I’ve been able to transfer Cubase (7.5 to 14) and other programs from elicenser. But Halion 6 won’t work without the USB elicenser. Has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks
This is correct.
H6 does NOT work without the old eLicenser/dongle.
If you want off the dongle you have two options that I know of.
- Upgrade to HALion 7. This is the better solution if you can swing it. The only negatives I can think of in doing so are: 1) Cost of an upgrade. 2) No more VST2 version.
Do it before it’s too late! I assume if an H6 to H7 upgrade option is still available for sale on the official web site, it can still be done.
The old eLicencer system is going offline soon (if not already), and you’ll want that up and running, with your dongle plugged in when you do the upgrade process! The process ‘touches’ all the keys on your dongle so you can still use them if you ever want to roll back to older versions of HALion/Sonic, but it also sets up your new Steinberg License keys for HALion/Sonic, and issues ‘vouchers’ to get whatever HALion libraries you might have up and running on the newer dongle free system.
You’ll also get updated content sets…for better compatibility with the newest licensing and database stuff. Some of the macro editors also have a new look.
The benefits are numerous. Better compatibility with all the latest hardware, OSes and Steinberg hosts (Dorico 4, and Cubase/Nuendo from 12 - 14), dongle free, more new instruments (FM Lab, Tale’s Guitar). There are quite a few improvements under the hood for doing your own sound design as well.
Sidenotes: If you’re still using some hosts that don’t support 64bit VST3, AU, or AAX, you’ll either need to run HALion/Sonic 7 through some sort of VST2>VST3 bridge, or run it in stand-alone mode and perhaps talk to it over virtual MIDI ports and such. I personally use bidule (not free) for the task, but other options exist (some probably free). (The only hosts I need it for now days are Finale and Sibelius on Windows).
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You ‘might’ have luck with installing Sonic 7, and exporting anything you want to use from H6 to an HSSE compatible preset. Note, if your custom presets use any locked libraries it might not work. Upgrading everything to 7 is the best/safest option.
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If you keep HALion 6 and stick with Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 SE players…I think there was ONE version of the HSSE ‘player’ that will work with no dongle from the new Steinberg licensing system (no dongle) for ‘some libraries’, but probably not all of them.
I.E. HALion Libraries that shipped with your hosts like Cubase 11 Pro, Dorico 4 Pro, etc. If it came with one of these hosts, and you have the newer versions with the newer Licensing system, chances are pretty good that HSSE 3.5.10 can unlock and play them without a dongle.
Extra libraries that need a key on your dongle to be unlocked might still ‘need’ the dongle though. You could check your MySteinberg support to see if vouchers are there for such libraries. If so, HSSE 3.5.10 might unlock them, but then again, it might not. Nothing to lose by ‘trying’.
The HSSE version I speak of is HALion Sonic SE 3.5.10, and can be found in the Dorico 4 support download area.
This version of HSSE shipped with Dorico 4, and existed to help bridge the gap when things were transitioning between the two licensing systems. Any Cubase, Nuendo, or Dorico key should unlock it (including something like the free version of Dorico SE). Dorico was ‘dongle free’ a few months before it came to Cubase and Nuendo. If you happen to have Dorico Pro 4 or later…that key should also unlock HALion Symphonic Orchestra. If you have Dorico 5 or later, that’ll unlock Iconica Sketch as well. Similar libraries ship with Cubase Pro and Nuendo…more ‘synthy’ stuff that comes with the hosts.
While HSSE 3.5.10 won’t remove the need for a dongle to run full H6, and it won’t unlock the extra purchases (I.E. Dark Planet, Iconica, Etc) unless you have the proper keys either on a dongle, or in your new Steinberg Licenser, it ‘might’ be enough to play whatever libraries you have, and anything you’ve built with H6 and exported to be HSSE compatible. I wouldn’t hold my breath that it’ll work for every library out there (it’ll need to have a key either on the dongle, or in the new Steinberg Licenser, or both), but it might be ‘enough’ for you? No harm it giving it a try…
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That’s not true anymore. It will be possible to purchase an update from an older eLicenser-based license (such as Halion 6) to a newer Steinberg Licensing-based version of the product for the foreseeable future. Please see:
UPDATED: Will I be able to upgrade my eLicenser-based product to Steinberg Licensing after the end of the eLicenser service?
Yes, you will still be able to update or upgrade from an eLicenser-based version of your product to the latest version using Steinberg Licensing. For example, you can update from Cubase Pro 7 to Cubase Pro 14. However, it is essential that the eLicenser-based product is registered in your MySteinberg account.
Some products and almost all expansions can be upgraded to the new licensing system for free. You can check if you have any free upgrade vouchers here:
https://account.steinberg.net/vouchers
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Thanks for your reply! Great information.
Sounds like an update to 7 is a good move.
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Thanks for your reply!