Forum Post

User16606681792951445057 (Customer) asked a question.

August 23, 2022 at 2:33 PM
Atmos Renderer Demo Ilok Issue
Hey Everyone,

I recently installed the 90 day demo of the Atmos Renderer onto my Windows 11 PC. On opening up I could not get Ilok to recognise the 90 day demo license (which I have activated onto the PC).

On closer inspection, the software installed is the 'Mastering Suite' whereas the Ilok 90 day demo is for the 'Production Suite'. Is that where I'm going wrong?
I double checked the website demo page and its the only license/download combination I can get so I'm unsure how to fix this!

I really want to demo the software but seem to be falling at the first hurdle!
  • 12 answers

  • BennettS (Dolby Labs)

    Hi there,

    As you guessed, DAPS in not available for Windows, and the 90-day trial is only for DAPS.

    If you are looking to do an in-the-box workflow for PC, DaVinci Resolve, Cubase, and Nuendo all offer standalone Dolby Atmos workflows and internal Atmos rendering.

    -B

    • Sam H (Self Employed)

      I was told this confusion over Windows downloading would be passed to the relevant team, but nothing has changed and that was months ago? You cannot expect a newcomer to Dolby Atmos to know that Dolby Atmos is MacOS only trial or that the renderer is on trial in DAPS, but not DAMS etc. The user journey to downloading what they think is a Windows Trial for the Renderer is exactly the same as for MacOS and almost as confirmation you are downloading the correct trial, the file name you're downloading is exactly the same between MacOS & Windows versions. Other than a tiny bit of small print somewhere insignificant, you just keep going around in circles with iLok, it's a horrible user experience even if they can't actually buy the software they want to trial.
      • renderer-download-journey

      • BennettS (Dolby Labs)

        Hi Sam,

        See the attached image (and your own image). Each of these pages has a note describing OS compatibility. In general, we recommend users read the full text on the page they are downloading software and licenses from.

        -B
        • Screen Shot 2022-08-31 at 10.46.00 AM

      • Sam H (Self Employed)

        The problem is the first page discussing the trial for the Renderer, reads "Dolby Atmos Renderer: Production & Mastering Suites" so you think, great I can get a trial to use the Renderer with the Mastering Suite or Production Suite and so click it. You request the iLok and it says Production Suite is MacOS Only and so you think 'that's fine' I'll get the Mastering Suite which must be for Windows. You click through to the download page and the renderer exists as Windows & MacOs versions and so click the Windows download if a Windows user.

        DAMS = Dolby_Atmos_Renderer_win-3.7.2-5964079.zip
        DAPS = Dolby_Atmos_Renderer_osx-3.7.2-5964079.dmg

        So to me that says "Ahh they're the same software, the .zip must be the Windows renderer, .dmg must be the MacOS renderer.

        Just remove all discussion about DAMS on the trial page, DAMS nor the renderer that comes with it exists as a Trial so why mention it on the first page? Just remove all references to Windows renderer and Windows DAMS, it doesn't exist as a trial.
        Expand Post

      • Sam H (Self Employed)

        I think part of the problem is also people just interested in Atmos are not aware of the intricacies between Renderer, DAMS & DAPS and what any of that really means, they just want to try it out as a trial and used to there being MacOS & Windows products and when there isn't a Windows option, it's obvious as nothing can be installed accidentally to Windows. Giving both DAMS & DAPS the overall description of being the Dolby Atmos Renderer also makes it sound like the renderer is also called the 'Production & Mastering Suite' as if one software install, not two different software for two different OS.

    • User16638003895879171335 (Chameleon Media, LLC.)

      Running into a legitimate frustration with this - As I'm currently trying to use a trial to test a Recorder/Render machine utilizing two Dante PCIeR cards - One to use as a ProTools playback device, and the other to use for DAMS, on the same machine using the other PCIeR card over dante. Now finding out that my trial does not include DAMS. Given that the DAMS and DAPS is basically the same software, sans audio bridge/remote/license count, I see no logical reason to create this frustration for the end user (who are simply trying to make their monumental investments work properly).

      • Sam H (Self Employed)

        It's highly frustrating all round. I even know studios running DAMS on the same machine as their DAW saying it works fine like that as it's basically the same as DAPS in terms of DSP load on the CPU. I don't know why Dolby are making it all so complicated for everyone. I tried (and failed) to buy DAMS, but it turns out Dolby don't make a VST Panner for Windows, only MacOS, so even though you can pay $1000 to mix Dolby Atmos, you can't pan anything that needs Atmos metadata sent to the Renderer so it's pointless! I've switched to Mach1 and just transcode to Dolby Atmos, it's so much easier and productive.

  • Sam H (Self Employed)

    As a side issue to the lack of a Windows renderer. Do you think it would be possible to develop a re-renderer for Windows? As you know the DAWs with built-in renderers cannot actually re-render the ADM offline as far as I have experience. It's monitoring only in the DAWs?

    • BennettS (Dolby Labs)

      Nuendo can export re-renders.

      • Sam H (Self Employed)

        Sorry, I should have been clearer. Re-render to a consumer format like the DD+JOC mp4 for client sign-off on speakers. I'll have another look at Nuendo, but I couldn't find anything about re-render to consumer.
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