VCI-100 v1.3 Firmware Emulator
Hi, Does anyone know if there is an emulator that will emulate the 1.3 version firmware for the vci-100 to prevent having to upgrade it manually, and if there is, where can it be downloaded from? Thanks.
nope!
AFAIK…1.3 FM was designed here.
I have not heard of an emulator for it.
Updating to 1.3 is pretty easy.
I did it the “not recommended” way with a USB - Serial Cable and it worked first time.
What is the not recommended way i’m not familiar with it?? do you need to buy the upgrade kit?
It’s recommended that you do it with a serial to serial cable and not a USB to serial cable, those have a history of causing problems. No way to do it without the upgrade kit.
no emulator, but you could have a crack at recreating it with bomes if you want? 
When did you upgrade to a VCI-100SE? I’m sure you used to just have regular old VCI-100 silver… I’ve just ordered the whole arcade upgrade kit and am just waiting for it to get here.
I was gonna just do the usb to serial thing too… is it really sketchy?
Sort of hoping that the new Traktor software isn’t going mean i need a new overlay soon.
Although i’ve realised that the beauty of digital, in terms of a business model for NI, Serato etc, is the fact it can keep evolving and therefore they can keep getting us to buy new shit, like more often than is really necessary.
When it was technics 12s that’s all it was for a long time… maybe a new mixer upgrade once in a while.
I digress.
Firmware upgrade… gonna do it on a mac running windows xp in parallels with a USB.
Sketchy or not?
Find a friend with a pc with a serial port 
Thats what i had to do as i did not really want to do it though bootcamp or parralles or with a usb to serial.
Took me half hour max including dissaembly/reassembly of vci.
@Max, ive had the FW Kit for over a year just not got round to doing it until last week. Got some chunky white faders/knobs and a 1.3 overlay (havent used the overlay yet).
I considered the Arcade Kit but thats way out of my league. Id solder my face to the VCI and end up with arcade button eyes if i tried all that shenanigans.
I was apprehensive about USB to Serial cables.
You know guys, finding a laptop/desktop with a serial port that isnt still running Window 98 is pretty hard. I have 2 such desktops in my cellar one of which is so old it doesnt even have a modem in it… the point being i didnt trust these old machines to be a part of the process.
I digress.
I used my g/fs XP laptop that is pretty crappy and a USB - Serial bought from Maplins.
The only issue was the shortness of the cable and the fact that the weight on the FW Kit means that it didnt sit flat on the PCB. To prevent it from flipping up i rested a large heavy wooden spoon on the kit which made it sit flat. Ghetto or what.
That was the only obstacle mate.
I had my Mac open at the side and followed the tutorial video very slowly, step by step.
Opened Device Manger on the laptop (which i had to remember how to do as i havent fiddled with a PC in 6 years.) The tutorial says, look in Ports and Coms and find which Com port the Serial Adapter shows up on.
In my case it was COM 4.
Then follow the video, changing the COM port on the Flashing software that you download.
Select Browse to find the VCI100FW file, then hit PROCEED.
It did it first time. From start to finish in less that 10 minutes.
I followed the “Check What FW You Have” and sure enough 4th FX button is working and its all good.
Done 2 gigs with the VCI this week both 5 hours and everything is great.
Really, if i can do it…
As for doing it with Parallels ..? Ive read that people have done it but im not familiar with running Windows on a Mac.
I did it with a usb to serial cable on a MBP running XP in Bootcamp.
@karlos, yeah you had that idea of doing your own top secret overlay right? you still on that?
my dad’s pretty handy with a soldering iron so i was going to get him to help me basically… like a father son bonding thing innt haha
My main issue with the vci is the size and rankness of the original buttons so thought i may as well go all out and do the arcade thing.
The whole machine shop debacle was a bit of a stumbling block but i did a search and came across this tutorial and thought I could do that:
@photojojo, glad to hear the FW upgrade can be done on a mac running XP as that’s my only option really…
I was pretty tempted to get a midi fighter too, sort of gutted i didn’t now cause of the postage etc… oh well.