KVR Audio

~Pd~ · Post by **~Pd~** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:15 am

There are a couple of products I'm interested in that use elicenser. Is the software version of it OK in day to day use? Does it require constant connection to the internet in order for activated products to remain in use? Does it take up much CPU / RAM? Is it easy to de-authorize an old computer and move the product to a new system?

I'm hoping the elicenser software version would be sort of like FXpansion's auth system, which I find pretty painless.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:23 am

Yes. No. No. You need to transfer your license to an USB-Licenser to be able to move it to another computer.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:30 am

There are two options for the eLicenser. First is the soft eLicenser where you could store the license on you HD (those are available at e.g. Arturia and Waldorf synths) or the USB eLicenser where you need a dedicated USB dongle (e.g. Xils Lab uses USB eLicenser only for most synths).

In both cases the internet connection is only needed once while installing the license to the HD or the USB dongle. In case of the dongle the license could be even installed at another computer and moved to another one.

If you have the license on the USB eLicenser you could use it on ANY computer that got your plugin and the eLicenser software installed.
For using a soft eLicenser on multiple computer AFAIK you need a second authorization code or you transfer the license to an USB eLicenser.

The latest eLicenser software (which includes the driver for the dongle) is available here:
http://www.elicenser.net/en/latest_downloads.html

The dongle costs around 19 Euros:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/steinberg_key.htm

at Xils Lab they sell a cheaper one, not sure if you could buy it there without buying any software from them (but i guess yes):
http://www.xils-lab.com/products/syncro ... enser.html

A license transfer involves a physical shipment of the license on the dongle but no other transfer fees involved.
AFAIK with an iLok dongle (which is the other common used one) you have to pay a fee higher than the price for an eLicenser dongle but no physical shipment needed there.

Ingo

~Pd~ · Post by **~Pd~** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:31 am

chk071 wrote:You need to transfer your license to an USB-Licenser to be able to move it to another computer.

Thanks for the reply! What happens if my hard drive goes kerblooey before I back the license up on a USB licenser? Do I lose the products or can I reactivate them?

edit: Ingo, I hit reply before you posted - reading your reply now -

~Pd~ · Post by **~Pd~** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:10 pm

Ingonator wrote:There are two options for the eLicenser. First is the soft eLicenser where you could store the license on you HD (those are available at e.g. Arturia and Waldorf synths) or the USB eLicenser where you need a dedicated USB dongle (e.g. Xils Lab uses USB eLicenser only for most synths).

Oh well darn. I was hoping to get Xils 3 and activate it via software. Something about the idea of a hardware dongle still rankles. Maybe I'll get Oxium instead since it's just a serial to activate.

The other elicenser synth I've been craving is Arturia SEM whcih I think will work with the software elicenser. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here...

core · Post by **core** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:17 pm

I have Synthix with hardware dongle. Though I really dislike using these things it hasn't caused any problems on my system.

Arturia does use elicenser afaik http://www.arturia.com/evolution/kb/?Vi ... EntryID=99

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:20 pm

Hard drive failure is one thing i'm scared of too... i think i'll buy me a hardware dongle sooner or later too. Btw, sorry for the one-liner above... a case of no time to get into detail. Ingo explained it better anyway.

HTBoogie · Post by **HTBoogie** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:07 pm

The usb elicenser works very well.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:13 pm

Btw, even if the worst case happens, and your hard drive crashes with your license on it, i highly doubt that Steinberg will say "No, there's nothing we can do about it." they're usually pretty cool about these things. Not that i would want to try to rely on that... and for other companies, i wouldn't be so sure about.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:19 pm

I never had a problem with eLicenser. You don't have to be online and I had both Nexus and Arturia on it. The only gripe I had was with the amount of time the Arturia took to come up. Nexus would come right up, but Arturia would not come up instantly. It would take a few to check license, then have to load its 3000 presets. Not to long, but when you want to do something RIGHT THEN....
Still, I was always afraid I'd break the little USB sticking out of my computer.

electro · Post by **electro** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:26 pm

~Pd~ wrote:What happens if my hard drive goes kerblooey before I back the license up on a USB licenser? Do I lose the products or can I reactivate them?

edit: Ingo, I hit reply before you posted - reading your reply now -

You will have a serious problem on your hands. Any Soft E-licenses you have should be transfered to a physical elicenser ASAP

fgimian · Post by **fgimian** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 2:01 pm

i've been using eLicenser for many years and never once came across a problem. Even back when I started learning about production, iLok was being critisized due to its intrusive nature. I believe it was causing blue screens and embedding itself deep into the system.

Since then, I vowed never to buy or use an iLok. In comparison, I have rarely seen people have problems with eLicenser and in addition, no software released in the last few years that uses the dongle has been cracked so it is also very effective.

In saying all of this, I do prefer dongleless copy protection where possible

djanthonyw · Post by **djanthonyw** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:41 pm

~Pd~ wrote:Is elicenser tolerable?

No.

fluffy_little_something · Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:01 pm

As long as people keep buying products of companies using such software, those companies will keep using them. Now, if people decided to boycott such companies, they would rather switch to keys or whatever instead of going out of business. Thus, it is basically up to the customers to decide which kind of copy protection companies use and get away with. But people never act in a coordinated way, which makes them vulnerable...
Same as with getting rid of governments...

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:27 pm

fluffy_little_something wrote:As long as people keep buying products of companies using such software, those companies will keep using them. Now, if people decided to boycott such companies, they would rather switch to keys or whatever instead of going out of business. Thus, it is basically up to the customers to decide which kind of copy protection companies use and get away with. But people never act in a coordinated way, which makes them vulnerable...
Same as with getting rid of governments...

Maybe we should start to boycott people that ask people to boycott dongled software...

Honestly the plugins i had used with the eLicenser dongle were those which i had the least problems with over many years (first ones were Korg Legacy Collection and Prophet V which i got around 7-8 years ago).

This does not mean that i don't prefer easy copy protections like serials or key files. those are unbeatable. It just means i have learned to accept using the eLicenser dongle and many of my favorite plugins from e.g. Xils Lab, Arturia and Waldorf are using it.

Ingo