Thoughts on Ilok?

[Funky40]

i like it. I even love it since i switch to new Macs quite frequently.




I have a "problem" though, thats based on two-three manufacturers mostly. Zynaptic and Liquid Sonics, and GRM Tools.
I have quasi allways a Host (GP) with a realtime play patch/projekt open. "If" i install then some Ilok based plugins is that triggering a "license-fail" prompt vs. these manufacturers, "IF" a plugin from them is used in the Host. I have then to quite my host and restart.
Seems there are differences between manufacturers vs. how their plugins "feedback-communicate" with Ilok. I don´t exactly like that one. ( but you see my "install behave" )



Truth is, some folks don´t take airplanes since they heard of some crashings.
And further is the truth that some folks died cause they took an airplane.
it´s live......

Do we want to blame the airplane if a failure has happened ? well, i guess we´d do.
The question is, do i see any risk for me cause it has hit others ?
I chose, you chose.


i don´t see the other problems with ILOK. CR...slowing down my system, or whatever.

[billinder33]

I have a "problem" though, thats based on two-three manufacturers mostly. Zynaptic and Liquid Sonics, and GRM Tools.
I have quasi allways a Host (GP) with a realtime play patch/projekt open. "If" i install then some Ilok based plugins is that triggering a "license-fail" prompt vs. these manufacturers, "IF" a plugin from them is used in the Host. I have then to quite my host and restart.
Seems there are differences between manufacturers vs. how their plugins "feedback-communicate" with Ilok. I don´t exactly like that one. ( but you see my "install behave" )

I had this same issue with Soothe the other day. I've had it with others as well. And the end result is always me wasting 10 to 15 minutes each time trying to hunt down why I'm not hearing one or more tracks on playback. Then there's always the random install issue that pops up from time to time (had that the other day as well).

Personally I can't stand iLok. It's maybe 5% of my plugins that use it, but I rely on those. That's not a high enough percentage of plugins to get whatever perceived benefit is derived from iLok to outweigh the downside and extra troubleshooting that's involved. I don't change computers like socks and even if I did, 95% of all other plugins have to be dealt with outside of iLok.

It's just a one-off nuisance at this point. A relic from two decades ago that should be put down like a terminally ill dog. Instead it just lingers around like a brain dead person on life support. It's time to pull the plug.

[Funky40]

Yeah, had some more minor glitches in same vein. These are there. It´s what it is.
Still like it as a solution, since the manufacturers have to seek for a solution.

Any other -new to me- solution from some other plugins are *at my start* "a to me unknow risk".
Dealing with so and so many "*other solutions" besides ilok is for me (in theory) a more risky and more annoying factor.

Several of my best and most valuable plugins are Ilok based. So for me, whatever it is, whatever it brings me, i have to live with it. It´s even nolonger a choice now that i know about these plugins and their forte.
GRM/GRM Tools, Liquid Sonics, Empirical Labs, Kush, UVI, Playfair, Tonsturm, ......and some others.

[billinder33]

Yeah, had some more minor glitches in same vein. These are there. It´s what it is.
Still like it as a solution, since the manufacturers have to seek for a solution.

Any other -new to me- solution from some other plugins are *at my start* "a to me unknow risk".
Dealing with so and so many "*other solutions" besides ilok is for me (in theory) a more risky and more annoying factor.

Several of my best and most valuable plugins are Ilok based. So for me, whatever it is, whatever it brings me, i have to live with it. It´s even nolonger a choice now that i know about these plugins and their forte.
GRM/GRM Tools, Liquid Sonics, Empirical Labs, Kush, UVI, Playfair, Tonsturm, ......and some others.

I was down to just Soothe as my only iLok plugin at the start of the year. But I really wanted UVI Shade and almost passed due to iLok, but ultimately threw in the towel and got it.

Since then I upgraded to Omnisphere 3 and started using it again, and also bought Krafter this Black Friday. So I guess I'm stuck with iLok for the foreseeable future.

I don't own anything from Tonsturm, but they have some interesting stuff. Which of their products do you use?

[Funky40]

Ilok offTopic:

I don't own anything from Tonsturm, but they have some interesting stuff. Which of their products do you use?

The Frequenzy Shifter is the best one i´ve ever seen as a plugin. In fact in digital in general.
And the first and only VST/AU that can compete with good HW freqshifters (again: vs. my perceiption and vs. what i´ve seen)
JFYI: i have two (HW/DIY) Haible FS1A FreqShifters.
These can do big downshifts without VCO noise. The Haible as well as the Tonsturm FS.
Boys from another Mother.......But the Tonsturm lacks some settings/parametrisation vs. my taste and needs. ( especially the "Shift Range" sub menu settings /HW -from there- still better )

yeah, UVI shade is a must. Anyway for todays sale prices. Hope they don´t just abandon it but develope it further instead.

[electro]

exactly

My thoughts on iLok are this:

1. I don't like that it HAS to exist
2. Too many good devs use it for me not to
3. Overall, it seems to work - at least the hardware protection
4. I won't fool around with "machine based" iLok for anything other than demo licenses - never messed around with the Cloud either
5. Spend the money on the dongle - you'll be glad you did in the long run
6. Once you've got a license activated on your hardware iLok dongle - it's completely transparent and kind of nice system
7. If your iLok starts misbehaving, replace it before you have to go begging for licenses

[DCrown]

more than 80% of my plugins are iLok.

iLok is great on 2buss and adds that extra analog warmth to a mix.

I highly recommend it.
But there are also devs with iLok that are not my cup of tea at all like Softube.

[DrOcsid]

I dislike iLok, as with any unnecessary DRM that needlessly affects paying customers, but I'd be lying if I said it's caused any serious issues for me so far. Though a dongle isn't really feasible for me and my portable setup so I've been only using machine and cloud activations.

I would avoid it if I could, but there's too many plugin devs whose stuff I enjoy (UAD, Soundtoys, Eventide, SSL) that use it, so I just kind of tolerate it. There's also a degree of convenience in having a ton of my licenses centralized in a fairly easy to transfer form. On the whole though it is largely still an anti-consumer practice as are most forms of DRM.

[dblock]

I've been using ilok since 2005. Never had a problem with it. I don't take it out since I only compose from home so it just sits there.

[dblock]

more than 80% of my plugins are iLok.

iLok is great on 2buss and adds that extra analog warmth to a mix.

I highly recommend it.
But there are also devs with iLok that are not my cup of tea at all like Softube.

"iLok is great on 2buss and adds that extra analog warmth to a mix."
Classic!

[VladK]

I have no issues using iLok dongle, and find it very convenient unless it breaks (which never happened to me yet, fingers crossed), but I am on Zero Downtime for piece of mind.

[dblock]

I have no issues using iLok dongle, and find it very convenient unless it breaks (which never happened to me yet, fingers crossed), but I am on Zero Downtime for piece of mind.

Zero Downtime here too for the same reason. Fortunately I haven't needed it after 20 years of steady use so far.

[Big DAW Audio]

A necessary evil unfortunately

[havran]

Never had a problem with iLok on Windows. My only consideration these days is that it's not supported on Linux.

[D-Fusion]

more than 80% of my plugins are iLok.

iLok is great on 2buss and adds that extra analog warmth to a mix.

I highly recommend it.
But there are also devs with iLok that are not my cup of tea at all like Softube.

I guess you skipped the Ilok Version that broke windows a few years ago then.
That one gave me so much warmth that i almost overheated when i had to reinstall windows and all my plugins again (Except for the Ilok ones until they fixed it).