Plugins/Companies using serial, a keyfile, or watermark copy protection

[Frankie.T]

Samplers needs to be friendly to, because is just a nightmare to recall a project full of samples you have to re-do again with another software.

Is the same way as using a synth that is unavailable anymore, you still have the midi but you can always open a new synth and recreate that sound.

Although everyone comes with a different need so everything is good if it works for you.


A note, few companies needs to be removed from the list or added as i wrote, because they changed their model. As for Tone2 since another user wrote it get authorized i'd list keep it there, maybe just with a side note, to double check it before buy.

There's another one to add https://darkpalace.studio/ few plugins yet, but no drm at all, so a nice customer friendly company, at least drm wise

[BBFG#]

There's another one to add https://darkpalace.studio/ few plugins yet, but no drm at all, so a nice customer friendly company, at least drm wise

Nice. Thanks for this. I notice they have a Linux version as well. So I'll be adding them to the 3 OS list.

[biberact]

Does United Plugins still belong to that list? It seems they replaced individual plugin downloads by an install manager.

[Sound_Bear]

Does United Plugins still belong to that list? It seems they replaced individual plugin downloads by an install manager.

This was addressed on the previous page:

United Plugins officially (*) retired individual installer downloads in favour of the new "UnitedPluginsManager" app.

I'm not clear yet how this will affect offline installation and activation in the future. In my account, individual activation files in the ".licence" format are still available for download, so for now, it's probably possible to make backups of the VST2/3 files the manager downloads and use those together with the .licence files on any offline computer to have unlimited future activations as before. However, UP recently introduced a licence transfer system after years of not allowing resales of activated licenses, which raises the question whether they track activations now. Also, the files downloaded by the UPM are definitly not identical to the latest individual installers because they no longer provide 32-bit VST2 and VST3 (which were always included until directly before the change, and yes, there are still people using them).

(*) For the time being, there's a possibility to still get at the old individual installers with a bit of typing and patience. Enter an individual plugin's URL on archive.org, call up the latest archived version of the page that predates mid-January 2025, then click "Try now" and choose your OS. The download will usually fail, but the resulting page will reveal a partial URL that you can then copy & paste to UP's homepage to obtain a working download. I don't know if UP are ok with this method and if they will keep it around; I propose that if you want those files and don't want the UPM, act fast but also let your opinion be known here so UP can read it.

UP should work as Melda, not the best situation imho, but there is still a chance to backup the installer and the data.

It's a shame they both went that way tho.

Update: I checked a few of the "hidden" single installer links today and they're no longer available.

[audiojunkie]

So United Plugins needs to go then. Am I understanding this correctly?

[audiojunkie]

OK, I removed a few and added a few. I think the list is up-to-date. Does anyone see anything that I missed?

[sjm]

So United Plugins needs to go then. Am I understanding this correctly?

They still let you download a license file, but I can't get the license file to work in the United Plugins Manager for most of the plugins. I'm not sure why, but most of the licenses don't show up in the dialog when I enter the path. But some do. It does work when I do the online authorisation, so right now for some of my plugins that seems to be the only option that works. But the fact that the United Plugins Manager gives you the option to select a license file suggests that it's intended to work.

Not sure what that means for the list - would be nice to know if others are having a similar experience.

[e@rs]

OK, I removed a few and added a few. I think the list is up-to-date. Does anyone see anything that I missed?

As far as I can see there's no reason for removing KV331 and Tone2.

[Sound_Bear]

So United Plugins needs to go then. Am I understanding this correctly?

They still let you download a license file, but I can't get the license file to work in the United Plugins Manager for most of the plugins. I'm not sure why, but most of the licenses don't show up in the dialog when I enter the path. But some do. It does work when I do the online authorisation, so right now for some of my plugins that seems to be the only option that works. But the fact that the United Plugins Manager gives you the option to select a license file suggests that it's intended to work.

Not sure what that means for the list - would be nice to know if others are having a similar experience.

You can still drop the .licence file into the plugins' own activation menu after you instantiate one in your DAW. Same as before. No actual need to use the UPM for activation even though it's supposed to offer that as a convenience.

So yes, UP should be back on the list.

As for what isn't working in your UPM, I'm not fully clear from your description, but I suspect UP made an error mixing up Melda's .mlf format with UP's .licence format. Can you be more specific about what you've been doing? Me, when I click on the middle top tab "LICENCES & ACTIVATION", then on the right I "(...) click this button and select the files", then I'm shown only Melda .mlf files. Reporting this to them now.

[sjm]

I suspect UP made an error mixing up Melda's .mlf format with UP's .licence format. Can you be more specific about what you've been doing? Me, when I click on the middle top tab "LICENCES & ACTIVATION", then on the right I "(...) click this button and select the files", then I'm shown only Melda .mlf files. Reporting this to them now.

Looks like you are right. I've got all my licenses in the same folder, and only the Melda licenses are showing up. I don't think I paid enough attention last time, it was just clear that the new plugin I wanted to license wasn't in the list, and so I went online to activate.

As a side note, dragging and dropping doesn't work either.

[Frankie.T]

So United Plugins needs to go then. Am I understanding this correctly?

They still let you download a license file, but I can't get the license file to work in the United Plugins Manager for most of the plugins. I'm not sure why, but most of the licenses don't show up in the dialog when I enter the path. But some do. It does work when I do the online authorisation, so right now for some of my plugins that seems to be the only option that works. But the fact that the United Plugins Manager gives you the option to select a license file suggests that it's intended to work.

Not sure what that means for the list - would be nice to know if others are having a similar experience.

I think they ported stuff from Melda so something may not work. Please send them an email to let them know about that issue support@unitedplugins.com

If you care, please also ask them to provide an offline file loader, as Melda does, so we can install plugins in offline machines without the need to install it on online machines just to get the files.
Melda already offers it
https://www.meldaproduction.com/downloads/offline

OK, I removed a few and added a few. I think the list is up-to-date. Does anyone see anything that I missed?

As far as I can see there's no reason for removing KV331 and Tone2.

Another user replied to me that their Tone2 plugins get activated offline, even if the support told me something different, so i have no clue about them and what should we do.

About KV331, i quoted a reply they gave me in this forum, they offer challenge/response. So no possible to install them without an internet connection that asks permissions to their server, so they should not be in the list.

[audiojunkie]

OK, I removed a few and added a few. I think the list is up-to-date. Does anyone see anything that I missed?

As far as I can see there's no reason for removing KV331 and Tone2.

I'm happy to put them back, but we need to clear up the question--do they meet the criteria found on the first post? There has been some back and forth on it. How does everyone feel about it? I don't mind adding them back.

[audiojunkie]

So United Plugins needs to go then. Am I understanding this correctly?

They still let you download a license file, but I can't get the license file to work in the United Plugins Manager for most of the plugins. I'm not sure why, but most of the licenses don't show up in the dialog when I enter the path. But some do. It does work when I do the online authorisation, so right now for some of my plugins that seems to be the only option that works. But the fact that the United Plugins Manager gives you the option to select a license file suggests that it's intended to work.

Not sure what that means for the list - would be nice to know if others are having a similar experience.

I think they ported stuff from Melda so something may not work. Please send them an email to let them know about that issue support@unitedplugins.com

If you care, please also ask them to provide an offline file loader, as Melda does, so we can install plugins in offline machines without the need to install it on online machines just to get the files.
Melda already offers it
https://www.meldaproduction.com/downloads/offline

OK, I removed a few and added a few. I think the list is up-to-date. Does anyone see anything that I missed?

As far as I can see there's no reason for removing KV331 and Tone2.

Another user replied to me that their Tone2 plugins get activated offline, even if the support told me something different, so i have no clue about them and what should we do.

About KV331, i quoted a reply they gave me in this forum, they offer challenge/response. So no possible to install them without an internet connection that asks permissions to their server, so they should not be in the list.

Yes, I think KV331 should not be on the list, which is unfortunate, because I bought the everything package believing that it was a simple serial number.... I'd like to get things cleared up about Tone 2, because I was under the belief that Tone2 didn't require anything more than a serial number.

[e@rs]

Both KV331 and Tone2 use keyfiles for activation.

As I already said, I activated multiple current Tone2 synths on an offline machine. And if I remember correctly, Warlock uses just watermark.

KV331 said that on an offline machine the provided keyfile just works as it is without any other action; on an online machine the above keyfile gets swapped automatically behind the scenes with a new keyfile that's based on C/R so they can track the number of activations. I also had SM 2 and SM One activated on that offline machine since many years ago.

[Frankie.T]

I see KV331 explained more in that topic, and it looks like they use an internet connection if the machine is online, but everything just works even completly offline, so imo they can get back in the list.

I found another new company to add to the list https://www.shy-audio.com/
Just one plugin for now, but hopefully they will come with more.