Exactly what I wanted to say but didn't know how to say it! Now imagine your a new user like me, never used a DAW before. When I went to use MuLab I was put off as there's no menu system like most apps have, it's all about context clicking. Most apps have a central toolbar for all that stuff. It takes a bit of getting used to working in this different way but ultimately I think it's better.

So if i understand the critics well, it's especially about that "VST plug-ins in database" limit for MuLab Free / MuLab XT, right?

I have no prob removing that limit. This is how the new situation would be:

http://www.mutools.com/info/docs/mulab/mulab-versions-new.ht ml

I have been following this and other disussions about Mulab and am never too sure what value to place on the various comments. It is not clear who are paying customers and who is just along for a free ride. As a paying customer, what you do with Mulab Free is a bit academic other than I don't want to have paid for something I could have got free.

Your original free offering was key to my eventual purchase of a licence. I generally don't purchase licences but look for free apps. Mulab appeared to have the best free DAW offering at the time and I downloaded it in the expectation that I would not purchase a licence. It was perfectly adequate for my basic needs but as I worked with it, I found that I liked what it offered and wanted to do more than the free version would allow. Initially I purchased an Xt licence and then subsequently went for the UL. If it had not been possible to test various VST's in free, I would not have gone any further. The limitations on VST and tracks did not stop me from achieving a lot with the free version and encouraged to me to spend money.

As I understand it, this is precisely what you want to achieve with the free version.

I think what the critics are saying was that no one thinking of spending money on MuLab would continue toward purchase if they could not hear their VSTs as they expected. If using a VST means they get the demo mode interruption, that's quite possibly going to put them off going any further.

If a heavy restriction must be placed on the use of VSTs, I would suggest have no saving of VSTs in projects, no VST database (i.e. only drag/drop or other insert methods) and a max of four VSTs in any session at one time. OK, that would kill using MuLab Free for working on a project and then continuing it in XT but you'd be able to try out everything and, if you stuck to the limits, not hear the demo mode blip.

There is also a possibility of using MuLab UL no restriction for 30 days. This should remove the complain of not experiencing the full power of MuLab because of all kind of restrictions, and after 30 days it would automatically turn into the free edition.
In this way anyone should be clear of doubts and still go for the free until it can purchased.

This may required some programming and may not be possible due to the way it's written. I have no idea.

I think the free version's ability to allow some VSTs is integral to knowing if someone's particular VSTs will work correctly in Mulab.

I've only been using mux until yesterday ...... Mulab, which i bought, i think before mux, is so nice on workflow..! Really supersmooth! Now Maschine will have to take the backseat for a while

I applaud you for your use of the scrollwheel and use of send effects! Things like this un-breaks workflow

Slightly related thoughts:

I remember using the old 2.5 or something, having 6 tracks and no limitations on VST. I made my first album using freeware (Antress Modern Plugins, Kontakt Player, Acme Bar Gig amps, Independence 2 Free, California Sun amp, G Snap, DSK SaxophoneZ...etc) and if I would run out of tracks I would mixdown groups to one stereo track...
After that I felt obligated to buy it.
Also, got used to it so much that I can't use anymore anything else (or my brain is getting really old...).

The limitation on how many VST's can be used at once is good but personally thought it over the top only allowing 8in the database .

for a free version? :s I may sound biased because i have bought it and mux ... but before that when i wasn't loving it, i thought 8 was pretty generous. A fun limitation for your creativity. Anyone intending to do larger projects i think could spend the very little sum this software costs.

8 also gives you plenty to test out the software and still have a usable little host. I though that was basically perfect.

I do understand some statements here, but I like to repeat some things here to be really clear here:

As far as I understood the limitations:

In Mulab 4 free you can use everything Mulab UL offers too, means you can demo every aspect of the programm
VST, Rewire, MUX and so on...
The only limitation you got: If you use more than "allowed" by the free license, it turns into a demo mode and you got regulary some soft noise...

If you stay in the limits of the free license, you can use it for whatever you like for free...

I read comments here like: interested persons want to use their plugins for free for demoing purposes...

Sorry, but I can neither understand such a statement nor can I agree...

Beside a very very few exceptions there are no free versions on the market...
There are even less products offering a free version than many which don't even have a demo version...

Reaper was named as an example here:
1. it was stated, you can and may use the demo as long as you like unrestricted... this is completely wrong...
Copied from Cockos:
"If after 30 days you decide that REAPER is not for you, simply delete it.

If you decide that REAPER is for you, you must purchase a license. "

Means, Reaper offers no free version, it's a time limited demo version, valid for 30 days... if you use it after the period has expired, it's nothing but illegal...

2. The generousity of staying a full working copy (besides the nag screen on programm start) is based on the fact, that cockos is a company owned by a multi millionair, who doesn't need to make any income anymore...
With enough money it's easy to be generous


Besides from all that, I've read here one of the most important statements about this topic from "Nickl"...
Every paying customer, wants to have value for the money and it's very important to make a very clear boundary between the usability of the payware product and any free one...


Conclusion:
You can demo everything in MuLab free as it exist in the UL version

You can use the free one within it's limits without any costs...

And last but not least: We are talking here not about a product, which costs a few hundred bucks...
Honestly said, we are talking about peanuts if you regard the prices of the whole audio market...

I think you misunderstand, maybe? 8 VST's in a project is fine but only allowing 8 to viewed in the database isn't a good way to do things, imho. Perhaps the best way is to have a time limited fully functioning demo as was mentioned above? In the end we can only give an opinion, and that's mine

And this is the problem. With a limit of zero, it means you can't actually hear what the full version will sound like. So if the demo is meant to let you demo the full version, it's failed at that point.

If you don't understand something, saying you don't agree with it is close to nonsensical and certainly irrelevant.

That sentence fails to make sense. Either the number of free versions is zero or it isn't. You can't say "it's zero except for exceptions".
Now this sounds confused further. Fewer than zero? Fewer free versions than non-demo versions?

Totally agreed on this one, though. If you use it, you buy it. People mess around because 0.97 or something and earlier did have a free version (and we're on 4.x now...).


No one's arguing this point, really. The issue is whether or not the demo works as a sales tool.


No, you can't. Certain parts of the functionality will appear to the casual user to be broken and non-functional because of the demo-mode restriction of zero (0) VSTs.

We're talking about a product that's trying to build up market share by attracting people who're likely not to even think about BUYING one of the highly priced DAWs.

Not complete sure,what you are talking here about, because the limit of zero only affected the VST Manager, not that you cannot demo the use of VST plugins in the free version...



You are a real comedian, aren't you???



And here is, what is hard to understand for me... what is not accessable in demo mode???



And this is, where you are wrong... 0 VST's doesn't mean you cannot load/use VST plugins...this limitation affects only the VST Manager, but with the Load/Replace dialog you can load VSTs...
Last edited by Trancit on Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:49 am; edited 1 time in total