Control is now, in that it was the place where composers and sample library users/developers all went. It was a great forum.

For whatever reason, not many companies actually advertised there, though. Probably because the rates were insanely high. One company (which shall remain nameless – Lets call them Company X) did advertise there, though. They also had their own sub-forum, which I’m guessing they paid extra for. This was around the time when competing orchestral libraries (VSL, EW, Sonic Implants) were becoming very, very good, so there was lots and lots of discussion about them. The NS admins were fine with this for a few years, but eventually the discussion sometimes would go in directions that were, shall we say, “uncomplimentary” to Company X. Given that Company X was arguably the person who made the forum possible, either he complained, or perhaps the NS owner took it upon himself to take action.

It started with the deleting of negative posts about Company X.  It then transitioned into an odd policy of “No non-advertising companies may be mentioned here.”

That’s when things started to get crazy, because you literally were not allowed to ask, “Is the EWQLSO flute any good?” People started getting banned if they broke those rules. Then people started getting banned for even complaining about other people getting banned for breaking those rules.

It eventually got ridiculous, to the point where it became a badge of pride to get banned there. (Got my badge right here!) Being clever people that we were, people just created new profiles. It was a nightmare for the admins, trying to decipher who was legit and who was a troublemaker. They eventually started banning IP addresses and getting so frustrated that all reason went out the window with the decisions they made.

Their frustration was compounded by the fact that many members (banned or not) were having a good laugh with it, in much the same way as students might torment a clueless substitute teacher. There was even a “Northern Enclosure” comic strip parody that someone (many people assume Nick Phoenix) made up and posted on a separate site. (Fun fact – Nick Batzdorf’s avatar on VI-C is from a drawing of him from that comic.)

[Read more…]