Try before buy

[ATN69]

The real bad thing is that you can't demo the most expensive stuff in music making: premium Kontakt Libraries (Orchestra and cinematic stuff e.g.). Most of the manufacturers don't supply demos. So you have to buy some Spitfire library for half a thousand Euros before you see whether you actually like it.

Yup! It sucks big time because its a gamble.

[Ridan]

It can be a gamble for sure. I've spent almost a total of 3 grand worth on Kontakt libraries because i use to drink way too much sake when living in JP and went through a phase where i thought i wanted to write scores for movies. The good thing about all of that was i learned a lot about composing. The bad thing is that these libraries remain virtually untouched years later.

Not only are there no demos but you can't re-sell the libraries either.

So, yes it can be a gamble if you're young, stupid, and have money to burn.

[musiclover55547]

Can't belive you said you regret buying ACE.

I probably have some kind of medical condition, an extreme opposite of GAS.

SAG - Severe Aversion to Gear

Wrong board

[layzer]

If you can't make good sounding music with free vst's, you suck as an electronic musician

Dude, you are like a vegan who comes into a steak bar and cries out something like "animals are not ours to eat"

nah, people these days are just too critical about what a plugin can do for them instead of what they can do with a plugin.

[Mystic]

try-sound.com was always a great resource for me. The site is currently under reconstruction but it's because of them that I pulled the trigger on a few of the plugins I did after getting to demo them in full.

The way it worked is that you'd sign up and pick which plugin you wanted to try. They had quite a few on the list including Best Service and some of the bigger name companies I can't recall off the top of my head. You'd be issued a key with a certain amount of time to use it and log in using their software which would start what was essentially a livestream into their server where you could play with the plugin. There was a lot of lag being that they are based out of Europe and I was state side.

They ran an ambient track of sorts behind the sounds you'd play. I think it was crickets chirping or something like that when I used it last to prevent logging in and just tracking using the demo.

Really helpful tool though and I can't wait for the relaunch.

[Elektronisch]

The real bad thing is that you can't demo the most expensive stuff in music making: premium Kontakt Libraries (Orchestra and cinematic stuff e.g.). Most of the manufacturers don't supply demos. So you have to buy some Spitfire library for half a thousand Euros before you see whether you actually like it.

Yup! It sucks big time because its a gamble.

And it sucks more if you cant resell it. From my expierience even the demo is not enough. Only after using in a project, having real work expierience i see if a plugin or library is useful and being worth money for me. But i guess this is the thing that will remain.

Im not for piracy but i am not against it. Demo is a demo, trial is a trial it ends up before you know it. I do see a benfit of warez because you can use it without limitations before deciding if a product is for me and it wount end up in "virtual trash bin".

[Ridan]

try-sound.com was always a great resource for me. The site is currently under reconstruction but it's because of them that I pulled the trigger on a few of the plugins I did after getting to demo them in full.

The way it worked is that you'd sign up and pick which plugin you wanted to try. They had quite a few on the list including Best Service and some of the bigger name companies I can't recall off the top of my head. You'd be issued a key with a certain amount of time to use it and log in using their software which would start what was essentially a livestream into their server where you could play with the plugin. There was a lot of lag being that they are based out of Europe and I was state side.

They ran an ambient track of sorts behind the sounds you'd play. I think it was crickets chirping or something like that when I used it last to prevent logging in and just tracking using the demo.

Really helpful tool though and I can't wait for the relaunch.

Interesting. Never even heard of anything like that before. How long has the site been under construction?

[EnGee]

Just yesterday I did something I had not expected myself to do. I used the u-he coupon to buy the ACE. I haven't bought a new synth for quite some time and 15 eur price was tempting. So even fully knowing I do not need another VA synth (or any other synth, as a matter of fact) I bought it without demoing. After installing it and playing with it a bit I immediately started to regret buying it. It sounds very good, of course, but I can already get all those sounds from Imposcar, PPG Wave 3, V-Station, ZTA+2, Zebralette and the two Xils synths I have, most of which sound equally as good. So most likely if I had bothered to demo it, I would not have bought it.

I.

I had almost the opposite experience with ACE! I thought it sounds mediocre (just an image because I have never demo it before), then some guys here bring my attention to it. I checked the interface and I liked the big and clear way, anyway I trust u-he products and thought it would be a little brother for Bazille (which I love) then I found one for sale in the Market Place and bought it.

Man! how happy that I did! It doesn't sound like Bazille and it can sound analogish (but clean) in a great way and very quickly it became from my top favourite synths. IMO, it compares well with Monark and Diva. I love the presets as well. They are very well done

Anyway, I have mixed feelings/opinions about how demoing is useful for me! I have demoed some synths in the past and I thought "it is not for me", then delete them. Then after one year or so, I bought them and found them from the best synths out there! For example, Waves Element, Dune 2, Bazille ...etc. Some, synths I have demoed them very well and then bought them because I liked them at the time, but after some time and after knowing them better, I tend to like them less and less.

But in the end, I prefer demoing the synth so at least I have a first impression about it. The best demos are from Native Instruments IMO. They are fully functional for 30 minutes which is more than enough for one sitting. I have now most of their synths and I love them.

[musiclover55547]

I do understand the OP's jist. There are two things I've purchased that somewhat fall into the same category as referenced, though I am not entirely unhappy with what I have and they do not sit on the shelf. Both products are the product of a mass amount of hype and promotion, though one has stood the test of time, one has benefited from this established reputation.

The first is Ozone. I understand many like it, some are fantatical, some find this version great, some find v5 better. However, such a product was great back before a more a la carte approach was so readily available from so many different vendors. The proverbial straw that broke the back was when I found out the PT-Like annual release for about 1/2 the original cost. I use Logic, Ableton, and Bitwig. I don't do paid-for point releases or upgrades. At least for a few years. Period. Both Logic & Ableton have killer plugins to get you over the hump too.

Concurrently, I purchased Iris 2 as all the traditional outlets were doing full page, if not cover, stories --with video-- on the synth. The truth is I do like it, but I do not like its CPU profile, particuarly when I am mobile on an older Yoga. Bitwig grinds to a hault, add Ozone and it is all over. Ableton can hold its own a bit longer. However, we're talking one track -- thus only one instance -- with no inserts. Add MJUC and a good reverb and you'd have to call it a day.

The one thing I could not predict was Apple buying Camel / Alchemy, which makes the whole excursion humorous, but I've since gotten over it. I do use Iris 2 ----- on my iMac that is. Even then it is noticeable, so I really only engage her for offline sound design about every other month give or take. I would have been better off with a Rompler, which I never thought I'd say, such as Nexus 2.

[Mystic]

Interesting. Never even heard of anything like that before. How long has the site been under construction?

It's been a while. I wonder if they are hitting some snags.

[lolilol1975]

Can't belive you said you regret buying ACE.

Especially after citing Novation V-station, which sounded merely okay 15 years ago but has never been updated by Novation and is now so average that I deleted it from my computer, knowing that I'll never use it in anything. And it has one of the most impractical user interfaces I've seen so far: no menu for the presets, you only have two arrows to browse them. I can't believe that they are still selling this, as even if it was freeware, it wouldn't be a very compelling proposal, considering what you get in freeware nowadays.
(At least it's still better than the joke called Novation BassStation, that I deleted as soon as I installed it.)

[lolilol1975]

Im not for piracy but i am not against it. Demo is a demo, trial is a trial it ends up before you know it. I do see a benfit of warez because you can use it without limitations before deciding if a product is for me and it wount end up in "virtual trash bin".

Except that you have zero incentive to pay for warez, and most people who use them probably don't pay for them.

I agree 15 days to make up your mind is enough time for people who do music for their day job, but is way too short for the majority of people who don't, and that's the vast majority of people in the plugins market. Especially for a plugin which is specialized in a niche (given that the plugins market is itself a niche market).
3 weeks or a month would be better. Or demos like the u-he ones, that superimpose a not horrible sound over your own sound once in a while. Or for me, the best demos are the free versions like MJUCJr.

[tapper mike]

Re KLC (all) I love the stuff. Had it in hardware form before purchasing the software. M1 is my go to rompler. I try ideas out and then if I want to use other vst's I go from there but it always starts with the M1 I do this thing called thinking of what sound I'm looking for before I actually play something and then... I actually play something rather then doodling and hoping music comes out.

Another no trial (I know it's not a vst) win was PG Music's Band in a Box. Best music software purchase ever. The customer base are the type that not only regularly buy upgrades because they want to they'll even buy the upgrade at full price as a way of saying "thanks"

Yes I have freeware that I occasionally open and use. Immediately afterwards I think of deleting it because I've got payware I like more and don't want to dig through my plugin folders as much.

Re trial time. This is what I've learned from being in the software biz. Usually those that do purchase do so on the second day or the 14th day of the trial. I've yet to have a situation where when I extend the trial for someone that they've actually purchased the product. When you decide to trial a product make sure you have the time to do so. If your life is that busy that you can't be bothered with trialing the product after download then don't download it.

I've had several trial users in the past who needed the software to make money off of the software and then never paid for it after they made the money. Then next time they needed it they'd ask for another trial. Screw that. If you want to play that game then go out and play the subscription game and still pay.

[robotmonkey]

Can't belive you said you regret buying ACE.

Especially after citing Novation V-station, which sounded merely okay 15 years ago but has never been updated by Novation and is now so average that I deleted it from my computer, knowing that I'll never use it in anything. And it has one of the most impractical user interfaces I've seen so far: no menu for the presets, you only have two arrows to browse them. I can't believe that they are still selling this, as even if it was freeware, it wouldn't be a very compelling proposal, considering what you get in freeware nowadays.
(At least it's still better than the joke called Novation BassStation, that I deleted as soon as I installed it.)

Well, it seems that ACE wont get much love from me. I have played with it and all I can think of is still "meh". Buying another VA was clearly a mistake.
Now granted, I'll keep it just in case, and I'll probably even use it and maybe learn to program it, but it just does not add anything to my setup I could not do without. There's just no wow factor in ACE.
It seems that the only VA I could consider buying is Xils PolyKB II as this I could see adding something to my setup. But as long as they insist on iLok dongle it's just not gonna happen.

As far as V-Station is concerned I actually did not like it at all when I tried it quite long time a go (probably v1.6). But when it was free recently I decided to give it another try and surprisingly I liked it much more. It does not sound as good as many of the modern plugins. But it does not sound bad either. I actually quite like the character of it's sound and sent through a high quality reverb it's very usable for some types of stuff. Not sure if Novation has improved it any way over the years or if I just remember it sounding worse when I tried it before.

This kind of proves the point of this thread - it's always good idea to try before buying. And you often need to try several times to make your mind up.

[izonin]

If you can't make good sounding music with free vst's, you suck as an electronic musician

+1

Also, some of them were commercial, before they went freeware or magware. Like Dune, Firebird, Zeta+ and many more. And lots of the vst's we've bought will probably go freeware in the next 5-10 years.