Does USB e-Licenser have to be in Macbook Pro?

Cubase
#1

Hi guys. I have just purchased Cubase 8.5 Pro after years using Cakewalk Sonar and Cubase 5 on a friend’s computer. I was on the Studio One demo, but decided to just go all in on Cubase Pro.

I use a 2012 Macbook Pro i7 and while I mostly compose at home, I am otherwise very mobile with it. There are times where I’d like to load up Cubase on the road to either listen to something I’m working on or simply play around/work on a template, etc. when I am not at home.

Does this mean I have to carry the e-Licenser on my everywhere I go? I don’t really lose things, but if all of the value is on the USB dongle, it kind of throws me for a loop to have to carry it. Can I pay extra for a second USB dongle carrying the same license (for the road) or have a soft-licenser version that exists on the laptop?

Any help would be appreciated.

#2

yes, no and no. You can have a cubase elements license on a soft USB licenser.

#3

You can only have your Cubase license in one eLicenser at a time, but it’s a good idea to keep an empty backup eLicenser dongle around since Steinberg support can use it to restore your licenses if your dongle is lost or broken.

Don’t forget to register your eLicenser to your MySteinberg.

#4

Ok thanks. I recently read that late last night. That if you have a spare e-licenser, they can create a temporary/24hr like license for that while you go through a confirmation process for another permanent license.

I like the idea of being able to have Cubase on multiple computers and simply using a key to unlock/use it. However it’s just nerve-racking to having all of the investment in one small USB device. Especially if you like to travel.

I’ll likely buy another dongle for that purpose. However if you travel and have two on you (one active and one backup), you can still lose both. If you have your active one on you and backup at home, you have to wait until you’re back home to go through the reactivation process. If you have the active one at home and the backup on you, it doesn’t matter because you can’t use the backup anyway.

I kind of like the Adobe method of being allowed to utilize one license on two computers (they way they describe it is one desktop and one laptop) considering people work in and out of office. However I think that maybe you do some sort of internet/online “check in” to activate the dongle that you currently have on you. So if I am at home, I just tell the e-licenser to utilize the dongle that’s in my USB hub at home. When I am away with my secondary dongle, I connect to some sort of wifi/data and tell it to activate the dongle I have on the road which deactivates the dongle at home. So only one can be active at a time

Either way, I’m just dealing with it like anybody else here! I am sure the big film composers have a separate license for every computer/studio they own around the world. If I made any money off of this, I’d probably buy a second license myself for mobile use while the other sits non-disrupted at home.

Thanks guys!

#5

BTW Elements is a fine program for on the road. Pretty powerful and can work together with pro.

#6

I didn’t think about that vinark. So if I also purchased elements, I can utilize the basic sounds that come with it, audio recording and midi recording. Then import/open it when back home right in 8.5 Pro without much issue?

In that case, I’d probably get Elements for the road since it doesn’t need a physical USB dongle AND a backup dongle.

#7

It is limited in the plugins and sounds so if use those included inpro check it out if elements has what you need. But if you rely more on third party vsts, most allow more installations.

#8

I rely heavily on 3rd party plugins from EastWest. I am utilizing their monthly subscription/Composer’s Cloud. That’s like 700GB worth of libraries on my external thunderbolt drive at home. So I might look for some kind of $100-200 orchestral library to keep on my Macbook for ideas when I am not at home. I would hope that I could use all of the sounds included with Cubase Pro 8.5 in elements by simply pointing Elements to where they are installed on the computer. If not, I would do something like EastWest Symphonic Orchestra Silver (if I can find it), SampleTank, Gary Garritan, etc. Libraries that won’t kill my memory or hard disk space when mobile.

#9

Here’s a comparison between the 3 main versions of Cubase: http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/line_up.html

Elements will be missing these plugins: http://www.steinberg.net/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&g=0&t=1472072573&hash=3eac3fc529759d132460e462f18fefebb05ec618&file=fileadmin/files/PRODUCTS/Cubase/Generation_8/Cubase_8.5/PDF/Cubase_Generation_8.5_-_List_of_included_VST_3_plug-ins.pdf

It will also be missing the Halion Sonic SE 2 “Artist”, “Pro” and “Hybrid” soundsets.

#10

No you cant use pro exclusive sounds but a lot are included in elements. Can’t you install a selection from your east west?

#11

Right duh… I’d just need to installed something like EW Goliath which is basically a preset machine with basic orchestral sounds. Problem solved. I just keep thinking about the EW library from a 700GB POV which can’t fit on my Macbook when I can just go with a select library or two in the 50-70GB range.