New upgrade prices for Cubase

[VitaminD]

...Is it any different now?

I don't know.. I just boarded I said! But I liked the brochure and the tour enough to buy a room on board.

I just 'boarded' this 'ship' so how do you think it makes me feel to see so many people screaming and running in the opposite direction?

HMS Steinberg is a fine ship, but unless you keep paying the cabin crew, you'll be tossed overboard. That said, HMS Cockos is looking like a distinctly leaky refugee flotilla, with more cabins carelessly riveted on in random locations as requirements demand. HMS ImageLine is beautiful ship, but constantly fighting off pirates. HMS Live seems to be going round in circles. HMS Bitwig is out of radar contact.

Poor HMS energyXT... she lies at the bottom of the sea...

I've been onboard the FGS Synapse for a decade or so.. but shes not coming to port often for refitting so it got me thinking about another ship. Then I tried the USS Cockos for awhile and it was just to clunky for my tastes. Now I'm on the JDS Yamaha/Steinberg and so far like it. Hoping to make this a long term stay.. the love boat

[Alfalfa]

I just 'boarded' this 'ship' so how do you think it makes me feel to see so many people screaming and running in the opposite direction?

HMS Steinberg is a fine ship, but unless you keep paying the cabin crew, you'll be tossed overboard. That said, HMS Cockos is looking like a distinctly leaky refugee flotilla, with more cabins carelessly riveted on in random locations as requirements demand. HMS ImageLine is beautiful ship, but constantly fighting off pirates. HMS Live seems to be going round in circles. HMS Bitwig is out of radar contact.

Poor HMS energyXT... she lies at the bottom of the sea...

I thought this was rather clever.

[VitaminD]

Yeah me too.

[fandango]

Glad to add some cheer.

I love Cubase, I really do. But it only takes a while for the glitter to fade and you realise it has quite a few problems... like every host. But, in the way that "democracy is the worst form of government, after all the others that have been tried", I found the same parallel about Cubase in the DAW department. It lets me make music in a way that I just find the easiest.

The price increases really are a kick in the pants though, and put in me firmly in the "unwanted hobbyist" category of Steinberg. I'm not their bread and butter, I'm the inconvenient fart in their elevator to greatness. That said, I can't see any reason to shift from 6.5 for a while. Wait for them to make an upgrade offer a couple of years down the line.

I've always had a soft spot for FGS Synapse, she is a fine ship. I have Orion and love tinkering in it, playing with it's ludicrously efficient native synths. The piano roll has improved quite a bit as well. I just don't think I've ever finished a project in it though. It's my 'muse', my 'bit on the side'.

[Alfalfa]

The Steinberg store is showing USD prices identical to the Euro structure, which is $50 less than what was shown in their 9/17 announcement for USD. $200 for 6.5 to 7 and $250 for 6 to 7.

[Compyfox]

w-o-w *slowclap*

Was it due to us pointing out "wait, there's something not right"?

[Guillermo Navarrete]

Hello all,
I just wanted to post about our upgrade prices through the last versions.
Based on our flagship software.

Upgrade from Cubase 4 to Cubase 5 = 199,00€
Upgrade from Cubase 5 to Cubase 6 = 149,00€
Upgrade from Cubase 6 to Cubase 6.5 = 49,00€
Upgrade from Cubase 6.5 to Cubase 7 = 149,00€ (with the old prices)
Upgrade from Cubase 6 to Cubase 7 = 199,00€ (with the old prices)

Please do not forget that the customers that upgraded from Cubase 6 to Cubase 6.5 after the 25 of October of last year obtained Cubase 7 free due to the Grace period upgrade. Obviously we do not see them posting here and complaining about this.

And also customers who purchased Cubase 6 next to the release of Cubase 6.5 obtained Cubase 6.5 for free thanks to the grace period upgrade.

Some times it is a matter of planning (according to the past) when to upgrade and in some other cases it is just a matter of luck.

Best regards,
GN

[bronxsound]

Not sure if it was mentioned but the old prices were not including vat. The new ones are including the tax. Doing quick math c5 to c7 upgrade is only 3 EUR dearer with new pricing. To me it looks that stein is rounding up the prices not lifiting them up.

[LoopyFruit]

Here in UK the upgrade price from Cubase 6.5 to Cubase 7 is a big jump from £121.00 to £162.00

I didn't think £121.00 was good value for the upgrade, so no way will I pay £162.00.

[Compyfox]

Hello all,
I just wanted to post about our upgrade prices through the last versions.
Based on our flagship software.

Upgrade from Cubase 4 to Cubase 5 = 199,00€
Upgrade from Cubase 5 to Cubase 6 = 149,00€
Upgrade from Cubase 6 to Cubase 6.5 = 49,00€
Upgrade from Cubase 6.5 to Cubase 7 = 149,00€ (with the old prices)
Upgrade from Cubase 6 to Cubase 7 = 199,00€ (with the old prices)

So let's summarize:
The prices went up for Cubase 4 to Cubase 5 (I remember upgrade fees from 99EUR to 129 EUR with SX1 to C4!), only to go down again with Cubae 5 to Cubase 6. Which ultimately tells me "oh... this software is less worth, so pay less".

Then you stared the interim payment BS with the 50quids for C6.5 and then 150 to C7. So you paid 198 EUR from C6 to C7 if you went that route. And if you wanted to stay up to date(!!!), then you had to go that route, else your bugs wouldn't have been fixed.

But if my memory doesn't fail me, you never exceeded C6.5.9 - you went on straigt to C7.

Those that went from C6 to C7 ultimately paid 1 EUR more. Still okay.



The price raise now however, is not okay(!). It's unadjusted, Steinberg gave no real reason why that is the case, and the software is still bug-ridden.


I probably know the answers already, but since you're here Guillermo:
Will there be an interim paid update (7.2 or 7.5)?

Will the release cycle be longer than 1,5 years this time around?

Will we longtime users be forked over again with the next major version (that I expect by Musikmesse 2014 latest) if we talk about bugs, cut features and support?


Forward that to the sales department/managament/PR.
I want answers this time around. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Please do not forget that the customers that upgraded from Cubase 6 to Cubase 6.5 after the 25 of October of last year obtained Cubase 7 free due to the Grace period upgrade. Obviously we do not see them posting here and complaining about this.

And also customers who purchased Cubase 6 next to the release of Cubase 6.5 obtained Cubase 6.5 for free thanks to the grace period upgrade.

Some times it is a matter of planning (according to the past) when to upgrade and in some other cases it is just a matter of luck.

Seeing as this is a constant game of luck with Steinberg, I'm not surprised that you made this comment. Why, because Steinberg is constantly secretive and then suddenly all guerilla tactics if it's about releases.

The legit customers that have to deal with the BS that is a buggy system are always the ones that bleed the most. Others that benefit from that (the fence sitters) drastically benefit from this situation. This is not okay, and as someone that is with Steinberg since 1995, I'm sick of this.


But let's be real:

If Cubase is 599 EUR now. And I pay 399 EUR as upgrade from from C7 to C9 (if I leave out C8, since you really pissed me off with C7, and my issues still didn't resolve)... then where's that a "value" to me as longtime user?

I could slap on 200 EUR and get a new version instead, start from scratch, sell my old licenses or throw them again (since it was wasted money, and they seem to be worth sh*t these days anyway). Am I then more valued? Apparently, then I am. Because I paid full.

And what if I sit out C9 as well and you release C10. Do I have to pay full 599 EUR or even 699 EUR since you're like "sorry, you can't upgrade from versions that are greater than -2 major versions!". We were at that point several times already. And this scares me off as Steinberg user even more!



So let's summarize once more:
Assuming that there will be an interim update fee of 50 EUR, and the regular upgrade price from either C7 or C7.x-paid will be 250 EUR on top of it...

Then we pay 299 EUR(!!!), half the price of a major version for sticking up with your sh*t (as company), and you can not only further mask your incompetence as developers, but also introduce more bugs, and we will remain as "beta testers that pay for their tools".

The backlash is huge already - and I think this is why there is the price raise - to compensate for those that jumped ship! If I read that right, a lot of power users were among that. And again, the freelancers and small companies have to burn for the others.



The questions above in bold remain, Guillermo.
We want answers this time around. No BS like "we can't say anything - it's corporate secret". If you pull such crap, at least have the decency to fill us in!

Especially if you give a flying F about FR's or BR's and rather constantly blame it on the users and third party devs.

Not sure if it was mentioned but the old prices were not including vat.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but all prices were with VAT in Europe. Then again, I'm in Germany - the kingdom of "VAT land".




There, ranted enough.

[ZINO]

And also customers who purchased Cubase 6 next to the release of Cubase 6.5 obtained Cubase 6.5 for free thanks to the grace period upgrade.

Some times it is a matter of planning (according to the past) when to upgrade and in some other cases it is just a matter of luck.

So you just punish the loyal idiots who buy the upgrades immediately, right?

Well I have one more "some times" for you then....

Some times current customers become former, unless you start treating them right.

[tenshin111]

Hello all,

And also customers who purchased Cubase 6 next to the release of Cubase 6.5 obtained Cubase 6.5 for free thanks to the grace period upgrade.

Some times it is a matter of planning (according to the past) when to upgrade and in some other cases it is just a matter of luck.

This is just BS and taking the piss of your customers. I'm glad I'm not one of them.

[Guillermo Navarrete]

Hi,

So let's summarize once more:
Assuming that there will be an interim update fee of 50 EUR, and the regular upgrade price from either C7 or C7.x-paid will be 250 EUR on top of it...

Then we pay 299 EUR(!!!), half the price of a major version for sticking up with your sh*t (as company), and you can not only further mask your incompetence as developers, but also introduce more bugs, and we will remain as "beta testers that pay for their tools".

No... why?
It does not apply for you at all...
If you paid 149, for the upgrade from Cubase 6.5 to Cubase 7 and in case there is a paid upgrade for 7.5 and you decide to pay for it... then you would have paid something around 198,00, theoretically speaking. (I am not saying there is going to be a paid upgrade, I am just using it as an example)

So ti will be the same as it was when customers upgraded from Cubase 4 to Cubase 5 = 199,00

Will there be an interim paid update (7.2 or 7.5)?

Will the release cycle be longer than 1,5 years this time around?

Will we longtime users be forked over again with the next major version (that I expect by Musikmesse 2014 latest) if we talk about bugs, cut features and support?

I know you are eager to know but I will kindly ask you to be patient and wait for the official announcement, whenever it is.
It has to be done on our official website and thorough the official channels, obviously I am not posting anything before time and on KVR... It also has to be made by the product manager itself.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,
GN

[bronxsound]

Here are 2 screen shots where with yellow mark ups.
Below is current Steinbergs offering, which says that VAT is excluded from the price shown. And this is exactly what it was showing before price adjustments.

I haven't checked the website since I received the newsletter with the announcement.
I didn't realise that they adjusted prices and kept VAT as an extra. That contradicts the info shown below.

In the newsletter they clearly stated that the VAT will be included in the price.
Now I am puzzled...

Edit:

What a mess...
I live in outside EU and don't fall under any VAT surcharges. I have made a dummy go with Steiny online shop for Cubase 7 Update from Cubase 4 or Cubase 5 and it says 299EUR... 0% VAT included.
So either the info in the newsletter is incorrect or there's something wrong with the store itself. Or it is actually very sh!tty way how those guys approach the customers.

Anyway, I have lost interest in upgrading Cubase long time ago... despite it is a quality software.

[chk071]

Every time i checked the prices shown on Steinberg's website included VAT. As on every other site. Honetsly don't know where you got those screenshots from. Maybe post a link so everyone can see.