I understand Dorico/Steinberg is moving over to a new licensing system. I’m on v3.5 and have a dongle.
I want to stay on v3.5 as I only use it for engraving and have learned to work with its foibles.
Is there a set of structured english instructions about converting from the dongle to the new system, whatever it might me.
I’m not a tech so it would have to avoid jargon as much as possible.
Many thanks if you can point me to such instructions.
Ivor,
I can’t tell, whether it is useful information for you: on one of my computers I have Dorico version 4 installed. This works with the new licensing system without any issues.
And this is the official information you need to know:
The crucial information you should be aware of is:
Well, they moved to the new system in 2022. At the start of 2025, they will turn off the servers on the old system that you’re currently using. While Dorico should still work with your current dongle, if anything goes wrong or changes, then you might not be able to use Dorico.
Basically, you need to upgrade to Dorico 5. You can’t use the new system on D3.5.
The FAQ is here:
There are a great many engraving improvements and new features in the Dorico versions since 3.5. Some parts of the interface have changed (mostly concerning playback), but otherwise you’ll find it very familiar – and hopefully with fewer foibles!
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It looks like I’m in line for being swindled then. I’ve had my Reaper licence since 2008, my VSL license since 2019 (changed to ilok in 2023 IIRC) but never had one stopped because of a system change, unless I accede to paying out for something I don’t want.
Thankfully I anticipate only a couple of scores next year.
Such is fate!
Ivor, it is quite normal in the computer world, that systems change, systems have to change, software has to adapt, software is evolving and so on. Accepting to work with computers and software means also accepting how these systems work and also have to work.
And this is on a pure technical level.
Add to this, that all people who do this work, who fix mistakes, develop the software, keep the operating systems safe and so on, have (and should be able) to earn their living. I would be rather resisting to use words like being swindled, if I knew a bit more about this…
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VSL also used to use the eLicenser system. I doubt you’d be able to use their old system in 2025, either.
If you like working with Dorico, then why wouldn’t you want a better version, with more features to help you get your music the way you want it on the page? You’d be a rare user who had no desire for any improvements.
OK, you don’t have to upgrade, but staying in any ecosystem brings a certain level of commitment. Software is like cheese: it doesn’t stay fresh for ever.
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I don’t have any gripe with this. I bought my license to use the software and have used it but when I bought it I wasn’t aware that a system change would mean having to forgo that licence unless I bought an upgrade that I may not want. That’s all. As I said, VSL changed its licencing system and all its users had to do was move onto it.
VSL went over to the iLok system. No extra charge was put upon me except the price of the USB key.
And I accept that Dorico is the very best there is for engraving. I can’t speak for its other uses. For it to be better it would have to: a) allow cutaway scores and b) be able to change voices with tuplets without making a mess! (I get round this by deleting the mess, writing the tuplets on a spare staff and moving them.
I probably work pedestrianly compared with others - there are probably many short cuts I don’t use but which seem more applicable to composing in Dorico.
As to your closing remark, music notation and conventions haven’t changed much in the past 50 years and Dorico does very well at that. 3.5 was the great leap forward. Cheese or not Dorico has stayed fresh enough to allow me to write contemporary scores.
Being in the neurosciences I can appreciate that ‘things’ move on rapidly - but music notation doesn’t.
I’ll have a look at an upgrade if it’s at a reasonable price but that still didn’t answer my opening question: not being a techie are there instructions in structured English (i.e. like a program spec) to change to whatever the new system is? I’d hope that pursuing an upgrade wouldn’t entail unleash a whole load of problems/disk space and so on.
I’ll have a look anyway.
Welcome Ivor!
I still maintain my 3.5 version with my dongles, essentially because I have huge 3.5 scores and it may happen that some difference in spacing will occurr. Besides a life vest is always useful
But version 5 is really great Ivor and the upgrades very useful especially for what you use Dorico: engraving.
For sure you’ll spot a convenient upgrade offer from 3.5.
One was just some weeks ago.
Well, it looks like an upgrade is available from Dorico 4 which I don’t have, so it’s not possible anyway,
Thank you for that. Is there any indication of the disk space it needs?
Yes Ivor, if you try to download it will appear. Abut 473 MB in Windows. Installed it depends on the VST and instruments you need. Not a big difference with 3.5, anyway.
You can also try it for free (60 days).
Most helpful. It looks like it needs 12GB which I can spare! I don’t really need any instruments but I’ll no doubt have to have them to make the system work
Thank you for that.
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One last question: if I do the upgrade/conversion now, is it easy to transfer it to a new computer (which I’ll be acquiring early 2025)?
Any techs who can apprise me of what’s necessary would be mosg appreciated.
Yes, the new system is very easy, and allows you to move your licences to new ‘seats’. You can have three computers licensed at any one time.
Many thanks.
Having seen other people trying to wrestle with other notation softwares and their results, Dorico has only ever been my choice.