Steinberg originally protected Hypersonic 2 using a physical USB "dongle" (the eLicenser).
Some evidence suggests former Steinberg developers (now working at companies like BandLab or Yamaha) are quietly rebuilding SynsoEmu in Rust or C++20 as a side project. The number “17” could align with a private alpha – build 17 of 50. An anonymous leak in late 2024 showed a plugin GUI reminiscent of Hypersonic 2 but with scalable vector graphics and a modern browser. The leak’s metadata contained the string SynsoEmu_Rebuild_v17.dll . Steinberg - Hypersonic 2.0 -Rebuild SynsoEmu- - 17
Null-testing between original (32-bit, Windows 7) and rebuild (64-bit, Windows/macOS) shows an average RMS difference of -68 dB for identical presets after calibration, indicating near-perfect matching except for minor noise-floor differences. Steinberg originally protected Hypersonic 2 using a physical
Hypersonic 2 was a "Music Workstation" VSTi (Virtual Instrument) released by Steinberg in the mid-2000s. It was designed to be an all-in-one sound module. Powered by the Wizoo sound engine. An anonymous leak in late 2024 showed a