Steinberg installer rant

[SparkySpark]

OMG, I'm so tired of the music software installers

I though Waves was bad enough... but Steinberg! What have you done!!!

I had a demo of Cubase Elements LE, but it was expired. I now have a (purchased) license, but I can't just insert the license when trying to start the expired software. So, I need to follow instructions from
- the eLicenser control center
- the library manager (or maybe not)
- the download assistant

And of course they need updating as soon as I try to start them. After all, it was two months ago I installed them...

And when trying to download the demo anew (after all, it's "just" a half gig install), the Steinberg site just hangs.

I mean. What's. Wrong. With. People.

I just needed a host to compliment my favourite DAW. So I'm pretty sure in the end I'll have to buy another license and try another DAW... (Possibly Reaper, because I can't believe the Reaper people do all this activation madness.)

Steinberg - get a grip!

And with that...

Rant over... for now... (mostly because I'm now out of representative smileys )

[chk071]

A demo version of Cubase LE? Cubase LE is OEM software which is shipped with selected hardware. There is no demo version of it. You probably mean Cubase Elements.

To break down the other things: eLicenser Control Center is only there for activating your licenses, and license management (for example, moving our license from the soft eLicenser to the eLicneser dongle). The Library Manager is only there for managing your addon content. You don't need to even touch it for installation, unless you want to change the location of the libraries retrospectively.

And, you don't need to update anything either, apart from the Download Assistant, which updates automatically when you start it.

I'm a bit confused about your post. Not surprised that so many things go wrong, as you obviously misunderstand what the stuff is there for.

[jancivil]

for one thing I do not need the installer to install the elicenser, it's already there, and it's going to be current
yeah, the whole trip has gotten ridic the last year or so. Fortunately I'm seriously unlikely to update Cubase 11.0.0 because the enhancements aren't at all, they continue to break shit with them, and it's stable now. I don't need to know about any of it

[jancivil]

at least we're not forced to download several GB of loops and bullshit content no mo'

[SparkySpark]

A demo version of Cubase LE? Cubase LE is OEM software which is shipped with selected hardware. There is no demo version of it. You probably mean Cubase Elements.

To break down the other things: eLicenser Control Center is only there for activating your licenses, and license management (for example, moving our license from the soft eLicenser to the eLicneser dongle). The Library Manager is only there for managing your addon content. You don't need to even touch it for installation, unless you want to change the location of the libraries retrospectively.

And, you don't need to update anything either, apart from the Download Assistant, which updates automatically when you start it.

I'm a bit confused about your post. Not surprised that so many things go wrong, as you obviously misunderstand what the stuff is there for.

Thanks, you're right, I don't understand it (and thanks for explaining, BTW). And yes, it's Cubase Elements. Will do my best and try sorting it out. Must say though, that as soon as I opened Download Assistant, it updated my copy of the Licenser Control Center, so it's not just a little complex.

I like Cubase as a DAW, so I hope Steinberg will fix their license stuff with v 12.

[chk071]

A demo version of Cubase LE? Cubase LE is OEM software which is shipped with selected hardware. There is no demo version of it. You probably mean Cubase Elements.

To break down the other things: eLicenser Control Center is only there for activating your licenses, and license management (for example, moving our license from the soft eLicenser to the eLicneser dongle). The Library Manager is only there for managing your addon content. You don't need to even touch it for installation, unless you want to change the location of the libraries retrospectively.

And, you don't need to update anything either, apart from the Download Assistant, which updates automatically when you start it.

I'm a bit confused about your post. Not surprised that so many things go wrong, as you obviously misunderstand what the stuff is there for.

Thanks, you're right, I don't understand it (and thanks for explaining, BTW). And yes, it's Cubase Elements. Will do my best and try sorting it out. Must say though, that as soon as I opened Download Assistant, it updated my copy of the Licenser Control Center, so it's not just a little complex.

I like Cubase as a DAW, so I hope Steinberg will fix their license stuff with v 12.

I'm sure they will.

I didn't know that the Download Assistant updates eLicenser now as well. Nor did I know that you can install Cubase now without the addon content... which is great. I absolutely hated it when it installs all that stuff, AND that they all have separate uninstallers. Just to uninstall Cubase AI, I probably had to uninstall 12 or 13 different packages, individually...

I guess you do have a point that it's all a bit messy. Never liked that aspect about Cubase.

[SparkySpark]

at least we're not forced to download several GB of loops and bullshit content no mo'

True. That's one thing I disliked when downloading the Studio One [smallest] demo. It just made it feel like a toy [and I know S1 is anything but a toy!].

So as I don't like Tracktion's UI,
since Ableton's approach is not for me (I must be too old school for twenty year old s/w ),
since Cakewalk is too buggy on my system,
and since I can't use Logic (on PC),
I may end up with Reaper anyway.
I really don't like it's UI decisions (not saying it's anything wrong with it, it's just not for me), but at least I can get the thing to work and it doesn't take over my hard drive in the process.

Shame though, because the audio chains in Cubase sound great.

[SparkySpark]

I guess you do have a point that it's all a bit messy. Never liked that aspect about Cubase.

Thanks. It wasn't like this when I used it last time (v 1.8.1 ).

[Trensharo]

A demo version of Cubase LE? Cubase LE is OEM software which is shipped with selected hardware. There is no demo version of it. You probably mean Cubase Elements.

To break down the other things: eLicenser Control Center is only there for activating your licenses, and license management (for example, moving our license from the soft eLicenser to the eLicneser dongle). The Library Manager is only there for managing your addon content. You don't need to even touch it for installation, unless you want to change the location of the libraries retrospectively.

And, you don't need to update anything either, apart from the Download Assistant, which updates automatically when you start it.

I'm a bit confused about your post. Not surprised that so many things go wrong, as you obviously misunderstand what the stuff is there for.

Download Assistant will automatically update eLCC when there is an update, among other things.

OP must be running out of things to complain about if this is one of them.

There is a different App Launchpad for everything we buy, these days, and many things require software like PACE/iLok License Center, etc.

UVI Portal, iZotope Product Portal, Spitfire Audio App, etc.

I'm less pissed at what one specific product does, and more so at the fact that I have to have like 6-7 of these installed on my PC. Well, some are a bit optional but without them maintenance is a royal PITA (i.e. iZotope).

The thing I will knock Steinberg for is the lack of an in-app notification for updates. The download assistant doesn't make these obvious, either. Unless you look at the Hub and notice something there, you're basically relegated to checking Steinberg.net occassionally to make sure you don't miss anything.

Nor did I know that you can install Cubase now without the addon content...

You always could, by simply unchecking it in the installer. The issue, before, was that the Cubase download was monolithic. EVERYTHING was packed into one huge 20GB+ ZIP archive. With Cubase 11, it's modular now, so you don't end up downloading a ton of stuff you potentially don't want. You only download what you actually choose to install at the time you make that choice.

[egbert]

at least we're not forced to download several GB of loops and bullshit content no mo'

Amen to that. I couldn't actually complete the last go round on that process for 10.5 without the 20 GB archive turning up corrupt on each of many supposedly completed attempts. I suggested splitting the installer up to Steiney support on my numerous conversations with them at the time and they seemed open to the idea. I am glad they have gone that way this time - no doubt I was one of many who had issues.