iZotope no longer uses iLok, but yeah they're trigger-happy to deprecate software. Buying from iZotope is essentially paying for 1-3 minor updates until you're left in the dust & they increment the major version number by 1 to add 2-3 new features.

 

I mostly buy plugins that have already been graced with the superior Japanese treatment, so I can install and use those also on offline machines without additional bloatware & needless stress some protections introduce. I don't mind jamming without the latest updates. I'm happy, computer is happy, and some developers also get rewarded, especially if their actions show respect towards paying customers.

 

Finally got my download by dealing with multiple issues from Ilok and Softube.
Took about an hour and a couple of beers for stress relief.
Softube now has a (cringe) download manager and it downloaded and installed some products I had no license for so I had to uninstall them.
I think they hoped I would buy them

 

On Mac, they are publishing Minimum System Requirements for MacOS versions they haven't even bothered to change the installers for, so that they actually are the minimum. I have installed a number of new versions that are supposed to run on MacOS 11 or even above, on High Sierra 10.13.6 without even tampering with the plist files.

 

Ironically, YOU are the one who is responsible for the troubles YOU are going through. If everyone bought their software, there would be no need for strong protections like Ilok.

 

I believe that anyone who uses apps and plugins as a hobby and does not profit from them, is informally authorized to use warez. Things change when you have a recording studio and what you do ends up on the market and generates cash: at that point, for legal and also moral reasons, the choice to buy the software you use becomes necessary. Also, using legit software gives you access to updates as soon as they come out, plus you have the freedom to harass the devs if something doesn't work.
Said that, I am still convinced that the claim “TRY BEFORE YOU BUY” is still relevant for everyone

 

i own alot of plugins that i still used cracked. just makes life easier in SOME cases.

 

I'd definitely buy iFok'd software without the protection and the dongle, but then they wouldn't be iFok'd would they!

I wonder how much more those devs would make if they chose not to go that route. Protection costs and the tens of thousands of lost opportunity sales from folks just like me, Nancy Reagan devotees who "JUST SAY NO".

 

Calm down Softube, I'm not gonna use your products even when they get cracked this Christmas

 

The safest bet IMO is to carefully choose which developers to support.

I don't support developers with insane protection schemes (iLok and other bloatware protection as well as nasty timebombs etc), developers that massively over-charges for simple plugins, developers that want's you to pay for minor updates or developers that just act like assholes towards paying customers. There are not many developers who actually for those criteria, but there are some: Cockos, Tokyo Dawn Labs, TBProAudio, ApulSoft, Toneboosters, Jon V Audio, Klanghelm, Matt Tytel, Modalics, SIR Audio Tools, DDMF, Valhalla DSP, Auburn Sounds, Sixth Sample, Tritik, Audio Assault, LVC Audio and probably some others I can't remember right now.

I would like to add Fabfilter to that list, but since they employ some real nasty timebombs I can't. I don't think they over-charge for their products though.

There are ofc many more donationware/freeware developers I think are 100% worth supporting, like Variety of Sound, Thomas Mundt, Surge project, Steven Atkinson (Neural Amp Modeler), The Usual Suspects, Bertom, Chow DSP and many more.

 

frankly I can see you did some mistakes:
1) if you want to actually support dev, you gotta buy from dev, not some 3rd party reseller (if high price is an excuse, tell dev, not reseller)
2) always try before buy, and I mean legit demo/trial, most devs happily provide support to a potential customer (and honest thanks for that!)
3) login/account problems are usually best to manage as mentioned above, during demo/trial period, also that way you simplify purchase, install, upgrade process (there's always slight chance certain email provider or payment solution may not work in certain areas of the world)

unless something changed last month, I can assure you iZotope still offers iLok-based licensing for RX/Ozone etc..
that said, every time you ask support for fixing their non-functional older product licensing via iLok, they literally reply with purchase offer to upgrade to latest version lmao xD

 

I'd argue Fabfilter deserves place among "good" devs,
timebomb is related to tamper protection, triggered by undesirable modification of the plugin files (not something a casual user would run into),
any genuine license check is actually done offline, no nasty online activation and periodic reactivations, and Fabfilter also don't count amount of licensed installations because they expect honest user to license only his/hers computers, heck they even provide free NFR licenses for older products in case anyone would need older plugin (Q1 and Q2 license for purchased Q3 for ex.), while they still provide support&updates for those older plugins (as seen with Apple Silicon support provided for all their stuff)

 

Strange iLok is still such an issue in 2023.
It´s pretty easy to deal with - both with a dongle and without a dongle.
In general dongles shouldnt be around at all, but frankly its not such a big deal!!!

 

iLok is b/s.

 

Yes, it's is.

 

Very understandable about that... I don't see Matt Tytle does nasty things onto his plugins, Helm and Vital both are free to use, but the difference is Helm is Donationware (pay what you want) and other one is in different place which is you have more presets, skins and Text to Wavetable thing, if you buy 25$ to 75$ or "subscription of 5$", about that Toneboosters it could be better if they decide to remove the feature of machine based activation (limit of x comupters), it could be a good bet for that, those 2 companies (Matt and Toneboosters) are neutral but have a potential to be placed on good devs (inc. FabFilter). The rest you've mentioned those companies is accurate.

 

Last edited: Nov 14, 2023

Dongles are the worst of all. They steal a usb port. With all of the stuff people connect via usb like external monitors for laptops, audio and midi interfaces, and now almost all external synths using usb-Midi; you have to juggle I/O options just as proof you already paid for something. I do not mind iLok cloud that much. But I have never bought a product that uses a dongle, and have bought competitor's products I wanted to use less; just because they did not have a dongle requirement.

 

Here´s the list of the dongles I´ve used since I started working with digital sound/music - yes, all seven of them.
They have cost me a fortune, but they actually worked fine and I didn't have to sit for ages and wait for "alternative" solutions

@clone - most modern computers have loads of usb-ports and it is possible to buy an additional usb hub cheaply.

My 50 cents

 

@clone - most modern computers have loads of usb-ports and it is possible to buy an additional usb hub cheaply.
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Apple are stingy with Thunderbolt 3 ports on the various Macbooks, no doubt about that. Some models have 2 and some have 4. But then in Audio, there are also external hardware devices which you really shouldn't connect via a hub or you can experience other issues. Or you should at least use a nice quality one, and those do not come cheap. I use lots of software that is iLok web, and if I was working in multiple locations and wanted to take all my licenses around with me on a usb key to use on other computers, that is a value-added convenience. I'm not going to buy a $200 thunderbolt 3 hub (example) just because a developers programmers cannot figure out a way to protect their product without additional cost or inconvenience to me. I'll just buy a similar product from someone who can; but I also do not use it as a bs justification to use warez, either. There are better reasons than that.

 

Not a fan of ilok or dongles (Emagic Logic used to have one, garbage). Not a fan of service center's and the like. Not a fan of software that pollutes (as I see it) my computer in general. I still have to buy the garbage for the studio, it's like punishment for being legit, (again the way I see it) but I won't install that garbage in my personal production machine.