Which companies have the most reliable and fair policies?

[Hank the Knife]

And if that doesn't earn this thread a lock, I don't know what would.

Why? Because it's not about instruments anyway?
Then the ops should've moved this thread already; one could wait for this.. human intervention lol

[tatanka]

edit: oh and AAS!

+1 for that

At first I was shocked from the (at first look) high prizes. Then I tried the free AAS player. What more do you really need if you are serious ? And they just giving it away for FREE, I am still impressed. Think you only could do this if you have evrything ready and your products are so good that people will buy and kind of co-finance the great freestuff.

I was convinced and bought the string studio while it was on (regularly appearing) sale for 50 % of regularly prize. They had lots of work with me cause I dont have credit card nor paypal, no problem, nice support. Then Christmas : just one soundset as a gift )). Then in the last beat-editions : soundsets )))).

So at least: what did I get for paying one time a sales prize ? Of course more then I deserved . But to get honest: I think you sometimes have to look behind the curtain and see the whole thing.

I am sure there will be a lot more examples like AAS if you really look. Have to mention luigi and nu softing as an example of all this one man devellopers working over decades with passion against any problems. List could be kind of endless I think.....

[EnGee]

I won't bother to elaborate too much, but some companies I refuse to do business with are listed below.

What about the companies that have the most reliable and fair policies (the OP question)?

[sfd]

I like U-He and Cockos for example. Updates and minor features are not marketed as new versions, and the copy protection is user friendly.

I had to turn UEFI off when I installed Linux, and now I need to re-authorize all my plugins in Windows too, which is something I deeply loathe doing, having to dig up all my old passwords, etc etc.

Then there is Izotope for example, that makes good products of course, but since I bought RX2 I think three years ago, and now version 5 is already just around the corner. Every time it´s a paid update. Also they have dropped several plugins completely.

What do people think about issues like this? Of course R&D needs money, but at least I´m totally put off by the Izotope policy, and have been staying with RX2, since it anyways does what I need well.

Also copy protection does not make that much sense, since there are very few plugins that you can´t find for free in the internet in five minutes if you want. I have still the bought versions installed of the software I own, since I´m worried that the cracks might break something in the software, but the inclination to install them just to get rid of copy protection is strong

Also it´s strange, that some very small companies have much more quick and friendly user support than some large ones.

What do people think? What are your favourite companies in this regard?

Personally - I love XILS-Lab !

[Jace-BeOS]

I have nothing good to say about Cakewalk, though they used to have the least intrusive copy protection (license code). Well, ok, I do owe them my start in MIDI-oriented music production. Thanks to their bundling with Sound Blaster and their accessible pricing, I started making "proper" music (with audio and hardware), after previously only using trackers. Thanks, early Cakewalk.

I've not had any problems with Native Instruments, aside from them dumping Kore (stupid stupid choice, but they gave us 64-bit before ending it). Their service center hasn't yet angered me. Ten years of free maintenance and upgrades on Reaktor 5 was fantastic. They keep their other (non-abandoned) products up-to-date with new OS revisions, usually without cost to users unless it's concurrent with a major upgrade release. The only crashes in NI product I've experienced was with the Akai sample importer in Kontakt (and Chicken Sys fessed-up to being responsible for that component anyway). Speaking of...

Chicken Sys is a curious case. They're very active in forums, quite straight-forward to talk to, and are always willing to discuss adding requested features, but they need a lot of reminders and prodding to actually get those changes done. So far, it hasn't really bothered me much.

I've nothing good to say about Muse. Well, their support is quick to respond (unless you're asking here on KVR about the promised OS upgrade path for early revision Receptor owners). I think the product itself was a terribly risky endeavor that was asking for misery. It probably only satisfies non-computer people with plenty of money to spend.

Propellerhead has never bothered me, except for the most recent version of Reason jumping on the flat design BS fad and offering no real compelling features for the upgrade cost (so I've skipped an upgrade for the first time since v3). Actually, i'm irritated about the closure of their forum (stupid and lazy). Otherwise, great stable product and no negative business experiences so far. I've watched people get into fights with them only to have the fight resolved and hard feelings ended, so... Their dongle is optional, if you have Internet access, but I'd be happier to see them ditch it so they're not wasting my time and system resources.

AAS has always felt like a good company to me, but I wish they'd figure out how to design GUIs that are easy to read and manipulate on high resolution displays... and get to that Tassman 5 update already... Their copy protection is challenge-response and has never bothered me too much (I'd rather not have to but...). Their pricing and OS maintenance has been acceptable.

Virsyn seems to have no presence on forums anywhere, but he/they quickly responded to my direct inquiry (when Virsyn released the 64-bit updates to Cube and Tera, i hadn't gotten any notification). The copy protection on the only two products I own is simple serial code, but they use dongles now, I think. I was shocked Cube and Tera even got upgraded to 64-bit at all, and free at that, so points to Virsyn I just wish there was a place to talk to people about the use of the plugs since KVR clearly isn't it.

I've found GForce and OhmForce to be decent people to deal with and their products are unique and cool. If I still had disposable income, I'd have thrown more money at them already. Their copy protection is easy serial code, IIRC.

Korg hasn't bothered me except to not enlarge the GUI on the legacy collection, but then, free 64-bit update, so it's forgiven. Bad touch panel on their M3 synth across a huge number of units (like mine); lost points for that (also in how much work it'll take to replace that panel). Challenge-response software licensing works ok 95% of the time I've used it but I think it tends to be needed a bit more often than id like. Computer OS support isn't really maintained on their hardware. They've no presence in forums at all. Good luck ever communicating with them.

Like Korg, Roland's maintenance updates for the computer-end of their product is almost nonexistent. Now that the Edirol UM880 is apparently abandoned, I'm kinda pissed about that. Their gear kicks ass, if not for their computer-end support (which is just ass). Good luck ever communicating with the company.

Access seems relatively responsive and the developers sometimes interact on their forum. The Virus TI's OS has been upgraded, for free, for several years, including several major versions, not abandoning buyers of the original TI (imagine that, Muse!). Computer OS support has been continuously maintained. Great product. Access is pretty impressive overall. This one is a winner!

I don't resell my software licenses. It's never been within my tolerances/motivation to try. So I've no experience with license transfer stuff with any company. I know Cakewalk doesn't even allow it. I couldn't get a decent offer on my Receptor or Cubase 4.5 license, so they sit uselessly in my studio (Receptor's PSU just died while not even in use, which I've recently read was a common occurrence with the early revisions, Cubase 4.x is unstable on Mac and I hate wasting my limited USB ports on dongles).

[MarlaPodolski]

I won't bother to elaborate too much, but some companies I refuse to do business with are listed below.

What about the companies that have the most reliable and fair policies (the OP question)?

I think that has been well-covered so far, and if this thread is typical of others here, I'm sure by page 16 or 20 it will be exhausted.

I gave some examples I consider the opposite. Is there a problem with this? Is there some secret, unspoken, unwritten thingie that says we can't criticise the behaviour, license requirements, attitudes or operations of 'certain' companies? Did I wake up in China this morning?

What is this nearly constant theme or trend of certain members trying (subtly or overtly) to control the opinions and beliefs and expressions of other members here? I'm still rather new to these threads, but I too often come away smelling a rat.

Someone please explain? You give your opinion based on your experience and someone threatens to lock down the thread!?!? Something not right here.

[Jace-BeOS]

There's a strong developer presence on KVR and I think that results in a defensive attitude toward all developers. There's room for criticism but the lists of "bad guys" seems to be considered a bit like talking religion and politics in the art room. This thread has existed repeatedly before, the OP should've searched, and usually gets locked when the lists of "who I'm unhappy with" get going.

[EnGee]

I won't bother to elaborate too much, but some companies I refuse to do business with are listed below.

What about the companies that have the most reliable and fair policies (the OP question)?

I think that has been well-covered so far, and if this thread is typical of others here, I'm sure by page 16 or 20 it will be exhausted.

I gave some examples I consider the opposite. Is there a problem with this? Is there some secret, unspoken, unwritten thingie that says we can't criticise the behaviour, license requirements, attitudes or operations of 'certain' companies? Did I wake up in China this morning?

What is this nearly constant theme or trend of certain members trying (subtly or overtly) to control the opinions and beliefs and expressions of other members here? I'm still rather new to these threads, but I too often come away smelling a rat.

Someone please explain? You give your opinion based on your experience and someone threatens to lock down the thread!?!? Something not right here.

Hey! I've just repeated the OP question!!
The thread was about the positive experiences we have. You mentioned only the negatives so I asked about the positive experiences! I feel sorry now for asking!

[Hank the Knife]

@MarlaPodolski
Fair enough. Fair and reliable implicate unfair and unreliable. It's in the way the OP formulated their question IMHO. A positive thing can be compared by a negative thing, otherwise no one would call it any positive. However, it seems a tradition at KVR to start an "opposite thread" on topics like these afaik.

[Urs]

'the big 7'

I'll take it as a compliment.

- Urs (proudly scatterbrained as opposed to neurotypically boring and unsexy )

[ThomasHelzle]

'the big 7'

I'll take it as a compliment.

- Urs (proudly scatterbrained as opposed to neurotypically boring and unsexy )

The scatterbrained will inherit the earth!

Cheers,

Tom (scatterbrained too)

[chk071]

I won't bother to elaborate too much, but some companies I refuse to do business with are listed below.

What about the companies that have the most reliable and fair policies (the OP question)?

I think that has been well-covered so far, and if this thread is typical of others here, I'm sure by page 16 or 20 it will be exhausted.

I have a feeling this thread, and the lots of similar others before it, have the only purpose to praise the always the same companies, which are very popular over here anyway, and smite the companies which always get a rant over here, deserved or not. Lots of people on here for political reasons unfortunately, and probably some companies sockpuppets also. And FL Studio and Reason stalkers. At least i wouldn't call the outcome of a thread like this in any way representative, naturally.

[rod_zero]

I won't bother to elaborate too much, but some companies I refuse to do business with are listed below.

What about the companies that have the most reliable and fair policies (the OP question)?

I think that has been well-covered so far, and if this thread is typical of others here, I'm sure by page 16 or 20 it will be exhausted.

I have a feeling this thread, and the lots of similar others before it, have the only purpose to praise the always the same companies, which are very popular over here anyway, and smite the companies which always get a rant over here, deserved or not. Lots of people on here for political reasons unfortunately, and probably some companies sockpuppets also. And FL Studio and Reason stalkers. At least i wouldn't call the outcome of a thread like this in any way representative, naturally.

BS, popular companies got there doing good bussines and offering good products.

[chk071]

Well this is a KVR forum thread. So people will of course mainly vote for the companies who personally deal on this forum with users of their software. Lennardigital e.g. merely has the advantage of a good product, but noone, or let's say very few on this forum would vote for them as the most reliable company in the world. And yeah, they have a point there, because there was a long period of silence before the v3 update. But other companies which update and improve their software regularly won't have the kind of popularity factor companies enjoy which have representatives on this forum. Talking from person to person with a dev will probably be a big plus in the books of people who feel like that's a sign of customer proximity. And that's already a special selection of users, because frankly, the general user will probably sit at home using the software, not on the internet chatting with dev's. So, in a thread like this, there'll be a special selection of people which will vote for what they think are the most reliable and fair companies, based on their perception. Not at all representative, as i wrote.

[EnGee]

I won't bother to elaborate too much, but some companies I refuse to do business with are listed below.

What about the companies that have the most reliable and fair policies (the OP question)?

I think that has been well-covered so far, and if this thread is typical of others here, I'm sure by page 16 or 20 it will be exhausted.

I have a feeling this thread, and the lots of similar others before it, have the only purpose to praise the always the same companies, which are very popular over here anyway, and smite the companies which always get a rant over here, deserved or not. Lots of people on here for political reasons unfortunately, and probably some companies sockpuppets also. And FL Studio and Reason stalkers. At least i wouldn't call the outcome of a thread like this in any way representative, naturally.

If you mean me by 'praising', 'sockpuppets' and 'stalker', then you are wrong about that!
All I tried to do is to be positive and answer the OP question (as I answered your question about Artist 3 in another thread).
But it seems I should keep my opinions to myself and lock that door as the environment became poisonous!
Thank you