Ultimate Perpetual license on same iLok as Standard license

[rimskykorsakov]

Hello community ,


after 14 years and 3 months of being a member of this Forum, I finally decided to ask a question :


I currently own a “ProTools Standard” Perpetual License , including already paid support/update plans until the year 2030 .
Now I want to take advantage of AVID’s recent special offer and buy a ProTools CARBON Interface to get a free Permanent license for “ProTools Ultimate”,
but without buying any further support/update plan for this license.

I will install “ProTools Ultimate” on its own dedicated MacPro2013 , which I run under OS Mojave , and that I won’t update anymore ,
so a current “ProTools Ultimate” version that works on this system hopefully doesn’t need to be updated either in the future .



My question :


When I add a “ProTools Ultimate” license into my existing AVID account and store the “ProTools Ultimate” license on the same iLok where my “ProTools Standard” license and its support plans are stored ,
could this “ProTools Ultimate” license kind of overwrite the “ProTools Standard” license and its related already paid support plans ?

Should I create a new AVID account , dedicated for the perpetual “ProTools Ultimate” license only to avoid any issue between the Ultimate and the Standard licenses ?
Or is it enough to store this license on a different iLok key ?

Thanks in advance for any infos and insights on this ,
best
Gerd

[Ben Jenssen]

Hi Gerd, and congratulations on your first post on the DUC!

I don't pretend to know everything about this topic, but I'll just start off with what I do know. This time of the day there is usually less activity here, I guess because it's still early in the day in North America, so you should have more answers in the coming hours.

First, an installation of PT contains both standard and ultimate, so it's the license that decides what features you get when you start PT. So, no separate installers. One installer only.

I don't think you should create a separate iLok account. There is no reason for it, it might just involve problems. You can have many different PT licenses on your iLok account, no problem, then you use the iLok License manger app to "install" one or more onto a specific iLok dongle.

If you want to use the two licenses at two different locations at the same time, you will of course need two dongles. Same ilok account, two iLoks.
Good luck.

[rimskykorsakov]

Hello Ben ,
thank you so much for the infos , much appreciated !
Very helpful , indeed.


Best wishes , and "Tusen takk "
Gerd

[DetroitT]

Carbon requires macOS 10.15

[Obsidian Dragon]

To add to this discussion, If you have both Protools Standard and Protools Ultimate on one iLok dongle, I believe Protools will launch Protools Ultimate given that it is the more featured version of Protools that you are authorized to run. I would suggest getting a second iLok dongle (about $50 USD) for the Protools Ultimate license. Both Protools licenses and iLok dongles can be under the same iLok account but place each license on a separate iLok dongle. That way you are clear to insert only the iLok dongle for the desired version of Protools you want to run.

In the future when your Protools Ultimate license lapses due to not updating the Perpetual Annual Upgrade and Support plan, that license will be locked into the last version you were able to upgrade to at the time. There are essentially no reinstatement licenses available anymore. If you opt to continue to update Protools Ultimate with the Annual Upgrade and Support plan, that is your choice.

For your Protools Standard license, you may continue your Annual Upgrade and Support plan (through 2030) as you have been doing already.

If you happen to place both licenses onto one iLok dongle, when the Protools Ultimate lapses, it may continue to only launch that locked version of Protools Ultimate and not the continually updated version of Protools Standard that you paid through 2030.

[rimskykorsakov]

Originally Posted by DetroitT

Carbon requires macOS 10.15

Oh , thank you , good to know , DetroitT!! Very important info !

Best

Gerd

[rimskykorsakov]

Originally Posted by Obsidian Dragon

To add to this discussion, ...

Lots of valuable infos , which answers all my questions ! Really appreciate your help , Dragon !


Best
Gerd

[albee1952]

A bit more info:
1-keeping 2 licenses on the same iLok is a bad idea for a few reasons(happy to share if it matters). Either move 1 license to a second iLok(which I also recommend), or simply deactivate one license. That puts it back into your "available" licenses(this would be handy in case you ran into a situation where you needed to open PT, but forgot your iLok. You could start a "cloud" session if you had an internet connection).
2-the installer for Pro Tools and Pro Tools Ultimate are actually the same installer. Its the iLok license that tells the software which features to unlock

[rimskykorsakov]

Originally Posted by albee1952

A bit more info:
1-keeping 2 licenses on the same iLok is a bad idea for a few reasons(happy to share if it matters). Either move 1 license to a second iLok(which I also recommend), or simply deactivate one license. That puts it back into your "available" licenses(this would be handy in case you ran into a situation where you needed to open PT, but forgot your iLok. You could start a "cloud" session if you had an internet connection).

Thank you albee1952 for this advice !!!
Much appreciated

Best,
Gerd

[sdelsolray]

One problem with using two iLoks is that many needed third party plugins will only be on one of the iLoks and not the other.