PC Processors

[walvest]

I’ve discovered that the essential licensing software for music production, iLok License Manager, does not run on the 9900X. Additionally, the DAW program Cakewalk, while it installs on the 9900X, does not function properly when executed. UA Connect, which is necessary to use UAD plugins, also fails to run. Since many programs, virtual instruments, and plugins rely on iLok License Manager, it is currently impossible to produce music on the 9900X.

I’ve seen other users on Reddit experiencing the same issues with the 9900X and 9950X. It’s surprising to see such problems with well-established programs like iLok and Cakewalk, which have been consistently updated and have run smoothly on any computer until now. I hope AMD can provide a solution to this issue soon.

[misterj]

BobbyMarioJackson86, what processor are you using; Zen 5? These all sound like software problems. Have you reported them to the provider? If not, please do. John.

[BobbyMarioJackson86]

I am using a Ryzen 9 9900x Windows 11. 

I had the same issues with Ilok and the team at ilok sent me a hot fix. After running the hot fix I managed to get ilok license manager running and began to install my plugins. The previous message had the results of the plugin tests. 

[misterj]

Thanks, BobbyMarioJackson86. Do the errors occur on older AMD processors? Did you report the problems to the software provider(s)? John.

[BobbyMarioJackson86]

From the blogs I've read, older AMD processors work without issue. This is my first PC in 10years, just migrated from Apple. I have sent mails to Slate, SSL as well as ilok. 

[misterj]

BobbyMarioJackson86, I do not know what the error is but know that Zen 5 has the Instruction Extension AVX512 that is new to Ryzen. Your software may be seeing this and executing code for the first time. Needs Debugging and testing. I recommend you give a link to this thread to all your software vendors. Some of this kind of software brags about their support for Apple and Intel but does not mention AMD. Thanks, John.

[BobbyMarioJackson86]

From blog I've read. Previous processors have been running without any hassle. This is my first PC in a while. Migrated from Apple. 

Blessed 

[misterj]

Blessed, did you give a link to this thread to ALL your software vendors? John.

[BobbyMarioJackson86]

I have tried to respond and send the details 3 times. Not sure why it keeps getting removed ?? 

[misterj]

Blessed, are you talking about here or your SW vendors? John.

[BobbyMarioJackson86]

Apologies my cellphone wasn't showing replies. So I have just sent this thread to all the vendors. Waiting to see their response. The computer company has suggested I switch cpu to the 7950x. Gonna give a week a see. Thank you 

[misterj]

 BobbyMarioJackson86, I would suggest to you to suggest to them to fix their software and test it, especially on AMD processors. Maybe they will send you a 7950X. I hope you realize that I am a user like you and do not represent AMD in any way. John.

[Dotje]

It's paradoxical that a new CPU release can cause Ilok software to become incompatible. Instead of actively addressing the issue, suggesting users downgrade to older hardware is a suboptimal solution. This approach imposes additional costs (CPU, Motherboard, Memory) on customers to resolve a problem that could be easily fixed with software updates. The reliance of Ilok and vendors on the assumed compatibility of their codebase, without rigorous testing, is concerning. It appears that marketing priorities have overshadowed the importance of quality assurance and customer support

[desmond_dales]

It's not a paradox. If you look at ilok license manager, sorry...pace license support (they can't even name the program same as installed app) it's pretty old. Installer looks like it came from windows xp times and haven't changed a lot. So it's no surprise that their ancient spaghetti code cannot properly address instructions on new processors. All blame goes on ilok, because they maybe fired all programmers long ago and now they struggle to solve the problem. 

[reutech]

Following with interest.

[Dotje]

When I informed my vendors about the issue, their responses were underwhelming. Many suggested basic solutions like reinstalling iLok or the software itself, and even Windows as a last resort. However, this seems to be a widespread problem that is often overlooked. I reported this back in July, but it was dismissed as a unique incident rather than a compatibility issue. This lack of attention is frustrating and leaves users feeling unsupported. Hopefully, sharing this information here will help others find solutions and maintain their sanity.

[misterj]

Thanks, Dotje. I looked at several of the various vendors and found one that bragged about testing on Apple and Intel with no mention of AMD. It is really important that you users keep the pressure on the vendors. John.

[Dotje]

Introduction

The world of digital audio production has been rocked by a significant compatibility issue involving Ilok-protected plugins and AMD 9900x/9950x processors. This crisis has left many users frustrated and disappointed, as they are unable to access their purchased software.

The Problem

Since the release of the AMD 9900x and 9950x processors, many users have reported that their Ilok-protected plugins are incompatible. This has resulted in significant disruptions to their workflows and creative processes. The issue seems to stem from a fundamental incompatibility between the new processors and the Ilok licensing system.

The Response

Despite the widespread nature of this problem, the response from both Ilok and the affected vendors has been underwhelming. While Ilok has acknowledged the issue and is working on a solution, the progress has been slow. Moreover, many vendors have remained silent on the matter, continuing to promote their products without addressing the compatibility concerns.

The Impact

The Ilok compatibility crisis has had a significant impact on the digital audio production community. Users have been forced to either downgrade to older hardware or abandon their purchased plugins. This not only represents a financial loss but also a disruption to their creative endeavors.

A Call for Action

It is imperative that Ilok (Check Zero Downtime™ coverage) y and the affected vendors take immediate action to address this compatibility issue. This includes:

• Prioritizing the solution:  The development of a compatible Ilok licensing system should be a top priority.
• Transparent communication: Vendors should openly acknowledge the problem and provide regular updates on the progress being made.
• Compensation for affected users: Those who have been unable to use their purchased plugins should be eligible for compensation or discounts on future purchases.

Conclusion

The Ilok compatibility crisis is a serious issue that requires immediate attention. By taking decisive action, Ilok and the affected vendors can help restore the faith of their customers and ensure a more positive future for the digital audio production community.

Current list of vendor that ignore/bypass there issues are:

(Feel free reply with updates!)

AbbeyRoad
Advanced AudioWaves
AIR Music Technology GmbH
Almateq SRL
Antelope Audio
Apogee Digital
Audio Ease
AudioSourceRE
Avid
CEDAR
Celemony
Cognitone
Crane Song Ltd
Cycling '74
Dave Hill Designs
Dolby
DTS, Inc.
DUY Research
East West Sounds, Inc.
Eiosis
Elysia GmbH
Euphonix Inc.
Eventide, Inc.
Expert Sleepers
Exponential Audio
Flux:: SE
Focusrite Audio Engineering
Fractal Audio Systems
George Massenburg Labs
GRM Tools
Intelligent Devices
Introspecter Limited
iZotope
Joey Sturgis Tones
KIT Plugins
KIWA International Ltd
Korneff Audio
Kush Audio
Lexicon
Line 6, Inc.
Linear Acoustic Inc.
M-Audio
Mark Of The Unicorn, Inc.
Mathew Lane
McDSP
Metric Halo Distribution, Inc
Minnetonka
MixWave
Moog Music
Mozaic Beats
Mu Technologies
Neural DSP
Nembrini Audio
Neyrinck
Nomad Factory
Non-Lethal Applications
Notion
NUGEN Audio
oeksound
PGMT Ltd.
PSP Audioware
Pulsar Audio
Quiet Art Ltd.
Relab Development ApS
Remote Control Productions
RNDigital
RTW GmbH & Co. KG
Scuffham Amps
Serato Audio Research Ltd.
Slanecon Digital
Slate Digital
Slate Media Technology
Softube AB
Solid State Logic
Sonalksis
Sonic Studio
Sonik Architects
Sonnox
Sonoma Wire Works
Soundminer
Sounds In Sync
Sound Theory
SoundToys
Source Elements
SPL Germany
SRS Labs, Inc.
Strymon
Synchro Arts
Synthogy
Tac System, Inc.
TC Electronic
TC-Helicon Vocal Technologies, Inc.
The Cargo Cult
Todd AO
Trident Audio Developments
Unique Recording Software
Unison Audio
Unity Technologies ApS
Universal Audio, Inc.
UVI
Vienna Symphonic Library
Virtual Katy
Wave Arts, Inc.
WaveMachine Labs, Inc.
Wholegrain Digital Systems
Write Brothers, Inc.
XILS-lab

[misterj]

WOW thanks, Dotje! It is hard to believe that so many vendors are involved. Are they they all dependent on iLok? John.

[Dotje]

Many musicians and producers are hoping for these vendors to address their AMD 9900X / 9950X needs

[misterj]

Dotje, so what is the solution? I see none? John.

[mathewvillalba]

Ilok support just sent me a hot fix  (ryzen 9950x cpu), haven't tried it yet as I am away from my desktop, and I cannot post the dropbox link they sent me in here, but I would recommend reaching out to support and referencing the issue talked about in this forum they will respond within the day and are obviously aware of the problem, feel free to pm me for the link if u want 

[Lukas108]

I have got this hot fix.  Installer works, iLok Manager works. But plugins still crashing. Reinstalling UAD and Sound Toys gave some results. UAD started working, and old project can be opened. Sound Toys can be opened now in new projects, but old projects are crashing during loading. 

I'm stuck.   Must back to 5950X. 

[misterj]

Thanks, Lukas108. Still some work to be done. John.

[walvest]

I have been in contact with the iLok support team and received a hotfix link, which I installed. Following their instructions, the iLok License Manager runs, but that’s where the success ends. I tried installing Synthogy's Ivory3 virtual instrument, but it also failed to run. In my DAW, the IVORY.VST3 did not get scanned at all.

I’ve noticed a common issue with iLok-protected plugins on both the 9900X and 9950X CPUs during the scan process. When launching Ivory3 as a standalone application, the program starts with a VST scan, but it crashes immediately at that point. In the DAW, the ivory.vst3 doesn’t even appear in the scan.

Too many plugins are failing to run, and my creative work has come to a complete stop. I’m starting to wonder if I should just give up on using iLok License Manager altogether.

[misterj]

Thanks, walvest, please look in your Event Viewer and post a few of the Critical errors (screenshots) here. Perhaps I can see something of interest. I know almost nothing about the software so I cannot comment on application errors. As I have stated before you can stay away from Zen 5 processors until this is corrected. So far it seems to be software only, so continue to lean on the vendors for a solution as iLok came up with. John.

[Dotje]

I suggest contacting Synthogy to report this problem and reference this discussion. Perhaps they will consider informing their user base about the current status

[Dotje]

As of August 28, 2024, the current fix does not fully resolve the issue for all vendors. It's concerning that many of them remain silent while users experience frustration with their software.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/no2ldmy91ov2qeonb9apg/LDSvcILM_5.10.0a.zip?rlkey=f2zfga37ketp0m4tojax...

1) Make an support ticket @ ilok

2) Extract its contents to a location of your choice (e.g. a temporary folder you created located on your Desktop)
3) Quit iLok License Manager if it is currently running as well as any other binary that may be using our technology
4) Go to the Start icon
5) In the search field type in “services” (without quotes)
6) Choose “Services” from the search results
7) Within the Services window, look for “PACE License Services”
Right-click it and choose “Stop” from the pop-up menu
9) Leaving the Services window open, open a Windows File Explorer window
10) Navigate to the following location (this can be cut and pasted into the address bar):

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\PACE\Services\LicenseServices

11) Rename the 'LDSvc.exe' file there to something else like 'LDSvc_Original.exe'
12) Copy and paste the 'LDSvc.exe' file from the download above into 

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\PACE\Services\LicenseServices

13) Navigate to the other following location (this can be cut and pasted into the address bar):

C:\Program Files (x86)\iLok License Manager

14) Rename the 'iLok License Manager.exe' file there to something else like 'iLok License Manager.exe_Original.exe'
15) Copy and paste the 'iLok License Manager.exe' file from the download above into the

C:\Program Files (x86)\iLok License Manager

16) Return back to the Services window
17) Right-click “PACE License Services” and choose “Start” from the pop-up menu

Try launching iLok License Manager and let ILOK know what happens (i.e. do you receive any error messages, does our service crash, other behaviors, etc.).

Warning: the ilok software could ask yuo to upgrade from 5.10.0.JoeGo to any 5.9.x version .. DONT DO THIS!

[Dotje]

My last complain to softube:

Dear Softube,

I am writing to express my extreme frustration with the lack of support I have received the last 8 weeks regarding compatibility issues with Softube plugins and subscriptions on AMD's latest Ryzen 9 9900X and 9950X CPUs.

Issue:

Since July, I have been experiencing issues with iLok software crashing, rendering my Softube plugins unusable, after upgrading to an AMD 9900X. Despite reporting this problem to both Softube and iLok, I received the same generic advice: reinstall iLok, plugins, and even Windows. Both companies made it seem like I was the only one encountering this issue.

Unnecessary Hardware Replacement:

Following their unhelpful advice, I wasted time and resources needlessly replacing my memory, motherboard, and CPU under the false assumption it was a hardware failure.

Limited Resolution and Unclear Future:

After four frustrating weeks of persistence, iLok finally assigned an engineer to investigate my workstation. Thankfully, they were able to fix the iLok software crashes but not the softube plugins failure. However, they also warned that future iLok updates might require further work from plugin vendors, indicating potential ongoing compatibility issues.

Disappointing Silence and Unresolved Issue:

Despite this information, both Softube and iLok remain silent on the broader issue. While users like myself and others on the AMD forum (link to this forum) scramble for solutions, both companies stay silent on the issue and simply point fingers at each other.

Core of the Problem:

Softube's choice to rely on iLok for copy protection has resulted in a situation where the user suffers. Here's the breakdown:

• Softube chooses iLok for copy protection.
• iLok currently has compatibility issues with AMD's latest CPUs.
• I am now locked out of using the Softube plugins I paid for.
• Softube continues to collect my monthly subscription fees for Flow Suite.
• Both companies offer no real support or acknowledgement of the problem, simply directing me to the other.

Desired Outcome:

This situation is unacceptable. I demand a solution. Since iLok requires development work and Softube needs to implement it in their plugins, a collaborative effort is necessary.

Furthermore, it seems clear that communication with customers has been lacking. Please acknowledge the widespread issue and provide a clear roadmap towards a resolution.

I expect a prompt and comprehensive response outlining the steps both Softube and iLok are taking to address this compatibility issue and ensure my continued access to the plugins I have paid for.

[misterj]

Thanks, Dotje. I could not find the link : "(link to this forum)"

If you click the three vertical dots in the upper right corner, you should be able to edit your post. Thanks, John.

[OregonVideoPhotography]

I am in contact with Pace, ilock, and EW. Much to their credit EW supplied me with Play which runs while Opus doesn't. After several hours with EW/iLock folks I was passed to Pace and it is their software which changed and is causing the issue. So far, while iLock runs no change in EW Opus not running. I am in contract weekly, any one here got EW products running (Ryzen 9 9950X, 4070 Ti Super Gpu, 64 GB type 5 memory is my setup). 

[misterj]

Thanks, OregonVideoPhotography. John.

[OregonVideoPhotography]

Don't know when and if this will be resolved but have indicated to EW that they should at least issue a caution statement during the time when the Ryzen 9 9000 series are having problems. Pretty soon this will start to look like a denial of services bought. Certainly, tell the folks you bought from about the issues. Folks like Sweetwater will need to put a "don't buy this if you have a Ryzen 9 9000 series as iLock doesn't work with it". If the retailers realize that they are selling product that won't work with a very popular CPU series they will realize the danger of upset past customers and the liability of selling something that won't work on popular computers (they need a statement with each product, don't buy this if your CPU is this), especially if they have been notified about the issue.

For two weeks now Pace has been, hopefully will have information, so far nothing but once a week - hopefully we will have good news this week.....

[OregonVideoPhotography]

Just alerted Sweetwater (where I got all my EW stuff) about the issue. My rep there is going to take it up the line. 

Text Pace this AM and still no "new" information. I did ask if  the USB might work and he said they have had different reports on it. We all need to contact our vst supplier and make sure they are aware. The more the pressure the more resources will get allocated to fixing the issue. Again, a shout out to East West for providing me with the latest Play orchestra so I can still orchestrate but I can't risk working on the Opus files, too different.

Keep the contacting and keep the pressure on....

[BobbyMarioJackson86]

So with all the issues I ended up changing to intel 14 900k. All the plugins work perfectly. Just thought I'd share. Blessings and goodluck. 

[DMDComposer]

Hi everyone,

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread so far. Unfortunately, I’ve also run into the same issue. Yesterday, I upgraded from my 5950X to a brand-new Ryzen 9950X, and—unbeknownst to me—this iLok error has struck.

The hotfix resolved the issue for several of my plugins, but unfortunately, Soundtoys plugins are still crashing on me and they are a huge necessity to my work. I've tried multiple versions of Soundtoys (both previous and latest), but no luck—still crashing. Due to work constraints, I’ve had to roll back my upgrade, as there's no clear estimate on when this will be fixed. I've reached out to both Soundtoys and iLok, and I’m hopeful we’ll get a solution soon so we can fully enjoy the performance gains of the new Ryzen series.

Apologies for not bringing any new info to the table, but I wanted to chime in as this happened to me as well. It’s one of those problems you don't anticipate until you experience it firsthand. Given that the music production community using the Ryzen 9000 series is probably pretty niche, the more of us that report this, the more visibility the bug will get—and hopefully, this can serve as a warning to others thinking of upgrading until it’s resolved.

Cheers,
DMDComposer

[misterj]

Thanks, DMDComposer. I am glad you kept your old 5950X around. Hope it serves your purpose until this is resolved. John.

[Lukas108]

I have created support ticket in SoundToys, and iLok. UAD plugins has fixed itself after alpha hotfix. 

Generally ... it's huge **bleep**up. I'm back on 5950X, and consider to ... abandon 9000 platform.  This is first time when I updated platform at it's premiere.  No good ... Ryzen CPUs will be on black list because of that issue and no one will want to buy it for pro purposes. Until 7000 series, they have good reviews as CPU for PRO AUDIO. What a pity ... 

I'm with AMD since 2002

[OregonVideoPhotography]

Almost a month and no "fix". I hope AMD and Pace are talking right now. I not about to through away a 4K video production computer nor let a couple of thousand dollars of EW stuff get replaced by something that doesn't use iLock. The 9950X is a killer along with the 4070 TI super for Resolve PRO as well as Photoshop. If Pace was suppling updates as to what they are doing, I'd gladly not be so pushy, but this radio silence just shows the comment I first got "we know it would not be optimal for all programs" means they don't care. Hopefully the music sellers as well as creators of the VST's we use will start to put pressure on them. I also hope that AMD is reaching out and working with the issue. Again a shout out to EW for at least finding a vst of thiers that could work - but I'd take Opus over Play. Looking at other orchestras that don't use Ilock.

[misterj]

OregonVideoPhotography, I assume you are aware of a Hot Fix iLok made available.

This is a user forum and I am just a user. You can contact AMD here. John.