Tone2 Icarus is the most underrated synth in Existence.

[Hink]

when one has but 4 posts it doesn't take long to see their history, I had a feeling this was about protection. This does not make a company spyware because you dont like their copy protection plan, your rant does not change that fact. We have plenty of threads on copy protection, we have plenty of members just waiting to jump into threads to get into the topic an derail any thread. I said "you may have reasons but before you go making claims you need proof which will not be made here in this thread", your rant isn't even a valid claim of spyware...it's just a gripe and you want to use this as your soapbox to complain about it. So again I will say not in this thread, do not derail this into a copy protection thread

[JunSev]

Bad luck with your ilok but you should be able to proof you bought it in another way (bank transactions, confirmation e-mail that you bought it, ...).

What Tone2 does may be borderline but using warez keys is no better. If you use legal keys, there will be no problem.

Would you accept police visit at your home or workplace for control purpose only?
If you are a well-behaved citizen, there will be no problem.
Just think about it...

The only thing that the copy protection scheme from Tone2 does is eliminate the blacklisted key (you being online or offline), I don't know if the thing about phoning home is true or if they are currently doing that or if they did it in the past, if you don't have illegal key or you're not a pirate why to even bother? you will not have problems if you have your legal keys, only the blacklisted keys.

Now think about how really worse is to be dependent of the company in order to use the software you paid for, requiring internet or Challenge/Response, or some of those you already did mention (I will not get on Ilok in this topic); where everything depends on them, the company dissappear, you will not have product neither = as if you don't have product a the end. Particularly copy protection like Tone2 makes me feel confident that I can save my keys in external hardrive or a memory in case of system failure at least, the same as Melda, Image Line, HY-Pluggins and many other companies does.

You shouldn't repeat or trust blindly about what a Warez group say to you, try to contact Markus if you have any doubts about the CP and if the thing about phoning home is true, I doubt it.

[4gotten5tudio]

So again I will say not in this thread, do not derail this into a copy protection thread

Ok, I understand you.

[4gotten5tudio]

You shouldn't repeat or trust blindly about what a Warez group say to you, try to contact Markus if you have any doubts about the CP and if the thing about phoning home is true, I doubt it.

I’m not able to proof it or describe this problem from my experiences cause I newer owned products from Tone2.
But maybe I can point you some interesting article with more detailed facts here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/ ... about_the/

Of course, you can make your own interpretation of this article.

[ATS]

woah some guy on the internet wrote an article, must all be gospel. And he addresses it to the warez community, like he's looking out for them.

[samsam]

Dude is a sock who doesn't care when this account is banned. Transparency personified.

[tasty tatsyn]

Icarus is a great synth. Good filters, powerful wavetable functionality. Capable of some really nice sounds, especially on the bass side. I would place it at the top of the Tone2 line up.

I'm actually a customer that bought their full bundle a few years ago. Initially I was peeved because they charged for updated versions just after I got the bundle. I complained at some point about it. But they came around and are very pampering to their customers. Markus and Troels are great people, very polite and generous.

++1

Dear @] Peter:H [, @starflakeprj, @Hink & @chk071,
before you judge me quickly as an idiot or hater, I’ll write you some words.

I don't speak badly or degrade something just for entertainment purpose only.
I’m intensive and very passionated musician-hobbyist since the early 90’s.
At that time Atari with Cubase or C-LAB Notator (MIDI only of course) was the absolute “state of the art” concerned the Sequencer.
But the missing part was the instruments and FX’s, as hardware devices only obviously.
The major part of my salaries was spend for the purpose of my hobby and passion.
The possibilities and price/performance ratio was literally horrible in comparison with today's capabilities of music gear.
(Try to explain today some teenager, that you was work 3 months for a Akai Sampler the time)
Despite all the technological disadvantages, there was never a feeling for me to be fooled when I bought some hardware stuff.
I spend money for something I can use at any will and liberal, no matter how, where and how long.
This “feeling” has changed radically in the Software-Age!
Harassment about licenses or obsolescence like “artificially shortening of life-cycle” to force you to buy a new version because of compatibility reasons and so on and so forth…

Just one example of my experiences with Pro Tools and iLok (It happened more than 10 years ago):
I lost Pro Tools 9 HD and lot of (TDM & Native) PlugIn licenses, because my physically damaged iLok was not readable and when I send it to (former) Digidesign, they tell me it’s not a proof because they are not able to recognise it.
Hard earned money who I spend for my hobby was gone, some thousands of Euros!
The remaining Digidesign Hardware I sold in eBay and for me Pro Tools & iLok was done forever.
(I attached a screenshot of my old iLok account, I logged in before just to make the screenshot)
Physically damaged iLok was my fault, there is no question about it.
But does it mean that I permanently lost all my purchased products because of broken piece of plastic???


@chk071, you wrote: “You really shouldn't repeat everything some random cracker claims on a warez forum”.
I’m a 100% legal software user and I do support the hard work of software developer and endless appreciate it.
Software developer accomplish admirable work and appreciation of that should be self-evident for anyone.
But unfortunately some software developers or companies use their skilled craftsmanship to make some extra money with rip-off methods.

Again example with iLok: why users of iLok protected products have to pay annual something like “ZDT” (Zero Downtime Coverage)?
This artificially created “Product” and “sense of security” are the biggest Fool ever in the musical stuff business!!!
They motivate you with “sense of security” to pay some annual fees for something, this should be a part of the iLok protection system.
When you report an damaged iLok Dongle, this should be obviously to get temporary licenses to continue the usage of your purchased software.
You pay for it! There is no reason to bully you more than necessary in sake of the copyright!
iLok ZDT give you only the possibility to receive instantly temporary licenses (two-weeks valid) in case of damaged Dongle report.
THIS IS A SCAM!!! Such temporary licenses should by automatically generated in case of damaged Dongle report (there is no prosecutors in the USA?).
This should be the “very least” as compensation of all the possible circumstances belonging to the copy protection.

Even as a legal software user I have countless reasons to keep an eye on some warez forum, unfortunately.
In case some software manufacturers closes his business or whatever, I still want to use my purchased software, no matter how.
@chk071, and yes, I get countless feedback on such forums that Products from Tone2 are able remotely to access and edit files on your computer in case of internet connection.
If my information is correct, the PlugIns use some encrypted files as Key, in case you have some illegal product and the PlugIn “report it home”, the PlugIn are able to remotely delete physically the Key-File on you hdd.
The purpose of that are for me self-evident and correct, but the way and possibility of remote access are for me unacceptable.
I’m really tired of many software developer and how they behave against his customers.
In my experience I can only mention just a few developers, who really offer a customer-friendly way of copyright.
Just one example, German developer Urs Heckmann (U-He), amazing products an no copyright harassment, not at all.
You get a serial combined with your first and last name, you can use it wherever and whenever you want!
I can describe a lot of my bad experiences with manufacturers like: Native Instruments, Steinberg or FXpansion.
But I don’t like to bore you longer with my rant about some software developers.
Hope with my statement to make you understanding my point of view.

Best Regards from Switzerland

Now, i don't want to sound like a jerk, and i can agree that p:ex: my (really fragile) cubase dongle pen also worries me and i think that if nothing else it should be a lot sturdier [already broke to pieces once, thnkfully it still works ] or some form of a software safeguard replacement. [that's one thing], if my cubase pen actually stops working i'll be somewhat pissed too..

just answering to this really fast and staying away from this constant "derail" from now on, just something for you to think about...

The same way you felt bad for losing all your hard work, software developers, some who i can confidentely say, work days from 6AM all around the clock to 1-2 AM to provide these amazing software instruments shouldn't also respect their thousands uppon thousands of hours put into these synths and FX's? just think about it for a sec....

Like the guy in last tone2 topic that tought Icarus was the best synth ever but didn't actually try it because instead of downloading the perfectly working demo decided to download a warez version and then instead of cleaning it up; "his choice", decided to email the tone2 team to clean it up for him.. i would prefer if they spent that time developing their synths and FX...... respect, responsability....

About descontinued products, it's up to developers to ensure they keep working if they close business for whatever reason, i have 2 of them and work fine for now, one because company was successful (alchemy) the other because probably they had more warez versions of their products then legit and closed (spectral).
I don't want the last one to repeat, i prefer these developers to keep developing amazing products and respect has 2 ways..

[chk071]

Well... i was considering writing something about the topic, but, obviously, my last post got deleted (for whatever reason), so, obviously even taking a stand for a company who gets called unethical by crackers isn't allowed here, so i'll just leave it at that. Just a bit of food for the mind: As tasty tatsyn wrote, imagine the time to write plugins, imagine how hard it is to make a living with it, remind the size of the company (Markus is really the only developer, and there's a handful of guys doing support work, apart from that), and then think again whether it is in any way "ethical", or makes you a better person to bad mouth and name and shame a company about your personal opinion on the internet. And, also ask yourself why you don't take it to them, write them an email, and ask them for clarification, if you can't live with a company you won't buy anything from anyway, doing… well… something you read somewhere, from someone who cracks software for his personal pleasure, and to get credit from people who steal software. Seriously. Beyond ridiculous.

[sfd]

Does Tone2 mention anything about data transfer to a remote server in their terms/conditions ?

[4gotten5tudio]

woah some guy on the internet wrote an article, must all be gospel. And he addresses it to the warez community, like he's looking out for them.

Did you judge the article because of his content, or because of his background?
There are a lot of mentioned details that should make you at least sharp-eared.
Seemingly your shortsightedness and lack of imagination make it impossible related to the background of this article.

[samsam]

We've read that story on here 200 times, what you think you are adding is beyond all of us. But you know that already as a regular poster, no?

[4gotten5tudio]

Does Tone2 mention anything about data transfer to a remote server in their terms/conditions ?

Would you as manufacturer spread some uncomfortable truth (in case it exist) outside?

[wagtunes]

I think it's time to put the sock back in the drawer Hink.

[4gotten5tudio]

We've read that story on here 200 times, what you think you are adding is beyond all of us. But you know that already as a regular poster, no?

As you maybe already notice, I'm not a regular poster.

[Teksonik]

woah some guy on the internet wrote an article, must all be gospel. And he addresses it to the warez community, like he's looking out for them.

If you own Tone 2 software you can check to see if some of the claims in that article are true:

"Markus creates(VST plugin folder):twdef.sys, wvdriver.sys, r2._9X1.r, gldriver.sys, gsndrun.sys
about 4 other random file names (not disclosing to protect privacy) If your going to look for these files make sure you have turned off 'Hide protected operating system files' in explorer. Typically they are dropped in the same location as the Gladiator2 dll".

I won't do business with Tone 2 so no problem here. I used to be a beta tester for Markus and he's way too paranoid for me to trust.

That's all I'm going to say on the subject.