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Pro Tools License For Ilok
The iLok dongle is more important to Pro Tools users than ever. So should existing users make the move to the new version, and how do new users get started?
How To Use Pro Tools Without An iLok - Pro Tools 2018 iLok Cloud I want to talk about running Pro Tools without an iLok. Now if you're reading this hoping to use Pro Tools without paying for it then stop reading now because that's not what this tutorial is about.
- Jun 01, 2014 Since pro tools 10 is kind off free for Mac can you run it without a ilok Sent from my Tapatalk. This is essence is the reverse of the above, again the drag and drop method is the easiest.
- I am considering buying one of the new Eleven Rack packages that comes with Pro Tools 9 or 10, the expansion pack and a iLock in the box. Eleven Rack without Pro Tools? Discussion in 'Digital. My understanding is that the version included with the new packaging is a stand alone version of PT and uses an iLok, not the 11R as a giant.
- I want to talk about running Pro Tools without an iLok. Now if you're reading this hoping to use Pro Tools without paying for it then stop reading now.
Together in perfect harmony: original (blue) and second-generation (black) iLoks.
Amazingly, the humble iLok dongle has been helping us to manage licences so we can legitimately use our chosen creative tools for 10 years now. So perhaps it's no surprise that PACE have come up with a new and improved version of the iLok. For the first time, all current versions of Pro Tools also now require an iLok for authorisation. This was not the case with Pro Tools 8, and a good number of Pro Tools LE users who upgrade to Pro Tools 9 will need to get to grips with using an iLok for the first time. If you haven't seen one before, an iLok is a small device that you plug into any USB port on your computer. The software checks for its presence before it will run on that system. Take the iLok away and the software is no longer authorised and won't function.
If you buy a boxed copy of the Pro Tools 9 software, it comes with a pre‑authorised iLok, while Pro Tools HD and HD Native systems come with an empty iLok and activation code for authorising a Pro Tools licence onto the iLok. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of HD or LE, the pack comes just with an activation code, so if you don't already have one, you will need to buy an iLok separately.
Pro Tools 10 Ilok Crack
Existing users won't need reminding that the iLok is a very valuable item, as, in effect, it is worth the combined value of all the software licences that are authorised on it (up to 100 on the original iLok, 500 on each second-generation version). It is also small, which makes it very easy to lose or get stolen! Your iLok.com account, likewise, needs to be treated securely, just as you would treat your online banking details. Don't make the password simple, and don't share your password with anyone.
If you are using an iLok for the first time, you'll need to set up an account at www.ilok.com to manage the licences (or 'assets”) on your iLok. You need to do this on a computer connected to the Internet, and there are lots of help videos at www.ilok.com/video, including one to help you sign up for a new account. In doing so, you'll need to choose a unique iLok User ID. Note that at the time of writing, Firefox 4 and 5 are not supported; PACE are working hard to resolve this, but in the meantime they recommend you use Firefox 3.5 or above. On the Mac they also support the latest version of Safari, and on Windows they support Internet Explorer 8. Setting up and running an account at iLok.com is free, but PACE also offer optional services that do have costs attached. One is Zero Down Time, which aims to keep your music system up and running if you do lose or break an iLok. Another is the facility to transfer licences between iLok.com accounts so people can sell their unwanted software.
Once your account is set up, make sure you've installed the iLok Client Software, so that iLok.com can communicate with your iLoks. This is available from the Download page at www.ilok.com/download-ilok-software.html.
If you're upgrading from Pro Tools LE 8 or earlier, creating an iLok account provides somewhere for Avid to deposit the iLok licence for Pro Tools 9. To do this, go to www.avid.com/activation and input your Activation Code, which will be on a card that came with the software, and then your iLok User ID. If you get this bit wrong, the licence could end up in someone else's account, so take care! Now go back to iLok.com, and once you have logged on, you should see a note that says you have new licences available, with a Download button to hit.
If you haven't bought an iLok yet, do make sure you get the nice, shiny, second-generation one rather than the discontinued original, as we are already starting to see new software releases that only support the newer model.
The Second Generation
Signing up for an iLok.com account is essential if you want to buy new software or transfer existing licences.
PACE have listened to user feedback over the last 10 years, and so the new iLok resolves a number of issues that we had with the original one. The new iLok has more spaces for licences, yet it is more compact, and so stacks nicely in adjacent USB sockets. The new iLok is faster, too, although at present you will only notice this when downloading a lot of licences in one go. They have made sure that the new iLok is completely backwards‑compatible, so you can transfer any of your old licences onto your second-generation iLok (the only exception being that you won't be able to use the licence cards that could slot into the original iLok, which were used to authorise a few very early iLok plug-ins).
Some software publishers, such as Slate Digital with their VCC plug-in, are choosing to make their software licences work only with the second-generation iLok, mainly because they perceive it as less vulnerable to piracy. Andrew Kirk from PACE told me that 'The second generation iLok has a number of features that improve security, but for the end user that isn't of prime concern, it is how reliable and robust it is, how convenient it is to use, how many licences it will hold, and how good it looks; these are much more important to the end user.” The Waves Mercury bundle also requires a second-generation iLok, simply because it includes licences for 121 plug-ins!
Since we looked at iLoks in the August 2008 (/sos/aug08/articles/pt_0808.htm) and November 2005 (/sos/nov05/articles/ptworkshop.htm) issues of Sound On Sound, some of the do's and dont's have changed, so here is an update:
- All PACE software vendors now support PACE's Zero Down Time package. If you want more info on this, look up the abovementioned article in the November 2005 issue or go to the ZDT page on the iLok.com site at www.ilok.com/ilok-rma.html.
- There is no longer any need to keep Waves licences on a separate iLok. This used to be recommended, partly because of the number of licenses in the larger Waves bundles, and partly because the way Waves handled authorisation and lost or broken iLoks was different from everyone else. As Andrew Kirk from PACE confirms, and I know from my own experience, this is no longer the case, so you can now put your Waves licences on the same iLok as licences from other software publishers. This is good news for me, and I will be consolidating my studio plug‑ins on to one new iLok and my laptop‑based plug‑ins onto a second, reducing my iLok count by half. This will also mean that all my iLoks will be covered by PACE's Zero Down Time optional service, which I would recommend to anyone with iLoks, especially if you earn your living using Pro Tools and plug‑ins.
- Waves have also introduced a service called Theft & Loss Coverage (TLC), whereby providing you keep your Waves Update Plan up to date, you change your licences to three-month, time-limited licenses which Waves will update with a seven-day overlap. This means that if you do lose your iLok, Waves will deposit a new set of time-limited licences into your iLok account, which you can download to a new iLok. For more details, go to the 'Get TLC' option in your Waves Account page or visit www.wavesupport.net/content.aspx?id=4077. The service is free, providing you have at least six months left to run on your WUP.
Don't Shoot The Messenger
- PACE's Zero Down Time is an invaluable feature that helps smooth the process of replacing a lost or stolen iLok.
Finally, if something does go wrong with your iLok or the software that it's supposed to be authorising, remember that PACE are just providing a service for the software publishers such as Avid, Waves, and so on. It is these software publishers — not PACE — who set policies regarding lost or stolen iLoks, and other issues, such as whether you're allowed to transfer licences between iLoks in your own account. As Andrew Kirk explains, 'Some vendors (software publishers) allow for iLok-to-iLok transfer within an account, and some don't; however, iLok.com will tell you if they don't. Also, some companies don't allow any transfer of licences at all. This is based upon each software publisher's business policies.”
Take a tip from me, and don't go shouting at PACE when things go wrong. If you do, they will play it exactly by the book and you will get very little out of them. However, if you ask nicely and are calm about things, trust me, they will go more than the extra mile to help you if they can.
Finally, Andrew told me that we can expect some exciting things in the iLok world just over the horizon. He wouldn't be drawn as to when we will see them, but as soon as we know, we'll bring the news to you!
Published August 2011
I want to talk about running Pro Tools without an iLok.
Now if you're reading this hoping to use Pro Tools without paying for it then stop reading now because that's not what this tutorial is about.
This tutorial is about is how to run Pro Tools without a physical iLok.
Starting with Pro Tools version 2018.1 you can now use Pro Tools without the physical iLok and instead use the iLok Cloud.
It's very straightforward to use, and we show you how to use Pro Tools with iLok Cloud in the video tutorial.
One of the benefits of using Pro Tools and iLok Cloud is you can have Pro Tools on multiple machines and move between them as you wish, one at a time of course! Pro Tools is on my laptop and I've also got Pro Tools on my studio machine.
I've removed the licence from my physical iLok and put it back into my iLok account ready for using via the cloud, so that whenever I want to use Pro Tools as long as I have an internet connection then I can get on to Pro Tools without having to worry about my physical iLok being plugged into the machine.
What If I Lose Internet Connectivity?
Now one thing people will ask is what if you lose the Internet?
I'm going to recommend if you record bands in jungles on aeroplanes or the moon then this isn't going to work for you, or if you live in a place with poor internet connectivity then this isn't going to work for you.
But for most of us have internet connectivity nearly all the time, for goodness sake, most of us are joined at the hip to Facebook and Twitter all day, so it’s likely you have internet most of the time. Yes, the internet might stop working, but conducting research for this article of the top 20 ISPs ranking them for internet uptime, the best scored 99.94% and the worst 99.44%. Regarding probability, the chances of not having a connection are as likely as the cat eating your iLok. Our understanding is the server the iLok Clouds sit on has 99.978% availability and no scheduled downtime.
Of course, if you don’t like all this Cloud stuff then stick with your physical iLok, it's just another option, no one is forcing you to use iLok Cloud.
If you do want to take advantage of using Pro Tools with iLok Cloud then read on or watch the video tutorial.
Using Pro Tools With iLok Cloud In 5 Easy Steps
- Open iLok Licence Manager and deactivate your Pro Tools licence, if you have other cloud ready licences then you can do the same for those too. This does not delete the licence it puts it back into your iLok account allowing it to be accessed by any connected iLok Cloud compatible applications.
- Launch Pro Tools 2018, and you will be prompted that you have no valid iLok licence, simply follow the on-screen prompts.
- When asked, enter your iLok account details to login, this will start an iLok Cloud session that will run until you end that session on your machine.
- Follow the other on-screen prompts confirming the iLok Cloud session.
- Pro Tools will start up and be ready to use.
If you are still confused then watch the Pro Tools iLok Cloud tutorial video.
What If I Lose Connection To The Cloud During A Session?
Rest assured iLok have thought about this. We recreated this scenario by shutting down our internet connection and also closing the Cloud session in iLok licence Manager, this is what happens.
An error message appears, see below.
As you can see you have 5 minutes to reconnect and you have the option to save the session so you don't lose your work.
Avid assure us that this error message won’t pop up during playback or recording. So if you are recording a live gig and lose your connection Pro Tools will keep going until you hit stop. At that point, you will get this message and have the option to save your valuable session.
How Do I Use Pro Tools On Another Machine?
Only one instance of Pro Tools can be used with iLok Cloud licenses at a time per iLok Account. To use Pro Tools on another internet-connected computer start Pro Tools and follow the steps above, at some point, it will end the session you had running on your other computer and launch Pro Tools with a new iLok Cloud session. You can also end a Cloud session manually using the iLok Licence Manager.
I’ve been running Pro Tools 2018 on two machines on iLok Cloud for several days without any issues. In my opinion of all the new features in Pro Tools 2018, iLok Cloud is the best hands down. Being able to jump between computers and use Pro Tools without having to remember my physical iLok is a dream.
What About My Plug-ins? Will They Work With iLok Cloud?
All plug-ins that come with Pro Tools 2018 are compatible with iLok Cloud. Third-party plug-ins may or may not be compatible with iLok Cloud. Note that iLok Cloud compatible licenses will appear with a new iLok Cloud logo in your iLok License Manager so you can check which of your plug-ins in your iLok account are iLok Cloud compatible. You can check our new searchable iLok Cloud Compatible Software and Plug-ins database.
I Have Pro Tools First, Can I Use This With iLok Cloud?
Unfortunately not. Pro Tools First is NOT iLok Cloud compatible. Pro Tools First uses machine-based licensing or a physical iLok license.
Can A License That Is Still On My iLok Be Used With iLok Cloud At The Same Time?
No. In order to use a license with iLok Cloud, you need to follow the instructions above and in the video and put the license back into your the iLok Account. It cannot be on a physical iLok or computer (i.e. machine-based licensing).
The good news is that any licenses on physical iLoks or computers will continue to work normally at the same time as an iLok Cloud Sessions you may be running.