Countdown to Sample Tank 3, with 64 bit support

[Bombadil]

Is there a video of Jordan Rudess playing sample tank 3? Off to you tube!
nothing on youtube.

I think he plays so fast that he played it before we got it to him Seriously, though, here's the video

Jordan Rudess could make my old Casio home keyboard (circa 1985) sound good.

Question: Is ST3 scaleable within the DAW?

[basslinemaster]

Edit for clarity and since I didn't quote: @basslinemaster - if you made your case for not backing up with regard to redownload via support please let me know what your ticket number was and I can look into it. Otherwise, I think a lot of it boils down to this issue for you so let me know. I'm sure people do like Jordan Rudess and SampleTank 3 sounds quite a lot and we've had even more (and also genuine) positive response to it during and since NAMM.

I have backups, I am objecting to your price gouging. Tell us how much your server costs are, and how much it costs you per 1GB of data downloaded. So do most people object to your charging 7.99 euros for something that costs you such a tiny amount it's too small to measure. We all know how much servers and bandwidth cost nowadays.

What does ST3 do that ST2.5 doesn't? Why isn't the answer to this question already really clear to everybody?

ps "if you made your case for not backup up with regard to redownload" is a tad insulting... even backups can get corrupted... I shouldn't have to beg your company for something that you should be offering for free. Do you want me to print up some current monthly server prices and we can take it from there? You are losing customers by doing this. Who do you think logs into their IK account and sees that it will cost 7.99 euros to download EACH of maybe ten expansions, and then thinks "Great, I think I'll buy MORE stuff from these guys"? Just unbelievable business practice.

I take it from your inability to discuss the 7.99 euro price and your inability to justify it, that you know it's wrong, yet you won't stop doing it. No problem.

[Uncle E]

If the T-Racks CS upgrade is any indication, full paying owners of the prior package were only charged $99 for the full upgrade. Sampletank 3's MSRP is somewhat less than the full T-Racks CS ($299 v. $399), so I would expect that longtime owners (ie. full price) should be charged something in the $75 range for a full upgrade.

Can't recall if my T-Racks figures are accurate though. Someone might confirm?

Yes, you're correct.

Player only? Well, if the UVI model is a good one, then they should give it away. That shopping cart icon in the upper right will make up the difference, I'm sure.

If IK intends to continue selling expansion packs, a free player would make the most sense for both them and their customers. If they don't, however, then they'll probably want something for their work. At $10, I think enough people would buy it to recoup IK's cost to make it. At $20, I think almost as many people will buy as if it's $10 and thus it could be a pretty good product for them to offer (and they could probably add in some nice library teasers to provide some extra value). At $50, I think IK will sell less than 1/5 as many as they would if it were $10 or $20, and thus this number would make the least sense to me.

[basslinemaster]

If IK intends to continue selling expansion packs, a free player would make the most sense for both them and their customers. If they don't, however, then they'll probably want something for their work. At $10, I think enough people would buy it to recoup IK's cost to make it. At $20, I think almost as many people will buy as if it's $10 and thus it could be a pretty good product for them to offer (and they could probably add in some nice library teasers to provide some extra value). At $50, I think IK will sell less than 1/5 as many as they would if it were $10 or $20, and thus this number would make the least sense to me.

Uncle E, this is all very true, IF you pretend that they are never going to sell ST3 to NEW customers. They don't have to worry about recouping costs from current owners, there will be thousands more this year alone, who have never touched a VST before.
It's a way that some developers 'plead poverty', and unfortunately too many people fall for it. Every year millions of people become interested in computer music, or at least hundreds of thousands, just think how many people hit 16, or 18, this year, and suddenly decide to start playing with VSTs and DAWs.
So let's not maintain this myth that the only customers who will ever exist are the people who already make music with their PCs, there are always going to be hundreds of thousands more every year.
I'm very happy with the sounds I have in ST2.5, I have a load of expansions, Sonik Synth, Miroslav, and I can make fantastic sounding combis with very little effort.
Can IK show us exactly what ST3 does that makes it better than ST2.5? So far, they seem to be hiding all of this from us.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I take it from your inability to discuss the 7.99 euro price and your inability to justify it, that you know it's wrong, yet you won't stop doing it. No problem.

It isn't a case of inability, we're not going to discuss our infrastructure with you - that would be irresponsible I.T.-wise and no business is going to disclose their costs for said infrastructure either. I wasn't insulting you, sorry that you took it that way. I've made the suggestion that it be removed based on input from forum/social media users, and people have made their case (hence the question) via support who have also forwarded the suggestion. Thanks for putting words in my mouth, though,I'm not saying anything is wrong or right... You can contact me via PM or contact our support staff directly, but I'm not going to be engaged in something like this here as it is far off-topic.

[donato]

OK, so I see there are many that comment about a "player" version of just the engine to use only for the previous libraries in 64 bit environments. If that were the case, how much would you expect it to cost?

Given the trajectory of disgruntled customers, I'd say if there isn't a completely free player that there will be a lot of people who never purchase an IK product again.

There will also be continued bashing on forums where potential new customers will be turned off from even trying ST or IK products.

It is in IK's interest to make a free player, and make it available upon release. It's actually in their best interest to announce it as soon as possible (re-announce it?) so these threads don't continue to be overrun by angry current customers. My $.02.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Question: Is ST3 scaleable within the DAW?

It is not resizable, the screen shots from NAMM are what you will see size-wise, readable now with or without resizing thankfully.

[Bombadil]

I don't think it is necessarily a question of bad samples, but, rather, a question of redundant samples.

They told me the samples will all be new and not redundant.

That isn't what I meant. What I meant was, having moved to alternative 64 bit compatible VIs which Sampletank 3 would replicate, probably not as elegantly as, say, a dedicated drum module, or VSL, or Omnisphere, etc. I have no doubt the new sample library is very good, but I doubt the drums are as good as the leading drum programs out there, or that the orchestral instruments are as good as VSL or others, and so on.

[donato]

I take it from your inability to discuss the 7.99 euro price and your inability to justify it, that you know it's wrong, yet you won't stop doing it. No problem.

It isn't a case of inability, we're not going to discuss our infrastructure with you - that would be irresponsible I.T.-wise and no business is going to disclose their costs for said infrastructure either. I wasn't insulting you, sorry that you took it that way. I've made the suggestion that it be removed based on input from forum/social media users, and people have made their case (hence the question) via support who have also forwarded the suggestion. Thanks for putting words in my mouth, though,I'm not saying anything is wrong or right... You can contact me via PM or contact our support staff directly, but I'm not going to be engaged in something like this here as it is far off-topic.

How is it off-topic? It relates directly to ST and ST related material. If you have no ability to do anything about it (which I am sure is the case), you should just say as much.

[BBFG#]

Concerning the transfer fees, as a customer, I don't expect any say in it. Companies can often set an arbitrary rule for whatever reason. Once I know it, I generally just accept it. I am slightly taken aback by their re-download fees though. However I have read where they address this on a case by case basis , but have been fortunate enough to back up my downloads in multiple forms.

It does seem illogical though to charge a twenty dollar transfer fee on products that basically sold for an average of fourteen dollars a piece and maybe if IK would address that in a percentage of cost rather than more for the actual product, customers might see it as more fair by the company.

Been playing ST2 quite a bit these last days while trying to get the TrackS/A3 to load and work right and enjoying ST2 much. I've become use to the GUI and now feel all they really need to do is address the 64b issue. But then again, TrackS and A3 are 64b and they don't seem to want to work at all for me.

[basslinemaster]

I take it from your inability to discuss the 7.99 euro price and your inability to justify it, that you know it's wrong, yet you won't stop doing it. No problem.

It isn't a case of inability, we're not going to discuss our infrastructure with you - that would be irresponsible I.T.-wise and no business is going to disclose their costs for said infrastructure either.

No company in this day and age can justify a 7.99 euro charge for redownloading something that a customer has already paid for. I am sure that no more than a few percent of customers are going to want to redownload a given product in any month, so your bandwidth is not going to be affected.
I KNOW what the costs are for downloading 1GB of data, it's not difficult to find, your costs are certainly not going to be MORE than what I would pay for a $60 dedicated server, they are going to be the same or less. Who in IK decided that it was a good idea to put off current customers from becoming repeat customers, by imposing this charge? What does it tell current and future customers about your company? If you (or whoever is in charge) can't see that, then there's no point in me telling you.

What does ST3 do that ST2.5 doesn't? (i.e. apart from new sounds (I have more than enough already in ST2.5) what does it do that's better than what I can already do in ST2.5? You should have already reamed off paragraphs of improvements by now.

[cain]

in the end i don't think any of this back and forth i will buy i will not will buy it, will have any effect on ik mutimedia decisions on sampltank 3. i think they know what they r going to do , price wise and release date etc.
what really matters to most that have sampletank is what will be the upgrade price(and if it will have be really cheap for long time customer ) and if there ever be a free player version.
and i think thats what most r looking for including my self.

really cheap upgrade price or just pass on it and hope eventually there will be a free player version.

[paterpeter]

If you (or whoever is in charge) can't see that, then there's no point in me telling you.

To be fair, what is Peter supposed to do in your opinion? He represents the company here, not his personal opinion. Staying neutral in this regard is the best he can do.

[Uncle E]

Uncle E, this is all very true, IF you pretend that they are never going to sell ST3 to NEW customers. They don't have to worry about recouping costs from current owners, there will be thousands more this year alone, who have never touched a VST before.

Yes, agreed.

Can IK show us exactly what ST3 does that makes it better than ST2.5?

All new sample library and built-in T-RackS processing.

[Teksonik]

Ah, a real question/comment/concern, thank you.

Are these not "real questions" ?

30 gigs of samples. What samples ? 3000 instruments. Which instruments ? Can we use ST2.5 Combis ? Will there be an engine only upgrade path ?

Let me ask again.........can we have a list of the sample content in ST 3 ? I'll settle for one real answer.........