New IK Product Version 3!!!!!

[Squids]

WOW!!!!! I absolutely cannot wait to get this! I've been a loyal T-Racks owner for YEARS and it has been my #1 tool for mixing/mastering. Lately I was thinking about picking up a new compressor to give me more tone options and more of a vintage feel, but didn't know what to go with. Well... now I do

So, what's the price like to upgrade from the original T-Racks?

http://www.esoundz.com/details.php?ProductID=2334


But, a little warning to you guys. Don't price quote esoundz. Each person has to login and they have a different price depending on their membership level, how much they buy from esoundz regularly and all that gets factored in. If you price quote we'll have to edit it out but would prefer not to have to. Thanks.

[Compyfox]

One user says yes, Sonic Reality says no. So what now? What is meant with the "membership discount", and how much can we expect (I'm not a member at ezsounds, but IKM directly)?

299USD as Crossgrade is expensive if I want to go directly from T-Rackts to T-Racks3. That's not really a discount if you ask me, if I have to "buy it new" again.


Unless I got something wrong here - but everyone says different.

[Squids]

Why IK doesn't support paypal?? You need a friggin creditcard. They should have "updated" that too!

What are you worried about? esoundz accepts paypal. This is the esoundz forum anyway so support your local sound shop! haha.

http://www.esoundz.com/details.php?ProductID=2334

[lotus2035]

Compyfox, I suppose you could sell your old T-Racks license and use the money towards T-racks 3 ,as long as you have another IK product that is...You'll still be entitled to the crossgrade price then..

[Squids]

One user says yes, Sonic Reality says no. So what now? What is meant with the "membership discount", and how much can we expect (I'm not a member at ezsounds, but IKM directly)?

299USD as Crossgrade is expensive if I want to go directly from T-Rackts to T-Racks3. That's not really a discount if you ask me, if I have to "buy it new" again.


Unless I got something wrong here - but everyone says different.

First of all, here are the options. If you own T-RackS already (or not) then you can get the version 3 of that for a discount on $199 which is the MSRP. That version is called "Standard". If you want to upgrade to the DELUXE version which includes all of the Fairchild, Pultec, Opto goodies then the MSRP/MAP is $299 (instead of $499 which is its regular MSRP price) so you save $200 for the crossgrade.

Now if you buy the crossgrade from a store like esoundz or any other IK dealer you can always login or walk into a store and ask for a deal. However, when a product has a "MAP" (most do) that means "minimum advertised price" so you won't see it advertised for less than $299. That doesn't mean you can't still get it though.

At esoundz the more you buy the better your discount gets so no reason not to join esoundz anyway since it is free: www.esoundz.com You can also download a bunch of free sounds after you join anyway. Then you can login and see if you get a better price on this and that just for being a member. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. It depends from day to day and product to product.

[lotus2035]

GB!! GB!!

[Squids]

Compyfox, I suppose you could sell your old T-Racks license and use the money towards T-racks 3 ,as long as you have another IK product that is...You'll still be entitled to the crossgrade price then..

I guess you could do that but remember there's a transfer fee to resell it. That might not be worth someone's time to do.

But, anyway, if you're getting the crossgrade to the deluxe version then you're saving at least $200 from the MSRP of the full deluxe non-crossgrade version. The biggest value aspect of this IMO though is the fact that just for owning ANY IK product you qualify for the crossgrade that essentially gets you the least expensive high quality emulations of Fairchilds and Pultecs. For reference, the Waves JJP Collection that has only the Fairchild and Pultec sells for $995. MSRP. This would be less than a third of the price and doesn't require an iLok. That's how I look at it. If you don't look at it that way then... one has to decide based on whatever other reasons but either way that's what it is.

[Squids]

GB!! GB!!

Let's discuss that one in 2012 ok? I doubt that's gonna happen any time soon.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Squids, any idea on IK's rationale for never doing upgrade pricing and instead opting for crossgrade pricing? I mean sure, I get the idea of rewarding all IK customers (and even consider that admirable to a large extent), but it seriously rubs me the wrong way that as an owner of T-Racks 24, and T-Racks VST, I'm getting the same deal that I would have gotten if I only had a registered copy of Sampletank LE.

I literally own thousands of dollars of IKMM software at this point, and I do love their products, but I never understood their upgrade policies. That's always been a big turn off about IK for me.

Anyway, it's not even the pricing I'm opposed to per se, just the lack of an upgrade policy. If you want to pass that concern along, feel free.

Here's a better [FAKE] pricing structure IMO:

Upgrade from previous version of T-Racks to T-Racks 3 Deluxe: $199

Upgrade from previous version of T-Racks to T-Racks 3: $99

Crossgrade from another IKMM product to T-Racks 3 Deluxe: $299

Crossgrade from another IKMM product to T-Racks 3 Deluxe: $199

Even if you were to add $50 to each of those [FICTIONAL] prices, it would still be on the pricy side of fair.

[Squids]

someone must hear a difference between different compressors considering some units sell for 20k and others for 50 bucks.

Well I don't think the $20,000 compressor sounds 400x better than the $50 compressor, especially to the average listener. But for the super-duper pros out there who have cash to burn, a 20 grand compressor sounds about right.

To my ears, the difference between compressors is very subtle, no matter the price. Where-as the difference between a cad m9 mic and radio shack mic is tremendous. ymmv.

Yes, but when you can get a $30,000 compressor for the price of a $150 compressor then it becomes REAL interesting for a lot of musicians who want to improve the sound of their music. Remember, even if YOU don't hear the difference there still may be others who hear your music and notice the quality has improved. For instance, if you run your vocals through the Fairchild... ohhhhhhhhh does that sound a lot better than running it through an Alesis Nanocompressor. Haha.

[Squids]

And is the new comp really a Fairchild 670 one (Q goes out to the devs)? Cause if so, I gotta revive an old thread of mine.

Yes. Although all of this is in the information on www.ikmultimedia.com Check it out. It tells you a lot and there's also a video now.

[Compyfox]

It's still a slap in the face. I paid that price for the old full version already, so I have to repay it again to get an upgrade with new tools. Other firms aren't like that, mostly they ask for 1/3rd of the full price. But IKM is different.

Furthermore I'm in Germany, so I pay extra one way or another and I don't think getting it via EZSounds is a benefit other than joining a GB maybe.


It's a pity, the stuff looks interesting, but for this price... thanks but nah thanks. Like I said, I'll love the day I have to upgrade ARC to ARC2 and need to shell out the very same ammount again as I did before instead of paying a small upgrade fee.

Just my 2c

[Squids]

Question remains what the upgrade prices from T-Racks VST (aka the "full version") to T-3 Normal and T-3 Deluxe will be. Getting these tools new is a bit steep.

Does IK ever offer upgrades? I'm only aware of them ever doing crossgrades (at least in recent history). I wish they'd do something other than the damn crossgrades though. I own a lot of their stuff and get the same deals that the guy who just owns Sampletank LE gets.

The upgrade IS the crossgrade. The difference is that IK allows people to "upgrade" when they own ANY other IK product. Pretty generous if you ask me. How many other companies do that?

I don't get it. You wish they'd do something other than the damn crossgrades? So you'd feel better if it was just an upgrade? A crossgrade is even BETTER than an upgrade because anyone qualifies so easily. You can benefit too when you own a T-Racks and can get the crossgrade discount to AmpliTube. What difference does it make if you get the same deal as someone who owns a SampleTank LE? If you get a break yourself then where's the problem?

We BEGGED IK to do crossgrades years ago for a variety of reasons and we got it to be permanent. I REALLY hope you guys appreciate it because if you didn't and IK stopped I think a lot of people would realize that was a good one while it lasted.

[Squids]

It's still a slap in the face. I paid that price for the old full version already, so I have to repay it again to get an upgrade with new tools. Other firms aren't like that, mostly they ask for 1/3rd of the full price. But IKM is different.

Furthermore I'm in Germany, so I pay extra one way or another and I don't think getting it via EZSounds is a benefit other than joining a GB maybe.


It's a pity, the stuff looks interesting, but for this price... thanks but nah thanks. Like I said, I'll love the day I have to upgrade ARC to ARC2 and need to shell out the very same ammount again as I did before instead of paying a small upgrade fee.

Just my 2c

Again, as I explained, the crossgrade is only to the DELUXE version. The deluxe version has extra things you never had before. They cost money. They ONLY cost you at MOST $299.

So, I maintain, if you can say "nah" to a Fairchild and Pultec for $299 or less then you really don't need this stuff and that's fine! Because you're stuck on the principle that you think ALL upgrades are the same and that companies mostly ask for 1/3. Do they? In a circumstance such as this? Where the upgrade is not only to a new revision but to a deluxe version? When you upgrade from MBox to Digi003 or a ProTools HD what does that cost? It's not just from Mbox 1 to Mbox 2. It's an upgrade on top of an update.

You get what you pay for. If you want just the update from V2 to V3 then get the Standard and look at the price! But if you want the additional effects of the Deluxe... you have to pay for it.

So... let's put it this way. Forget T-RackS for a second. Let's just talk about the models of effects. What would it cost you to get an accurate emulation of a Fairchild 670 and Pultec EQ in a plug-in? Waves JJP = $995. UAD2 = I don't know but not cheap because you have to have the whole system to run it (and I love it personally but it frustrates me that I can't just use it on my laptop and both mac and pc). The Fairchild and Pultec in T3? $299 or less (if you own any IK product that is). Worth it? Not worth it? It ALLLLLLL depends on if you value getting those models. If you don't then don't sweat it. Or wait until the demo version is out and try it out yourself I guess.

[Compyfox]

What about the people who don't want to crossgrade to another product, but rather stay on the path of the software you already use?

I mean, it was cool to crossgrade from AT2Duo to ARC, but I'd see this one as rare occasion, like it happened for me from crossgrading from Siedlaczek CCC to Kontakt 2.

Why not have an upgrade option "internally", via IKM directly - upgrade deal mails or something. Like I said... almost every firm does it. Generousity with the crossgrade offer or not (which is cool for some people), but I really only want to "upgrade", nothing more. And for this, I think Funkybot's Evil Twin (fake) pricings are indeed a starting point. I'd go lower however.



EDIT:
The URS native bundles have Fairchild and Pultec character, which are cheaper or around the same price. And I have GearBox, which has NEVE and SSL EQs and still paid around 200USD (additional to the hardware like 3 years ago, I was among those who got it before all the deals available now).

I'm not disregarding that there're new plugins in the pack, or a "chainer" (which seems to be standard now), but it's still steep if you just want to "upgrade" and T-Racks cost itself about the same new (299USD), and a crossgrade to the normal version, just with a new engine and the chainer 199USD.

That's not really motivating to me and I have to agree with Evil Twin on one end or another.

Like I said, just my 2c