New upgrade prices for Cubase

[ZINO]

Hey guys relax.
They charge 100 and higher probably because its an upgrade from "a previous version."

The next .5 will probably be 50 or free as it was most of the times.
Your math approach is very simplistic and inaccurate...

Still their prices are outrageous!

[VitaminD]

This is considering that Steinberg don't monkey with the pricings again though

[Tronam]

After a long hiatus from music production I was considering finally upgrading my old SX2 license which I've actually been incapable of running at all for quite some time now, leaving many old projects in computer limbo. Over the past few years I believe it's been around $300 to bring it up-to-date, but that has now moved up to a cool $400. They're free to charge whatever they want, but as a hobbyist musician who doesn't make a living from my music I'm finding it a lot harder to justify the cost. It's easily the steepest upgrade policy in the industry, at least from what I've seen so far. The upgrade alone is twice the cost of Logic Pro X full. Reason 7 upgrades even going as far back as v1 are $129, which would be a silly huge leap in capability. Even upgrades to the new Sonar X3 from 10 year old Sonar Producer licenses only run $200. I'm not familiar with Ableton's track record here.

For professional engineers, producers and composers none of this really matters that much. When it comes to the fundamental creative tools, money is no object. I do wonder though if Steinberg has lost a bit of marketshare in the amateur/hobbyist market to Logic and Live over the past few years. My purely anecdotal impression is that Cubase doesn't get discussed or featured nearly as much as it used to in mainstream circles.

[VitaminD]

Hey guys relax.
They charge 100 and higher probably because its an upgrade from "a previous version."

The next .5 will probably be 50 or free as it was most of the times.
Your math approach is very simplistic and inaccurate...

Still their prices are outrageous!

From what else would the upgrade be BUT from a previous version?

The next x.5 will be from... a previous version.

I want the update or upgrade
Update from Cubase Artist 6

USD 129.99
Price excluding VAT

Download product free shipping

or

I want the update or upgrade
Update from Cubase Artist 6.5

USD 99.99
Price excluding VAT

Download product free shipping

So perhaps I don't understand what you're saying. Unless you mean going from 6.x to a 7.0 versus 7.0 to a 7.x

But, then, the upgrade from Cubase 5.x to 5.5 was FREE.

Then 6.0 to 6.5 apparently was 50.

Who is to say it won't be 100 or 50 or free even. Steinberg is not consistent with their pricing...

[ZINO]

All I want to say is that the point update prices (if any) should't be confused with the upgrade prices from previous versions just because for example 7 - 6.5 = 0.5 (i.e. a point release according to some strange logic expresed over here :p)

[chk071]

But, then, the upgrade from Cubase 5.x to 5.5 was FREE.

Then 6.0 to 6.5 apparently was 50.

There weren't 2 new instruments in the upgrade from Cubase 5 to 5.5. Considering they sell them solely for 50 € each now makes 50 € for the upgrade quite fair...

[ZINO]

But, then, the upgrade from Cubase 5.x to 5.5 was FREE.

Then 6.0 to 6.5 apparently was 50.

There weren't 2 new instruments in the upgrade from Cubase 5 to 5.5. Considering they sell them solely for 50 € each now makes 50 € for the upgrade quite fair...

On the other hand they could have charged for "VST Sound Collection Vol. 1" that came with 4.5 and had many new instruments for Halion One including the S90ES Grand by Yamaha, but they didn't....

[Compyfox]

You are very disappointed with a lot of happenings at steinberg lately and with c7 in general. Did you consider studio one at all, sonar x3 or perhaps even pro tools 11? Cheers

I didn't find time to test S1, Reaper is a bit too much like "Linux", I never liked Sonar, and ProTools will never hit my system (last version I used was PT8 - I rather work with Logic).

The thing is, I will miss out a couple of things I like from Cubase. And that is actually the input gain (prefilter module), the BeatCreator MIDI Plugin and Cubase is still among the best hosts for hardware.

Hey guys relax.
They charge 100 and higher probably because its an upgrade from "a previous version."

The next .5 will probably be 50 or free as it was most of the times.
Your math approach is very simplistic and inaccurate...

Just to clarify some things.

Up until Cubase 6, there was no interim (mid-term) paid upgrade. Also known as the "dot" upgrade. 6.5 was a dot-upgrade that gave you two synths (which are now bundled with C7), and a handful of functions that were "exclusive" (FLAC, the Sequel filters come to mind that I still haven't found yet!, and to a certain extend, also x64 Rewire, which was free for 6.0x).

That alone was point for critism.

But you basically updated to 6.5 for 50EUR, and then you paid 150EUR extra to get to C7.


Now, the prices went up from:
Cubase 6.5: EUR 199 (formerly 150 EUR)
Cubase 6: EUR 249 (formerly 199 EUR)

Street price about 20 EUR off.


I still remember Cubase major version upgrades where I initially only paid 99 EUR, then 119EUR, now we're down to interim paid updates and extra pricey full version updates.


The "Marketing Section" of Steinberg also already said several times at their boards, that they will keep the "midterm payment" system. Which is even more a farce, considering the disimprovement with each update (the Insert Handling comes to mind - and yes - the users want the old system back for *censored* sake!!!!).

Steinberg are stubborn and they turned greedy.

I also remember paying about 200 quids for Wavelab 8. And the upgrade cycle trimmed down to 2,5 years as well.



Whether or not this is due to Yamaha saying "raise prices", or Germany planning to raise taxes - I don't funking know. I don't want to know either.

I only want a working software, for a fair price, properly maintenanced, while not being treated as an idiot through the support, and FR's lead to literally nowhere!


My Mackie Control issues still didn't poof into thin air, the ASIO Guard is still bugged, the Plugin Control Window shows wrong(!) latency values(!!!), VST3 is borked (yet Steinberg dropped the VST2 SDK and left the programmers hanging), a lot of tools insufficient documented (Chord Track comes to mind), features were simply cut, more and more emphasis on "mobile devices" (tablets - and then, iOS only!!! - yeah! Funk Android, cause Android is sh*t! Just like Windows - whoo! Mac is King!).

I could go on like that.

Still their prices are outrageous!

Then let's start a trend here:

a) if there will be an update (free) - bomb the Steinberg servers that they still messed up
b) bomb them with FR's through the support, not through the message board (which is now "open for everyone" again, btw!)
c) DO NOT PAY for any dot-updates, no matter if it might fix your issues, DO NOT DO THAT. This is our form of protest that it can't work this way
d) DO NOT PAY for a major upgrade, especially if the current version is being abandonned.


I think if the userbase that was already scared off picks up the userbase that is still with Steinberg and MOVES to another host provider... I think Steinberg would wake up again.


Actually, this is what happened with Pinnacle days, and the very reason why SX was created in the first place: Spaghetti Code, Arrogant representatives, bugged software.

Again: SX1 and SX2 was NOT hardware friendly. And with SX3 and up, the release cycles trimmed down from roughly 2,5 years to 1,8 years.


Which is WHY I expect a paid update by late autumn, early winter (around X-Mas), and C8 by Musikmesse 2014 (if software developers are still there, though "Messe" has scared those people off with their prices, and IMSTA is not in Germany yet) or Summer Namm 2014 latest!



"Yo Fox, your theories are crazy!"
- Yeah, I was told as much

"We can not confirm what Compyfox spreads as rumors" - Steinberg Rep
- yupp, was told that much as well


You decide!
The users forced several companies to move away from USB license keys. If more people would speak with their wallets, maybe things would be different.



BUT OOOH! SHINEY NEW FEATURES! And a GroupBuy!

[VitaminD]

There has been a longstanding attempt to lower gasoline prices here (USA) through means of protest.. protest via not buying gasoline on a certain day.

It never worked. It will never work.

Even if the manufacturers of pump gasoline could/would lower prices if they saw an significant drop in demand for a day.. there is no way to get everyone to (a) hear the call and (more importantly) (b) care about the call.

I think this is the case here too... there are way too many people that would still buy.. either because of apathy to the 'cause' or simply because they didn't know there was a protest..

Therefore, I think the only way they'll realistically relook at their pricing strategy is if Cubase simply sinks lower in number of paid users. That can be from any number of reasons.. but I doubt it will ever be from protest. I think, if I guessed, it would simply be from a competing program than anything.




That said, if they do only charge 50 bucks, I guess I can live with that. But I'm not sure strapping 2 synths on an update and then saying 'but it came with 2 synths! (for which you didn't ask/want)' is a grand way to go about business. Especially since, from Steinberg's history, they will likely pull them from a future release anyways.

[SODDI]

That said, if they do only charge 50 bucks, I guess I can live with that. But I'm not sure strapping 2 synths on an update and then saying 'but it came with 2 synths! (for which you didn't ask/want)' is a grand way to go about business. Especially since, from Steinberg's history, they will likely pull them from a future release anyways.

Even if they shipped Cubase with 2 first class synths (which HalionSE and Padshop definitely are NOT), would it be worth it if the fundamental DAW, the guts of the digital recording studio, were as unsound and unusable as Cubase 7 has been for so many users?

To repeat an old saying that's been used here before. that is just putting lipstick on a pig.

[Alfalfa]

I think they owe it to their customers to explain their 7.5 plans. Are we under the old system: paid .5 updates but with higher prices; or the old old system: unpaid .5 updates but with higher prices.

After October 15th, Cubase 6 to 7 is $299! That is a 50% increase from the current $199.

[HydrogenHuman]

What bothers me the most about this as a Cubase 7 user, is that I bought 6.5 at the perfect time to get a free upgrade to 7.

Now if they have this new "pricing" where you pay for a .5 update, AND pay more for another .5 update, that is absolutely crazy.

I've sunk a lot of money into Steinberg's products because I really like their DAW software. But when they start gouging to the point where I could buy FL Studio Signature edition for cheaper than an upgrade to Cubase 8.0, I will start to question my loyalty to Cubase.

I'm really hoping they do some kind of discount when 7.5 and 8.0 roll around so that I won't pay more than $200 for both of them, otherwise I will scout around for other DAWs.

[FrankT]

I wasn't planning on upgrading from v6 for €199. Why should I for €249?
Totally wrong move, Steinberg!

[Compyfox]

It never worked. It will never work.

Of course it won't if people blindly follow along, or jump on sales.

As example with IKM - people are weary of the GearCredit and CustomShop system. Yet nothing changes. Why? Because IKM does regular sales/deals/offers and people are like "meh, to hell with it, still cheap".

As in case of Steinberg, people are like "next version will be better - I know it will!", and update regardless.

Of course, a lot of people in the bunch are like "to hell with it, 50 quids update - that's nothing - I paid 150/ 3/4th a year with Samplitude, and about 200/year with ProTools". But these are people that earn between 50grand and 100grand a year - it doesn't matter to them.



The people that are scared off in the process are:
a) the hobbyists (once the biggest market by Steinbrg)
b) the freelancers (like myself)


So Steinberg is currently walking a very, very thin line between "tool for noobs" and "priced for high paid professionals only".

And you know why they can do that? They have the backup by Yamaha (still - don't know for how long), they have a friggin huge ego, and they know that they rule certain standards which ultimately locks out other parties (the VST3 SDK for example, ASIO technology, Syncrosoft Elicenser).



The only alternative is really to look for a different developer. But let's be honest.

Who of the people in here that constantly say "I'll switch if they do this/that", actually go for it? Who of us pissed off Steinberg users are like "funk, I go to their former programmers - now at Presonus".

I think the sad reality will still be "meh - have to shell out the money and stick with the updates". That is a fact!



What pisses me off the most though, is the support. Steinberg hasn't dropped the Support for Wavelab 7 for example - and I filed a couple of reports. The answers were always insufficient. Yet WL7 is still on the "to support" list! No, in order to even "get" support, you have to have the latest version of their software. Else they're like "update first - then we'll talk!"

If they would have told me right form the start "wait 2 weeks, then WL8 is out - here, get a demo link". Then I'd have known what's up. But every time I ask "yo - what's on the horizon", Steinberg is always like "we can't tell anything about update cycles.

And that pisses me off!


Among other things like: ignoring FR's, constantly saying about bugs "we can't reproduce it - it's your fault" and asking for even more money for far more buggy software.



And now - I'm walking in circles.

[Obsolete236871]

Compyfox' comment is pretty much a proper analysis of the situation. There are still many 'hobbyists' and freelancers who use Cubase (and who have invested in a license once or more than once already). The 'price adjustments' (adjusted to what?) are really a bad move, especially with alternatives widely available or in the making now.

We are not living in the year 2000 anymore, when Cubase was basically THE DAW on the Windows platform. 'Hobbyists' are willing to pay for their hobby, but can do so only to a certain extent.

There are some DAWs that are much more 'hip' nowadays, but also more intuitive and in a certain way more sophisticated. And I'm not even talking about modular environenments and such. Just try to do sidechaining with a non-VST3 plugin in Cubase and then try it in some of the other major DAWs. Or the 1990s style screen management of Cubase. Or the fact that you cannot even layer multiple samples in their included drum sampler Groove Agent One. Without 3rd party plugins (many of them freeware), I wouldn't even be able to make music according to my worklflow in Cubase, because some essential stuff for modern approaches of doing music is missing!

Cubase has some major drawbacks in comparision to some more recently developed DAWs, eventhough I like to use Cubase in general (because I'm used to it mainly and it does what it does well).

I'm saying all this as someone who has invested in a Cubase license a couple of times and who thinks that Cubase is generally a sophisticated and very usable DAW!

But nowadays I probably wouldn't try to convince beginners (who ask me for advice) to buy Cubase.