get rid of the iLok

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Permalink Reply by Max on February 28, 2011 at 1:48pm

 

Unfortunately, software piracy is a significant and expensive problem in this industry, one that costs both us the developer and you the end user. We wish this wasn't the case, but it it is.  iLok is the best solution we have found to this problem. Other companies use it (Avid, Waves, MOTU, and dozens and dozens more.)

 One iLok is usually all that is required for all the pro audio software titles that use it to prevent piracy. You can plug it into any computer and use the software it licenses on that computer. This makes for a very portable solution while still protecting our software and your investment.  That's why so many companies are using iLoks these days. Wish we didn't have to take such a measure. 

 

Thanks,

Antares Support

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Permalink Reply by Bob Cady on July 11, 2011 at 8:32am

You don't "have to" use the iLok. You choose to. Spinning it any other way is disingenuous. I tred to buy Waves products in the past and did not because of the absurd iLok system. I bought the stupid thing and couldn't get it to function, hence no purchase of Waves products. Now I've tried to use iLok again with your MicMod EFX. STILL nothing but circular, unsolvable nonsense. LIFE IS TOO SHORT! Please dump iLok. Adobe and tons of other developers don't use iLok and they're doing just fine.

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Permalink Reply by Dominique Geoffroy on July 25, 2011 at 8:00am

Your assumption is wrong, people using pirated softwares wouldn't buy your software anyways, they can usually get just about any cracked software somewhere on the NET.

 

Ridiculous copy protection schemes like iLok is only a way to make more money and it only hurts honest customers. Really, who has troubles with copy-protection?... The honest paying user, no one else. And at the price you sell your software, if you insist at using iLok, the key should be included in the price

 

So far I don't have trouble with iLok but I keep my finger crossed because I've read a lot of horror stories concerning this device.

 

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Permalink Reply by Bobby Walker on September 30, 2011 at 5:43pm

I bought auto-tune efx as an entry level trial with the idea of moving up to auto-tune later if this fit my needs.  Unfortunately discovering the $50 tax you've slapped on top of me for attempting to be a legitimate user has severely soured my taste for purchasing your products.

 

The idea of punishing legitimate users to stop non-legitimate users was slapped down years ago with the key books for computer games.  You'd be better off with a copy protection like steam where it feels more like a convenience than an obvious kludge and burden that ilok is.  

 

I'm currently working with your support group to try to get a refund on my purchase since it wasn't listed in the advertisement I purchased this from.  So far it's been generally poorly handled.

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Permalink Reply by Bobby Walker on December 26, 2011 at 6:04am

To follow up with this.  Antares audio actually stopped responding to me while attempting to assist me in getting a refund.   Thankfully Guitar Center manned up as a company instead and shipped me an ilok since the advertisement didn't mention the need for it.  So +1 guitarcenter -1 antares for becoming unresponsive.   I'm glad I don't need real support.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Powell on November 10, 2011 at 3:16am

I would like to purchase Mic Mod but will not until you do away with the iLok.  It is bad business.  I have recently spent $500 on Logic Studio, $600 on IK Multimedia Total Bundle, and $1800 on Adobe Creative Suite.  None of these products required any USB device to be plugged into my computer. 

 

I'm sure what happened is some slick salesman from iLok came in and told you guys that you would go out of business if you didn't force your customers to use this.  What that salesman didn't tell you about was how many sales you would lose to people that are not willing to give up a USB port for the privilage of using your product.  What a crock!

 

Please let me know if you change your policy on this and I will immediately buy your product.

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Permalink Reply by Hector Mendoza Jr on March 26, 2012 at 10:36pm

Every single iLok protected plugin is cracked, how can Antares justify paying Pace Anti-Piracy money for a service that doesn't work? At this point, it's nothing but an inconvenience to customers. Why should i have to have a piece of hard ware to use software? A tiny, easy to steal, easy to break usb tongle with my professional tools in it.

So you're at the office and had a random burst of inspiration and want to record an idea to develop later. Oh what's that you say, you can't open Pro Tools because you left your iLok at home? No worries I'll use Ableton, oh wait, I can't auto-tune because i forgot my iLok. 

It's a useless, outdated and exposed concept. If Waves, the biggest plugin developers in the world, are dumping it and you guys still don't get the picture I think it's time to start checking out celemony. 

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Permalink Reply by Bob Cady on July 11, 2011 at 8:27am

I agree 100%. The iLok is not only an extra expense, it's a royal pain in the butt! I continue to have nothing but problems with it. PLEASE dump iLok!

Thank you!

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Riff on August 16, 2011 at 10:34am

iLok does not prevent software piracy, just do a Google search and most iLok protected software is available as a crack. It just becomes an annoyance and additional expense to honest users.

Just trust your loyal and honest customers. In my own opinion, that's the best approach.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Powell on November 10, 2011 at 3:19am

I think the only way I will buy this product is if there is a crack that lets me do away with the iLock.  That's right, I will purchase this product and still use a crack.  Pretty sad that an honest user that wants to buy your product has to go find a crack to use your product.

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Permalink Reply by Derrick Bailey on November 22, 2011 at 1:23am

I want to purchase Harmony, Mic Mod, and Autotune but I refuse to do so because of the loss of USB space required for the Ilock; and the fact that after I purchase your product I'm required to pay an additional 50 dollar fee to use it; RIDICULOUS. I feel like big brother has control of my computer if I'm required to jump through hoops every time I sit down at my computer to use software that I purchased legally. I refuse to buy a product and then be required to buy authorization to use it; RIDICULOUS. I purchased Propellerheads Reason 6 for $400.00 to find out it requires a dongle which resulted in the loss of a USB port; Unless Propellerheads ditch the dongle for future releases I won't be purchasing reason 7 or any other upgrade in the future. Did anyone from the software company's think about the impact on users that use USB keyboards, drum pad, and other USB devices to make music and the inability to operate these devices if required to use a USB dongle to use a plug in. I'd bet the person that thought up the Ilock system is related to the genius that changed the original formula for Coca Cola, RIDICULOUS; Anatares cut your losses before you do a Coca Cola and nearly go under. Listen to the consumers; the crooks don’t purchase the software anyway.

Attachments:

• I want to purchase Harmony.doc, 21 KB

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Permalink Reply by Jack Thornton on December 6, 2011 at 6:59am

OK - the other side of the coin. I don't particularly like the iLok, but I understand it. I, like another poster, also have Logic Pro and IK Multimedia Total Studio. However, I also bought Synthogy Ivory - which requires an iLok. I have learned to live with it. I had to buy a USB hub anyway for all the various USB crud that I require (whatever happened to MIDI interfaces?), so the extra slot is a non-issue. The hub was small, and it was easy to find a place to mount it in my rack. I'm old enough to remember when AutoTune was a 19" 1U rack-mount piece of gear that cost $700+, so finding room for a 4" dongle and a 3x5" hub doesn't seem like that big of an issue to me.

The people that want you to ship a custom dongle with your product AND also complain about the USB port usage - those people I just don't understand. I now have two iLok-protected products, and I only have to use ONE dongle. To me - that is preferable.

As to the cost - again, I go back to the poster that bought $2900 worth of software, and presumably a $2000 or $3000 Macintosh to go with it. An extra $50-$60 is a problem? Are you kidding me? This is professional recording studio software - not a hobby app from Radio Shack. USB hubs are like $10 online.

But then - I'm an old fart who is ecstatic that what used to be literally a roomful of gear now fits (including the Macbook Pro) into a 4U SKB case with wheels and a handle, and costs about $7000 instead of $200,000. So what do I know? :)

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