It's time VSL offer everyone unlimited free licenses to run its ancient VEP software on as many external machines as they want so that we can put all the VSL stuff on those old Intel computers we have lying around while running native M1 DAW software on our new Mac Studios.
I agree. I typically try to keep my expectations from companies fair to them as well as customers, but VSL prioritizing stopping a few 14-year olds from using their software illegally (iLok), ahead of thousands of working, paying professional customers is a step too far. I put up with iLok, but it costs users quite a bit more than it saves developers (I ran the numbers in my own case over the course of a year; developers have no similar data and can only rely on speculation).
It seems reasonable to suggest that VSL offer an olive branch to its paying customers. I understand this may have been an unfortunate collision of circumstances for VSL - end of elicenser just before the release of M1s. But I also know this has cost me many hours and late nights trying to create workarounds, with little success, as it has others. Even if VSL releases an update next week, this situation makes me question the wisdom in relying on VEPro. For that reason, I am very close to committing to a return to hardware audio and Midi I/O and one of several instrument hosting options to eliminate any further VEP hassles permanently. The only obstacle there is cost. It is much more OS/upgrade future-proof than software such as VEP.
As much as I like VEPro, it is a risk. Future hardware and OS updates could put us in a similar situation, and this includes Windows. Win 11 is already a security-obsessed nightmare.