Hi everyone, I have a technical question.
Based on what you experienced:
Can we still use both software i.e. Cubase 8 and Cubase Pro 13 with a Cubase Pro 13 license once we have upgraded from Steinberg Cubase 8 --with a licence on a elicenser-- to Cubase Pro 13 --which uses the new “Steinberg Licensing” system?
Does the upgrade “kill” my elicenser Cubase 8 license? preventing me from using C8 on my old computer?
What I read in the FAQ surprises me:
“Can I open any previous Cubase version with my Cubase 13 license?
With your Cubase 13 license you can open Cubase 12, but no Cubase generation before that as these were activated using the eLicenser license management system. Of course you can use Cubase 13 to open projects created in previous versions.”
Thanks in advance for your enlightening replies
Yes and no…and only for 64bit versions that support VST3.
If you’ve just been upgrading over time and still have the older versions on your system, they’ll usually work (but using newer versions of many of the plugins and content libraries).
It is difficult to roll back all the plugins like HALion 7 into a state where the ‘content libraries’ are suitable for stuff like HALion Sonic 2 or 3 SE, HALion 3/5/6/etc, and dongle free variants of Groove Agent, etc.
In theory, as long as you don’t try to roll back EVERYTHING it should work.
I.E. Keep HALion/Sonic 7. Keep the latest version of Groove Agent, Padshop, etc.
Launch your older versions of Cubase/Nuendo/Dorico, etc. They should plug right along using the latest versions of the content serving plugins.
So, if you go about trying to freshly install older versions of Cubase on a system that already has Cubase 12 or later, ONLY install the main DAW/APP portion. Skip any installers for stuff like HALion, Groove Agent, etc. Keep the newest version of that stuff, and make sure it’s all properly activated with the newer Steinberg Activation app. Hopefully that’d work out.
If you ‘truly’ need to roll EVERYTHING back to version 11 or earlier, then you’ll need to swap out all the content libraries too. That pretty much involves REMOVING everything Steinberg (plugins, content libraries, and everything), and reinstalled the old stuff from scratch.
No, it does not. You can still launch Cubase 8 while your eLicenser is connected. Your license will be marked a “Upgraded to Steinberg Licensing”, so you can not upgrade it again. But the software will work as before.
For Cubase 13 you don’t need the eLicenser anymore, it will be licensed via the Activation Manager. The new Licensing was added with Cubase 12, so the new license will allow you to run Cubase 13, as well as Cubase 12.
For your previous version you connect the eLicenser and it will continue to work. You can read more here
To be safe if you need long term, keep a copy of the Cubase 8 installer and try to track down one of the old Steinberg Usb Dongles and move your license to it as the e-licenser process probably has it’s days numbered.
I’m updated with my Steinberg products but old stuff I had on the dongle still works for whatever machine I plug it into