KVR Audio

Mo Verdigast · Post by **Mo Verdigast** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 10:38 am

I'm considering buying Ableton Live 4 but what kind (if any) of copy protection does it use? I don't object to copy protection, but I don't like cumbersome ones (no dongles).

On a related note, I was using my registered copy of Reason and it asked for a CD. Will it do this again/often? I like to keep my CDs locked up....

meister eder · Post by **meister eder** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:07 am

Mo Verdigast wrote:I'm considering buying Ableton Live 4 but what kind (if any) of copy protection does it use?

Challange/Response, but without the option to "unregister" (like with NI products) - which is a bit stupid, as for example I have just recently collaborated at a colleague's studio, and instead of simply installing Live temporarily on his computer, I had to take my laptop with me for works in Live. With Logic it was no problem - just plugged in my dongle and started working.

Mo Verdigast wrote:On a related note, I was using my registered copy of Reason and it asked for a CD. Will it do this again/often? I like to keep my CDs locked up....

Don't know about Reason, but I once bought Rebirth, and then about never used it just because it wants the CD to be in the drive for every single launch!

MTMMike · Post by **MTMMike** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:42 am

Mo Verdigast wrote:On a related note, I was using my registered copy of Reason and it asked for a CD. Will it do this again/often? I like to keep my CDs locked up....

If you installed the factory soundbank and orkestra files Reason will only ask for the CD's the first time you use it. If you didn't install the files it will ask every time. To stop it doing this copy the files into the Reason directory from the CD's.

Mo Verdigast · Post by **Mo Verdigast** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:55 am

MTMMike wrote:
Mo Verdigast wrote:On a related note, I was using my registered copy of Reason and it asked for a CD. Will it do this again/often? I like to keep my CDs locked up....
If you installed the factory soundbank and orkestra files Reason will only ask for the CD's the first time you use it. If you didn't install the files it will ask every time. To stop it doing this copy the files into the Reason directory from the CD's.

Thanks for explaining. I'll keep on using Reason, then!

Mo Verdigast · Post by **Mo Verdigast** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:06 pm

dr.wackler wrote:
Mo Verdigast wrote:I'm considering buying Ableton Live 4 but what kind (if any) of copy protection does it use?
Challange/Response, but without the option to "unregister" (like with NI products) - which is a bit stupid, as for example I have just recently collaborated at a colleague's studio, and instead of simply installing Live temporarily on his computer, I had to take my laptop with me for works in Live. With Logic it was no problem - just plugged in my dongle and started working.

Mo Verdigast wrote:On a related note, I was using my registered copy of Reason and it asked for a CD. Will it do this again/often? I like to keep my CDs locked up....
Don't know about Reason, but I once bought Rebirth, and then about never used it just because it wants the CD to be in the drive for every single launch!

Thanks for the quick answer. I probably will NOT buy Reason for this ... ah ... reason.

I stopped using Sound Forge and Acid for the same reason. I find it just emotionally too uncomfortable that I have to go and ask them for another permission. I may not be typical, but I tend to switch machines every few months and I want to know that I can count on being able to use a product I've paid for on whatever machine I want. I only use one at a time, but I am a hardware geek that is always building a new computer or trading in old ones for new.

Thanks for the info!!!

meister eder · Post by **meister eder** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:39 pm

Mo Verdigast wrote:Thanks for explaining. I'll keep on using Reason, then!

11 min later Mo Verdigast wrote:Thanks for the quick answer. I probably will NOT buy Reason for this ... ah ... reason.

Mo Verdigast · Post by **Mo Verdigast** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 12:40 am

dr.wackler wrote:
Mo Verdigast wrote:Thanks for explaining. I'll keep on using Reason, then!

11 min later Mo Verdigast wrote:Thanks for the quick answer. I probably will NOT buy Reason for this ... ah ... reason.

Ack! I was definitely getting punchy there! I meant to say I will not buy Live 4. I already own Reason and my question was whether I want to keep using Reason or not. Sorry for the late-night confusion!!!

Sicklecell666 · Post by **Sicklecell666** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 1:34 am

Mo Verdigast wrote: Ack! I was definitely getting punchy there! I meant to say I will not buy Live 4. I already own Reason and my question was whether I want to keep using Reason or not. Sorry for the late-night confusion!!!

What's one got to do with the other?

They're both great apps. How many machines do you need Live on? The copy/challenge was a breeze..

Leslie · Post by **Leslie** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 7:12 am

"I stopped using Sound Forge and Acid for the same reason. I find it just emotionally too uncomfortable that I have to go and ask them for another permission. I may not be typical, but I tend to switch machines every few months and I want to know that I can count on being able to use a product I've paid for on whatever machine I want. I only use one at a time, but I am a hardware geek that is always building a new computer or trading in old ones for new."

This is exactly my opinion. I tend to reformat my drive quite often and I found myself now in a middle of the battle with Ableton - I want my money back. As much as some hate "dongles", I LOVE them. I can freely install Cubase on as many machines as I need/want, but run cubase on the only one that the dongle is connected to - brilant. This means that I can start my project at home than go to my friends studio and keep on working on it without any probs, or I can use my laptop or reformat my hard drive or whatever... No doubt about it - Live 4 is an excellent app, but why should I be tied-up to one machine or be scared to reformat my drive just because of the most stupid authorisation method of any program I have ever used. After all it ain't cheap - $499 for two uses only..?!

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 2:12 pm

Leslie wrote:"As much as some hate "dongles", I LOVE them.

Until they break accidently.This happened to a user who posts at Craig Andertons forum(www.musicplayer.com).His Logic dongle fell less than 6 inches gently onto a carpeted floor and was usless after that.Since no replacement was availible in the states at the time,he had to wait weeks for one to be shipped from Germany.Meanwhile his commercial studio was down.Glad I'm not him,and glad I use Sonar on a PC(just a serial)and really glad there's great freeware being developed all the time.Since dongles and challenge&response don't stop cracks,I won't pay for apps that include them nor will I suffer the end result.It's that simple.Luckily for me,my needs don't really go beyond Sonar anyway so I'm not as tempted as others might be.

Tronam · Post by **Tronam** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 3:19 pm

dr.wackler wrote: Don't know about Reason, but I once bought Rebirth, and then about never used it just because it wants the CD to be in the drive for every single launch!

There is an easy way to deal with this. Make a disc image of the Rebirth CD, then mount it with a virtual CD program like the freeware utility Daemon Tools. I think even Nero includes such a program now.

-Tronam

kovacs · Post by **kovacs** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 4:14 pm

NOT buying Ableton Live because of a standard challenge/response system sounds to me as if you really don't want the program anyway. Ableton gives you 2 serial numbers and run the software on 2 machines (I run it on my PC laptop AND Apple Powerbook). The same goes for Reason and Tracktion. If you need to run it on 3 machines, tough. I agree that some users might need this. In that case, why not try to at least ask Ableton first? They might be willing to cut you a deal.

As for the ability to unregister...I don't get it. Just contact Ableton, no? They even allow you to sell Live if you don't want to own it anymore, AFAIK.

Live is an *incredible* piece of software, and rewired to Reason you have a deadly duo.

no_barcode · Post by **no_barcode** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 4:26 pm

Before you buy it, you should wait until it's out of beta though.

Oh, I know they say it is. But it's not.

Here's the fix for every problem:

I recommend to manually delete the "Undo.cfg" and your "Preferences.cfg" files. You´ll find them here:
C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Ableton\Live 4.0.3\Prefernces\

Maybe wait about 1 or 2 more point releases.

Live 4 copy protection?