why buy originals that dont work when copies do?

a friend of mine has a record out, we make dubstep. he paid nothing for any of his vst's. i paid thousands for mine.
his all work without issue and mine stop working periodically especially NI's VST's.
i am considering selling all my software and just getting it all for free copied, as then it will all at least work.
at the moment i have lost 19 songs due to NI's software incompatabilities. the ones i have are crap because i havnt spent enough time like i had with the others refining the waves for extreme melodic content. i'm so angry right now.
i bought massive yesturday and installed it today no problem, but then yet again absynth 3 stopped working. so my music is on hold yet again. at the moment i am losing my momentum and enthusiasm for my music as my productivity is always being interupted by these software faults.
yet my friend who only uses copied software has had no problems what so ever.
why buy when the copied software is more reliable.....
i will never but another NI product as long as i live.

 

While I cannot argue there is a lot of trouble and hassles with the N.I. business model and the products that result from that business model, tell your friend who is releasing music with pirated (I'm assuming that's what you mean by copied) software that profiting from anything unlicensed (i.e. Samples, Software, Pieces of Songs) could get him sued.

Friendly word of caution from musician to musician

Cheers

 

You seem to have a misunderstanding about how NI apps work. After the apps are installed and activated, they will work EXACTLY THE SAME WITH THE SAME COMPUTER.

Since NI software doesn't use any type of dongle for protection, the running/executing versions of legit or cracked NI apps will run the same.

Given you own licenses for NI products, there would be nothing wrong with uninstalling them all then installing the crack versions to see if they run better. You really wouldn't be violating any copyright laws since you also own legitimate copies.

This problem would not be due to any "legit vs. crack" issue. The problem is probably with the software authorization and/or the associated Windows Registry/Mac plist data. While it may be a pain to deal with, it can be fixed.

I would suggest the following:
1) Dedicate a computer to music -- this means no anti virus software, no games, no nothing, ONLY music apps
2) Reformat your system hard drive, then reinstall your Operating System and hardware drivers.
3) Make a system backup so you can recover to this 'clean" state
4) Install only your music apps
5) Once you get everything stable, then create a entire drive backup that you can recover.

Why BUY software? To support the companies that created the products. Is your buddy's record a commercial record (i.e. one available for sale at a retail store)? If so, please ask your buddy to post a link to where I can get his record for free. Given your buddy doesn't appear to respect the concept of other people's copyright, he should have no objection whatsoever with giving ALL of his music away for free.

Also, what type of cool gear and computers does he own? Can you give me his address? I would like to take all of his gear. Given he feels it is acceptable to use other's property (i.e. software) without paying for it, he shouldn't mind if I "borrow" his gear for a few years (i.e. use his gear without paying for it).

That is certainly your perogative, but you then should NOT use crack versions of products for which you have not purchased licenses.

While I can sympathize with you having system problems, this doesn't justify use of software for which you don't have a license.

Let me give you another analogy. Suppose I buy a Ford motorcar and I don't like it because of problems I have with it. I then sell it. Given I had "problems" with a Ford car, does that give me the right to borrow and use any Ford car I see? I don't think so.

 

This is true only if you can install and activate the program on your computer. For me the programs install fine and work fine, I just can't activate them on my computer- so I've got a thousand bucks worth of... demos. Yea...

If I had a clue how to download and install a "cracked" version of Komplete, you bet I would, I just wouldn't steal it.

I'd rather have a solution from NI- one where they say, "Oh yes, sir, we see from your serial number and receipt that you purchased the software and have been a loyal customer for years. We're sorry our registration scheme doesn't work with your computer. Let's figure this out. Can we send you a copy of the programs that aren't attached to the registration procedure? Would you be comfortable with that as a temporary fix while we get this straightened out? We trust you."

That's how I would do it if it were my company.

Instead I was told, literally, to get a new computer because NI designs their software for "cutting edge" technology.

I don't support piracy in any way, in fact, it really makes me mad, but I can see Purecain's point. NI needs to stop breeding hate through indifference to customers and their cash.

 

This really isn't a viable solution. Since there would most likely be multiple people with problems, the risk of putting out totally unprotected software would be too high. NI might as well not have any protection at all.

Having said that, I do think NI needs to spend significant money and time to develop a replacement for Service Center that works a lot better. At least based on postings in the NI User Forums, customers have had more problems with Service Center than they ever did with the old single product
"Registration Tool".

 

It's true, of course, but it's that type of customer care I want. Find a solution.

 

Exactly. And the sooner they implement that, the better.

KEv

 

Haha! Classic.

It's a fact that the biggest companies are those who have trusted their customers to be honest.

Walmart, Warren Buffet, Ebay, Microsoft (Before, well, you know...)

NI has this whole us against them thing happening that is just not healthy for word of mouth sales- which is huge in this information sharing culture.

It seems to me that NI has basically just ignored customer complaints about Service Center. It doesn't work for everyone- change it. Again I ask, what was wrong with the old registration system?

 

Hmmm, my take on it -


in NI's case the copy protection simply doesn't work, it only pisses off legitimate users in many ways

a) I'm afraid to do a clean reinstall of my system (horror stories aplenty)

b) I'd love to try Vista (dualboot) but that'd probably take away my allowed registrations

... and more.

That said, Kontakt 3.01 works well enough, so does Reaktor - I don't bitch about the software, only about copy protection.

As much as I hate dongles, Cubase 4.1 Studio works great and doesn't give a damn if I reinstall Windows/Vista/any of the bigger cats ...

k

edit: OTOH - maybe I just don't know enough about NI's c/r and registrations

 

Much as I hate to admit it, I'm beginning to agree with this line of thinking. I've spent over 3 grand going legit and *nothing* seems to be working properly and I still can't activate what I've bought from NI. Cubase 4 crashes at least once a day and has even destroyed a master file. Whilst I appreciate the difficulties in developing for these systems (being a software dev myself), I cannot believe that major companies release software with such fundemental problems, never mind charge £500 for them!

I'm beginning to release records commercially and it's *very* important to me to be on the level with this stuff, but seriously...this is taking the piss.

To follow the above posters' car analogy - If I'd spent the full retail price of the Ford motor car, then I would bloody well expect it to start in the mornings...and if it didn't from new, wouldn't I be entitled under my statutory rights to a full refund?

This is posted mostly out of frustration and i'll continue supporting software companies but seriously, I don't really care about the politics of it...I just want the bloody thing to work so that I can finish my album.

 

oh, and FYI, this current installation is happening on a BRAND NEW Carillion specialist audio computer with only Cubase 4 and Live installed on it. If it can't work properly on that kind of system, what hope have those with legacy systems have?

 

god i wish i could do away with service center - i've got a brand new upgrade copy of absynth 4 which won't authorize due to 'no base product installed' - but i'm sitting here staring at a screen that shows my installed and authorized copy of absynth 3. soo...i email..and i wait...the money is paid..and i wait....the same thing happened with elektrik piano 1 to 1.5. at the end they claimed i had the wrong serial number. quick check to my purchase email..nope..i had it right.

i have a deadline, if i knew of some way to get a crack for absynth 4 i would. then i'd legitimize it when they got around to helping me.

 

I think they should give users the option either to use the dongle they're already using for their sequencer software (Syncrosoft, iLok), or to use the SC non-dongle way in order to activate. The situation now really sucks, and since I've started using a Mac along with PC I end up having issues with activation _every time_ i install/reinstall NI Software on the Mac. Simply unacceptable!

 

And I can't activate Kore 2 because their web infrastructure is br0ken. So it just sits there.

I feel burned by trying to be legit as well.

 

follow up

as a follow up to the last post I made, I should be fair to NI in one regard - They solved my problem the same day I emailed. It was 5 hours later which is pretty decent - and I made my deadline, but without the use of Absynth 4 which I got specifically for the project. While their response time wasn't too bad, the service center really just got in the way. I pay for my software and I want the company's I purchase from to make money from me - since I make money using it. I understand that certain business decisions and the way the software world is require somewhat draconian copy protection schemes, but if there was some way where, as a legitimate customer, I didn't always feel like I was 'borrowing' the software I just bought. Give me the software, Give me the serial number - the end.

I'm about to upgrade my computer and the thought of reinstalling a dozen NI instruments and plugins with all the added hassle makes me *almost* miss hardware...i need to type *almost* again here

and on a final happy note - massive is one of the greatest software instruments i've ever used.