How many TB of content sets, which it turns out I do not have a license to use (even though I got the main applications along) am I going to download before I finally realize that you are NEVER going to tell us upfront (in the Download Assistant) what app they belong to and IF they require additional licensing?
SOME OF US HAVE DATA CAPS ON DOWNLOADS from our service providers.
We’re not saying that you can’t sell this things – WE SIMPLY DON’T WANT TO DOWNLOAD IT UNLESS WE’VE ALREADY DECIDED WE WANT TO BUY IT"
Maybe next year I’ll remember. But if I do, it’s also a year that I don’t download ANYTHING except the core Cubase Pro install and everything that is clearly part of the Pro package without additional licensing.
Steinberg, maybe one day you will clean up your download experience.
You can see what belongs to your license under My Products and clicking on the Cubase 14 Pro icon. All products shown on the right hand side belong to your license. That’s it, no need to download everything you see.
I’m getting “No License Found” from the Activation Manager… Try this:
Buy and install Cubase Pro 14, Activate.
In the Download Assistant, clicking on Cubase Pro 14 (as you say) shows Groove Agent SE, so install
In the Download Assistant, clicking on Groove Agent Drum Kits and Styles, then select “Blues Essentials” (no mention of License required), download.
Run Cubase 14, load Groove Agent SE5 into a track, Click on KITs, and select “Blues Essentials”,
RESULT: Activation Manager states "No license for instrument Set Blues Essentials has been found … "
VERIFY: I can load, play, and edit “Allen Morgan Signature Drums” (which I believe installed with Groove Agent as it is not available separately in the Download Assistant), so I know the VST is working.
So unless there’s a bug, I should not have been able to download “Blues Essentials” without at least a mention that a license is required.
You are missing the essential issue here. Forget bug, this is a very serious design problem here, one that has been going on for a very long time (there are several complaints in this forum on this already in prior years, this thread is simply a new entry for Cubase 14).
Forget the Cubase group in Download Assistant and read this:
PROBLEM STATEMENT: I am allowed to download several GB of content without a clear understanding (or any disclosure at all) that I will not be able to use the content without obtaining a further license.
The following is a reasonable scenario as to WHY we are led to believe we can download that content:
I bought Cubase Pro. An instrument (Groove Agent) is included as part of this premier / flagship Steinberg suite.
Under the “Groove Agent Drum Kits and Styles” for the instrument I paid for (as a Pro user), there are several choices of Content. (Yes, this is not in the Cubase group of the Download Assistant – do not let that distract you from the problem statement).
I can download ANY and ALL of those without mention of requiring a license.
Since this has been an issue with many complaints over SEVERAL major new version release over a long period of time, I can only conclude the following:
This is a MARKETING design intended to allow users to download several sets of content. When said users realize that they need a license for that downloaded content, some number of them are going to then go buy the license.
This is BS: I have a monthly data cap on my internet service provider that was seriously impacted yesterday when I downloaded several GB of content that I cannot use and cannot afford to buy new licenses.
This time of year you recognize Steinberg Representatives by their red poited hat on the right in their Profile Picture. They sometimes try to hide but this gives them away. They don’t know…
I want to 2nd what you said. I’ve always been loyal to Steinberg & Cubase, but this way in which they clearly try to intentionally mislead you into paying even more than you already have for the main programme itself is very immoral, if not actually illegal. Their user interface is displayed in a deceitful way.
As you say, there is NO LABELLING to show “Additional License Required” or similar message. In fact, I’ve only just now found out the rule regarding content in “My Products” requiring no license, & the rest requiring one. So I’d like to say thank you to JuergenP. Danke Shoen! At least that makes things a bit clearer for us now.
And even if I did know beforehand that additional content must be bought serparately, I don’t actually know HOW TO buy it - again, for the reason that there is no “Buy Here” message displayed on-screen.
So what do we do then, I ask Steinberg! What’s the process?!?! If we wish to buy a library, for example, are we meant to click on “Install” first, & then a purchase screen will appear?! So unclear what the process is!
And even if I did know beforehand that additional content must be bought serparately, I don’t actually know HOW TO buy it - again, for the reason that there is no “Buy Here” message displayed on-screen.
The same thing occurred to me, but I immediately realize that they probably don’t put that “Buy Now” button there because it would most definitely be more in the not quite legal area should anybody take them to court over it. So they just say “Let them go ahead and download it, discover it’s not the free thing they thought, then if they want it, they can probably find how on their own”.
It’s called covering their ass. They may have even had meetings about this with their legal team present to know the best way to do this without getting sued.
Meanwhile, many of us still mistakenly download several GB of content at our own expense. (When my monthly data cap is reached, I have to start paying more to my provider.)
I think I finally will remember when the next major Cubase revision comes along and not make this download mistake again. But then, given how I feel about Steinberg over this shady practice, I might re-think alternative DAWs rather than continue my relationship with them.
I mean, after all, I keep paying yearly to update my version when there are other companies that want to give me a pro-level DAW for free (like Universal Audio’s LUNA).
In all fairness, you can not compare LUNA with a full grown DAW like Cubase and its updates with substantial additional/renewed features and content. Besides, LUNA also serves to market UAD core products.
The SDA clearly needs some serious adjusting, no doubt about that. However, I do not see any intentional misconduct, let alone a misconduct that is borderline legal welded together under the supervision of a legal team.
As for “borderline-legal welded together under the supervision of a legal team”, then it would border on incompetence to have gone this long with the problem (the forums show this complaint existing for at least a few major revs) WITHOUT providing the logical “Buy now” button.
So no, we don’t see any evidence of intention, but it sure doesn’t look good, especially the longer it goes on. If it’s not intentional at all, they should clean it up for the secondary reason of not having that shade on them (the first reason being to finally make it work clearly for the benefit of their paying loyal customer base).
I agree.
Steinberg provides us with outstanding products.
At the same time there are areas that desperately call for attention and some serious TLC. The SDA is one of them.
The SDA feels like the team on it is a group of high school kids doing a computer programming project instead of a group of professionals.
Version 2 urgently needed, with redesign from the ground up.
“Meanwhile, many of us still mistakenly download several GB of content at our own expense.”
Exactly, the user buys Cubase , is then presented with an SDA screen, & thinks to themselves “Oh nice, look at these things available for us to download! Great!”
Then afterwards they find out “Oh, wait, I can’t use these at all…”
I wonder how many people have been tricked by this over the years.
, is then presented with an SDA screen, & thinks to themselves “Oh nice, look at these things available for us to download! Great!”