Hi Folks,There will be a break in service for the next couple of weeks for our summer holidays. Normal service will be resumed in early August.See you then.Mike.

If you aren't covered by ZDT then you can still use the iLok RMA procedure and send them the broken iLok, but you will be without your plug-ins until PACE have received your damaged iLok and validated it. That could be up to two weeks or so, as ZDT iLoks will take priority! Also note that PACE will only replace the iLok free of charge if it just stopped working and was found to be defective under their warranty terms. If was damaged by force (and this includes accidental damage) then you will need to buy a new iLok too. If you are covered by ZDT and your iLok gets lost or stolen then PACE will still provide you with a set of two-week temporary licences. However they won't be able to supply you with replacement full licences, as there is no iLok to analyse to prove what was really on it. Under these circumstances you will need to contact each software manufacturer and plead your case with each one, as they have different policies on replacing lost licences. Obviously you will also need a new iLok, too, but that will probably be the least of your worries. PACE and iLok.com operate a seven-day period of grace from the day when you take out ZDT to the day when they will provide temporary licences. This is to prevent you trying to subscribe to the service 'after the event'. However PACE haven't missed a trick, and if you are caught without ZDT you can bypass the seven-day grace period by paying an expediency fee of $100! There are a small number of software developers who are not fully involved with ZDT: The main ones are Waves and DUY Research but Pace will warn you during the sign up process exactly which software publishers aren’t covered. Even if you have ZDT, you will still need to deal directly with these manufacturers if you lose or damage an iLok containing an authorisation for one of their plug-ins. Consequently, you should consider having these manufacturers' plug-in licences on a different iLok, as if a problem arises, you may need to send the appropriate iLok to the appropriate Vendor rather than to PACE. These Vendors all have the ability to provide temporary licences to you but you will need to deal with each one separately. Waves state in their FAQ that they won't reissue replacement licences for a lost or stolen iLok and that you should insure against its loss: don't forget to arrange cover for the value of all the software authorised on it and not just the value of the iLok itself! As for defective or damaged iLoks, Waves advise you to follow the iLok.com RMA procedure. Then contact Waves Tech Support (using the Tech Support link in your Waves account), and send them your email correspondence with PACE to confirm the return of the defective iLok key. Make sure to include the old iLok key serial number and the RMA number in the email, and once PACE have validated the damaged iLok, Waves will 'reset your account'.

Waves are continuing their 20% discount on the Silver Bundle I referred to at the beginning of this month.The good news is that they are also offering a 20% discount on these...From more details go over to the Specials page on the Waves site.

Brent Heber has just posted this. I have seen it before but seeing it again reminds me how good it is. So if the customer is screwing you into the ground then take a break and watch this...

Zero Down Time PACE also offer a Zero Down Time package that is designed to get you back up as soon as possible after an iLok loss or failure. You should note that it is something you must sign up for before you lose your iLok, and it is a paid upgrade service available from iLok.com. With ZDT you can be back up within 15 to 20 minutes, but without it, it could be several weeks before you finally get sorted.ZDT is a kind of insurance policy and costs $30 per iLok per year or until the service is used. To use it, log into your account on the iLok.com site and follow the RMA (Return Merchandise Authorisation) procedure. The site will automatically deposit two-week temporary licenses for all your covered plug-ins into your iLok account. You then use the site to download those temporary licenses in the normal way onto a spare iLok and you are back in business. Now, as instructed, send the damaged iLok to PACE immediately. Once they have analysed it and validated it, they will put replacement full unlimited licenses into your account for you to download before the temporary licenses expire. As this process can take up to two weeks it is vitally important to get the damaged iLok off to them ASAP! Otherwise you will end up without cover, as the temporary licenses will have run out and PACE won't have validated the damaged iLok to enable them to supply you with replacement licenses. The damaged iLok has to go back to PACE in the USA, so it can take some time for them to receive and analyse it, and PACE are not legally permitted by the Vendors to replace the licenses without having done this. If your iLok is found to be damaged beyond repair or recognition so that PACE are unable to validate what licenses are held on it, you will need to claim from your insurance company for the loss.

I received an email this morning with some more details and a demo extension offer.... A lot of our users requested a way to adjust how Wave Rider treats quiet parts of the audio track. Now, with the new Low Level Detection, and the help of "Silence Level" and "Behaviour" sliders, you can dial in the perfect combination that will give you the most natural volume riding.Overall, we believe that this version of Wave Rider is far more responsive and natural than previous versions, and worth another look.This is why we are offering another 17 day extension via iLok® for users who have used up their demo license period.You can download the latest Wave Rider installer from here.The upgrade is free to existing users. You should have received your license already. If you are a paid user and would like an iLok® license, contact us at ilok@quietart.co.nz Enjoy!

Back in May I posted about a new application called Wave Rider. I also pointed out that the developer was monitoring the thread on the DUC closely. Well now Wave Rider is up to v1.4. This from the web site... We have listened to user feedback and brought major improvements to Wave Rider algorithm with this latest version.Now, with the new low level detection, and the help of "Silence Level" and "Behaviour" sliders, you can dial in the perfect combination that will give you the most natural volume riding.Other improvement is the response time. Now, Wave Rider generated automation lags only 40ms rather than 300ms, thanks to the redesign of the Midi driver. Also, this version of Wave Rider supports iLok® authorization.You can download a 17 day fully functional trial from here.I really must get round to trying this out for myself.Anybody tried it out? If so please post your comments here.

Buying An iLok You can buy blank iLoks direct from PACE via the Buy section of iLok.com, or from Digidesign and their dealers. Additionally, Sonic Distribution are official distributors in Europe, and you can buy iLoks from their site at www.sonic-distribution.com. As well as iLoks themselves, PACE also sell a short USB extension cable they call a Dongle Buddy. Like any other hardware device, the iLok is susceptible to damage, and PACE found that a lot of the iLoks that had failed had been broken by for example, moving the computer too close to the wall or dropping something onto the keyboard. By taking the tension off the iLok, the Dongle Buddy helps to protect it from accidental damage. It has to be said, though, that the vast majority of iLoks work without any problem, and if you suspect your iLok is starting to fail, you can be pre-emptive and buy a new one before transferring the licences across for free, with no down time!

Here's a 10% voucher coupon that you may use until August 31 on any audio plug-ins sold at DontCrac[k]. Simply enter the following code in the "Redeem" box at checkout. Discount Coupon : SUMMERTIME09 This coupon can be used on all discounted products sold at DontCrac[k] including bundles such as Flux, Sonnox, Nomad Factory, PSP, Wave Arts, etc.

This is an excellent new service from Waves. So often one of their plug-ins is the right tool for the job but it is too expensive to buy just for that job. With this new service that never needs to be a limitation.From their announcement...For tracking, mixing, mastering, restoration, or live—whatever your sound field, you require the very best audio signal processing available. Now, you can rent the Waves you need to give your next project the extra edge. For a week or for a month, rent Waves plug-ins, and get the job done—professionally.For more information go the new Waves Rental Store.For example for an occasional surround job you could rent the 360 Surround Tools TDM bundle for $263 for 7 days or the Native version for $143.Just remember the rental starts from the point you authorize your iLok and not from when you first start using it.

To transfer between different accounts ($25)Transferring licenses between different accounts (also known as transfer of ownership) is a very similar process to transferring within your own account and is great if you want to buy and sell any plug-ins from other users. It is handled securely by iLok.com, but be aware that this type of transfer is not free and iLok.com will charge you $25 per license to transfer ownership. So, for example, if you bought an upgrade with one the Massive Pack deals and you found you already owned some of the plug-ins in the bundle, you could sell the duplicates to a friend — if the software publisher makes it possible. Some allow for iLok-to-iLok transfer within an account, and some don't; however, iLok.com will tell you if they don't. Also, some companies don't allow any transfer of licenses at all. It is down to each software publisher's business policies.So it is worth checking with a software publisher before you try to buy or sell a plug-in, in case they do not allow transfers and you end up buying a plug-in you can't transfer onto your own iLok! It is up to the individual software publishers to determine what transfers they will permit under the terms of their license to you as the end user, but of course you all read and are fully conversant with the terms and conditions of each software license... after all, nobody would consider just clicking OK to the 'Have you read the term and conditions' tick box without studying them in detail, would they?Another factor to be aware of is that although iLok.com will email the software publisher to inform them of the license transfer, and note that the software publisher won't necessarily provide support for transferred plug-ins: as before, it is their choice.

Waves have introduced a new download that enables you to choose which plug-ins or bundles you want to install and then downloads from Waves' site just the installers you need and manages the install. WOLI has just come out in public beta and is only available for Mac users at the moment. For more info go the the Waves download site.

Digidesign have announced that a small number of Windows users maybe getting this "Divide by Zero" error after installing to the Pro Tools 8 cs3 upgrade. This from the Knowledge Base... Why do I get "Could not complete your request because Integer error occurred (divide by zero) at address: 0x620A9C77 in module: DAE.dll" when launching Pro Tools LE 8.0cs3 on Windows? This error is caused by a Windows Registry modification that prevents 8.0cs3 from launching with a Digi 002/003. It should only occur on systems where a first-time install of 8.0 was never launched before updating to cs3.There is a script to download that will modify the Registry and allow cs3 to launch.For more info and the download click here to go to the new Knowledge Base entry for this problem

Our Mike Thornton writes the Pro Tools Notes, Techniques and Workshop articles for Sound on Sound as well as reviewing many of the new Pro Tools related products. Note that you will need to be a subscriber to view the recent articles or you can choose to Click & Buy individual ones.   Pro Tools: Top Tips, Notes & Techniques -  Click to continue Mike's newcomer guide to Pro Tools with a selection of techniques that every user should know.

I have often thought that there was a big jump between the Native Power Pack and Gold bundle both in terms of plug-ins and price.Well it seems like Waves have heard me a while back and and quietly introduced the Silver Bundle and now they have put it on offer this month!What's in it?It has the same plug-ins as the NPPL1 UltramaximiserQ10 EqualizerDoublerRenaissance AxxC1 DynamicsDeEsserSuperTap 6-tapTrueverbS1 Stereo ImagerIR1 Convolution Reverband adds to that...Renaissance EQRenaissance CompressorMaxxBassEnigmaMondoModPAZ AnalyzerPricesNative Power Pack $550Silver Bundle normally $900 but with 20% discount during July now $720Gold Bundle $1300So to my eyes the Silver Bundle is a great deal this month. It seems as if Waves are listening.