Steinberg's dongle alternative coming

I have a desktop PC that I keep the dongle in when I’m at home. Not a problem there. But I also have a laptop that I’d like to incorporate for live use. I don’t need to be able to run Cubase live. I’m just beginning to learn Cantabile and have several VSTi’s that require a dongle. HALion Sonic 2, PadShop Pro, Retrologue, not to mention my Korg Legacy series, all my Arturia VSTs, and so on. I hate the thought that I take my laptop out and lose the dongle. I’ve been using the same dongle since Cubase SX. I recently bought the Absolute VST Collection (which came with another dongle - shorter than my original). That would force me to get SB to authorize my new dongle - and the other manufacturers as well - and would be more of a PITA then anything. If I remember correctly, all my software that uses the dongle are stored in the LCC, so it would just be a matter of me telling the LCC to load the licenses up to my blank dongle. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

I also have a wireless mouse that uses the short, stubby USB thingie. If SB would/could go to something like that, I’d be happy with that compromise. I’m just scared to death it would get broken using it live on stage - even if I use a USB extension cable to get it away from directly sticking out of my laptop. Here’s to what the future holds. I’m sure good things are on the horizon. Now to update to 7.5 … lol

On the “Lost eLicenser” thread it is mentioned that at present on new boxed versions sold with a dongle they do a 24 hour temporary license and one can get something similar on dongle loss. I don’t know if they do it already or have it planned but it might be useful requesting that one could temporarily “arm” (via your legit dongle) a laptop for use on locations for 24 hrs or so. Just a thought.
You would need a spare dongle.
Lost USB licenser - Cubase - Steinberg Forums SteveinChicago and Fabio.

Yes, my Cubase 6 also came with the (25 hour) demo. It is not a new procedure.

Is there a demo of Cubase 7?

Not sure yet. If it’s not already there then it’s imminent.

Not sure yet. If it’s not already there then it’s imminent.[/quote]

Now would be timely considering there are new features included with 7.5.

Keep the dongle. Care about your software.
You don’t see Cubase out there as cracked version. :slight_smile:

Would be nice to upgrade it to a small metal version case so we could
not worry about dropping it.

Cheers

Diamond encrusted dongle for sale. Extremely losable (apparently) so knock down price. Makes keyring look classy. Offers.

No worry about dropping it?! I’m sure there are examples on YouTube but these and similar dongles can be nuked and they still work.

UVI Listens, iLok Dongle No Longer Required

And replace it with the iLok software authorisation system that is a) seriously anal, b) requires an internet connection & c) only allow you to install one instance of the license. But apart from that nice to see iLok copy the eLicenser system down to a tee

Not as anal as usb dongle on laptop… once-off connection, and you’re sorted. The point being that UVI knows what affects the bottom line, paying user’s going elsewhere.

what I really like on the ilok thing (after I disliked that whole PACE thing a long time) is:

  • I just have ONE iLok for hundreds of licenses.
    → would be cool to NOT have to carry additional elicencers with me

  • lately there is a great zero-downtime feature as well as “lost and theft” option
    → last time I had an error with the elicencer it was no problem BUT it was over the weekend and I had to wait 2 days till Steinberg support was able to provide me temp-licences… Fortunately it was only the Cubase elicencer and I use Nuendo in the studio…

In some case they may, but they loose customers like myself that need to use more than one computer, it is a question of functionality.

Besides having a dongle on my laptop is a minor inconvenience, not a major show stopper, which is what always makes me wonder about those anti dongle posts … when evaluating some piece of software the minor inconvenience becomes a major factor in peoples purchase decisions over and above functionality?

Imagine if you were a tradesman in something other than music and would refuse to do certain jobs or service certain equipment because you do not like the dongle that came with the software. How impressed would your customers be?

You do realise that as many plug in developers use the Steinberg key as do use iLok so “one key, many software licenses” argument is not valid that way (some offer both, and some call their key something else, but they are eLicensers), more application developers use iLok because they do not want to shuffle money and business info to one of their competitors.

I do not have (exept Halion and Wavelab) any other software running on the elicencer…

On iLok I have about 130 Licences.

I just had the experience that makes the dongle feel warm and fuzzy. I had an HD crash, and restored from my backup. (4 hours) I plugged in the dongle and went right back to work. No worries about that moment being the very moment the license server goes down for a day, which can happen to any company. (My soft-elicenses did need to be reauthorized, which did work fine.)

Not making a case here against a service like the backup license scheme ilok 2 offers, but man, if I was using that instead of a dongle, and had had that crash a couple weeks ago when the SB authorization server was down, what a drag it would have been.

For long time I didn’t use any waves plugin for the ilok thing (I don’t have one, I don’t want one)

But now that you can install your licences in any standart Usb drive I considering buy some plugs from them…

First i am on my 3rd of the plastic dongles in 14 years or so, the first 2 just fell apart, and they never leave my workstation. I had to buy reaper to use live because of fear of loosing the dongle. If I bought a new dongle, could I put the licenses on the new one, and keep the current one to use with ZDT?

Give us a metal-like dongle.
It would be cool.

yes