Is it really necessary to have three different applications for “managing” my software? Seems really overly convoluted and unneccessary. Why not just have one application that does it all, like, every other company does (Native Access, Arturia …).
We agree that it’s not ideal, but the Steinberg Activation Manager is a stepping stone in our path to unifying these functions.
We’re working on it!
9 Likes
You should try IK Multimedia 
Exactly 
Is it bad?
I for one have been vocal about this situation because I experience the pain not only for myself, but also in aiding others to set up and install Cubase.
However, It is very clear that Steinberg is moving in the right direction. This licensing change shows that. And the care in integrating the various systems to step you through the prosses shows that they take the customer experience seriously. The hardest part was waiting for the email.
Not only are they taking steps in the right direction with the install and activation process, but the changes to the software this time address many long standing desires of the community within Cubase itself. This release is truly above and beyond all expectations.
4 Likes
The native instruments one is kinda beautiful….I open it up just to look at it 
Let’s not get carried away… 
I don’t really have a problem with the IK one, apart from the annoying promotion banner. It’s one application that installs, updates and authorizes all your products (well, all that I own). Works quite well for me. Easier to use than the Steinberg Download Assistant.
Toontrack is the best one I use. It knows what’s on my pc and which need a newer version. Works perfectly and just the one app.
2 Likes
You have 2 applications for license management: Product Manager and Custom Shop. Recently I had to register new plugins in both, to make them works.
Then in the case of eg. T-Racks, it always installs everything, even if you have just 1 plugin. Of course, you can delete them or in the case of Cubase, simply add those that you have in Plugin Manager. A lot of other DAWs doesn’t have that possibility and people have to delete them one by one. After update… they all are back
Not so long time ago, before Product Manager, there were even more apps necessary to install just to use their plugins. IKM have a history of having one of the worst license management system ever (forums are full of complaints)
Let’s hope that SB really is going to improve the Activation Manager. The update process from 11 to 12 has been one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had with such software.
First, it didn’t work at all because the servers were unresponsive, leading to even the C11 license vanishing completely from my eLicenser (dear developers: ever heard of atomic operations?), then, after the servers being back online, I had to go through a convoluted process, first starting in the activation manager, being redirecting to a website, where I was being forced to sign up for an email list (WTF??? Is that even legal?), which of course I initially said “no” to, so nothing happened, no feedback at all. The second time I tried it, I grudgingly accepted the mailing list thing, which lead to being redirected to a “404 not found” page, and no further information. Also, still no C12 in “my procducts”. Then I finally got an email, where I had to click on on anther link where I finally got some code which then again I had to enter in the activation manager,. which then started the elicenser, which then had to be closed before the download manager would work again and finally I was able to install Cubase 12 (the activation manager still showing C12 being not activated).
I mean seriously?? How convoluted and user-unfriendly can it get? Opening a web page from the activation manager? Have Steinberg ever heard of REST APIs? You could’ve done all that from the activation manager…
Now I gotta go an unsubscribe from the newsletter…
2 Likes
what a headache, i still cant even get the grace period checker to even work, just goes straight immediately to “error” with generic “error has occured” nothing specific. ironic that this was supposed to help with licenseing issues? its just more of the same with a new mask.
The license manager is not bad but when you install a plugin will install all their vst as trial and there’s no option to cancel that. If you want to see some good examples see native instruments, slate digital and arturia. Will be nice if in the future will have only one app to authorize install and manage Steinberg stuff
That’s the plan and we will move into that direction step by step.
4 Likes
This is great news!
Steinberg Download Assistant is not working, and the update will not download from the website. Am I doing something wrong? Please let me know. I currently have Download Assistant version 1.34.3 - it will not launch. I am on a 2013 Mac Pro 6,1 running MacOs 12.7.1 (Monterey). I only use Dorico and the related sound libraries, etc. Thank you!
PS - The only reason I noticed this was because when loading Dorico today I got a message “Groove Agent needs to be updated”.