Precision Compressor / Limiter now available on T-RackS CS + AAX compatibility

[sorohanro]

+1 for the mix knob.
If that would be on the main console, so you can apply it to whatever compressor you might use, maybe would be a plus.

[4damind]

72 hours is of course a bit short but it was enough time for me to compare it and don't buy it.
But it could be a part of the game to earn a better reputation if they would rethink this trial times. It must not be 30 days like Soundtoys but 7 or 14 days would look much better and to be honest, I cannot remember about a company having such short trial times like IKM.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

72 hours is of course a bit short but it was enough time for me to compare it and don't buy it.
But it could be a part of the game to earn a better reputation if they would rethink this trial times. It must not be 30 days like Soundtoys but 7 or 14 days would look much better and to be honest, I cannot remember about a company having such short trial times like IKM.

Yeah, it is a bit short. But then again, I think they automatically let you re-demo after 2 months. If I had to choose between a slightly longer demo period (7-14) with no ability to demo again later, or having a really short demo period (2-3 days) with an automatic ability to demo again in 60 days, I'd take the latter.

BTW, I'm assuming that's how the T-Racks CS works with demos based on the Amplitube CS.

[Burillo]

IMO even 12 hours would be more than enough, provided those 12 hours are 12 hours of actual USAGE, not 12 hours since starting the demo. now that would be very fair demo period, and no one would complain.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

72 hours is of course a bit short but it was enough time for me to compare it and don't buy it.
But it could be a part of the game to earn a better reputation if they would rethink this trial times. It must not be 30 days like Soundtoys but 7 or 14 days would look much better and to be honest, I cannot remember about a company having such short trial times like IKM.

Yeah, it is a bit short. But then again, I think they automatically let you re-demo after 2 months. If I had to choose between a slightly longer demo period (7-14) with no ability to demo again later, or having a really short demo period (2-3 days) with an automatic ability to demo again in 60 days, I'd take the latter.

BTW, I'm assuming that's how the T-Racks CS works with demos based on the Amplitube CS.

It resets after 6 weeks now, too, but we've also been reviewing the demo period in general based on feedback we've been seeing and getting sent to us. http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/trcs/

[kylen]

IMO even 12 hours would be more than enough, provided those 12 hours are 12 hours of actual USAGE, not 12 hours since starting the demo. now that would be very fair demo period, and no one would complain.

+1

[AC222]

+1 for the mix knob.
If that would be on the main console, so you can apply it to whatever compressor you might use, maybe would be a plus.

+ 1 again!

[kylen]

I turned on Custom Shop last night so I could demo Bus Compressor, Precision Comp demo (expired) was still in a slot on the project I opened. I was treated to some really ugly and loud noise, it is loud. I went thru this with another vendor (g-sonique) recently and said goodbye to them also.

Thank you so much IK for treating me, one of your [former] paying customers, to that nonsense and aural hell...

Well OK then, I'm going to bow out of the whole Custom Shop, IK plugin fest, uninstall Custom Shop not make any purchases or try any further demos. Will not be buying Precision, Bus or anything else. I've been a customer since 2004. Goodbye to me. I'll be back when changes by IK are made.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

We've noted this to support and development already. Thanks for reporting it here, I'm sorry it turned you off to our products and hope to see you back. Thanks.

[djscorb]

Ok

I have T-RackS Deluxe and also White2A, Vintage Comp 670 and Black76, all as separate products. I haven't updated in a long time and after looking into doing so today am basically put off from any further dealings with IK Multimedia completely.

I don't want to install the new Custom Shop because my studio workstation is offline and I don't want unnecessary plugins clogging up my plugin folder and wasting space on disk. I wanted to demo and likely purchase the new Neve comp but it simply is not possible without downloading a huge file that installs everything whether I like it or not, jumping through numerous hoops, working out a new currency, overwriting existing plugins that I would rather be left untouched and all without the ability to transfer the license of any newly purchased plugins.

I want the option to sell software on in the future. I am VERY unlikely to do so but I want that option, as is my right. I can do so with my existing products from IK so on that basis alone the new system is a huge step backwards for me, the end user.

I don't want to install a huge file overwriting plugins that i am already happy with, a simple single installer per plugin is more convenient and safer when working with ongoing projects. The new system is actually the opposite of being "Custom" as I have no control or say to what is installed. A crazy situation when all I want to do is demo a single processor.

It seems many of the new processors are priced at 100 "Credits" but you don't sell any 100 credit packs, forcing me to buy more credits than the product I am interested in requires. This is completely taking the piss.

This whole thing has absolutely nothing to do with "Musicians First". In fact everything about this new setup stinks from my perspective in comparison to my previous experience using and installing IK products.

I'm afraid that I am adding my voice to the other users that feel this way. I am out from demoing, updating or purchasing anything from IK until they adopt a more reasonable, less convoluted and standardised method to demo, purchase and install plugins.

I've had enough of companies reinventing the wheel. This is how it should be:

1. Download and install demo
2. Like the product enough to buy it
3. Pay for it in a real currency
4. Enter serial number
5. Use plugin with a smile on my face
6. Enjoy the piece of mind that I have the ability to transfer it to another user in the unlikely event I stop making music.

Any vendor that can't appreciate that this is the standard and most user friendly way to use music software is imo putting "Musicians Second" and Customers last.

Cheers

Scorb

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

We sell 20-credit packs, which can be purchased in quantity for 100 total in one purchase. The breaks in pricing occur in larger quantity packs. I've also already stated that we're likely to add purchases with currency instead of credits in the future, since that's quite a popular request.

As for the request/preference for using a single serial, I think you know that's unlikely. We'd probably go back to the dongle before that, and that too is not likely to happen in either of our lifetimes. You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't feel that anybody who uses anything but a straight serial is putting their customers last. A few of our closest competitors (and companies we do respect) don't use a simple serial and it is a matter of running a business that we'd like to see continue to run and choices are not made lightly or without thought, and changes are made as necessary as I'll mention in the next paragraph.

We take the constructive suggestions and have made changes in the past, but also consider the many thousands that use Custom Shop happily (yes we also receive a lot of positive feedback over it) and we'll make changes (like the one mentioned above and others I've heard about that are likely but not ready for discussion in public yet) but it won't likely be removed completely as we have a large set of users to consider when building and modifying products.

I understand that frustration with Custom Shop has caused a few public "rage quits" of IK, and that's your right to voice in the thread, but it would also be nice to pepper in some discussion of the actual plugins if anybody cares to (as that is also a way we can see what people think of the actual sound and plugin and also bring that information to the right people here when constructive suggestions are made). I feel I've provided a positive voice to relay assistance where I can, speak of upcoming changes and help assist with getting the suggestions to the right people, and hope that can also continue here. I'm sure there are also plenty of people still using IK products, though the picture painted with the recent posts paints a picture quite a bit more stark than I feel is reality so I wanted to assure people that I will continue to try to help with direct assistance, gathering and relaying information in both directions, and whatever else I can do to help.

[sorohanro]

... to relay assistance where I can, speak of upcoming changes and help assist with getting the suggestions to the right people, and hope that can also continue here.

What about the mix button?
At the current state, some DAWs don't compensate for the latency and using it on a send channel for parallel compression ends up in phase problems. A mix button would send the dry and wet signal through same plugin, with same latency, so no phase issues?
Doable in the future?

[djscorb]

Hi Peter

I appreciate you have a difficult job defending against such a barrage of criticism, it can't be easy trying to justify such a convoluted system. I want to spend my time making music and furthering my knowledge of audio and would rather not be wasting several hours on a Saturday afternoon trying to work out why a company has put up so many barriers to demo a single processor for an existing customer. If a system for demoing and buying software needs explaining in this day and age it's already too convoluted imo.

Although I prefer vendors that do use just a straight serial number, I wasn't suggesting that IK adopt that. I am suggesting that the previous challenge / response activation for individual processors was more convenient and desirable for the end user and that this new system is a step backwards in terms of ease of use and flexibility. I'm sure that the irony is not lost on you that compared to before, renaming a system to "Custom Shop" whilst simultaneously removing all ability to actually customise an installation of your company's plugin(s) is actually a bad joke at expense of the end user.

Might I suggest that a significant percentage of the "large" amount of users you say are happy with this new system are perhaps new users who didn't realise how much easier and more sensible it was before the switch to Custom Shop?

I notice you have had very little to say in this thread in defense of the custom shop purchases being non-transferable.

Furthermore, making it more difficult for users whose DAWs are offline is just plain ridiculous. Even as a Mac user I keep my DAW offline and when I used to use a PC it was an even bigger no-no for me. Every tech article on maintaining a healthy music computer advises against connecting to the net if at all possible so this system works against this very sound and well established principle.

The gear credits situation is definitely a huge turn off for me and actually caused me to swear outloud! I think you can see my point that not having a 100 credit pack on offer is naughty when so many processors are at that exact price point. Having to buy an 80 plus 20 pack is yet again, convoluted, inelegant and designed to ensure that the customer does NOT get any advantage from buying a larger gear credit pack. Let's face it, the 20 credit pack is largely useless on it's own and represents a higher price point per "gear credit" in real monetary terms. The user knows this and buying two gear credit packs to buy a single processor is just annoying and will stick in the craw of many users I'm afraid. Not really justifiable. A move to reinstate buying with regular currency would be a welcome move for sure.

Anyway, thanks for your response, I sympathise that it's your job to explain and attempt to justify this stuff.

Cheers

Scorb

[Burillo]

TL;DR

sort out offline auth and demo
sensible demo time
silence instead of noise bursts
make CS gear transferrable*



* at least all at once, together with the license - honestly, it makes no sense otherwise

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

... to relay assistance where I can, speak of upcoming changes and help assist with getting the suggestions to the right people, and hope that can also continue here.

What about the mix button?
At the current state, some DAWs don't compensate for the latency and using it on a send channel for parallel compression ends up in phase problems. A mix button would send the dry and wet signal through same plugin, with same latency, so no phase issues?
Doable in the future?

Everything suggested is passed on to at very least the Product Manager, typically bounced off others too. I can say that, but I'm not sure what can and will get implemented until I hear that it is coming down the line. I really don't like to be in the business of false hope so I try to balance it as much as I can - even with the occasional roadblock or monkey wrench thrown in the system where something changes that I've stated was coming. I still do strive to be as upfront as possible.