As a user of Cubase Studio 7.5 having just returned after having left it at version 5 I find that some of the same things still annoy the hell out of me. I don’t like dongles. I know. Many don’t and despite that it’s not going to change. This is fine. But I have a Mac Pro and a MacBook Pro. The dongle is in my Mac Pro. I don’t want to remove it. Ever. I prefer to forget about it. Back in the Cubase 5 days I had a dongle go corrupt on me and it was a major PITA. But I want to work on projects on my laptop. Maybe not huge projects but something. So I’ve been looking at Cubase Elements. No dongle required right? This could work well for me. I could work on lighter things on my laptop and then transfer them to my workstation when ready. But I don’t want to pay another $99. Not to mention having to pay for both Studio and Elements upgrades. So I was thinking why not offer Elements free to Studio owners? I don’t know about everyone else but this would certainly make me happy. At least …at the VERY least offer me a discounted price on the purchase and subsequent upgrades. It just seems a shortsighted not to. These days many of us move from laptop to tablet to desktop quite regularly. The expectation for this to be seamless and frankly a native capability is not outlandish by any means. I work in I.T. By day and we deliver this kind of stuff regularly. Its almost commonplace now. Anyhow. Just my thoughts. Really liking 7.5 so far otherwise.
Should the same be said about hardware? If I purchase a rack mount audio interface, should I expect to also receive a mobile version of the unit for my laptop…for free or at a discounted price?
Be reasonable.
I don’t think thats even a remotely comparable scenario. Nor do I think what I am suggesting is at all unreasonable. Guess its a matter of perspective but again I don’t subscribe to what you are suggesting as the same thing whatsoever.
Well good for you. I defend my position in stating that I DO think the two situations are directly comparable and that your position is completely unreasonable. So there!
Lol. Ok. Well in that case yes…I think if I buy a rack mount audio interface it isn’t unreasonable for the vendor to say hey thanks for your business…by the way heres a discount for X amount of another product. In fact, as I type this I realize that Native Instruments does this all the time. The one fundamental difference between the hardware and software scenario is…if I go out and buy Cubase Elements at full price, which I am not unwilling to do as it solves my problem…I will have to now buy upgrades for both it and the full Cubase ongoing…which I am less willing to do and frankly feel I shouldn’t really have to just because I don’t want to carry the dongle back and forth with me. Mind you I don’t want to get into the merits of the whole dongle thing as I know its been done to death and I got back into Cubase knowing fully well what it meant. I just can help but wonder if there isn’t a better way than having this usb key sticking out of my laptop and then getting back to my desktop and launching cubase and realizing oh snap the dongle is elsewhere. I mean am I the only one this happens to?
Ahhhh…a MUCH better argument 
It might be annoying, but it’s how it is: you payed for the USE of the product, on 1 computer at a time.
You didn’t own the product, when you bought it, so you’re not entitled to decide how you THINK you should be able to use it.
If you want to use the software simultaneously, then buy it 2 times.
But of course, you could just plug over the USB dongle. I don’t see the hassle. Sounds to me like you’re just being lazy or you want to use it 2 times at once, while paying for 1 time.
I might sound harsh, but it’s always something here with some people… Can we stop complaining about what’s fair and not? Please? And just use the software as it is intended?
Lazy? Maybe. Annoyed by forgetting that the dongle is in my bag or pocket or somewhere when I launch it on one or the other computer? Absolutely. But buy it 2 times? That’s absolute rubbish. I have a laptop and a desktop. Did you actually read my post? I don’t think I used the word “unfair” at all. Roaming usage is my intent (not infinite but between 2 devices which is just so common now). Many other vendors allow for this use case, as do Steinberg…they just require transplanting the physical dongle. The dongle itself as I stated in previous posts is fine. I don’t begrudge them their copy protection. It’s just massively annoying in this particular use case. So in an effort to save myself the annoyance I was thinking that I would pick up Elements for laptop use. The $99 dollars is not a huge deal but now I would have 2 upgrade costs to consider etc. So I thought hey let me put it out there that this could be a nice thing to bundle with a Studio purchase OR perhaps at the very least offer a discount for Elements to those who purchase Studio. Just a thought I was putting out there. I don’t know how you inferred whatever you did but don’t presume to talk to me about fair use or insinuate that I’m trying to get away with something. You’re comment isn’t harsh…just pointless.
It’s not harsh at all. Last I checked, it was perfectly acceptable to voice one’s opinion, no matter what the subject. If one do not want any part of discussing particular topics, one should not engage in them.
If no one ever went against the grain, we would still competing with herds on a plain somewhere. I am pretty sure that they had complainers then too, and that someone finally realized that taking residence in a cave would shut them up… until the complaints about the hard floor started. 
How many sets of keys have you ever lost? Take care of the dongle. It’s simply called taking care of business. First things back in the pockets are the fair game & thief bait. The little stuff that annoys you more than losing the big stuff. YOU bought the dongle and (licensed) Cubase. You work in IT? So you know the score.
Soon Cubase will be ON the dongle (but maybe not). Game, set & match. Any computer.
And unless I’m a little confused isn’t there a grace period of 24hrs non-dongled usage on recent releases? Don’t know quite how it works but search around the fairly recent “lost dongle” posts. Someone will know.
I actually did read your posts. And your trying to get free stuff, because you’re afraid you’ll forget your dongle and it’s ‘a hassle’.
If Steinberg actually did what you said, they might lose a big chunk of income, because for me personally, I don’t need the Elements version. But once I get it, because I’ve bought the big Cubase, I might give it away to someone who does use it. Meaning Steinberg won’t get any profit from Elements…
It’s quite easy: grow up and act accordingly. You need your dongle? Pack it in your bag. If you forget it, it’s YOU that has to fix your behavior, not Steinberg.
Please…
Look folks. I know I full well what I purchased. I still have my red parallel port dongle from Cubase way back. I am not suggesting the dongle go away. I fully realize that will not happen and has been discussed to death on these forums for many years. Effectively I had a thought related to promotional move/gesture that Steinberg might consider for people who purchase their flagship products. Why it is being met with the level of self righteousness is beyond me.
You work in IT? So you know the score.
Yes I work in IT. If by “the score” you mean I know that in highly competitive markets vendors go out of their way to show an interest in the feedback from their users then yes I do. If by “the score” you mean I understand that very often company’s put out lite versions of their flagship products as a means by which to entice people to enter their ecosystem of products then yes I do. Often companies go so far as offering free versions of their products for just the same purpose. Often these products are not meant to be money makers. They represent a gateway to the money makers. But I’m sure you already know all this.
Soon Cubase will be ON the dongle (but maybe not). Game, set & match. Any computer.
And unless I’m a little confused isn’t there a grace period of 24hrs non-dongled usage on recent releases? Don’t know quite how it works but search around the fairly recent “lost dongle” posts. Someone will know.
I don’t see the whole Cubase ON the dongle thing myself but hey techmology is crazy so who knows. Thanks for the suggestion on the 24 hours grace period thing. I will check it out as this could work well for me.
I actually did read your posts. And your trying to get free stuff, because you’re afraid you’ll forget your dongle and it’s ‘a hassle’.
That’s sort of correct yes. I was merely suggesting a promo/bundle that would solve a use case that I have. Presumably others would see a benefit but based on what I’m seeing here maybe not.
If Steinberg actually did what you said, they might lose a big chunk of income, because for me personally, I don’t need the Elements version. But once I get it, because I’ve bought the big Cubase, I might give it away to someone who does use it. Meaning Steinberg won’t get any profit from Elements…
Nonsense as far as I’m concerned. Purely made up. I don’t know and don’t care what you may or may not do with it. Neither of us know what profit margin Elements represents for Steinberg. I put it at very little if any but just to be clear, I don’t know.
It’s quite easy: grow up and act accordingly. You need your dongle? Pack it in your bag. If you forget it, it’s YOU that has to fix your behavior, not Steinberg.
Please…
So my rationale for the original post was simple, I purchased NI Komplete and got a $30 voucher towards any of their products. Got me thinking about MY Cubase use case and I thought surely others out there might see a benefit in such a thing? But If as you say the financial stability of Steinberg is threatened by the prospect of my suggesting that Elements be bundled for mobility purposes with purchase of Cubase Studio or the like then my second suggestion was for a discount voucher or coupon. This way someone like myself can put it towards Elements, others can use it towards other Steinberg products, and someone like yourself can write “I’m a self-righteous prat” on it and wear it.
a possible solution would be a “usb over lan” scenario…such software exists…the limitation is only one computer at a time can access the dongle. exactly what you want. might work i dont know.
I don’t think there is a need for calling names now, is there…?
Oh I think you are well deserving. I would hope at the very least that you are aware of how condescending you have been. I assume it’s intentional. If not seek help. Otherwise…the shoe fits.
The fact that you do not agree with me, does not mean I have been condescending. But you’re clearly missing the point, although nobody is backing your case up here…
Good luck.
Post reported.
Oh is that what you were doing? Just simply stating a factual difference of opinion? However did I find your objective tone so offensive? Let me go through that thread again. Oh wait. ya. You are definitely shrouded in self righteousness. Nothing to do with differing opinion. Just rude and unhelpful. So …as you were. I’ll take it up with Steinberg gladly should they want to discuss appropriate posting in the forum.
Don’t know if I’d answer in quite the same way but “reprogram oneself”? In terms of a simple thing like taking care of the dongle, like one takes care of other things like car keys. Maybe a better solution. Years of touring and setting up and breaking down of hundreds of large and tiny bits of equipment is a large part of my life and I haven’t lost, or had anything stolen for decades at least (pride goes… 
probably any day now I will). Undeniably inconvenient by some opinions, the dongle is part of Cubase and if one travels that is the first item in the bag or on the key ring at the end of the day. I treat it like e-jewellery.
For one man to make life less worrisome for himself is a lot easier than expecting a large company to rejig it’s whole marketing and security approach.
But I have to also agree that there are places in the world where replacements for lost small items like dongles and drum keys could be a major pain.
As a fan of discounts and bargains, I love coupons and promo’s that offer value at a lesser price. However, what you were originally asking for here was a discount to solve a specific use-case that you’re experiencing. This is where I think it becomes impractical (read: unreasonable).
And your argument about incurring yet another upgrade path is as much nonsense as the plethora of forum posts complaining about being FORCED to upgrade. You buy what works for you and use it. No one forces you to upgrade to another version.
Seriously, software may be conceivably different from hardware in a technical or physical sense, but as a marketable product it is (and should be) treated conceptually the same.