# Is you DAW connected to the internet?



## cacophonix (Oct 1, 2015)

Hello,

Seeing some developers taking the direction of not allowing offline registration of their products (or make it very difficult for the non-hacker user), I wonder if I am a the last dinosaur by strictly isolating my DAW from the Internet...

Could you please tell me what is your DAW security policy by answering this poll? (and excuse my approximate English?!)

Thanks in advance


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## Rctec (Oct 1, 2015)

Absolutely Not! We have a very strong firewall, but still have all our DAWs and servers with picture access isolated from the Internet. And never send password over email!
-Hz-


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## cacophonix (Oct 1, 2015)

Hello Hans!

Thank you sooo much for your answer!
I must confess I asked one of the developer I was referring to if they believe pro studios like yours had online DAWs. And yet YOU replied first 
I am going to point them to this thread right now!!!

For information two developers are taking this route:
- Cakewalk (with Rapture Pro ; you have to install their Command-Center... And I didn't find a way to do offline registration...)
- LennarDigital with their brand new Sylenth1 Beta 3 64bits for Mac

Sylenth1 support wrote me:

_The current version can not be activated offline unfortunately._


_Quite possibly we will never add this option, since nowadays computers without internet access are pretty hard to find, and our current copy protection scheme relies on online activation and deactivation (as well as easy updating)._


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## synthpunk (Oct 1, 2015)

I can certainly can respect why Remote Control would need to do this for many layers of security. Using lots of custom software so no need to do updates often, etc.

But for the average musician/composer with certain protections in place does it really need to be the same in 2015 ?


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## dgburns (Oct 1, 2015)

i need to use cinesync on my daw ,so yes


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## Arbee (Oct 1, 2015)

I connect only for software downloads, updates etc but that's all. While security is important, I'm mainly trying to avoid all the crap that attempts to self-load and add itself to startup (PC) when you use your DAW for general purposes. As a result of my policy, my DAW still boots up nice and clean, and very quick (and without SSD main drive). Not sure I'll be buying any software that requires me to be connected at all times, not anytime soon anyway.


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## chillbot (Oct 1, 2015)

I've been connected to the internet for 15 years with no virus protection. KNOCK ON WOOD. No problems thus far. Let the hacking commence.


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## Christof (Oct 1, 2015)

As far as I know Logic X is always connected to the internet: plug in activation, additional downloadable content, direct bounce to soundcloud, mail etc...
But I don't care, there is nothing great to steal from my computer.


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## Mystic (Oct 2, 2015)

I keep mine online. No reason not to anymore.


cacophonix said:


> - Cakewalk (with Rapture Pro ; you have to install their Command-Center... And I didn't find a way to do offline registration...)


Click here: https://www.cakewalk.com/My-Account/Offline-Activation


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## cacophonix (Oct 2, 2015)

Mystic said:


> Click here: https://www.cakewalk.com/My-Account/Offline-Activation



Thanks for the link, you're right, offline registration is possible for some products (like Zeta3), but I am afraid Rapture Pro does not leave you the choice, which is confirmed by their own staff: http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3213775


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## Jaap (Oct 2, 2015)

I don't have my DAW connected to the internet when I am composing. No so much for security, but more to get not distracted when working. I just unplug my wifi usb thingy and put it on the other side of the room and if I take a break or whatever (need to browse VI  ) then I just grab my laptop.
I connect my DAW though when I am done to sync all my workfiles to my cloud and/or upload stuff for clients or whatever. I don't use my DAW for anything else beside work, so I am not doing my normal internet things on it.


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## Christof (Oct 2, 2015)

Oh, I just figured out that the term DAW means the whole computer system in this thread and not only the production App.


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## IFM (Oct 2, 2015)

I'm always connected as i don't have much of a choice anymore. I can understand why Hz does because once you are that publicly know you become a target.


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## SterlingArcher (Oct 5, 2015)

Rctec said:


> Absolutely Not! We have a very strong firewall, but still have all our DAWs and servers with picture access isolated from the Internet. And never send password over email!
> -Hz-



Courier or Carrier Pidgeon?


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## alanb (Oct 5, 2015)

A decent compromise is keeping the musicmaking computer disconnected from the Internet _except_ when _(i)_ running installation/authorization processes that require a live connection or _(ii)_ transferring all downloadable/executable files from a separate computer, on which you have already scanned them for possible malware. 

Even this isn't 100% 'safe' — even trusted sites can be compromised, and the limits of anti-malware software are continually being tested by The Bad Guys — but it comes pretty close. You can at least be _relatively_ certain that you aren't putting anything bad onto your machine.

Also, keeping all of your computers behind a router with NAT (Network Address Translation) enabled, and using wired (not wireless) connections can help keep your music machine safe for the brief times that you have to keep it connected to the Internet.


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## SomeGuy (Oct 5, 2015)

I dont have my music computers connected to the internet, mainly because my MacPro does not have a wireless card and my ethernet is used to run VE pro slaves, and so far have not run into any issues. I download updates on my laptop and manually transfer them to my DAW with no problems so far. Most software I run is either ilok or elicencer protected (which I update on my laptop) or they have their own offline authorization that works just fine (PSP, UAD, Melda, NI, izotope, etc)

I worry about productivity having the internet on my DAW machine. I could easily see myself checking email and web surfing instead of writing


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## Przemek K. (Oct 8, 2015)

I used to have my old workstation connected to the internet...sure it's more convenient, but nowadays I let my workstation disconnected unless I have to register a new library or vst plugin.


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## sleepy hollow (Oct 8, 2015)

Connected to the internet at all times, never had a problem.

Isn't it a bit risky to connect your DAW to the net solely for activation/authorization purposes? I mean the system (virus signature list, various MS patches/fixes, software firewall, etc) is not really up-to-date...


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## Przemek K. (Oct 8, 2015)

I do update the virus signature list, and only viable security patches after reviewing them. Firewall is also on. So far no problems here.


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## Daryl (Oct 8, 2015)

I used to keep all the studios disconnected from the Internet, but these days it is just too inconvenient not to be connected.


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## Saxer (Oct 8, 2015)

always connected for up- & downloads... all my work comes from and goes to the net.

but for mail, surfing and asocial media i don't use my daw-computer.


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## sleepy hollow (Oct 8, 2015)

Saxer said:


> asocial media


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## alanb (Oct 9, 2015)

sleepy hollow said:


> Isn't it a bit risky to connect your DAW to the net solely for activation/authorization purposes? I mean the system (virus signature list, various MS patches/fixes, software firewall, etc) is not really up-to-date...



Not inordinately so.

During the brief periods that my DAW is 'Net-connected, it is still sitting behind a NAT-enabled router (per my comment above), *and* the Windows firewall is on. 

Equally important, I will only go to known websites (VSL, EW, Toontrack, SoundToys, NI, &c.) so, unless those websites happen to have been compromised and are actively pushing malware, the likelihood of the DAW being compromised is relatively minimal. As I also said above, all downloadables should be scanned for malware on a separate computer and then transferred to the DAW machine.

In any case, the standard rules of (1) backup, (2) *backup* and (3) BACKUP apply to all computers, regardless of their connectivity.....


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## sleepy hollow (Oct 10, 2015)

alanb said:


> I will only go to known websites


That certainly helps a lot, yes.



alanb said:


> In any case, the standard rules of (1) backup, (2) *backup* and (3) BACKUP apply to all computers, regardless of their connectivity.....


Very important, especially point #3 = Backup!

Also: Get your important data out of the computer. Then get that backup medium to a safe place.


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## Felipe Opazo (Oct 10, 2015)

I just own one Computer so i'm always connected and do all my music, video and teaching work on that same MacBook Pro. I just use external drives for backups and SSD for sample libraries.


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## mc_deli (Oct 10, 2015)

Felipe Opazo said:


> I just own one Computer so i'm always connected and do all my music, video and teaching work on that same MacBook Pro. I just use external drives for backups and SSD for sample libraries.



This and I use different users. I think I will use more users in the future (OSX). I have some long term gigs where it makes sense to use a different user for a specific client - lots of interwebs gubbins stuff.


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## almound (Oct 12, 2015)

I have a "sacrificial lamb" which is my laptop that gets connected to the Internet, but my main servers have never been out there. How, you ask? At one time it was entirely possible ... I do it with Windows 7 Pro. (The service pack can be downloaded separately.) And that's what I use. As for anything else ... I don't require the latest and the greatest to do what I do ... and don't care to give those corporate bullies anymore than what they deserve. Anything that can't get installed and used on my laptop, well, it doesn't get installed.
Of course, I hasten to add that I network all my DAWs together and use my laptop to remotely control them so that they act together, pooling their resources as though one DAW. But that's the details. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ3UqfveVHWxm4wsaSpo_qa_BhZL1Nc0
The bottom line is, corporations had better come up with something new than just cloud computing if they want to get my $$$$. So far, I don't see too much that is desirable to fit my needs ... which is quite simply to write an orchestral score and then conveniently make a realistic sounding recording of it for posting to my Youtube channel. Not much that I see that will help me to do that other than what I have come up with myself over the years.


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## snattack (Oct 16, 2015)

Main DAW connected. Slaves never connected.


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