Since the few latest there is something different in the installer. You have to manually copy the cracked WaveShell files to the right VST path of your PC. If you don't do that, you leave the original WaveShell files in there and those will pop up with the license message. So far I never had to install 'on purpose' the license center.

1. Waves Complete Bundle Crack
2. Cracked Waves Plugins

Just followed the steps in the.txt file (basically, picking Mercury + the few extra separate plugs). Although different results and opinions are around, I always run the (official) waves installer twice. The 2nd time, it asks if you want to 'modify, repair or uninstall' the installation. I choose repair. This extra step overwrites some older cracked files sometimes that otherwise wouldn't be upgraded. Only after that I run the crack / patcher.

After running the crack / patcher, you have to copy some files to the right location (since R23 or something? Some recent release anyway, it's in the.txt file). On my x64 Windows machine, Waves installed some files in C: Program Files (x86) Waves Waveshells. The patcher cracked those files, but left them there. You need to copy the one you want (or multiple) to the right place. WaveShell-VST 9.3.dll = 32bit VST2 plugin = (on my machine) C: Program files (x86) VstPlugins WaveShell-VST 9.3x64.dll = 64bit VST2 plugin = (on my machine) C: Program Files VstPlugins WaveShell-VST3 9.3.vst3 = 32bit VST3 plugin = (on all PCs) C: Program Files (x86) Common Files VST3 WaveShell-VST3 9.3x64.vst3 = 64bit VST3 plugin = (on all PCs) C: Program Files Common Files VST3 I'm assuming the 'WaveShell-AAX 9.3.aaxplugin' isn't cracked (no crack for AAX files yet I guess) and I have no clue what format 'WaveShell-WPAPI1 9.3.bundle' and 'WaveShell-DAE 9.3.dpm' are in.

I don't need them, that's for sure. That single 'Waveshell' DLL file contains all the waves plugins you have installed (this is why it is called a 'shell'). Most recent DAWs support this just fine (one dll file with multiple plugins in it).

Just to add that 'WaveShell-DAE 9.3.dpm' goes to 'C: Program Files (x86) Common Files DigiDesign DAE Plug-ins' and it's a Waves waveshell for 32bit ProTools 10 and lower. Not needed for Nuendo, of course. You don't need VST3 waveshell either for Nuendo 4.3. A common mistake that people do is they forget to replace the VST3 waveshell for newer Cubendo, they just replace the VST2 waveshell and then you get problems. You have to replace both in order for Cubendo to work with Waves properly. Maybe your VST paths are different, so it's best to open Cubendo and check the VST paths that it loads the plugins from. A VST2 path that Nuendo 4.3 creates is usually 'C: Program Files Steinberg VSTPlugins' or 'C: Program Files (x86) Steinberg VSTPlugins' on Windows 7.

I still don't get why those stupid MS programmers insist on using 'Program Files' instead of just simple 'Programs'. Bloody corporate idiots.

Just to add that 'WaveShell-DAE 9.3.dpm' goes to 'C: Program Files (x86) Common Files DigiDesign DAE Plug-ins' and it's a Waves waveshell for 32bit ProTools 10 and lower. Not needed for Nuendo, of course. You don't need VST3 waveshell either for Nuendo 4.3. A common mistake that people do is they forget to replace the VST3 waveshell for newer Cubendo, they just replace the VST2 waveshell and then you get problems. You have to replace both in order for Cubendo to work with Waves properly.

Maybe your VST paths are different, so it's best to open Cubendo and check the VST paths that it loads the plugins from. A VST2 path that Nuendo 4.3 creates is usually 'C: Program Files Steinberg VSTPlugins' or 'C: Program Files (x86) Steinberg VSTPlugins' on Windows 7. I still don't get why those stupid MS programmers insist on using 'Program Files' instead of just simple 'Programs'.

Bloody corporate idiots. Can't afford the whole bundle but could possibly go a piece at a time. Besides that I have no qualms that I don't buy everything I try. There are some plug-ins in that bundle that are my go-to like the API but can't afford it right now. I put in too much time here, need to start finding some balance so I can focus on making some extra dough.

So I look at it like I help people all day every day and get a little bonus sometimes by having some plug-ins that are outside of my price range at the moment. I definitely don't live with my parents though. One thing to note is if you are running a 32bit DAW on a 64bit OS, you will still end up with a VST3 in your 64bit program files hierarchy aswell. 32bit VST2 plugin - WaveShell-VST 9.3.dll.= C: Program files (x86) VstPlugins (or wherever you installed it) 64bit VST2 plugin - WaveShell-VST 9.3x64.dll.= C: Program Files VstPlugins (or wherever you installed it) 32bit VST3 plugin - WaveShell-VST3 9.3.vst3.= C: Program Files (x86) Common Files VST3 64bit VST3 plugin - WaveShell-VST3 9.3x64.vst3.= C: Program Files Common Files VST3 no need to copy the whole folder either, just the right file. Don't miss any of these locations & it should work just fine.

The VST3 paths were the most confusing to me at first because you have 0 control during the installation process whether to skip or install VST3 as it automatically installs & there is no information in the logs stating that VST3 has been installed, its like ninja & the nfo mentions nothing about it. Its a bit stupid. Click to expand.But isn't that kind of the whole point?

People buy what they CAN afford, but aren't left in the dust because they don't have 10s of thousands of dollars to spend on plug-ins?? Sure companies give you months to try products out, but it's not just about TRYING for many of us. It's about LEARNING too!

That's the way I've always justified it. I've spent somewhere around 4000 grand on software over the last few years, and I don't make a dime for any of my music!! I can't afford to pay for everything.

I'm not good enough to make that kinda money (yet!). How am I supposed to get better though if I don't have the same tools to use as everyone else? That's what I understood one of the main point of warez was for! You'd obviously know best Mykal.

But that's just how I understood things around here.

Why Stealing Plugins Makes Your Mixes Worse How about a bit of controversy to start off your week? Got this email a few days ago: I’m not rich, and I don’t have money for plugins. Me and my friend are working on a projectthe plugins we need are about $2,000 each. What would happen if we torrented the plugins and made a song?

Would we get sent to jail? Sigh Here’s my response: — It’s really a moral question. I personally don’t use pirated plugins because it’s morally wrong. But there’s a bigger issue here than the question you’re asking.

You’re assuming you “need” these $2,000 plugins. I’d be willing to bet you don’t need them at all. I just finished up a song, and all I used were the free plugins that came with my software. I didn’t use any “extra” plugins at alland it sounds amazing.

Because I know what I’m doing. I learned the technique of mixing and making songs sound good. Plugins won’t help you do that. You can buy fancy plugins (or steal them), and your mixes will still sound bad if you don’t know how to USE them. Hope that helps. — Rather than debating the morality of pirating plugins, ask this question instead: Will these plugins make ME better? The answer is a big fat NO.

In fact, I propose that the more plugins you have, the WORSE your mixes will getIF you don’t have a proper understanding of the basic concepts of audio. For me, it all begins and ends with EQ: Joe Gilder Tags.

I was with you there until the end Joe! Until I realized you were trying to sell us your methods of mastering a track. I agree wholeheartedly with what you’re saying there; plugins don’t make you better. If you start making music and you feel as though you need all of these expensive plugins to make it sound good, you’re wrong. The only way these expensive plugins will make your music better is by knowing the fundamentals of music production and by selecting plugins based on your own research and knowledge of what each one in particular does. If you find one that suits your needs as a musician and want to pick it up because you’ve come to the consideration that this specific tool will help you out, than by all means go for it.

The article seems politically right only. But, I see plugin piracy is not even a moral problem. If these kids downloaded the cracked plugins and made a hit (perhaps not immediately, but after they are able to learn how to use the plugins properly), I’m sure they’ll come back and buy those plugins. They won’t afford those plugins anyway so why not let them use. I believe that cracking has made the tools available to more ppl and a portion of them eventually become professional engineers and come back and support those developers. If they are not serious with their music, even in a world with no piracy, they won’t buy the legit version anyway, making no profit for the plugin maker what so ever in either case.

Software makers most of the time have exaggerated how piracy made them loss money but actually they have benefit from it in the long run. Piracy has created a prosperous music making industry.

Those who become professionals will for sure buy legit stuff just because that the most convenient way. It’s not comparable with stealing things from supermarket which would cost an actual loss for the market. Downloading cracked software most of the time won’t cause a loss, because again, they won’t buy legit with or without piracy. I myself is a good example.

I am a big plugin buyer right now. Spent tons on plugins, Vsts and stuff. I never would have become what I am if those softwares weren’t available by cracking. Now I don’t even care looking at cracks simply because the cost for legit ones are really nothing to me now. And I would love to pick up the phone and complain to the makers whenever problem arise.

Downloading from the official website is much faster. I don’t want to solve the problem during the cracking because that’s a waist of time with which I can earn much more than the plugin. But, what about those kids who don’t have money buying these stuff and they are passionate about music making? Should they give up?

If they “stole” the plugins, what loss will the plugin company have? Nothing really. But just as long as you buy them later its fine you forgot that one its called repaying your debts when u pirate something but then buying your saying that you think the plugin is amazing and that you want to buy it there’s nothing wrong with stealing in the digital world if you just buy it later like i did i pirated and about 1 month later i bought sylenth 1, serum, and spire, also nexus because i make good money really you don’t even have to buy all of them at once like i did but bottom line as long as you ‘repay your debts’ it doesn’t matter there problem solved. Over the years, I’ve bought my share of plugins and wasted lot of money on products that just didn’t cut it. Struggled with some companie’s “No refund” policies, and tech support always blaming Microsoft or other software/hardware but theirs. That is stealing, yes.

Yeah, of course you can buy crap everywhere, but at least if I buy crap at Costco, I can return it and get my money back. Now, I still buy every plugin I use, because I can afford it. I’m just being more careful on what I buy these days.

That said, I don’t blame those who download pirated copies. Just try the hell out of them and make sure you like it. At first I was like I’m going to have FL Studio (My Daw) and make music.

Then I discover the use of plugins, vst exist. I hated some of the “Stock” plugins or vst In FL Studio. So if I need some choir Sound I need a vst for that, If I need a good violin Sound or organ Hammond Sound I still need a v for that.

So I did use “piracy vst or external plugins”. Now that I want to be pro and sell my music and also have already songs made with those plugins it could unprofessional to bring a track to a EDM music label made with piracy synth, vst, daw and plugins. I know they won’t askor Maybe they will.

I doubt that big names or middle names In the electronic music industry are surviving with piracy daw and plugins. I have to keep using pirate stuff until I bought all the plugins that I really use right now + the daw After that I’m all legit and pro.

Because if I wait t’ill I’m 100% legit and legal I’ll have to wait a year to sell and produce music because Of money issues. I won’t wait that long for making EP and else. Also I won’t change all my already produce songs because some synth I used and use are not bought legally right now. Yeah I know I started in “daw” FL Studio and use I lot of plugins for whatherer reason (Strings, organ, synth, violin, flute, drum, pad) and now i’m stuck wanted to be professional (I mean being legit) and wanted to sell my music. Also I saw some big name get caugth on youtube video for using an illegal version of some plugins ad the fans reactions was negative. Also their a lot of free tutorial on youtube made of course with piracy plugins. Like I said at first I was like (Why should I care) but now I’m like if want to be pro in electronic music I don’t have a choice to bought everything I use right now at different times but at least in the next year.

Of couse it will be expensive (because I was just using plugins, looking at great synth or else sound instead of the price and looking for alterative that is free or cheaper”). Now the songs are made so I can’t go back to alternatives solution. Yes I have good laptop and a soundcard and amidi keyboard. Also if i become known I don’t want to be the person that is too cheap to buy a single plugins or get caught in video like exemple “Kanye Eest with a torrent link for downloading a illegal VST” or making any video with my daw and somebody saw that I use a pirated version fo a good vst it wouldn’t be wise the artist name i’m trying to build. I think the part people are continually forgetting here is the Point isn’t “It should be cheaper or free”, It’s do I “Need” them. Stealing is morally wrong.

I save my money for what I own. I make near minimum wage at my job in LA and started my studio and with the extra money coming in I save it and purchase what i WANT.

Not what I “NEED”. When I first started I spent $6000 on my credit card and could not figure out why my recording and mixes were not coming out right!

Bought hardware compressors and eq’s, great monitors and mics as well but due to fact that I did not fully understand, or at all for that fact, I kept putting out mediocre sounding recordings and mixes. I did not know how to use the tools in front of me. Would I have prefered to use a “free” copy first? I kept the gear and it sat and waited. As I took lessons and went to school I learned not only did I buy gear that did not work in conjunction with one another and the wrong kind of cables but I the tools I needed were not these plugins and hardware. IT WAS MY EARS. Once I focused on working on my ears and what tools gave what results I realized I bought gear I did not need!

I was putting out better mixes and recordings with stock plugins and decent mics like a 57 and my interface. I sold all the extra gear and now only buy what I believe is a smart Investment. The point of my long(And I am sorry for that) is that I did NOT NEED TONS OF OPTIONS and though they can help and ultimately have a reason people want them I found myself hating so many options. I needed to train my ears. Did not need to have a ton of plugins or hardware.

Remember: It’s not about if its o.k. To steal plugins. It’s that you don’t need them if you don’t know what your doing. Once Again, I spent too much (even if it was free) only to find out too late that I didn’t need them.

Like you I have purchased a Pro Tools subscription because it fits my limited budget. The companies that make DAWS and plugins can actually earn more money this way, especially if the subscription binds the end-user to remain subscription for at least a year or so. I am also the proud and happy owner of Adobe’s Creative Cloud because that too is subscription based. Thanks to the educational discount I was able to get, it’s actually affordable for me.

Now, it could be argued that someone just needs to save up money. There’s some merit to that, but if you can’t get your hands on any tools in the period that you’re saving up, you’re not learning how to use any of the tools you plan on purchasing. And to play devil’s advocate here: I know of plenty people who initially cracked software and eventually bought it when they were done in college/university and heading into a professional industry.

These same people would love to get their sofware legally from the get-go, but it’s just not affordable at $600 or what have you. Subscriptions are a fantastic solution for the budding mixer/composer to start to learn how to work with pro software. Then, once they’ve learned how to use those tools and enter the industry, they can stop their subscriptions and make a full purchase. It’s a win-win. @Joe I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Interesting point.

I’ve set up an alternative subscription version for my own plugin called ‘AutoTonic’ too. It costs $89 for 5 years, that’s less than $0,05 per day or otherwise $1,5 per month. But still some potential users are complaining about the price.

I think there will be always someone complaining about the price, no matter how much you charge. But what ppl are often forgetting is, no matter what, as business owner and indie developer I do have costs like mortgages, taxes, bills and basic human needs to pay for too.

Plus I’ve spent years of my personal life working on this software. I agreed with you “Ro”! Also “Joe Gilder” those high ends pulgins for me it’a the sound like a cheap midi compare to a Toontack Ezdrummer, or a shitty synth compared to a Sylenth 1, or a cheap violin sound, strings, flutes compare to editrol orchestral and there’s a lot more like that, that I really use so for me it’s the sound or the synth that can be reproduce else where or that My daw doesn’t have it in good quality for my track, like using a guitar rig for making fake guitar. For me buying $$$ of delay, compressor, reverb, filter, is useless.

Waves Complete Bundle Crack

For others I would say, unless your daw doesn’t do it good first. Like i said for the synth, piano, choir, strings, organ, drum you can’t always use the stuff that your daw gives you unless that satisfy you in terms of good qulity and music sound. But if you understand how each plugin works, and use them correctly and purposefully, paid plugins will certainly improve your mixing, and deliver much better results than using free plugins only. Of course, you don’t need to have like 100 plugins but having extra 10 or 20 plugins will help a lot. Personally, I don’t think investing $2,000 in plugins is actually that crazy.

You buy high quality plugins such as UAD, Slate, or Plugin Alliance and you could easily hit $2,000, or more. But my philosophy is: If you need 10 EQ plugins, you’d better off buying 1 hardware EQ. “For me, it all begins and ends with EQ” Totally agree.

I use the free trials and free plugins when I want to test out a “awesome new plugin that I have to have” but for the most part I use stock. I already paid for the daw might as well use the tools that come with it. I will say that a few thousand dollars for gear seems steep sometimes. Then I look at the price tag on plugins and I laugh. The gear is a solid tangible object that you now own.

It produces whatever change you bought it for. A plugin is someone’s work (and I give full credit to the creators because that is pretty cool stuff) but lets face it, you are paying premium price for a copy.

If I took a picture of a famous painting and made perfect copies that you could not see any difference in, should they all cost the same? Or would that drop the value of them all? If I made a plugin I would want it to be the best but I don’t think I would get all butthurt over someone “stealing” a copy People take pictures off my facebook all the time.

Maybe I should call the cops. Piracy is stealing period. Whether or not you think it’s moral to steal certain goods over others is your prerogative.

Sadly, the people who make plugins couldn’t convince the super market to give them free food and unfortunately, that has a trickle down effect. So if you want to steal plugins, that’s fine, but if you can’t afford to pay for plugins, then eventually no one will make quality plugins because they can’t support themselves doing so.

Aside from all of that, I think the stock plugins are great tools to work with and have many advantages over premium plugin bundles. Since many studios may not have the same plugin library as you, using stock plugins will allow you to move your session between locations without a hitch. In fact, this is often a common practice for rough mixes that are sent off to another engineer for mix down. Also, the less plugins you have, the less time you are going to spend figuring out which plugin to use, allowing you to focus more on mixing with your plugins rather than picking which plugin to mix with. Furthermore, if you limit yourself to stock plugins, they are less sexy than premium plugins and the temptation to over process your mix lessens because you’re less inclined to use plugins in the first place. Finally, since people seem to have the attitude that plugins (and any other piece of digital content for that matter) should be free, using stock plugins will protect your sessions from becoming obsolete since small companies that only manufacture boutique plugins will probably have to close their doors on the account of piracy anyway.

I remember a drummer once telling me that he’s ok helping himself to pirated music – he feels justified since if, and when the bands come to town, he supports them by purchasing the over-priced ticket. There’s his moral compass set to his own true north. It just cracks me up to see folks justify their own actions in similar fashion. I’ve slowly build my recording environment over decades as I could afford to do so. The repeated grueling gigs until 3am in the morning helped.

Cracked Waves Plugins

A few strategic purchases along the way is all you need. If you are fortunate enough to have a decent computer, that’s typically most of the price of admission. I would never spend thousands of dollars on plugins. It’s just not necessary. For example, if you must get into plugins that go beyond the uncolored and very accurate plugins that come with a DAW, look at developers like Steven Slate. Steve is passionate about providing top-in-class plugins to musicians at a reasonable price.

Just like you, he wants to succeed in life and pay the bills. However, his passion, love & joy for the music first and foremost, fuels the amazing development of the plugins.

Do you really want to steal from him? Hopefully, the answer is no. I have to agree with Joe here. It would be a similar comparison to say that, for example, you wrote a song, recorded, mixed, and released it, and someone else ripped off your complete song (without permission, of course) and made a bunch of money selling it. Based on your current stance, what would be your argument against a person doing something like this? The way I see it, your current argument would be pretty invalid and you’d have no stance or self-defense against such a scenario because you obviously don’t see intellectual property as having any kind of value.

As a musician, I find it disturbing that you think theft of intellectual property as “laughable”. I would expect someone who shares a similar interest (music) would understand the concept of intellectual property and want to help take steps to maintain its integrity. I guess you’d be alright with giving away all your original music and ideas for free for the rest of your life, seeing as how it has no value, and I’d be willing to bet that your line of thinking justifies it being “okay” to illegally download movies, TV shows, and music as well. Personally, I’m NOT okay with giving away my music (no matter how good or bad) because it’s mine and I created it. I put a lot of time and money and effort into it and because I know and respect the process, I support other individuals and companies with my money by paying for their products, as is intended. Anyone who does otherwise because they feel that it’s useful to them, so they should have it for free, is only kidding themselves. Its amazing how many posters here are trying to justify stealing plugins.

As if its the software companies fault for having the nerve to ask you to pay for their product. Let’s not take for granted how amazing the technology behind all these plugins is. What do you think people did before plugins existed?

People still made recordings without big studios This idea that you HAVE to have plugins you can’t afford is crazy. The point of the guy’s article – you don’t NEED expensive plugins to make a good sounding song. Most DAWs come with all the tools you need anyway. Whatever happened to “well I can’t afford it, I’ll just do without.”? Cam Osteen.i completely understand your situationwho else could, if not me.i was and in a way,im still in the same situation,but thats not today’s debate.i used everything cracked,starting frm plugins,software.even windows(cuz im on win platform)yes i did! Haha, I’ve been saying this for years.

In fact it goes deeper. Psychology shows that a person’s involvement in a product causes them to think more highly of it. So if you paid $1000 for a product you will feel more inclined to get more out it. You’ll expect it to be worth $1000 and so you’ll work until you’ve figured it out. Yes, some of the more expensive plugins add extra character, developed over years of trial and error that free developers just don’t have the time or money to invest in. And yet, if you look at the Reason community you see that users have found ways to create their own sounds. I’ve never been a fan of the “stealing” perspective and comparisons with physical items.

There is no logical comparison, particularly if the said person actually couldn’t conceivably afford it. When money is being made is where I draw the line 🙂 Of course that’s more a matter of ones perspective and how we internally process the concept in our minds as to how we see it.

That being said, I always advise people to start saving and paying for plugins just as they would with their equipment, and soon you will see their quality improve. Your comment demonstrates what I mentioned about perception. There is an undeniable difference between stealing a lawnmower and downloading software illegally. The first robs someone of an actual lawnmower.

As in, they can’t cut their lawn, so they will have to buy one. Piracy leaves the company exactly where they already were. The differences in the results of the actions are inarguable. In not saying that makes piracy good, just pointing out inescapable differences.

However most people see things that way because they primarily believe piracy is wrong, but because they often can’t formulate a rule to describe why, they got it into existing models, with the nearest being physical theft. So then my question is, in a case where someone could not have possibly afforded software, therefore there is no potential loss of sale, how would you explain exactly what is wrong about this persons actions? And I don’t mean that as a rhetorical question or a challenge. I formed my own answer to that years ago when I decided to go from piracy to legitimate ownership in an almost overnight decision. So if there is no loss of sale, how could their action be considered wrong? When I share my idea it often makes people think divergently about whether they want to pirate 😉 because it doesn’t rely on broken analogies. Yeah I agree there’s a big difference between the two, but I still think it’s a very simple concept.

I create tutorial videos, for example. I make my living (support my wife and 3 kids) by selling those to people. I also buy a lot of tutorials and memberships around business-related stuff.

I think if something was created to be paid for, and we’re actively looking for a way to get it without paying for it, it’s morally wrong. Things like patent law exist to protect people from having their inventions “stolen.” Why is this any different? Well patent law exists to create a monopoly on a new market. Just look at all those patent trolls and trivial and broad “inventions” the digital sphere is now rife with.

But yes that’s an almost similar reason to mine, which is just that it’s dishonest 🙂 Although it’s easy to speak like this when it’s easy for me to afford expensive software and can confidently be sure I could afford just about anything on the market. In fact I thought like that even when I had very little, buying things everyone who had more money than me thought were too expensive. So perhaps mindset plays into it too. I steal all the plugins and then I donate to the companies I steal from, amounts that I think are fair. So for a $2000 plugin I would donate say, $200 to them which is what I can afford.

The way society is moving, there is no middle class so the outdated pricing model is done as far as I and most lower income people are concerned. Because of the widening gap in income levels, there needs to be an economy based upon that. If I was making millions a year I would pay $10000 for the plugin.

Makes a lot more sense. I don’t think you get what I am trying to say. The gap between rich and poor is widening. These plugin companies thinking they can continue charging thousands are dreaming. Those days are over.

People do not pay for music anymore, thus all prices from producer rates, studio rates, engineering, plugins, DAWs etc all have to come down by many, many percentages. Recording music is basically a hobby now even for those that have “made it” in the biz. Every year the number of sales decreases and it is going to get a lot worse. Eventually when all music is free, how much do you think these companies will charge? Probably something more in line with what I am willing to pay.

Yes, I can say that if I record the same part using the Gibson as opposed to the cheap Epiphone that yes, I sound better therefore it makes me appear better. If my mixes sound better because the plugin helps get sounds warmer or cleaner, then my mixes will seem better. Attaching quality to use of stolen plugins does not make sense. If Bob Rock stole the plugins and mixed The Black Album, it is still going to sound great. Now if he had to mix it on a BR16, no it is not going to sound great, I don’t care how hard he tries. Some of you asked how we would feel if nobody bought the songs we made well, the moment i will start making money with my music, i will start considering to legally buy the plug ins i used. But untill then, i dont wanna live on the street just cuz i spent my rent on music softwares in other words, if at this stage i start to learn how to use these expensive daws n plug ins i stole, there’s a remote chance that i will make some money out of my music and that in the future i will start to use part of this money to buy new cool plug ins or new libraries, thus giving some revenue to the developers.

On the other hand, if i couldnt steal these programs, i would learn a lot less stuff, killing the remote chance of making some money out of music. And in that case, i will give up on this hobby cuz it’s taking me nowhere, the music i make sounds cheap because i’m using cheesy free vsts (the rent, remember?) and vsts developers will never ever see a dime from me. I think this makes sense. It’s the same principle according to which if i buy a fake chanel bag for my gf, it doesnt mean chanel lost 1k dollars, because i wouldnt have bought the real one anyway. Some of you asked how we would feel if nobody bought the songs we made well, the moment i will start making money with my music, i will start considering to legally buy the plug ins i used. But untill then, i dont wanna live on the street just cuz i spent my rent on music softwares in other words, if at this stage i start to learn how to use these expensive daws n plug ins i stole, there’s a remote chance that i will make some money out of my music and that in the future i will start to use part of this money to buy new cool plug ins or new libraries, thus giving some revenue to the developers. On the other hand, if i couldnt steal these programs, i would learn a lot less stuff, killing the remote chance of making some money out of music.

And in that case, i will give up on this hobby cuz it’s taking me nowhere, the music i make sounds cheap because i’m using cheesy free vsts (the rent, remember?) and vsts developers will never ever see a dime from me. I think this makes sense. It’s the same principle according to which if i buy a fake chanel bag for my gf, it doesnt mean chanel lost 1k dollars, because i wouldnt have bought the real one anyway I think you’re clever enough to understand this. Pingback:. Wrong or not, it’s still not stealing.

Here’s a lawyer’s take on it: Though you do make a compelling point. Gear acquisition syndrome is potentially even more pernicious if you can just grab whatever the hell you want for free. Personally I do use pirated software; I will use stock plugins and freeware/stuff I can actually afford, but sometimes the best solution is a hugely expensive plugin that I will never be able to buy on my pitiful budget. So for me, “stealing” plugins hasn’t made my mixes worse. It’s made them better. Understandable sentiments on the morality of the issue, but the conclusion “stealing plugins makes your mixes worse” is nowhere established.

Cheap rhetorical excess. If a plugin has any practical utility at all, then it’s possible for one to “steal” it, learn to use it properly and judiciously, and have it enhance one’s mixes. Denying that is like denying that cocaine feels good because it’s illegal! Anyway, the moral debate is fraught with rhetorical excess too. IP sharing is problematic, but it’s not really accurate to call it “theft”. Traditionally theft requires someone to be deprived of the stolen item. That’s why stealing a car is such a dirty rotten thing – cuz you’ve deprived an innocent person of a car.

IP sharing just isn’t like that, at all. In a sense, it’s almost the opposite. Yes, it’s still a problematic issue and needs to be addressed, but if we are to honor our IQ’s, we should use more sober and realistic language to talk about it. I think the theory that this is based on is that if you “steal” a copy ov something rather than “purchasing” it, then the author ov that package is deprived ov the (fair!) profit that he would have otherwise got.

So by taking a copy without paying for it you are effectively stealing his.potential. income for that sale. This works the same for if you download a bands music instead ov buying it (unless they offer it for free, but then they are fools). However this is in some ways flawed logic because it is assuming that the person who “stole” the copy would have indeed “purchased” it if they couldn’t have taken it for free. But usually this is not the case on the internet. Nowadays if someone can’t get it free (either legitimately or not), then they simply don’t want it. Essentially it was a sale that would have NEVER been anyway.

When someone one day releases the “Make Everything Instantly Sound Awesome (M.E.I.S.A)” plugin I’ll buy it, even if it costs $666 dollars. П˜‰ Until then I’ll not pay a cent for any plugin. A lot ov free ones work really well. I don’t need many cause I have EARS! Hehe Lately though however, the only digital functionality I have been using during a major mastering project (100 band mp3 comp disc) is Normalise & volume adjustment. Those aren’t plugins at all. All my mastering has been through an analogue signal chain consisting ov the preamp in a Foxtex R8, a Yamaha EQ (with spectrum analyzer), a Kvltronics Mangler & a little Alesis Nano-Compressor.

This chain has gotten pretty much all the tracks on the comp to within 1-2db ov each other in terms ov perceived volume and has made them phat sounding (pro sounding) as hell to boot.! You can get the Classic series from the Acoustica site I could list a ton of free ones that are well worth the downloads (and my site, which is getting re-done at the moment lists them + others) but the bottom line is that an EQ EQ’s, a Compressor Compresses, and a Reverb, well, verbs! There are a LOT of different ones that have different tones & ways of working, but the bottom line is if you do not know how to use them, they are all useless & will drown you in a sea of presets that teach ya nothing. Take it from me, at one point last year I had over 600 VST-VSTi’s on my system, and tho I had fun running thru the sounds, I never finished a track all the wayI have a ton of “demos”, but nothing finished. But there have been a few keepers, like Ambiance, GlaceVerb and SIR reverbs with the free Bricasti M7 IR’s, PushTec 5+1 A EQ, and the entire TbT collection. Grease Tube & ToW compressor’s are the bomb on bass, and the TLs Maximizer is a great Master Limiter.and The Price Is Right for all of them! I have also recently purchased the Don’t Crack (now Plug & Mix) collection of effects.

Simple to use, sounds good, and are different enough to add to the native S1 effects. And I saved for over 6 months to get this $299 collection, but in the end I will get free effects as they come out, so it is worth the investment.

I use mostly stock plugins as well; however, there are some great freeware plugins floating around that I do use ALOT on my projects, but I personally don’t think the average consumer can hear the difference between a little higher quality plugin over my stocked ones LOL (I know engineers can! Which is why I use some freeware plugins on my projects that are WORTH adding to my arsenal.

Overall, DON’T STEAL! (Doesn’t anyone have morals anymore.sigh.) And if you want to try the freeware plugin route try to avoid being a freeware junkie (basically someone swept into downloading as many free stuff as possible and forgetting the purpose of making music.

That was me a couple months ago, but I am now rehabilitated LOL). I used to download stuff all the time, or just get a copy from someone else until Microsoft caught me! I have since had a moment of clarity, where it IS stealing, and this notion that people feel they’re “entitled” to things drives me crazy! I continue having this arguement with a friend of mine that wants my password to my Netflix account so he can get it without paying! However, I agree with Jason that they need to come up with something else to protect their product I’m scared to death something’s going to happen to my ilok, and I’m going to have to pay through the nose just access stuff I’ve already bought! I had my iLOK die on me and you have to buy a new one, or have a spare. You have to send in the old one to verify the licenses that are on it.

I think a better system needs to be used as my Pro Tools was unusable for almost 3 weeks. I do have a spare one now but rarely use Pro Tools. I use mostly all the stock plugins because I have have come up with a lot of presets in The Pro Channel of Sonar X1 expanded. Studio One V2 is an awesome program and has some great plugins. Blue cat has some pretty good free plugins and you can find them At the bottom. I also have have several other plugins I bought and rarely use. Learn to master what you have and your mixes will go much quicker without having to search for 20 minutes.

I know I’m guilty of it myself. I usually use Sonar X1 expanded with all the additional comps and Fx. I have about 30 presets for what I want to use it for and the channel is already preset with the plugins for say vocal or drums.

It’s like having a channel strip available on every audio, bus, and master fader. The workflow is very fast. I also use Studio One V2 it’s fast and easy to use.

I like to master in studio one also. I refused to upgrade to 10 because it was over priced and it’s not yet 64 bit. The upgrades to clip gain etc.

Was not a major leap forward. No offline rendering and Sonar and Studio one both have clip gain.

Pro Tools is a good program but my workflow in Sonar and Studio one is much faster as both are basically drag and drop with bi-directional drag and drop. I might upgrade to Pro Tools when they go 64 bit. That’s my reasons for not using it. Lol a studio owner I know told me about some kid on Craigslist selling thumb-drives packed with stolen plugins. The guy confronted him about it and, he swears, that the kid DID NOT think he was doing anything wrong.moral OR legal. On another note, I bought NI Reaktor 5’s Prism plugin and it was such a hassle to install due to all the “anti-piracy” protocol. If plugin companies wanna keep paying customers, they need to find a way to protect themselves while also keeping the verification process clean and somewhat hassle free IMO.

I have my own story that is similar. (no I didnt rob anyone, keep reading) I bought EZdrummer and a few EZX’s off a guy on ebay, being slightly naive about these sort of things, I bought it at a “too good to be true” price because it seemed like the seller was trying to get rid of it. I received 1 CD followed by an email from the seller on how to get all of what I bought out of the 1 CD, if this wasn’t suspicious enough, he also gave me a link to a Key Generator to crack the software so I could use it. I went through an inner debate for a while being that I had actually spent money on this and I came to a final conclusion – -For all of us that are looking to “make it” in music, how can we possibly expect to get that far if we are using stolen/hacked materials to get there?

If you slave away for hours just to come out with a single and then it gets passed around and no ones buys it, wouldn’t you be upset? I’m not saying by us being honorable and not stealing/torrenting/copying etc. We will stop people doing the same to us, but theres always the idea of Karma. We cant expect to become well known honest people trying to do what we love if we’re taking things that other people love from them. Yeah I think that’s called “plugin frenzy” or something LOL. It comes down to, not being the best engineer, but having the best studio, collecting a bunch of crazy plugins but barely even using them. Instead of taking the time to learn any of them, it becomes easier to hunt for and download a new one that might somehow magically transform their music into hits.

If it doesn’t within a few clicks or after trying a couple presets, move on and download some more. Super sad IMO!! I think its also similar to the guy who polishes and supes up his ’67 Camaro or whatever and NEVER drives itthough that guys not breaking any laws.