Scarsosb,
I feel your pain, as do many others. We’ve been bringing this up for a long time; there have been hints from Timo here that SB is working on an alternative. I don’t understand is why Nuendo can’t/won’t use the soft e-licenser like some of the other products do. And if that particular solution is impractical for whatever reason, yes, it is high time Steinberg came up with a better option.
I work with Nuendo on the road almost weekly. In regards to keeping this latest one from falling apart (I’ve been through 4 in the last 5 years) I’ve just graduated from tape to Gorilla Glue. I would love to get my USB port back, too… not to mention the profile issue when working in cramped conditions or on planes. The dongle does not do well when impacted by a busy flight attendant or fidgety row-mate. It’s hard on the computer, too.
I purchased Cubase Elements in order to work dongle-free, and within its limits it’s been useful. But I do my final output in Nuendo, and that often has to be done on the road… not to mention location recording into previously-existing Nuendo projects. So more often than not, the dongle has to come along.
First-world problem? You bet. It’s great to be able to pack a recording studio in a laptop bag. So… let’s make it better, with some first-world solutions.
Chewy