Does U-he seriously not have any sales/specials?

[HydrogenHuman]

I could have sworn I saw Zebra 2 go on sale at one point (It went from $199 to $99 I believe), may have even been last year.

Now I read that there are never any sales or specials, which is disappointing since I'm all about buying plugins when they are on sale.

In fact, didn't Satin initially have a discount when it was first released? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[cryophonik]

There's always the Dinosaur crossgrade for Zebra.

http://www.u-he.com/cms/zebra2-dinosaur-crossgrade

[Ghostwave]

u-he have discounts for early adopters but no sales.
So Zebra was never $99.

[GalleryHakon]

That's what I heard too: no sales. Considering their quality, I've never heard anyone complaining about the lack of value for money, though. In fact, I've heard many users of Diva and Zebra expressing the sentiment that they felt it was even cheap, and I think it's a point well made.

Other virtual instrument makers would charge twice as much for something of that calibre and then call it a sale every time they reduced the price to what u-he charges all year round.

[pdxindy]

I could have sworn I saw Zebra 2 go on sale at one point (It went from $199 to $99 I believe), may have even been last year.

Now I read that there are never any sales or specials, which is disappointing since I'm all about buying plugins when they are on sale.

In fact, didn't Satin initially have a discount when it was first released? Correct me if I'm wrong.

When a U-he product first ships, there is generally a discount for early adopters. After that, the price is the price. There are never any sales or specials... and I am glad it is this way.

Diva is just receiving an update that could easily be a paid upgrade... yet it is free. Since I purchased Zebra 2 when it first came out, there have been the equivalent of 2-3 paid upgrades for no additional cost. Over time, U-he synths are the best value for the dollar of any softsynths I have purchased. Value accrues as you keep and use the synths.

[Burillo]

this policy also preserves the second hand price for u-he synths. an excellent example of the opposite is LuSH-101 - this great synth is RRP at 249 bucks i think, yet you can find it in the market place for $60 because it's always on sale some time somewhere - that never happens with u-he synths.

[tehlord]

I think the used option is the best way to go if you need to pay less. Their transfer policy is exceptionally fair, and free.

I don't feel that any developer needs to offer discounted prices at all, although perhaps a small loyalty discount for those that have purchased products new from U-he would be better than an introductory discount as not everybody will be in a position to purchase when the introductory price is available.

[ariston]

Diva is just receiving an update that could easily be a paid upgrade... yet it is free. Since I purchased Zebra 2 when it first came out, there have been the equivalent of 2-3 paid upgrades for no additional cost. Over time, U-he synths are the best value for the dollar of any softsynths I have purchased. Value accrues as you keep and use the synths.

Other developers would simply release the current Diva update as a separate synth.

The "no sales" policy is abolutely (more than) justified, and I'm also glad it's done that way. What's more, it really seems to work for U-He, which is great. We want them to be in business for a long, long time.

[Urs]

Well, as I see it there are two general philosophies:

1. Do sales, but then also charge for upgrades.

2. Don't do sales and keep cost of ownership at a minimum.

I believe that 1. is by far the most common principle in the market, and I think it's unfair to many existing users (there'll always be a cheaper price next week or so). It implies a hidden cost on everyone because the bucks saved will have to be spent later - or by someone else. Yet, no-one pays more for upgrades if he bought cheaper. We would go this way if we were in the gambling business.

Instead we stubbornly go the second way. We favour existing customers over fast growth.

I believe that sales lead to "unhappy impulse buys" - people buy because it's cheap, not because they want/need what they buy. I believe that marketing tactics based on quick growth create an unhappy user base. I think that sales are the root cause of shitstorms that some companies regularly receive.

Now look at our customer base. U-he users IMHO are loyal, knowledgable about the stuff and happy above average. I believe that our no sales policy is part of the reason why we have such a great community. Nevertheless, we could certainly give back more, so we're working on a scheme to reward existing users (e.g. value vouchers or freebees) but I can't yet say what/when/how.

But what it boils down to is, we've been doing very well this way. From a plain business point of view, there's no need for us to do sales, go retail, milk customers, lower prices. We much rather concentrate on making our products better, and offer irresistable value for, well, a pretty good price.

- Urs

[mandolarian]

Now look at our customer base. U-he users IMHO are loyal, knowledgable about the stuff and happy above average. I believe that our no sales policy is part of the reason why we have such a great community. Nevertheless, we could certainly give back more, so we're working on a scheme to reward existing users (e.g. value vouchers or freebees) but I can't yet say what/when/how. - Urs

Finally, you're getting the market. The stunning sonics, beautiful UIs, fair pricing, awesome customer support - sure might have been enough before, but now we want, no, we demand U-he swag, key fobs, VST drink coasters, playing cards and oven mitts. For starters.

[electro]

Diva is just receiving an update that could easily be a paid upgrade... yet it is free. Since I purchased Zebra 2 when it first came out, there have been the equivalent of 2-3 paid upgrades for no additional cost. Over time, U-he synths are the best value for the dollar of any softsynths I have purchased. Value accrues as you keep and use the synths.

Other developers would simply release the current Diva update as a separate synth.

The "no sales" policy is abolutely (more than) justified, and I'm also glad it's done that way. What's more, it really seems to work for U-He, which is great. We want them to be in business for a long, long time.

All you are getting inside DIVA could have easily been offered as 5 seperate products and he's still stuffing additional modules into it at no charge. Its the absolute best quality Analog softsynth and best value.

Also the high level of forum presence is another example of how seriously the company values its products and customer concerns. There are only a handful of companies that get so many things right (product pricing, product support, copy protection). Their reputation is solid and this is why you should not hesitate to get a product during the public beta discount period.

[solidtrax]

If a company does some (amazing) discounts from time to time, it's hard to pay the full price, you rather wait for the next sale. I think I prefer companies who do not have sales, but a fixed but fair price. u-he is a good example, so is Valhalla DSP, and I can add a few more companies to this list.

What I also like is a little discount based on how much products you already have from the company. Fabfilter comes to mind!

[QLNE]

I purchased Zebra through the dinosaur upgrade program. I then purchased Zebra HZ, which is a brilliant example of softsynth programming and worth every penny. When it is released, I will be eligable to receive Zebra 3 for FREE. I dont see a problem here.

-Andrew F

[Whirly]

Since getting the U-HE synths my wife claim I'm a happier guy. What's the right market price for that? And we're still able to go on a romantic vacation

[kylen]

Finally, you're getting the market. The stunning sonics, beautiful UIs, fair pricing, awesome customer support - sure might have been enough before, but now we want, no, we demand U-he swag, key fobs, VST drink coasters, playing cards and oven mitts. For starters.

I understand what Urs alluded to about serious customers vs potentially disgruntled 'collectors', however I could certainly go for a Satin oven mitt!