KVR Audio

Obsolete462444 · Post by **Obsolete462444** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 10:06 am

Will you update the list in the initial post?

To me personally, part of a user friendly copy-protection and setup procedure is the ability to install and authorize the software on an offline machine.

I was pleasantly surprised that Izotope has the option to activate their plugins offline.

Here is my list:

Good:
Izotope (offline activation code can be generated on website
Klanghelm (easy peasy download from user account
Tokyo Dawn Labs (serial)

Bad:
Native Instruments (requires their Native Access, downloads often takes ages because their servers are usually overloaded, no offline activation, messy installation procedure)
XLN Audio (no offline installation & activation possible)
Serato (no offline installation & activation possible)
IK Multimedia (bloated installation process)

fese · Post by **fese** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 1:59 pm

good:
Native Instruments (access is way better than their old flash based thing). Minus points for being C/R
All iLok
Personalized binaries like Hornet
Key files like the old Toneboosters V3 plugins

Bad: everything which forces me to type/copy/paste email address and serial number when installing on a new computer. It’s a PITA.
bad: everything C/R that allows only one activation and you have to beg for a new one if you forget to deactivate on your old computer or have a disk failure.
Bad: C/R in general

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:12 pm

Unlike many I like ilok........ especially those that come with multiple authorisations.. makes migration to a new system a breeze. (Soundtoys, Eventide,UVI, Softube etc etc)
If elicenser allowed multiple authorisations I wouldn't have minded it either.

Serial numbers are good too. (u-he,sugar-bytes etc)

C/R I am not too keen on. If the company goes belly up and you need to install on a new system you are usually out of luck. (although chances are NI or Spectrasonics, my main two would not go belly up out of the blue.. I hope)

The ones though that I really have an issue ones are the online ones that are temporary and have to be renewed every X days.
Looking squarely at Vengeance Avenger which now has to be renewed every 90 days.
and worse Refx which has to be renewed every 30 days.
The worse part for me, as I have discovered for one of the two, is the developer can yank your license at a whim, which means than any project you have done with them can become difficult to reopen and play again if the developer loses favour with you.
That surely has to be the worse of the systems.

rsp

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:21 pm

Softube
UVI

midi_transmission · Post by **midi_transmission** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:29 pm

deleted. misunderstanding from my side.

fese · Post by **fese** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:38 pm

retracted because stupid...

midi_transmission · Post by **midi_transmission** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:40 pm

fese, Actually you're right. I updated my post. I thought the #1 post defined was user friendly is, but it doesn't. So it seems to be about just your own opinion. Sorry, I got it wrong.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:42 pm

midi_transmission wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:40 pm So it seems to be about just your own opinion.

The whole thread is just about opinions, since the first post...

"User friendly copy protection" is defined by the user. Super pointless thread.

midi_transmission · Post by **midi_transmission** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:43 pm

As said, mistake on my side.

fese · Post by **fese** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:43 pm

midi_transmission wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:40 pm fese, Actually you're right. I updated my post. I thought the #1 post defined was user friendly is, but it doesn't. So it seems to be about just your own opinion. Sorry, I got it wrong.

Sorry, didn’t see your edits... removed my stupid try at sarcasm...

Lusamars · Post by **Lusamars** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:45 pm

I like companies that use ilok because it works great from my experiences.

midi_transmission · Post by **midi_transmission** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:50 pm

fese, great to see that there are reasonable discussions still possible in the internet and that mistakes (by me in this case) can be cleared out.

fese · Post by **fese** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:00 pm

ztrauq · Post by **ztrauq** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:19 am

While iLok can technically streamline things and not be too hard to install as a user if a dev is absolutely set on using a high-level copy protection scheme, I do not believe that it is user-friendly for the following reason:

Let's say your computer gives up the ghost unexpectedly, completely bricked.

-Serial number: You still have it. Put the serial into the plugin installed on the replacement computer, done.
-iLok: assuming you don't use the cloud subscription thing, your iLok "activation" is just gone, not coming back. If it's your last activation, you can't use your software on the replacement machine. You have to go beg the software developer for more activations, which they are not guaranteed to give you.

The takeaway is that with a serial number, if your computer dies you are without use of your purchased plugin only while waiting on a replacement computer. With iLok, your purchased plugin could additionally be down temporarily (if you have to go through support with the dev to get a new activation) or permanently (if the dev won't issue another activation).

That seems to be the case for software iLok. I have no experience with how it is with a dongle. But it is not user-friendly to have a computer crash (or a dongle failing?) take away the ability to reinstall and use your software.

plexuss · Post by **plexuss** » Fri May 01, 2020 1:19 pm

Currently working a trade and found out:

Vengeance has a £30 fee for Avenger and it becomes NFR which is why I will not buy their products. #noNFR

Acoustic Modelling SWAM have no fee license transfers and can be resold without fees or restrictions. As it should be.

Which companies have user-friendly copy protection schemes ?