KVR Audio

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 5:46 pm

Time for a little rant: I got 2 USB licensers now, one bought new, the other i purchased with a license here on the market place. Now, both of them, even the new one seems to be so fragile that the plastic case breaks apart in the middle, due to the force you apply, when fitting it into the USB port (like, you stick it in in a slightly wrong angle, it applies force, and splits apart the 2 parts the plastic case is made of). I already wrapped tape around the one i bought now, to reduce the breaking apart of both parts, because i'm scared that it will completely break apart now, and the eLicenser i got sent already was taped too.

Now, considering there's usually licenses worth hundreds of € on these thing, i wonder how hard it can be to make them a little more solid, when every sh** below 10€ USB stick is so much more solid these days. Really, what was the manufacturer thinking, and why doesn't the respective companies put a little bit of pressure on the manufacturer for some build quality. Stupid.

Might even drop Steinberg support a mesage, and ask them if they cannot ask the company building them if they can't build them a bit more proper. It's really ridiculous. What if the thing breaks apart, and my licenses are gone.

ghettosynth · Post by **ghettosynth** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:17 pm

chk071 wrote:Time for a little rant: I got 2 USB licensers now, one bought new, the other i purchased with a license here on the market place. Now, both of them, even the new one seems to be so fragile that the plastic case breaks apart in the middle, due to the force you apply, when fitting it into the USB port (like, you stick it in in a slightly wrong angle, it applies force, and splits apart the 2 parts the plastic case is made of). I already wrapped tape around the one i bought now, to reduce the breaking apart of both parts, because i'm scared that it will completely break apart now, and the eLicenser i got sent already was taped too.

Now, considering there's usually licenses worth hundreds of € on these thing, i wonder how hard it can be to make them a little more solid, when every sh** below 10€ USB stick is so much more solid these days. Really, what was the manufacturer thinking, and why doesn't the respective companies put a little bit of pressure on the manufacturer for some build quality. Stupid. Might even drop Steinberg support a mesage, and ask them if they cannot ask the company building them if they can't build them a bit more proper. It's really ridiculous. What if the thing breaks apart, and my licenses are gone.

As much as I like elicenser protected software, I have to agree. The answer is probably just cost/profit.

dsan@mail.com · Post by **dsan@mail.com** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:53 pm

If I build it cheap, I'll make a ton more money, but just good enough to make it through the warranty period, so no one will be the wiser, and then when it fails they'll buy another one cause what I have is so good and no one can do it better, and I can perpetuate my income and never go out of business.

Yeah! Sounds like a plan.

Your licenses aren't gone chk071. They are safe. They're secure with the company you bought them from and at eLicenser, providing they're all still in business.

Getting them back though could be an issue and you will be out the $30 for the new dongle and have all the hassle of re-instantiating what you've already paid for to begin with.

Makes one wonder some other things though. You had to get me going didn't you.

Happy Musiking!
dsan

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:00 pm

I guess you're right. Well, most of my licenses are safe, because i registered them to my Steinberg account. Not sure about my Largo license though. You think it's registered on the eLicenser servers, so i can get it back, if the eLicenser breaks? Not sure about how my personal details are connected to the data on their servers though.

fese · Post by **fese** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:06 pm

I got mine in da good ole days when everything was better, ten years and solid as a rock. Of course I don't poke it in and pull it out of the USB port to prove that it can break

Maybe the newer ones are of a worse built quality. That means my eLicenser can be considered vintage and I can sell it for five times the original price

(heading over to eBay...)
Also, mine sounds better.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:08 pm

Oh yes, computer keyboards also used to be of better quality.

Some things get better, some get worse.

SODDI · Post by **SODDI** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:10 pm

Yeah, I've had the same one in my machine since 2007, 3 revs of Cubase.

What I want to know is why can't they make them MUCH smaller - hence, less likely to get bust. Like the size of my USB wireless mouse dongle. I don't need a light on it.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:17 pm

Yep. I bought a USB stick today, on which the actual size of the stick is like a fingernail, while most of its size is actually the connector. Shouldn't be difficult to make it that size. But i guess it's really a cost thing. Wonder why though, at 19.95 the USB licensers aren't exactly cheap. It's a smaller market surely, but way too expensive.

VariKusBrainZ · Post by **VariKusBrainZ** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:19 pm

Ive got the old iLok, its f**king huge and I broke it within the first week about 10 years ago, I never bought an iLoked product again.
I have to force a bit of plastic in it so it is at a certain angle to get it to work.

The elicencer is way smaller and no worse quality than your average usb memory stick IMO

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:23 pm

I have an USB Elicenser since SX3. This one has a slightly chipped (one minimal bit broke off), but both my main and my spare Elicensers never broke.

I recently also washed several USB sticks in the washing machine by accident. The (more expensive) Sony one broke, the Verbatim one is still working.

So... maybe you're doing something wrong?
I never needed force to plug the keys into USB ports.

Come to think of it, is this an "inverted iLok hate" thread?

Sampleconstruct · Post by **Sampleconstruct** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:24 pm

I have had mine since 2007 and it never broke, and I toured with it a lot, same goes for my iLocks.

dsan@mail.com · Post by **dsan@mail.com** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:24 pm

The light is on there to remind you it's plugged in, SODDI. Due to portability they don't want you to forget to take it with you when you leave the studio. At least they understand the expense involved.

A useful feature no doubt but not relevant to the most of us.

@chk071 - You should always register the dongle to your Steinberg account. Mainly for warranty purposes.

I have no idea how personal details are gathered, secured, shared or otherwise with this form of license.

I know as far as these dongles go, and with an experience I once had with iLok, if I HAVE to use these things I prefer eLicenser.

Still, I don't understand why we paying customers have to jump through the hoops we do to be able to use what we have paid for, when the thieves seem to be able to use the same things and it costs them nothing. (Rhetorical because I really don't want to get into the dongle wars again

)

You had to get me going didn't you

Happy Musiking!
dsan

aciddose · Post by **aciddose** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:27 pm

They could likely pot them in resin for quite cheap.

The problems are (that I'm aware):

The resin is likely not to regulation regarding lead and other contaminants. These regulations have become ridiculous and made it very difficult for electronics manufacturers to build reliable circuits/devices.
If the complete circuit and usb jack were potted in solid resin, the force would still be applied. It would just apply somewhere else such as to the usb jack which would likely wear and break, being impossible to "tape" back.
The complete process might be more expensive even if the resin is not due to quality control / defects that may be introduced, or difficulty in testing the finished product, increased weight, etc.

So the cheap plastic has many benefits to the manufacturer and distributor as well as yourself that you may not be aware of.

fese · Post by **fese** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:28 pm

chk071 wrote:Yep. I bought a USB stick today, on which the actual size of the stick is like a fingernail, while most of its size is actually the connector. Shouldn't be difficult to make it that size. But i guess it's really a cost thing. Wonder why though, at 19.95 the USB licensers aren't exactly cheap. It's a smaller market surely, but way too expensive.

Well, they're cheaper than iloks and of course no mass market products like sticks and I guess you pay also for the developing costs of the client and server software and whatnot. Still I find it weird that I pay for the copy protection but I guess we have to thank the crackers and illegal users there...

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:29 pm

Sampleconstruct wrote:I have had mine since 2007 and it never broke, and I toured with it a lot, same goes for my iLocks.

Alright, good to know.

Well, maybe i'm exagerating a little. Pretty sure mine is not on the edge of breaking either. I was just wondering that the 2 plastic parts the case is made off produce a gap after some time. There's also slight cracks on the upper plastic halfs. I suspect that comes from a slightly wrong angle, when plugging in. As i never had somethign similar on my USB sticks, i was wondering how this can happen on something holding expensive software licenses. I mean it's gotta be build solidly.

Why does the eLicenser have to be of such cr***y quality?