Vengeance Producer Suite - AVENGER - 1.8.5 the main thread

[Stefken]

Dark avenger in progress.jpg

Loving the skin, how's it coming on?

Avenger is quite an extensive app, so a lot of stuff to go through. My estimate is by the end of the week.

[invisiblesun]

I have been using Steinberg software with eLicenser dongles for many years. Never had any issues. And, unlike iLok, it's very affordable.
So, I am absolutely fine with Avenger moving to eLicenser copy protection!

Cheers MW

[chk071]

iLok is affordable too. Just get one on Ebay.

The issue i always had with the eLicenser dongles is that they're cheap sh** sticks. I never had even the cheapest USB drive falling apart, and, all my eLicensers (i have 3) already have some broken edges, and i wrapped tape around them all, to make them more stable. Might be recycled plastic, i don't know. It's totally beyond me how they use such a cheap production for sticks which hold hundreds, maybe thousands worth of software.

[HcDoom]

iLok 3 has metal casing I believe. Anyway, hopefully, no dongle...sw elicenser or ilok mach auth is the way to go.

[MasterTuner]

Manuel, several people have asked about using a software elicenser, grateful if you could comment on this.

This is a question that really interests me too. I've not bought several plugins because of their requirement of a physical dongle in the past. Although I do have a machine software iLok.
It would really be a very important question for me if the eLicenser would be software or physical dongle.

[zvenx]

I have been using Steinberg software with eLicenser dongles for many years. Never had any issues. And, unlike iLok, it's very affordable.
So, I am absolutely fine with Avenger moving to eLicenser copy protection!

Cheers MW

Aren't they around the same price?
For the dongles?
edit: ahh seems elicenser came down?
$28 vs $38 at sweetwater. Although the ilok is metal.
rsp

[MasterTuner]

I have been using Steinberg software with eLicenser dongles for many years. Never had any issues. And, unlike iLok, it's very affordable.
So, I am absolutely fine with Avenger moving to eLicenser copy protection!

Cheers MW

Aren't they around the same price?
For the dongles?
rsp

Yes, the Elicenser ones are about $27, and the iLok ones are about $30-$35. So thats my point - I have to buy an extra piece of hardware that might break down, get lost or stolen. And then you'd have to splash out another $30 to replace it.
Machine licenses make much more sense. I've spent years avoiding a physical dongle.

[invisiblesun]

You should be nicer to your eLicensers! Think I have 4 of them. Even the oldest one, the one I got in exchange for the printer-port dongle around -99, is in good shape.

Have an iLok too. Not from eBay though, payed the asking price for it at a fantastic store in Paris called Home Studio.

[zvenx]

I have been using Steinberg software with eLicenser dongles for many years. Never had any issues. And, unlike iLok, it's very affordable.
So, I am absolutely fine with Avenger moving to eLicenser copy protection!

Cheers MW

Aren't they around the same price?
For the dongles?
rsp

Yes, the Elicenser ones are about $27, and the iLok ones are about $30-$35. So thats my point - I have to buy an extra piece of hardware that might break down, get lost or stolen. And then you'd have to splash out another $30 to replace it.
Machine licenses make much more sense. I've spent years avoiding a physical dongle.

It is the unlike and affordable that I am not quite following. But not important.

I on other hand would never use software 'dongles' if I have an option not to, hard drive dies or you have to reformat etc. a huge pita.
rsp

[KenjiDeVries]

The fact alone that you're thinking about a switch to dongle protection will now lead to people not buying it anymore, people that were considering it. If this actual loss is better than some pirates which didn't plan to buy software anyways is your decision. Sure, your copy protection obviously is very weak, but if you're unhappy with Avenger expansion piracy you might also think about that it's an open architecture and there are people re-creating those sounds as own xp nearly 1:1 and selling them for a looot cheaper with a slightly different name... Btw unlike stated in here recent Nexus 2 + expansions are cracked on win & mac even though the used elicenser protection, same for software that uses iLok. Nothing is safe.

From my side: I use plugins with dongle protection. The dongle is plugged in in our studio pc and that's it. Doesn't break, doesn't get lost. Though I hate the project loading times when elicenser plugins are in there and transfering licenses can become a nightmare. Not to mention the limitation to 1 workplace.

[MasterTuner]

I on other hand would never use software 'dongles' if I have an option not to, hard drive dies or you have to reformat etc. a huge pita.

I've never had a hard drive die where I couldn't retrieve the data.
a) I do whole drive-images once a month b) if I even hear a slight clicking noise or major performance downturn, I'm swapping that puppy out or taking some action.

[zvenx]

I on other hand would never use software 'dongles' if I have an option not to, hard drive dies or you have to reformat etc. a huge pita.

I've never had a hard drive die where I couldn't retrieve the data.
a) I do whole drive-images once a month b) if I even hear a slight clicking noise or major performance downturn, I'm swapping that puppy out or taking some action.

Sounds like you are indeed taking the right precautions
rsp

[Magnut]

a) I do whole drive-images once a month

Helps a lot to use the software on multiple machines, too, right?

[GMusic]

Classic example of punishing the law-abiding citizen. We, the paying customers, bear the burden of criminals' wrong doings. We, the paying customer, would now need to purchase an additional product from a 3rd party to get the product we paid for to work. Then, it's a physical device to keep track of, to maintain, and hassle with returning if something goes wrong with it.

Cracks are the biggest advertisement you can have. It gets the product into more people's hands by the masses. Image-Line never ever ever used dongles and they also provide FREE LIFETIME updates for FL Studio for over 20 years now. Their software is probably one of the most cracked music software out there. Yet they still manage to be one of the most successful music companies and DAW.

Their approach: https://www.image-line.com/company/stoppirating.php

Not the end of the world, I will still be a Vengeance fan. But I can't help but feel frustrated with being one of the good guys and having to pay for other peoples' personal issues.

[msvs]

The fact alone that you're thinking about a switch to dongle protection will now lead to people not buying it anymore, people that were considering it. If this actual loss is better than some pirates which didn't plan to buy software anyways is your decision.

well, to give some numbers... even when over 50% of the customers would drop off, and dont buy it anymore with dongle (which wont happen in this amount), it would be still an increase to what happens, when its cracked

to give some more numbers, without going too much in detail: When your plugin gets cracked, the sales drop from 100% to 20-30% (!). We had this multiple times (nexus f.e) and its always the same. So I think this qualifies us to say: "Warez are free advertising" is the biggest bullshit. Next fact is, that operating for longer time on these low sales, would be impossible and we would be forced to close the doors.

piracy you might also think about that it's an open architecture and there are people re-creating those sounds as own xp nearly 1:1 and selling them for a looot cheaper with a slightly different name...

never happened and wont happen. Creating an expansion is months of work. Recreating all samples, loop points, wavetables and shapes one by one, and having exactly the same result, is insane

Btw unlike stated in here recent Nexus 2 + expansions are cracked on win & mac even though the used elicenser protection, same for software that uses iLok. Nothing is safe.

some facts: Nexus crack is - I think - around 8 years old. Mac has never been cracked btw.
No expansions has been cracked. Since then (and these are a lot!) Elicenser is very secure now.

Manuel, several people have asked about using a software elicenser, grateful if you could comment on this.

well, if Soft Elicener would be safe, we would have nothing against this option. But afaik, using this unsecure option its the only reason, that elicenser protected software is getting cracked (see Cubase10). Correct me if I am wrong.