Steinberg Speaks

[1-2-Many]

Really Compy - I don't see why you're complaining - in fact doing so is a bit insulting.

If you really want to complain, consider that you just bought the C4 upgrade a few months ago and now SX3 users can get the same damned price as you to get C5! If you'd only waited a few months! Arrgggh! Haven't even installed C4 yet and now I'll be essentially be paying double to get to 5!

Add to that, consider that this is not the first time Steiny has pulled this BS - and you got it handed to you before by upgrading from SX2-SX3 just before the grace period, AND! SX1 users got the same damned price as you to get to 3!

If you wanna be pissed - consider that
Steinberg's upgrade pricing sucks - As is, it looks like it's better to skip every other version. So likely I'll just be waiting til C6

[Compyfox]

There was enough negative critism from C4 users about that already, 1-2-Many. IT was discussed to no end, no need to drag that out any further.

Oh and personally I think the uneven numbers are best. But that's just personal opinion/experience.

[1-2-Many]

There was enough negative critism from C4 users about that already, 1-2-Many. IT was discussed to no end, no need to drag that out any further.

Oh and personally I think the uneven numbers are best. But that's just personal opinion/experience.

Trouble is, even with all the outcry with their previous unfair upgrade pricing(SX2-SX3, SX3-C4), they've gone and done it again with the C4-C5. It's such a major disincentive, it's stupid. - really puts people off staying current with their product.

...You may be right about those odd numbers

[ughnonumus]

Steinberg's upgrade pricing sucks - As is, it looks like it's better to skip every other version. So likely I'll just be waiting til C6

No it doesn't.

(I skip every other version. )

[Sascha Franck]

Trouble is, even with all the outcry with their previous unfair upgrade pricing(SX2-SX3, SX3-C4), they've gone and done it again with the C4-C5. It's such a major disincentive, it's stupid. - really puts people off staying current with their product.

This seems to become more and more common.
Look at Logic. The update price for Logic Pro 8 is the same, regardless whether you update from version 5, 6 or 7. Users of earlier versions don't even have an update option at all.
So yes, it could be seen as folks being loyal, following each and every update, are treated unfair.
OTOH, it reduces costs as the company in question doesn't have to deal with tons of different update policies.
And it's of course a way to probably get older users (which might have switched to something else temporarily) back on board more easily (which, in this very C5 case, would apply to me).

Either way, how you feel about it all depends on whether you think the update is worth it or not. In this particular case I think it should be, even for C4 users. All you need to do is to forget about a certain advance SX users might be enjoying.
In the end, the only folks that might really feel kicked in the butt are SX users who updated to C4 more or less recently but before the grace period.

- Sascha

[egbert]

Either way, how you feel about it all depends on whether you think the update is worth it or not. In this particular case I think it should be, even for C4 users. All you need to do is to forget about a certain advance SX users might be enjoying.
In the end, the only folks that might really feel kicked in the butt are SX users who updated to C4 more or less recently but before the grace period.

I think that is correct.

I would be surprised if their marketing dept. had not researched and analysed this thoroughly. The hard core who buy upgrades regularly get the benefit of new features and fixes if they buy the new versions in a timely fashion. I have got 20 months or so of use out of C4 and it has had some quite useful new capabilities in the mixer especially. For that 20 months I paid $299 AU.

Outside of the hardcore of regular buyers there are those will less money or less commitment to Cubase who only update every so often - or if there is some compelling case (eg new feature). These people might be spread over several different programs and don't actually feel the compulsion to splash cash on every new upgrade.

Now, for these people, a multi-level upgrade price provides a disincentive for them to buy Cubase upgrades because the further behind they are the more it is going to cost them to give the Borg any money for V5. If they are sitting on SX2 or 3 they might look at the steep upgrade price and think - f**k it - I'll buy Live instead. This is missed revenue for Charlie and Yamaha. Better for them to get $200 bucks than for Abelton to get $400 because they put too steep a price on the upgrade. Bear in mind that these people have also forgone the benefits C4 would have given (such as they are). They pay less but they got less if you see what I mean.

[1-2-Many]

. . . In the end, the only folks that might really feel kicked in the butt are SX users who updated to C4 more or less recently but before the grace period.

- Sascha

Yes, that would be me - twice! (happened to me from SX2->3 as well). My timing SUCKS!

[Sascha Franck]

Yes, that would be me - twice! (happened to me from SX2->3 as well). My timing SUCKS!

Ah well, such things just happen. For me it was a bit similar when going from Logic 5 to 7. I thought it was about time to get a Mac (there's been some "real" reasons, too, but those were just a few...), but ultimately, Logic 7 has brought more frustration than joy for me, so I could as well have stayed with version 5 under Windows, waiting for version 8. I paid around 400 for L7 (as an update!) and another 200 for L8. Ok, yes, I *did* make some use of L7, but that was merely only because I already bought it (and the required Mac).

[kritikon]

Now, for these people, a multi-level upgrade price provides a disincentive for them to buy Cubase upgrades because the further behind they are the more it is going to cost them to give the Borg any money for V5. If they are sitting on SX2 or 3 they might look at the steep upgrade price and think - f**k it - I'll buy Live instead. This is missed revenue for Charlie and Yamaha. Better for them to get $200 bucks than for Abelton to get $400 because they put too steep a price on the upgrade. Bear in mind that these people have also forgone the benefits C4 would have given (such as they are). They pay less but they got less if you see what I mean.

Exactly. I'm one of those people. I've historically upgraded every 2nd version. 1->3->5->SX2
I was soon to upgrade to C4, but now, I'll wait for C5. But if I had to pay 3 times the price to get from SX2->C5, it would become so close to the full price that I think I'd go for something else instead. It may tick off those that upgrade more often, but as far as Steinberg are concerned, I'm sure they'd rather have my business every 2nd version for the same price, than no business at all.

I'll be pleased to get onto C5 - Compyfox is right about odd numbers. I've been uneasy about being on SX2.

[PV_INC]

Cubase 4 was fantastic. Maybe a few things were funky, like the mediabay. But most of my plugins have built in preset browsers, anyways.

Cubase 5 looks pretty cool. Not really much of an upgrade, though.

[Compyfox]

I'll be pleased to get onto C5 - Compyfox is right about odd numbers. I've been uneasy about being on SX2.

Seriously, 2.2 looked extremely good and got a shitload of stuff bundled. But only 1,5 month later: SX3. I was glad that I waited out on jumping from VST5 to SX2 and rather went for SX3 (which was the last possible way to "jump" actuallym and it was friggin expensive, too). Didn't regret it. I had all my hardware pannels in again, the system was fairly balanced, it ran rock solid, etc.

Actually (IMO!) SX3 was more like SX2.5+, C4 was more like SX3.2+ (sidechaining, new skin, etc) - and C5 is in my eyes a full upgrade now. If we look back in history... same happened with the VST series (though only Mac got VST4).


I'll see if it turns out to be true this time again - it least it is on the paper. I mean hey... at least there doesn't seem to be a mass flood of bug-outcries already, so there must be something behind that "uneven-number" myth.

[BERFAB]

I always buy the Cubase upgrades when they are first announced. I have yet to be disappointed.

When C4 came out, the $$ I spent on the upgrade was probably the best allocation of cash in my studio at the time. Compared with all the other stuff I buy--some of it being somewhat hit or miss--the C4 outlay was definitely money well spent. And now I've gotten a couple of years out of it, I'm ready for C5.

And unless C6 comes out within a couple of months from now, I'll be a happy camper.

Cheers
-B

[kritikon]

And unless C6 comes out within a couple of months from now

Doh!

You said it now...

[Uncle E]

I always buy the Cubase upgrades when they are first announced. I have yet to be disappointed.

This is a good move. I made the same mistake as 1-2-Many but I plan to follow your lead this time.

[BERFAB]

I always buy the Cubase upgrades when they are first announced. I have yet to be disappointed.

This is a good move. I made the same mistake as 1-2-Many but I plan to follow your lead this time.

Speaking of which, and I may have missed this earlier in the thread, but is the C5 upgrade actually shipping yet? I got the Steiny email, but the link took me to the old C4 upgrade stuff on the site. Is there an ETA on this?

-B