Crazy and oldfashioned authorization system etc.

[Andreas Proske]

Hi there, just a short impression from a newbee…

I am working with a lot of plugins and software samplers for a long time now. In the drums sector with BFD, NI, Slate etc. But it’s been a veeery long time I had to register via such an antique registration method as I was forced to with my new ez drummer SW yesterday evening..

I will even have to register my 2 sample libraries one by one -crazy! With NI it’s just one click.

And now I read that when changing to a new computer -which I do about every second year- I will have to re-register again. And not only that, I will have to give back the license online before and get a new one. And that in 2 processes – per software entity. Is that really the truth? If so, that is so annoying I have no words for it.
At the moment I use more than a hundred licences on of my dongles. If I had to follow this procedurewith all of my plugs, I’d need 3 days just for registration plus the reinstallation of the SW itself.

So, has anyone heard of Toontrack goin ilok? Because, if not, I think that’s it with TT and me 🙁
Best, Andreas

Topic

[Martin]

Hi,

we are well aware that our current authorization system is not perfect. We are currently looking a number of different options to improve this, but we have no ETA right now of when it will be implemented.

Martin Kristoffersson
Sound Designer

[VOLiTiAN]

Please dear toontrack, avoid a USB key/dongle like the plague, if any of you are serious about your music, you won’t care it takes 3-4 days to install everything (in fact we had a hard drive failure 2 weeks again and had to reinstall 800gb of data!)

Anyway, these devices are notoriously a pain, either it’s overheads, conflicts or plain just taking ages to authorize etc. Plus, does any software manufacturer take into account we don’t want to keep buying more powered hubs just to support the bloody protection hardware lol

Regards

D.

 

www.myspace.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundclick.com/VOLiTiAN www.reverbnation.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundcloud.com/VOLiTiAN

[Martin]

Naturally, dongle solutions have been brought up when discussing authorization, but at the moment we’re leaning towards other methods that don’t require additional hardware and possibly extra costs for the customer.

You, our customers, are the most important thing we have and I would like to make clear that no Toontrack customer will ever run out of authorizations, as long as you don’t breach the EULA(in short: one user per software, two computers can be authorized simultaneously at the express condition that only one copy shall be in use at any one time.)

Authorizing software can truly be a hassle, especially when you have lots of products. Just trust that we are working on new methods as we speak, hopefully available soon.

Thanks for your input guys.

Martin Kristoffersson
Sound Designer

[Christian Derdul]

In my experience the copy protection system that PSP Audioware uses, is by far the most convenient.

Mac Pro 4.1, 2.26 GHz 8 Core, 28 GB RAM, OS X 10.10.5, Logic Pro 10.2.0, Apogee Duet

[Christian Derdul]

The procedure is downloading a tiny file and then double clicking it. Done literally in seconds.

Mac Pro 4.1, 2.26 GHz 8 Core, 28 GB RAM, OS X 10.10.5, Logic Pro 10.2.0, Apogee Duet

[Whitten]

Probably my most unhappy registration experience was with NI.

[Bill.Holbrook]

I have a computer at home that I’m using with EZ drummer( just got it this week) I realize I have to get pro tools to put the tracks somewhere. Now my question is, the past 5 years I’ve been involved with a recording studio 4 hour drive away. I would like to install the EZ program on that computer also so I can work on either one depending on where I am. I have a mac PC with a 27inch screen and don’t want to bring it back and forth. Will I be able to install on both?

[John]

Bill,

as long as you’re the sole user of that EZdrummer copy, you’re not breaching the EULA.

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[deepwilson]

Please please please keep your authorization system as it is.

My music PC is not connected to the internet (old fashioned idea I know)…

This makes NI’s method almost unworkable and very slow, IK Multimedia,s new system for amplitube means I cannot really use that to it’s fullest any more. And iLok is a PITA! It seems with every new purchase I need to update the iLok software in my music PC.

With Toontrack I can install the software and register using my phone. Brilliant!

[VOLiTiAN]

“two computers can be authorized simultaneously at the express condition that only one copy shall be in use at any one time.”

This in itself was a convincer for us, we’ve got two workstations and to be able to chop and change dedicated tasks rather than only having one for drum processing was a life saver.

And couldn’t agree more with the guy above ^^, I *HATE* that I have to put my machines on the net from time to time just to register, it either means I increase my chances of bad code getting on my machine, or I install assorted firewalls and then figure out which one’s currently try to screw my DAW over at any given moment.

Toontrack, with all due respect to the OP, you’re doing just fine, put your development costs in continuing a great line of products!

Regards

D.

www.myspace.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundclick.com/VOLiTiAN www.reverbnation.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundcloud.com/VOLiTiAN

[Andreas Proske]

Thanks for your input, Martin and others.

Alas there is no concrete info in nearly all replies. I use ilok with Slate, Waves, Sonnox, Flux, EMI, Softube, Soundtoys etc. – on one ilok2 dongle! And with the safety that my licenses are insured if the dongle is stolen or crashed.
I cannot see any disadvantage in that system. Somebody wrote that he does not want a dongle, no why’s or other arguments. Not very constructive…
Somebody writes about the “3 seconds” time of registration, simply nonsense. I registered EZ Drummer + 2 drumkits and that took more time than for all of my plugins, simply because I just stick my ilok in my new PC and thats it! With this procedure I had to do it for each of my 24 Waves plugins when changing a graphics card. Do you hear my arguments? Or do you just not want to hear?
It would be helpful to give some arguments instead of saying nothing at all.

Thanks, Martin, you told me that you are aware of the problematic approach and thats all I needed to know to see you as a pro.
Best,
Andreas
 

[godprobe]

To add my input to the thread…

My personal reasons for not wanting a dongle are:
– I lose things.  If I’m using two different computers, chances are I will eventually misplace the dongle when going between them.  I don’t know what the process/cost/time is to deal with that, but I’m glad to hear that your licenses are insured (does that cost more?).
– If it ever breaks (I’m always careful to remove my USB drives as soon as I’m done with my file transfers because I don’t want them accidentally getting snapped off)… same process/cost/time question as above.
– It takes up a USB slot.  On a laptop, those are a precious commodity and I hate using hubs because of the potential issues they cause.
– Depending on the protection used, it will likely be wasting CPU cycles.  Probably not much, but the fewer things going on on my computer that could be interrupting any other processes, the better.
– It’s an extra purchase (that I do not need or want).

If I can, I’d just rather not have to worry about those things.  I like the Toontrack licensing system as-is.  It could be simpler, but the method is likely more secure than the very basic any-valid-key-will-work method with not much more hassle.

Comparing iLok to the current method, somehow the license has to get onto your iLok versus somehow the license has to be assigned to your Toontrack account.  As long as there is still a retail boxed product, I see no advantage in using iLok for initial authorization.

Unless it’s a system like UAD’s where the hardware is actually an important part of the software and not just a dongle, I personally will not buy any dongled product.  Again, that’s me.  You obviously feel differently, and I don’t begrudge you your opinion at all.  The above are my own reasons to simply differ.

You do bring up a very valid point about the hardware change creating a new system ID and requiring a new validation.  With more licenses, that takes more time, and that usually seems to be the complaint most have.  Maybe an automated tool of some sort would be of great help there (akin to NI’s Service Center, maybe?).  But, imho, iLok is not the way I’d like to see the solution go.

WinXP | Fireface 800 | Variax | Axe-Fx | Toontrack | Komplete | Reaper http://www.godprobe.com/projects/notemaps/

[VOLiTiAN]

Andymusikus,

95% slate to other contributors on the thread, always a way to make friends….

Regards

D.

www.myspace.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundclick.com/VOLiTiAN www.reverbnation.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundcloud.com/VOLiTiAN

[Nathan]

I’ve whinged about the authorisation process in the past, and yes, it’s a pain when you’d rather be doing something else

…but I’d rather go through that to know that TT actually get a revenue stream from the software and the quality and support stay good.

I feel better about paying for a software package too,  knowing that half the people I deal with haven’t downloaded it for free from some torrent site.

Just bear with us please, support, on the few times we’re grinding teeth and spitting sparks, because we really need to be getting on with making music.

>

SD2.3, NYII, C&V, MC, MF, ED, Latin Perc, Twisted, Pop, N1H, Electronic, Classic, Funkmasters, Rock Solid, Blues, Indie-Folk.

[Tom]

I have spent the last days reinstalling everything from the bottom in my DAW computer because of latency problems. The two authorization methods that work best for me are iLok and NI. I don’t care which one you choose. Just as long as I can authorize all my Toontrack stuff with a very few keyclicks. If need be let us have iLok as an individual option. I would even pay for it. Celemony had such an option for a while.

At the moment Toontrack authorization is a PITA. Even copy/paste doesn’t work smoothly with the risk of typing something wrong an losing an authorization. If there are people out there who wish to autorize one by one over the phone, them keep that option open. But don’t force me to follow such procedures.

Also, don’t make any authorization dependable upon external devices like a usb wireless adaptor. That’s the case at the moment. In fact you shouldn’t even make it dependable on what is in the slots inside the computer. Imagine if every sofware producer did that. Then imagine what happens if you move a dsp card because of IRQ conflicts. Then you would have to reauthorize all your software once again.

Because of all the trouble and the risk of having to authorize again if I reinsert my currently malfunctioning Powercore card, I haven’t even authorized all my Toontrack stuff.

[Author]

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