T-RackS 5 (5.0.1 update,information about free CS version, release date countdown added)

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Right now I own T-Racks 4 MAX and also bought Saturator X (which I think is the one thing that wasn't in the MAX bundle).

Is the $99 T-TRacks 5 update the one I'm looking for to have everything?

Yes, the $99.99 pre-order special is the one you'd want to get.

[audiosabre]

For the full functionality and four new modules, the pre-order pricing is designed to simplify the process based on coming from the many many versions of T-RackS that have been available in the past

Well you've achieved that. But in the process, you've made it grossly unfair to those who have invested more into T-RackS. Simple as that.

We'd all be better off selling our entire T-RackS collections and buying 'Tracks 5 MAX upgrade' from scratch, but your license transfer policy/pricing makes this unrealistic. So our only option is to relay our dissatisfaction back to IK in the hopes you'll see our POV and throw us a bone. Doesn't seem likely right now that anything will change, although you've shown that you listen in the past, so who knows?

[Iva]

I am super interested in backwards project compatibility.

Will I be able to open old projects using t-racks cs with t-racks 5 plugins. Will they catch up automatically or I will have to transfer them manually like I had to do at the time of migration from t-racks 3 to 4. That's the question

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

For the full functionality and four new modules, the pre-order pricing is designed to simplify the process based on coming from the many many versions of T-RackS that have been available in the past

Well you've achieved that. But in the process, you've made it grossly unfair to those who have invested more into T-RackS. Simple as that.

We'd all be better off selling our entire T-RackS collections and buying 'Tracks 5 MAX upgrade' from scratch, but your license transfer policy/pricing makes this unrealistic. So our only option is to relay our dissatisfaction back to IK in the hopes you'll see our POV and throw us a bone. Doesn't seem likely right now that anything will change, although you've shown that you listen in the past, so who knows?

I understand. And there are definitely a few of us kicking these suggestions and comments about upgrades and similar up the line as much as we can. I do appreciate the input and discussion and understand that we can't please every single person ever time but we do listen and I hope to continue to see improvements going forward based on this feedback.

[lunarchris1]

If I understand correctly, here's what I believe the situation is:

If you only use TRacks plugins in your DAW, you're fine. They'll be updated with the release of v5 to the current code and continue working as expected with the updated GUIs.

If, for some reason, you use the standalone or CS TRacks plugin shell, then you need to pay $99 for upgrade to new metering, and in the process get 4 new plugins.
This also applies if you own all the TRacks processors already and just want the new metering and plugins.

The only reason to get the MAX upgrade is to pickup any of the plugins you don't have already (or all of them if you have none), hence the catch all $199 price point.

Long story short, I'll be devil's advocate and say I think the pricing is fair and makes perfect sense. $99 for updated suite and 4 new plugins isn't some appalling affront to humanity, it sounds like dirt cheap for the added plugs and features. Doesn't seem like the end of the world to me.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I am super interested in backwards project compatibility.

Will I be able to open old projects using t-racks cs with t-racks 5 plugins. Will they catch up automatically or I will have to transfer them manually like I had to do at the time of migration from t-racks 3 to 4. That's the question

T-RackS 5 will be a separate installation so your previous projects would not be affected and you can migrate projects as you wish (or not).

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

If I understand correctly, here's what I believe the situation is:

If you only use TRacks plugins in your DAW, you're fine. They'll be updated with the release of v5 to the current code and continue working as expected with the updated GUIs.

If, for some reason, you use the standalone or CS TRacks plugin shell, then you need to pay $99 for upgrade to new metering, and in the process get 4 new plugins.
This also applies if you own all the TRacks processors already and just want the new metering and plugins.

The only reason to get the MAX upgrade is to pickup any of the plugins you don't have already (or all of them if you have none), hence the catch all $199 price point.

Long story short, I'll be devil's advocate and say I think the pricing is fair and makes perfect sense. $99 for updated suite and 4 new plugins isn't some appalling affront to humanity, it sounds like dirt cheap for the added plugs and features. Doesn't seem like the end of the world to me.

Thank you, and yes that makes sense and I appreciate your input on the pricing too. However, I also fully acknowledge that it can be confusing for some and quite legitimately so and that input is also valid and being discussed and considered.

And not to diminish that, and keep the discussion on any points including pricing going of course, but I'd also like to know what people think about the new modules, features, etc too. I'm VERY interested in thoughts about these modules, especially where they are a little different than some of the other T-RackS gear we've released in the past.

[VitaminD]

I'm still not entirely certain what I get for 99 dollars.

I own T-Racks Deluxe which I then upgraded to Grand. I also own some of the other units that aren't in either.

My understanding is the version 5 units have improved audio quality and a scalable GUI. Great that is what I want. I don't need the brand new units that are new to version 5. If I change my mind later, I am willing to buy them later.

Does anything just automatically get updated in the v4 units that I own? If not do I get a v5 version of what I already own?

Also, we can still use the v5 units individually, correct? All the screenshots I've seen and the promo vid show it just in a shell. But I never use that nor want to since I like to use them as inserts individually. I saw a vid just on one of the newer units and it seemed to show it as an individual VST unit without the shell. Is this actually still possible with v5?

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I'm still not entirely certain what I get for 99 dollars.

I own T-Racks Deluxe which I then upgraded to Grand. I also own some of the other units that aren't in either.

My understanding is the version 5 units have improved audio quality and a scalable GUI. Great that is what I want. I don't need the brand new units that are new to version 5. If I change my mind later, I am willing to buy them later.

Does anything just automatically get updated in the v4 units that I own? If not do I get a v5 version of what I already own?

Also, we can still use the v5 units individually, correct? All the screenshots I've seen and the promo vid show it just in a shell. But I never use that nor want to since I like to use them as inserts individually. I saw a vid just on one of the newer units and it seemed to show it as an individual VST unit without the shell. Is this actually still possible with v5?

For the 99.99 you will get the four new modules and the full features of T-RackS 5. Your current processors will work inside T-RackS 5.

Your current T-RackS version will not automatically update, but you will be able to use a T-RackS 5 CS version which will have some limitations (on which we will have more info post-release).

Yes, you can use T-RackS 5 processors as singles. I'll double check but I believe we mention this on the web page and in the videos but I have to make sure it is obvious enough. Seems maybe not, fair enough

[evilantal]

It's still a little vague to me...
Are v5 modules, when used as single VSTs in a DAW, any different from v4 modules.

If so, how does upgrading my owned v4 modules work? Is installing the upcoming T-RackS 5 CS sufficient for that or would I need to buy the €99+VAT package?

[VitaminD]

I'm still not entirely certain what I get for 99 dollars.

I own T-Racks Deluxe which I then upgraded to Grand. I also own some of the other units that aren't in either.

My understanding is the version 5 units have improved audio quality and a scalable GUI. Great that is what I want. I don't need the brand new units that are new to version 5. If I change my mind later, I am willing to buy them later.

Does anything just automatically get updated in the v4 units that I own? If not do I get a v5 version of what I already own?

Also, we can still use the v5 units individually, correct? All the screenshots I've seen and the promo vid show it just in a shell. But I never use that nor want to since I like to use them as inserts individually. I saw a vid just on one of the newer units and it seemed to show it as an individual VST unit without the shell. Is this actually still possible with v5?

For the 99.99 you will get the four new modules and the full features of T-RackS 5. Your current processors will work inside T-RackS 5.

Your current T-RackS version will not automatically update, but you will be able to use a T-RackS 5 CS version which will have some limitations (on which we will have more info post-release).

Yes, you can use T-RackS 5 processors as singles. I'll double check but I believe we mention this on the web page and in the videos but I have to make sure it is obvious enough. Seems maybe not, fair enough

Thank you for the response. I see the answer to one of my questions on your page now in the 3-in-1 workflow section. Phew!

However, to the above, bolded, italics, underlined statement, I'm wondering why wait to share this information? It would help me understand what I need to do now, during the promo offer. I'm assuming that post-release the price will increase (that is the sale offer will expire).

[Iva]

I am super interested in backwards project compatibility.

Will I be able to open old projects using t-racks cs with t-racks 5 plugins. Will they catch up automatically or I will have to transfer them manually like I had to do at the time of migration from t-racks 3 to 4. That's the question

T-RackS 5 will be a separate installation so your previous projects would not be affected and you can migrate projects as you wish (or not).

thats very bad news. you really must consider backward compatibility for new version of t-racks.

[audiosabre]

I understand. And there are definitely a few of us kicking these suggestions and comments about upgrades and similar up the line as much as we can. I do appreciate the input and discussion and understand that we can't please every single person ever time but we do listen and I hope to continue to see improvements going forward based on this feedback.

FWIW, the pricing structure on the current Total Studio MAX promotion seems like a fair system

edit: YAY; 1000 posts
I'm breaking out the band for this one

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Thank you for the response. I see the answer to one of my questions on your page now in the 3-in-1 workflow section. Phew!

However, to the above, bolded, italics, underlined statement, I'm wondering why wait to share this information? It would help me understand what I need to do now, during the promo offer. I'm assuming that post-release the price will increase (that is the sale offer will expire).

That would be due to the product not being released so certain things would not yet be finalized.

[Burillo]

I'd also like to know what people think about the new modules, features, etc too. I'm VERY interested in thoughts about these modules, especially where they are a little different than some of the other T-RackS gear we've released in the past.

my thoughts on new modules after obsessing over every word in marketing blurbs and watching all the announcement and overview videos:

metering - looks awesome and useful. looking forward to it.

"ONE" - i rarely use all-in-one automagic devices like this, because inevitably it turns out that i don't have enough control over what is going on and have to resort to using separate plugins. i don't expect this to be the case with this one (badum-tshhh), but i would love to be proven wrong.

Vari-Mu - never used any emulations of this (let alone hardware), curious.

Match - the most matching i ever did on the master bus was pink noise matching with TDR EQ's. i don't expect to use it that often, but maybe now that it's part of T-Racks, i will. why isn't this integrated into the EQ? and why no realtime matching? no match to predefined curve (e.g. pink noise)?

EQual - ...disappointing. at first i was very excited. an EQ with a resizable GUI, a spectral analyzer, lots of different kinds of curves, and lots of bands - great! workflow and aesthetic similar to FabFilter Pro-Q2 - fantastic! But then... Pro-Q2 can do EQ matching, this one can't. Pro-Q2 can also do snap to musical notes, this one can't. Pro-Q2 can also solo bands, this one can't. it seems useful enough to be a promising potential replacement for Pro-Q2 (which i don't own, but drool over since like forever) and perhaps Waves H-EQ (which i do own and love, but hate the awkward Waves signature GUI interaction), but at the end of the day it offers nothing over them in terms of features. IK had a chance to create a perfect EQ and a great competitor to Pro-Q2 and H-EQ, but IMO you blew it. knowing IK, there won't be any updates to add this functionality, so while i'm sure i'll find use for this EQ, this could've been my goto EQ for pretty much everything, but it won't be.