AVID ILok?

[bayswater]

I wanted to replace my iLok1 with iLok2, and googled local places for prices. The search turned up "AVID iLok" and nothing else. Does AVID own Pace? Or is there a specific version of the iLok for AVID software?

[frankf]

Pace makes and sells iLok, Avid owns ProTools which uses iLok. Buy iLok2 from iLok.com or Amazon or Guitar Center or lots of places


Frank Ferrucci

[bayswater]

Pace makes and sells iLok, Avid owns ProTools which uses iLok. Buy iLok2 from iLok.com or Amazon or Guitar Center or lots of places


Frank Ferrucci

Thanks Frank. That's what I had always assumed. Do you have any idea why the local stores would be be advertising "AVID iLok"? Is there some branded version AVID is flogging? If so, I'm concerned about it only working with AVID stuff.

E.g., see http://www.long-mcquade.com/products/11 ... Lok_II.htm

Edit: I see B&H has a "MacDSP iLok" What's going on here?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... Smart.html

[Shooshie]

[...] Do you have any idea why the local stores would be be advertising "AVID iLok"? Is there some branded version AVID is flogging? If so, I'm concerned about it only working with AVID stuff.

E.g., see http://www.long-mcquade.com/products/11 ... Lok_II.htm

Edit: I see B&H has a "MacDSP iLok" What's going on here?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... Smart.html

That IS a little strange. I don't think there is any deal between Pace and Avid or McDSP. I think it's most likely just the tendency for stores to group products that tend to be bought together. You need an iLok if you buy Pro Tools, so they put one there. That it has Avid "branded" on each appearance of it probably has more to do with their page layout software and the people using it than any official relationship between the two. It used to be that when you bought MOTU's Mach5 or Symphonic Instrument, they came with an iLok. Later you had to buy them separately. I wonder if any store ever sold a "MOTU iLok."

But that's the scenario I gradually built in my mind to explain it. The fact is that it strikes me as very strange when I look at it. Just being rational about it, I think Pace would have a hard time making different versions of the iLok for different products. It just doesn't seem likely.

Shooshie

[bayswater]

The MacDSP version appears to be iLok1, so if there is a deal, it's been in place for a long time. The B&H site goes into an explanation of sorts, implying that companies are actually selling their own branded versions of the iLok to go with their products. Amazon has links to Pace iLoks and AVID iLoks.

In retrospect, I guess it makes sense when you look at the elicenser dongles. I have one from Steinberg, but another that says Korg on it. They do the same thing.

[frankf]

Some software requires iLok2 and the key cannot be installed on iLok 1. I think all iLok 1 keys can be ported to iLok 2. Maybe there are some that cannot. The Avid branding is I-don't-know-what. Just make sure you buy an iLok2 and you will be fine.


Frank Ferrucci

[bayswater]

Right. I have an iLok1. There have been a lot of trials lately I couldn't do because they need iLok2. I'll be picking one up tomorrow.

It is curious, but I've now seen a lot of references to AVID iLok on many vendor sites who specifically refer to and AVID branded iLok. And AVID has a reference to it as a product on their own site, although the links that goes to are removed. See here:
http://www.avid.com/US/resources/digi-orientation

Looks like there was some sort of branding agreement between Pace and AVID. Maybe even, who knows, a plan to acquire AVID. Although you can imagine why any agreement like that that might have fallen through.