Has anyone ever had one plugin license impact the function of another plugin license?

[BillytheB]

Some weeks ago I posted a thread about a plugin authorization error with Avid plugins within pro tools. Basically, I would open one project and everything would be fine and I could work without hinderance. If I closed that project to open another I would get a plugin authorization error for any avid plugin in the project. It didn't really matter which one, however I don't use that many of the bundled plugins.

No one here or on any other forum had any helpful experience to glean from so I contacted ilok since it it happened to start after I updated the Slate Virtual Mix Rack and my ilok license management software. They came back with suggestions for work arounds but nothing seemed to fix the problem. They sent me specific instruction on how to send my system information to them. Despite several attempts at following their directions to the letter it would appear that my "selective startup" wasn't being selective and that things were getting started that weren't supposed to. In any case, everything had been working fine until this update. Now I couldn't get through a day without stopping and restarting the licensing service between every project I had to open.

When all their suggestions had failed to fix or truly identify the problem I decided to move up my plan to build a new PC about 5 months and just do it now. So I did. When I finally installed Pro Tools, and all my other plugins the error returned on a new machine with a new OS. The only thing that was tied to the old machine was my "test" project. I was able to get the same error. I was flabbergasted!

The night I built the machine I installed all the latest motherboard drivers, etc, updated windows. The next morning I installed Pro Tools 11.3.1 and my plugins. I took the machine to work and connected it to the system to run some tests. This is when I saw the same Authorization error again. WTF. Eventually that day I decided to start over again, wipe the drive and just do the OS and Pro Tools to see if that caused any issues. As I suspected, it was fine. I iopened and closed a bunch of projects. All the 3rd party plugs were missing but every Avid plugin opened perfectly. Convinced I did something right that time I installed all my other plugins. The error returned. I spent another couple days thinking it was the Ilok License manager. It eventurally occurred to me that the reason I updated the management software was because the Slate plugin asked me to. Then I started suspecting the Slate plugins could be the cause.

Not having all day every day to test the stuff I got on with work using the old computer for some tracking dates. I could control that situation enough that I could keep the error from happening or happening very little. The only Avid plugin in the tracking session was Click It. I got through the work and now I'm back at this problem because I'm getting near mix on a record I started in June.

The new machine is still on the side lines because I'm waiting on something before I make the switch. I'm probably going to have to re-install everything again and then install one plugin package at a time and test in between to see which one triggers the error. While the ilok licensing software might have some role I am suspecting that another plugin is usurping the licensing service from the Avid plugs and keeping them from opening. I can't even bounce an mp3 when I'm having this problem. This problem began on a Tuesday and here it is many Tuesdays later and I'm not any closer to fixing it.

[YYR123]

You trashed prefs? I would have started there.

So with no slate plugs you are fine, but with Slate plugs installed you get Avid plugin errors on all Avid plugs?

Is this Air plugs also? Air VI’s also? XPand and the like?

No other issues with other 3rd party plugs?

[BillytheB]

Originally Posted by YYR123

You trashed prefs? I would have started there.

I did. As well as uninstalling pro tools and reinstalling it on the computer where all of this started. No change.

Originally Posted by YYR123

So with no slate plugs you are fine, but with Slate plugs installed you get Avid plugin errors on all Avid plugs?

I don't know this for sure as testing it methodically hasn't been something I've been able to really engage in. I suspect the slate plugins could be the problem because the whole thing started when I updated that package and the ilok License Management Software.

Originally Posted by YYR123

Is this Air plugs also? Air VI’s also? XPand and the like?

I haven't tested those as I don't use them. I actually didn't even install them on the new computer. Considering the mp3 encoder is a licensed managed asset within pro tools I'd guess the Air plugins would be effected. Again, I don't know because I don't use them.

Originally Posted by YYR123

No other issues with other 3rd party plugs?

When it first occurred it also effected McDSP plugins, Sonnox, and I think Brainworks, and Izotope. I would get authorization errors for those upon opening a project. I'd have to look through my downloads folder to see if there were others because I downloaded the latest versions of all those plugins and reinstalled them. They all have worked fine since then.

When I had the problem with the new computer it was only with the Avid plugins. Because that machine isn't ready for primetime yet I haven't been doing much with it. I plan to rebuild it all into a new rackmount case and I'll probably do one more full install of the OS and applications. Until then, the new computer is not in service however I remain concerned about the issue on this clean system.

Last week I had a tracking session with a full band. As an experiment for the project I used only the Slate VMR on the channels to get a little comp and EQ for the monitor mix. I had a slate compressor on the master. Aside from those 2 slate plugin types, the only other plugin was clickit. I used the same project starting point for each new song. Same everything. I could go forward without any problems. Meaning I could record a song, save it, create a new session and use the same template (File: Import: Session settings or whatever). If I went backwards, meaning opened a previous project from that day I might encounter the error on Click It. If I didn't get the error on the first trip revisiting a previous project then I would get it upon trying to start another new one. Do you follow that?

Record song 1, record song 2, record song 3, check song 2, start song 4 - Click It gets an error.

Or

Record song 1, record song 2, record song 3, check song 1 - click it gets an error.

I was working so I didn't go back and repeat these things and waste time. I would immediately close Pro Tools, restart the Pace Licensing Service and proceed until I needed to do it again. During three 9 hour tracking days, I'd say I had to do that maybe 3 times each day over the course of the sessions. Fortunately this only took a couple minutes to execute and it worked every time. I felt terrible having to be distracted by it but I kept things moving quickly.

[64GTOBOY]

I don't know if it helps but I can tell you that on one upgrade my Waveshell or the path or something got corrupted and for some weird reason it kept IK and one other dev's plugins(I don't remember the second) from being located also. I reinstalled the Waves stuff and everything started working again without a hitch. I have read that some people have issues with some Slate stuff but I don't have any so I didn't pay close enough attention. You might try searching for problems with Slate plugins and see what comes up.

[Southsidemusic]

Same issues as 64GTOBOY said. Everytime we doneany updates or upgrades with PT our waves plugins stops working. Everytime

We have done away with almost all Waves stuff andonly have a few of them as sessions we will be remixing for artists who we sold songs to might want a few remixes and thats all.

No more waves as there are soooooo many better alternatives out there. We use Slate Everything Bundle and UA (all of their plugins) and some KUSH and Sonnox and a few random developers like Cytomic and iZotope. The rest are in the unused folder except waves mercury bundle which was sold to some poor sucker who wrote me a few months ago telling us how much problems they have had with installing waves and WUP's etc ... Bye Bye Waves.

[BillytheB]

This is a tough situation because the issue with with Avid plugins but I don't have any support available for that. They're certainly not going to update their PT 11 plugin libraries.

I've had a little downtime today to experiment but no solutions. I can recreate the error every time. I'm not sure what good it does unless I can get the same scenario to play out on the other computer. I don't really have time right now to do all that switching around. I'll keep it in mind for the weekend. I don't want to fully screw up my main computer and get it where it's not working correctly as I've got work to do and broken computers aren't good for the schedule.

I have some preamp cards to refurb and I'd rather be working on that instead of meaninglessly opening and closing projects.

[YYR123]

Post your system specs

OS version
Hardware
CPU, GPU, hard drive type and spec

[BillytheB]

Originally Posted by YYR123

Post your system specs

OS version
Hardware
CPU, GPU, hard drive type and spec

This is in my system profile but I don't know how to make it a signature. Main system SSD is a Kingston MSata, GPU is a Radeon reference card ATI 4870

Main system that originally had the issue...
Pro Tools 11.3.1 - GA-Z77X-UP5 TH mobo | i7 3770k | 16 gigs RAM | Win7/64 | Audio Drive 2TB RAID0 | Data & Backup 2TB RAID1 | OS drive 256 gig SSD | Apogee AD/DA16x -> Tascam DM4800 -> IF-FWDM-mk2 via Apple FW to Thunderbolt adapter -

New build that's not fully complete that also had the same errror. Not everything in the list is integrated yet.
Pro Tools 11.3.1 - Asus X299 TUF Mark 1 | i7 7820x | 16 gigs RAM | Win10/64 | Radeon 3100 GPU
Apogee AD/DA16x -> Tascam DM4800 -> Motu 112d via Thunderbolt