OK to sell MBOX with Protools 8 LE AFTER buying Protools 9 crossgrade??

[PabloFerrigno]

I currently own an mbox 3rd gen with protools 8 LE. I am planning on buying the Protools 9 crossgrade for $250, however I was looking into the possibility of selling my mbox unit afterwards (with the protools 8 software), so that I can buy a better 8 channel interface.

My question is, will protools 9 still work on my machine if I sell the MBOX unit?? I know PT9 works with any interface, BUT is the crossgrade version purchase of PT9 somehow bound to the PT8 software (authorization-wise)? Cause I wouldn't like selling it and then find out that my authorization for PT was conditional on me still having the original PT8.

Thanks!

[robertruetz]

Most upgrades I've ever purchased, required proof of purchase of the earlier version in order to activate the upgrade. I'm not sure how Avid has decided to handle this. You should just ask them, it's a perfectly legitimate question. My gut would say no, as you saved money by doing the crossgrade that other purchasers of PT 9 didn't have access to. The other side of that is that those other people also didn't shell out money for PT 8 LE. It's probably a bit of a gray area, but I'd find out from Avid before making that move. That could end up being a rather expensive mistake if you ever have to re-install PT (and you know you will).

Rob

[PabloFerrigno]

Actually I was planning on buying crossgrade first, THEN selling the unit... I will ask them, although MY gut feeling tells me that even if the PT9 does work independently from the original PT 8 LE installation (with its corresponding ilok authorization) the guys from AVID will probably tell me it won't... it would be like admitting there's a giant loophole in their system.

Now I'm actually considering buying the Mbox Pro with PT9 included, so maybe I won't have to go through that experiment after all... don't know yet.

thanks!

[robertruetz]

Right, I was speaking merely from a re-install standpoint. You'd probably need the authorization from PT 8 LE to re-install PT9, if you ever had to. The iLok should be the replacement for hardware dependency. I'm glad Avid has finally stopped forcing people to use their (substandard, IMO) hardware. Personally, I'd say you're giving up rights to the crossgrade by selling the software you crossgraded from (even by doing so after crossgrading). Again, it's probably a bit of a gray area.

Rob