# ILok activation / 7th Heaven question



## Bluemount Score (Nov 18, 2020)

So I was just about the install the 14 day free trial of 7th Heaven reverb and after succesfully using the serial number, I get this.
Do I really need to own one of those $50 USB stick things to use the plug-in?

I'm even more confused as I also own Gullfoss, which is registered in my iLok account, but does not need an additional hardware to be used...

Anything else I could do?


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## purple (Nov 18, 2020)

I believe you can register it to the iLok Cloud. I have the cloud but I don't remember how I set it up as it was years ago... I have 7H on my USB stick but it did give me the option to put it on the cloud.


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 18, 2020)

purple said:


> I believe you can register it to the iLok Cloud. I have the cloud but I don't remember how I set it up as it was years ago... I have 7H on my USB stick but it did give me the option to put it on the cloud.


Thanks, I found it and it works now.
So what is this iLok Cloud? Do I have to be online to use plugins registered in the Cloud? I'm assuming no.


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## AndreasHe (Nov 19, 2020)

Bluemount Score said:


> Thanks, I found it and it works now.
> So what is this iLok Cloud? Do I have to be online to use plugins registered in the Cloud? I'm assuming no.



yes. It makes sure only one user with that license use it at the same time.






iLok Cloud


An iLok Cloud is part of the PACE licensing platform. It can be used to activate licenses, as an alternate to a physical iLok (or the host).



www.paceap.com


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 19, 2020)

AndreasHe said:


> yes. It makes sure only one user with that license use it at the same time.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Fine. I'm just wondering why I didn't notice it before when using Gullfoss, which, as I saw later on, is also connected to the cloud with 2 max activations


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## Sarah Mancuso (Nov 19, 2020)

iLok Cloud is super annoying, sometimes it goes out for a few hours at a time and you're just unable to use your plugins.


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 19, 2020)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> iLok Cloud is super annoying, sometimes it goes out for a few hours at a time and you're just unable to use your plugins.


Yea I've heard from people that sometimes they don't buy something just because it needs to be activated in iLok. So far it worked for me


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## ReleaseCandidate (Nov 19, 2020)

There are 3 possible Ilok license locations, the dongle, the cloud or the computer. Most 'normal' plugins let you choose between computer and dongle. Some allow only dongle and some dongle or cloud. You see the symbols in the Ilok manager app.


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## AndreasHe (Nov 19, 2020)

I have also some licenses running and maybe I should move them to the cloud from dongle if possible. Always afraid the dongle may stop working. Sure I know about their insurance "zero downtime", but it is too expensive.

Used also a MacBook offline for a while, so I must had use the dongle. But I think I can move it so often I want.


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## AndreasHe (Nov 19, 2020)

IZotope uses ilok. Good that I choosed fabfilter for EQ etc and not their products. It's less hassle.

Oh no! None of my iLok licensed products work in iLok cloud. What a shame.


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## ReleaseCandidate (Nov 20, 2020)

Oh, just read the description of 7H:



> iLok 2/3 or iLok Cloud
> Host-based iLok licenses are not supported



Well, no heaven for mé


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## Brasart (Nov 20, 2020)

Oh that's a bummer, was looking forward to buying 7th Heaven this BF, but everything related to iLok is hell on earth, especially if it's not the ""simple"" computer-based activation


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## AndreasHe (Nov 20, 2020)

Brasart said:


> Oh that's a bummer, was looking forward to buying 7th Heaven this BF, but everything related to iLok is hell on earth, especially if it's not the ""simple"" computer-based activation


But if a computer gets broken, I guess then you can not use it on a new hardware.


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## Brasart (Nov 20, 2020)

AndreasHe said:


> But if a computer gets broken, I guess then you can not use it on a new hardware.



Isn't there a system where you can request to reset activations or something?
I mean I hate it all, but at least with host based activation it's working as intended and not dependent on something outside my computer, and to be honest I never had a computer break down on me either so...


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## AndreasHe (Nov 20, 2020)

Would make sense to reset it. But otherwise it makes no sense to have it offline, because then you could activate on several offline machines. Maybe it depends on the implementors thinking about it. Looks like every implementor has the choice. Every software I have just allow pure ilok, no cloud etc.


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## mussnig (Nov 21, 2020)

Brasart said:


> Isn't there a system where you can request to reset activations or something?
> I mean I hate it all, but at least with host based activation it's working as intended and not dependent on something outside my computer, and to be honest I never had a computer break down on me either so...



I bought R4 this week during a sale and was then confronted with the same question (so far I have successfully avoided iLok and I am not going to buy a dongle that's more expensive than what I paid for this plugin).

After some online search I think it's like this: If your computer breaks down, you are at the mercy of the developers of the plugins. The only way to reset your machine based activation is by contacting the developer - it seems that iLok themselves won't help you.


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 21, 2020)

mussnig said:


> I bought R4 this week during a sale and was then confronted with the same question (so far I have successfully avoided iLok and I am not going to buy a dongle that's more expensive than what I paid for this plugin).
> 
> After some online search I think it's like this: If your computer breaks down, you are at the mercy of the developers of the plugins. The only way to reset your machine based activation is by contacting the developer - it seems that iLok themselves won't help you.


I'm starting to understand why some people try to avoid it. A computer could break anytime...


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## AndreasHe (Nov 21, 2020)

So if you compare ilok vs. pc, what brakes first, I would guess the PC. But independed what is broken, it is a hassle to bring it back to live. May take weeks.

Such an elementary thing like a reverb plugin, which is maybe used in every song, will then cause that you can't load any of your songs.

That is also one reason I would never use izotopes EQs and stuff - ok I have stutter edit, because it is kind of unique, but for EQ etc, I definitly prefer fabfilter - also because of the ilok thing.

The software makers want to protect against theft. But I wonder how much they loose because of ilok and not willing customers?


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## MartinH. (Nov 21, 2020)

I feel like I'm spending less and less on plugins because I run out of stuff to buy that doesn't use iLok. I've lost track how many times I was interested in purchasing a product and then being frustrated that it uses this kind of DRM cancer. IZotope R2, 7th heaven, Blackhole, Hollywood Orchestra, Soundtoys plugins, various ampsims, etc....


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## mussnig (Nov 21, 2020)

AndreasHe said:


> So if you compare ilok vs. pc, what brakes first, I would guess the PC. But independed what is broken, it is a hassle to bring it back to live. May take weeks.
> 
> Such an elementary thing like a reverb plugin, which is maybe used in every song, will then cause that you can't load any of your songs.
> 
> ...



Well, it's even worse. As soon as you change certain parts (don't know which exactly) of your computer, it's going to be recognized as a different machine by iLok. So usually, you should deactive your machine based licenses before doing any modifications on your hardware - otherwise, your activation is kind of lost (you will have to contact support etc.). Somewhere online I have even read about some horror scenarios that a Windows Update led iLok to believe it was a different computer and therefore, licenses where lost ...


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## Bluemount Score (Nov 21, 2020)

mussnig said:


> I bought R4 this week during a sale and was then confronted with the same question (so far I have successfully avoided iLok and I am not going to buy a dongle that's more expensive than what I paid for this plugin).
> 
> After some online search I think it's like this: If your computer breaks down, you are at the mercy of the developers of the plugins. The only way to reset your machine based activation is by contacting the developer - it seems that iLok themselves won't help you.


I'm starting to understand why some people try to avoid it. A computer could break anytime....


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## mussnig (Nov 21, 2020)

Bluemount Score said:


> I'm starting to understand why some people try to avoid it. A computer could break anytime....



Yes, I am glad that I didn't spend more than 30 € for that plugin ...


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## Brasart (Nov 21, 2020)

I just wish everything was like FabFilter; the best software suite on the internet with the most user-friendly activation process


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