Plugins You Won't Buy Because Of Their Copy Protection / Issues

[Synth Master Jedi]

I won't buy dongle based copy right protection that's not iLok, such as Waves and Steinberg e-license.
I may start to avoid purchase plugins that does not support VST3.

I use iLok too, but that's the only dongle based system I use, because it's by far the most common one. I'm not going to use a dongle for something that is used by almost nobody else.

Waves is not dongle based though. I have hundreds of Waves plugins, and there is no dongle required. Maybe they required it in the past, I'm not sure, but they don't now.

[jamcat]

I won't buy dongle based copy right protection that's not iLok, such as Waves and Steinberg e-license.
I may start to avoid purchase plugins that does not support VST3.

I use iLok too, but that's the only dongle based system I use, because it's by far the most common one. I'm not going to use a dongle for something that is used by almost nobody else.

Waves is not dongle based though. I have hundreds of Waves plugins, and there is no dongle required. Maybe they required it in the past, I'm not sure, but they don't now.

Yes, the much maligned Waves HASP parallel port dongle 20 years ago.

[Synth Master Jedi]

Yes, the much maligned Waves HASP parallel port dongle 20 years ago.

That's interesting. I actually used a bunch of Waves plugins around 2000 in various commercial studios, and I never knew that Waves had that kind of copy protection, since I wasn't the one buying the plugins. I wasn't working on my own machine, it was the studio's machines, but I'm assuming that they had those dongles in the back of their machines at the time.

[jamcat]

Yes, the much maligned Waves HASP parallel port dongle 20 years ago.

That's interesting. I actually used a bunch of Waves plugins around 2000 in various commercial studios, and I never knew that Waves had that kind of copy protection, since I wasn't the one buying the plugins. I wasn't working on my own machine, it was the studio's machines, but I'm assuming that they had those dongles in the back of their machines at the time.

Probably not.

[Synth Master Jedi]

Probably not.

You might be right about that.

[Chrisk-K]

I don’t mind copy protection schemes. I do mind, however, torturing download/install/uninstall processes. Hence, I will never ever buy IK Multimedia plugins.

[jamcat]

IK has a Product Manager now that downloads and installs your software.

[darkinners]

I won't buy dongle based copy right protection that's not iLok, such as Waves and Steinberg e-license.
I may start to avoid purchase plugins that does not support VST3.

I use iLok too, but that's the only dongle based system I use, because it's by far the most common one. I'm not going to use a dongle for something that is used by almost nobody else.

Waves is not dongle based though. I have hundreds of Waves plugins, and there is no dongle required. Maybe they required it in the past, I'm not sure, but they don't now.

You don't have to use dongle with Waves, if you on Mac you can activate the license on your Computer or external drive.
Windows however you can only activate on computer or IDE/SATA driver external drive/usb stick. On windows you cannot store the license in SCSI driver external drive, so you want to store the waves license on your fast external SSD such as USB 3.2 or TB3 SSD? so you don't need to connect iLok dongle, waves usb stick, e-licenser, usb audio interface, usb midi keyboard when you using your laptop outside or on a trip? no you can't do that.

Plus waves license only can activate on 1 computer, unless you keep buying WUP. If your computer changed network card or motherboard or HDD dies while you stored the license in your computer. your license will be gone! because your computer HardwareID changed. I've been there and it took me a week to get new license recover from Waves!

So no Waves for me anymore, this kind of shitty copy protection system and the whole WUP situation. Not for me. There are tons of Waves alternative plugin on the market now, I got everything covered. I unintalled all Waves plugins that I own few months ago.

And that's why I want at least 2 seats activation and support computer activation for iLok plugins.
I can activate one seat on my laptop, one seat on the iLok dongle. The dongle plug in to my studio desktop and another seat activate on my Laptop.
So when I am on the go, my laptop don't need to connect tons of devices, only connect to the sample library external SSD or external mini Midi controller.
If I go to another place to open my project in their studio desktop/laptop, I can plug in the iLok dongle that I brought along and if the dongle dies or my laptop dies, I still can have everything running instead of contact iLok and wait the plugin publishers to reset my activation one by one.

[imrae]

IK has a Product Manager now that downloads and installs your software.

If only it would reliably activate the software...

[jamcat]

IK has a Product Manager now that downloads and installs your software.

If only it would reliably activate the software...

I've found that if you deactivate first then activate, it works reliably.

[chk071]

True. I even bought DS Thorn despite the fact that i detest PA and their business model

You could have got the computermusic mag version instead.

Not M1 native- at least not yet

And lacking some features of the full version as well.

Although it's one of the better magwares in that regard.

[maldomusica]

I'd be interested in the devs you guys have found that fit this broad criteria of no CR/phoning home, no ilok etc.

Don't know about phoning home, as my DAW machine is offline, but these devs fit the rest: Sonic Charge, Tokyo Dawn Labs, U-He, Polyverse, Xfer Records, Psychic Modulation, Fuse Audio Labs, Kazrog, SIR Audio Tools, Reveal Sound, FabFilter, LetiMix, Tone Empire, DMGAudio, Acon Digital, Klanghelm, ToneBoosters, MeldaProduction, Auburn Sounds, GForce, Sugar Bytes, Plugin Boutique, Surreal Machines, Aberrant DSP, Inphonik, Togu Audio Line, Devious Machines, E-Phonic, Voxengo, Forward Audio, Tone Projects, 2CAudio, Madrona Labs.

Hi bro! How is the activation system by SirAudio? I'm tinking of buying Standar clip but I don't know if they have an activation limit or any restrictions.

I have 2 devices: laptop and PC, and maybe a thrid that is another laptop but I don't use it so much.

[Trancit]

I'd be interested in the devs you guys have found that fit this broad criteria of no CR/phoning home, no ilok etc.

Don't know about phoning home, as my DAW machine is offline, but these devs fit the rest: Sonic Charge, Tokyo Dawn Labs, U-He, Polyverse, Xfer Records, Psychic Modulation, Fuse Audio Labs, Kazrog, SIR Audio Tools, Reveal Sound, FabFilter, LetiMix, Tone Empire, DMGAudio, Acon Digital, Klanghelm, ToneBoosters, MeldaProduction, Auburn Sounds, GForce, Sugar Bytes, Plugin Boutique, Surreal Machines, Aberrant DSP, Inphonik, Togu Audio Line, Devious Machines, E-Phonic, Voxengo, Forward Audio, Tone Projects, 2CAudio, Madrona Labs.

Hi bro! How is the activation system by SirAudio? I'm tinking of buying Standar clip but I don't know if they have an activation limit or any restrictions.

I have 2 devices: laptop and PC, and maybe a thrid that is another laptop but I don't use it so much.

It´s a simple serial you enter during install!

[DJ Warmonger]

UVI Thorus, UVI Relayer. They look awesome, but use iLok ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

SImiliar story with Sound Radix Pi https://www.soundradix.com/products/pi/ , potentially gamechanging phase align utility.

Also back in the day when I was looking for transient processor, I had to give up a few quite decent because they had iLok. Eventually picked Quantum, which was not cheap at all.

[e@rs]

Hi bro! How is the activation system by SirAudio? I'm tinking of buying Standar clip but I don't know if they have an activation limit or any restrictions.

I have 2 devices: laptop and PC, and maybe a thrid that is another laptop but I don't use it so much.

As Trancit said: simple serial number.

Yet, SIR's FAQ is a bit vague:
Can I use SIR Audio Tools products on multiple devices?
A rightful owner may install SIR Audio Tools products on several devices, belonging to them. Even if simultaneous use of the same licensed software is possible, it should not be seen as a long-term solution — an additional license key is expected to be obtained.