Thanks for the info, Strikey

I'm interested in this library, but I've never before used a hardware key.  I know some people hate them, and some have claimed they can actually screw up a system.  I hope a few novice questions are permitted:  When you buy a hardware key product, does the dongle come with it or does one need to order it separately?  If separate, how do you get it?  It plugs directly into a USB port, right?  Does it work ok in an unpowered USB hub?  Once you have one, it's good for other products with similar protection schemes, right?  How does the "software key" for a particular product get into the dongle - during routine installation?  Does the copy protection scheme associated with the dongle write anything to the hard drive?  If so, are such records removable upon uninstallation of the software?  Am I asking goofy questions...?

Perhaps thee are answers in a link someone could point me to?  Google brings up a bunch of stuff, but I haven't yet found the nitty gritty.  Thanks for any help,

Ron

rkl122


 When you buy a hardware key product, does the dongle come with it or does one need to order it separately?  If separate, how do you get it?  It plugs directly into a USB port, right?  Does it work ok in an unpowered USB hub?  Once you have one, it's good for other products with similar protection schemes, right?  How does the "software key" for a particular product get into the dongle - during routine installation?  Does the copy protection scheme associated with the dongle write anything to the hard drive?  If so, are such records removable upon uninstallation of the software?  Am I asking goofy questions...?  

For this particular library, the key does NOT come with the software, but must be purchased seperately.   If you google "iLok" you will find a number of places to purchase the keys.   It does plug into a USB port.  I never tried it with a hub but it should work in one and the advertising indicates that it does.   The key in this case is activated via an internet site.  The iLok can be used for any product that uses the iLok PACE protection scheme although I think there is an upper limit of 100 products per key.   The PACE protection scheme is installed into the Kernel driver level and is not always removed with uninstall.  It is this installation that will sometimes cause a computer to misbehave.   When you run the software it is looking for authorization from the dongle key.   This means that the software can be installed on any number of computers but will only run on the one that has the dongle in place. 
 
One major criticism of the iLok is that if it is damaged, lost or stolen, you could lose many thousands of dollars in software as most software companies are unwilling to relicense to a new key without a new purchase of the software.  The little sweeties at iLok will sell you ZDT (zero down time) insurance for about 30 bucks a year and as long as you plop down the money for another iLok key to hold in reserve you are  good to go if your key gets lost, stolen or destroyed.  Without paying for the ZDT option you are otherwise out of luck and the cost of your software as the iLok folks won't transfer your licenses to a new key.  

Thanks Keith & Musicman for the helpful comments. 

-Ron

rkl122


I'm interested in this library, but I've gs directly into a USB port, right?  Does it work ok in an unpowered USB hub?  Once you have one, it's good for other products with similar protection schemes, right?  How does the "software key" for a particular product get into the dongle - during routine installation?  Does the copy protection scheme associated with the dongle write anything to the hard drive?  If so, are such records removable upon uninstallation of the software?  Am I asking goofy questions...?

P  Google brings up a bunch of stuff, but I haven't yet found the nitty gritty.  Thanks for any help,

Ron


EW, at least for fab four is a little different  than other ILOK authorizations. You first have to have or create an EW users account, and ALSO have purchased your ILOK, , download the ILOK software(from the ILOK site) create an ILOK users account .

The EW install routine includes an authorization where you type in your ILOK user name and it does it behind the scenes, you then go to your ILOK account and transfer the license to your hardware key

It seems if you have the latest ILOK client software downloaded all is good. I've had 2 keys running for years with no issues.

They Abbey Road album is pretty cool sounding.

Does anyone know why the forum produced a strange page and then made it into a double post?

Wow - speaking of the Beatles sounds.

What I have read above - I have come to the conclusion thta it's better not to have an opinion.

That's my opinion.

There are a number of videos on youtube focusing on the inside of Abbey Road.  For example, here is "Native Instruments' Abbey Road 60s Drums" session.  Worth watching if you want to get an idea of how those glorious tones werer captured.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4JLz316ALw

So, if you think people are obsessed about The Beatle's sound, you under-estimate.  Here are some technical articles by a Canadian mathematician who used a Fourier Transform to dissect the opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night:  http://www.mathstat.dal.ca/~brown/n-oct04-harddayjib.pdf

And also to show (again using a Fourier Transform)  that the George Harrison guitar solo in A Hard Day's Night was actually recorded at half speed:
http://www.mathstat.dal.ca/~brown/AHDNSoloJIB.pdf
 
Me