Cubase 5 requires a physical USB-eLicenser (dongle). Without this hardware key and a valid license, the software will not run.

The year was 2009, and the digital audio world was on the brink of a revolution. Elias sat in his cramped studio, the glow of a dual-monitor setup illuminating a face tight with frustration. He was staring at the splash screen of Cubase 5, a masterpiece of German engineering from Steinberg, but his system was choking.