Ask Jeff Mc Clintock to revert to legacy .exe format for SynthEdit 1.6
The Issue
In a world where corporations like Microsoft and Apple are gradually attempting to transform our personal computers into "big smartphones" and/or into "mass-control machines", the freedom users have traditionally enjoyed is fading away. This shift, characterized by restricted control and limited customization options, is unsettling for many of us who value our independence in interacting with technology.
The recent change in SynthEdit 1.6, which shifts from the reliable .exe format to the .appx / .msix format, is reflective of this trend. Jeff Mc Clintock, by transitioning to this new format, is aligning with the corporate push that undermines user autonomy. For those of us who have invested not just money but especially time in SynthEdit, this move feels like a betrayal. It's not just a change in format; it's a shift away from a platform that offered us creative freedom and control.
Furthermore, this change hinders the community of developers and users of SynthEdit. Elena Design, a key contributor to the SynthEdit landscape, has voiced a definitive stand against this move. They have declared they will cease all public SynthEdit-related development in few years if the .exe format is not reinstated, and if any dependency on Microsoft Store and related services is not abandoned. This potential loss of a major player would detrimentally impact the SynthEdit community, curtailing innovation and collaboration.
In addition, more and more developers of either FOSS or closed source software are moving towards fully portable versions of their software nowadays. Installing software on a dedicated partition is definitely safer and more reliable than installing everything on the System partition, which should be reserved uniquely to the OS.
Jeff Mc Clintock, we urge you to reconsider this change. Listen to your community—the users who have supported you and have crafted art and developed precious DSP tecnhology with the tools you created. Walking a step back and reverting to the legacy .exe format is not merely a technical detail; it’s a commitment to your user base and an acknowledgment of their right to choose and control.
We stand together with Elena Design and the broader SynthEdit community to ask for a return to the format that empowers us as creators and as free users. Please sign this petition to show your support for this cause and urge Jeff Mc Clintock to bring back the .exe format for SynthEdit 1.6.
13
The Issue
In a world where corporations like Microsoft and Apple are gradually attempting to transform our personal computers into "big smartphones" and/or into "mass-control machines", the freedom users have traditionally enjoyed is fading away. This shift, characterized by restricted control and limited customization options, is unsettling for many of us who value our independence in interacting with technology.
The recent change in SynthEdit 1.6, which shifts from the reliable .exe format to the .appx / .msix format, is reflective of this trend. Jeff Mc Clintock, by transitioning to this new format, is aligning with the corporate push that undermines user autonomy. For those of us who have invested not just money but especially time in SynthEdit, this move feels like a betrayal. It's not just a change in format; it's a shift away from a platform that offered us creative freedom and control.
Furthermore, this change hinders the community of developers and users of SynthEdit. Elena Design, a key contributor to the SynthEdit landscape, has voiced a definitive stand against this move. They have declared they will cease all public SynthEdit-related development in few years if the .exe format is not reinstated, and if any dependency on Microsoft Store and related services is not abandoned. This potential loss of a major player would detrimentally impact the SynthEdit community, curtailing innovation and collaboration.
In addition, more and more developers of either FOSS or closed source software are moving towards fully portable versions of their software nowadays. Installing software on a dedicated partition is definitely safer and more reliable than installing everything on the System partition, which should be reserved uniquely to the OS.
Jeff Mc Clintock, we urge you to reconsider this change. Listen to your community—the users who have supported you and have crafted art and developed precious DSP tecnhology with the tools you created. Walking a step back and reverting to the legacy .exe format is not merely a technical detail; it’s a commitment to your user base and an acknowledgment of their right to choose and control.
We stand together with Elena Design and the broader SynthEdit community to ask for a return to the format that empowers us as creators and as free users. Please sign this petition to show your support for this cause and urge Jeff Mc Clintock to bring back the .exe format for SynthEdit 1.6.
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on June 25, 2026