Goodbye Roland Cloud

[glokraw]

I have a few products purchased on sale to use in old win7 with the hope that one day would work with linux via wine/reaper.

Korg M1 was an upgrade from a bundled LE version, and now have V2, which works fine in linux/reaper.

But on the same computer/browser/connection with which it was purchased and registered, the authorization routine can't find the internet connection. I assume this is just shoddy coding, from either their web store, the plugin, or both, because IK Multimedia account manager/authorization system and works flawlessly in many purchases, with a far larger set of capabilities to code for.

While U-he, discoDSP and BlueCat have trouble-free serial numbers, and great software

Izotope and Propellorheads also fail to find the internet on the same system where their products were purchased, so Korg are not alone in folly

[original flipper]

Hi

I gave up on Cubase several years ago when the dongle went 'A-wall' (on several occasions) and would not let me open the program...

I can't understand why a developer would programme software that will not work without the need to contact a server every time you open it - why not allow several miscalls - that at least minimises the hassle.

[AnX]

they have no interest in user experience, only customers money

[Tannaliini]

I would probably have bought Rapid by now if it didnt have CR Protection but serial or keyfile.

Hmm... Rapid seems to have serial number (copied from their manual: activation section):
"The Serial Number you will need to proceed can be found on your Purchased Products page"

I don't own Rapid (yet) so can't say if this serial number is still working system or did they change it?

[rezoneight]

Challenge/response registration is okay-ish, the same goes for key files. But I really fail to see how anybody can have enough faith in these large companies to invest in these cloud subscription thingies. It kind of reminds me of paid DLCs in video games. Roland has kind of turned into an EA of the synth business. There is just something about their business model that just rubs me the wrong way, both hardware and software.

The serial codes are and have always been the best registering option and it's yet another reason to support smaller, independent developers.

As long as people keep paying they'll keep providing the service.

[rezoneight]

There's definitely a handful of companies that are simply easy and fast to register and make music with. Roland isn't one of them, sadly.

I have to say that even iLok is a much better, faster experience than Roland Cloud. I was ready to subscribe if it was good enough. Instead, I don't think I made it a day with Roland Cloud before I said "f%%% this s####" and uninstalled it forever. I own a Roland hardware synth and quite like the brand and the sound identity. But not a company ruled by the Marketing department.

So I'll disagree with this completely. I just had to register several plugins last night that use iLok and the process wasn't better and most definitely not faster. It was a multistep process that was a pain in the ass. Plugin Alliance is bad too. Roland is install RCM and then install the plugins.

Thankfully I've not had any issues with RCM as of yet. I don't like the weekly phone-home nonsense but that doesn't mean its worse than iLok.

[zvenx]

ilok?
you get an activation code, you enter it..... you tell it where you want the license deposited.
This was a pita for you or was it something different?
But yes you do have to enter each activation code one at a time...... Put ilok on a dongle, the end though. no need to be online, move to a new computer, move the ilok with you.
giving me that any day of the week.
rsp

[rezoneight]

ilok?
you get an activation code, you enter it..... you tell it where you want the license deposited.
This was a pita for you or was it something different?
But yes you do have to enter each activation code one at a time...... Put ilok on a dongle, the end though. no need to be online, move to a new computer, move the ilok with you.
giving me that any day of the week.
rsp

Yes it's a multistep process thats more steps than RCM. RCM? Install RCM then install whichever plugins I want as they're all in one place. No different than Arturia or NI (which people are not complaining about). How is that harder that buying something that requires iLok (not to mention its multiple vendors involved in one transaction)?

[Arashi]

You forgot the worst of the worst
ALWAYS ON and Dongles by the way too
(If I remember right Propellerheads Reason got such a system both )

Reason actually has a very flexible system. You can authorize one computer and it will never require Internet access. Just have to sync your licenses whenever you buy a new version of Reason or add Rack Extensions. If you need to use it on a second computer, you can either log in each time or buy the Ignition Key (dongle). I keep the key connected on my desktop machine and have my laptop authorized, so I never need Internet access on either one of them to use Reason.

[Arashi]

The problem with iLok is you either need a dongle or you risk randomly losing your licenses (possibly permanently) every time you install a new OS update or change anything else about your system that makes it think you're on a new computer. And if that happens, you have no recourse but to contact every company you bought licenses from and hope they'll be nice enough to reset them for you. They aren't obligated to, because they have no way of knowing whether you still have them installed on some computer you plan to keep offline forever.

There are other ways this can go wrong too. I bought Softube Volume 3 last year and ran into an issue where the Softube installer created a separate iLok profile on my machine after I had already created one with the iLok License Manager. This orphaned all of my licenses and made it impossible for me to do anything other than contact them and wait two days for them to fix it for me.

If you do have the iLok dongle, it's generally more reliable, but if the USB key gets damaged or lost you're in the same mess. They have a "Zero Downtime" service, but it costs extra, and even then they suggest buying a second key to be sure. In other words, you have to buy extra insurance in case their hardware or software fails.

Compared to just entering a serial number once and being done with it, iLok is some serious BS.

[zvenx]

ilok?
you get an activation code, you enter it..... you tell it where you want the license deposited.
This was a pita for you or was it something different?
But yes you do have to enter each activation code one at a time...... Put ilok on a dongle, the end though. no need to be online, move to a new computer, move the ilok with you.
giving me that any day of the week.
rsp

Yes it's a multistep process thats more steps than RCM. RCM? Install RCM then install whichever plugins I want as they're all in one place. No different than Arturia or NI (which people are not complaining about). How is that harder that buying something that requires iLok (not to mention its multiple vendors involved in one transaction)?

Actually some vendors install your ilok license into your account. Softube, Soundtoys and quite a few others so all you have to do is sign in to your ilok and choose where you want to install the license.
rsp

[risome]

There are plenty of great instruments and software that do not require subscription or complicated authourisation processes.Creativity is stifled by these complex processes of copy protection and subscription, ilok etc, Cleary exemplified by the OP .Why do companies use these when others are successful without them? Imagine you had to pay a yearly fee to use hardware you bought.Software emulates hardware and beyond and where would one be if you had several hardware synths you couldn't use because you hadn't paid your subscription.Subscription is an old world model.At least you got a new magazine each month that you didn't have to keep paying for that copy.To keep paying for something to keep it doesn't make any sense.The end user is forced to subscribe if they want to use that model/brand of synth.I do not subscribe to (sic) this method of copy protection and one wonders how many customers companies that use these models loose because of it.Cleverly designed encryption can avoid these models and let the genuine paying customer get on with the creative pursuit of making sound and music.I say no to dongles, ilok's and subscription models.Support the developers that choose the clever way not the forced way.

[uselessmind]

I would probably have bought Rapid by now if it didnt have CR Protection but serial or keyfile.

Hmm... Rapid seems to have serial number (copied from their manual: activation section):
"The Serial Number you will need to proceed can be found on your Purchased Products page"

I don't own Rapid (yet) so can't say if this serial number is still working system or did they change it?

This ist what read in the Manual:

The Serial Number you will need to proceed can be found on your Purchased Products page.
If the number was entered correctly a Request URL will be generated. Open it within your web
browser to proceed.

[SoundHunterrr]

I would probably have bought Rapid by now if it didnt have CR Protection but serial or keyfile.

Hmm... Rapid seems to have serial number (copied from their manual: activation section):
"The Serial Number you will need to proceed can be found on your Purchased Products page"

I don't own Rapid (yet) so can't say if this serial number is still working system or did they change it?

This ist what read in the Manual:

The Serial Number you will need to proceed can be found on your Purchased Products page.
If the number was entered correctly a Request URL will be generated. Open it within your web
browser to proceed.

This is serial number fertivication? Is this different when think Serum serial number system? Sorry I do not understand what is different with this and other serial number system?

[rod_zero]

I use less plugins as time goes by just sticking to Live's native devices.

I would be really interested in getting the roland plugouts to use with my system 8 but the cloud service along the price really puts me off, maybe one day they have a big discount on eternal licenses.