Bargain Center: discussion, gossip, etc.

[murnau]

Isn't it weird that AIR plugins, several of which these days are either given away or cost a dollar (xpand!2 last year, hybrid3 and vacuum pro this year), have iLok protection? At that price point why bother?

I actually bought Hybrid3 a couple years back for a normal price, about $50, pre-iLok. Last year they added iLok to it and this year they reduced its price to $1.

Got me thinking - have iLok thrown some money at AIR? Are these crazy price AIR deals a means to getting lots of musos to take on iLok? It would certainly be a crafty way to get iLok into wider circulation and overcome some people's reluctance. Then iLok's higher value clients don't have that potential barrier.

OTH maybe I just look for too many conspiracies...

Do you really think they would skip their copy protection because of a certain price tag or promo?

[martinjuenke]

MOOG did a BF sale only in the US... so I and millions of Asians and Europeans and and and were discriminated!? Interesting idea!

Yes, unless there was some law in this or your country preventing it. Absolutely wrong if they sell products to your country on a regular basis. I hate discrimination.

Actually MOOG is selling its products regularly in Germany... And now what?

[OneOfManyPauls]

One potential problem down the line with subscription is if the developer stop offering the sub (either voluntarily or going out of business/being bought out etc) - not sure what happens at that point.

It's no different for any "owned" plugin that you have to activate online. If they go under you think you'll be able to install it on a new machine?

At least the thing should still work on the old machine - sub plugins will always phone home because that's how they're baked.

Plus not all purchased software requires a phone home, so there's that.

Isn't it weird that AIR plugins, several of which these days are either given away or cost a dollar (xpand!2 last year, hybrid3 and vacuum pro this year), have iLok protection? At that price point why bother?

I actually bought Hybrid3 a couple years back for a normal price, about $50, pre-iLok. Last year they added iLok to it and this year they reduced its price to $1.

Got me thinking - have iLok thrown some money at AIR? Are these crazy price AIR deals a means to getting lots of musos to take on iLok? It would certainly be a crafty way to get iLok into wider circulation and overcome some people's reluctance. Then iLok's higher value clients don't have that potential barrier.

OTH maybe I just look for too many conspiracies...

Do you really think they would skip their copy protection because of a certain price tag or promo?

That's not what they're saying - their point was that the copy protection likely costs more than the price they're receiving for the software.

So they can either do that as a loss-leader for themselves, or else the conspiracy angle is that they are getting a kickback for getting people on the iLok train.

[epiphaneia]

That's not what they're saying - their point was that the copy protection likely costs more than the price they're receiving for the software. So they can either do that as a loss-leader for themselves, or else the conspiracy angle is that they are getting a kickback for getting people on the iLok train.

I reckon there´s no *kickback*, but only a small, nominal fraction of the regular iLok implementation fee needs to be paid for freebies.

[Harry_HH]

Quick reminder that the Jan 2018 issue of Computer Music magazine (out now) comes with the full version of Air's Vacuum Pro.

Isn't it weird that AIR plugins, several of which these days are either given away or cost a dollar (xpand!2 last year, hybrid3 and vacuum pro this year), have iLok protection? At that price point why bother?

I actually bought Hybrid3 a couple years back for a normal price, about $50, pre-iLok. Last year they added iLok to it and this year they reduced its price to $1.

Got me thinking - have iLok thrown some money at AIR? Are these crazy price AIR deals a means to getting lots of musos to take on iLok? It would certainly be a crafty way to get iLok into wider circulation and overcome some people's reluctance. Then iLok's higher value clients don't have that potential barrier.

OTH maybe I just look for too many conspiracies...

I don't know where do you get those prices. The site says e.g. the Hybrid3 $ 149,99
http://www.airmusictech.com/product/hyb ... iNuwdY8LqA

Here at PluginBoutique (not sure how much longer this price will last): https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... 5-Hybrid-3

Thank you. This pricing policy in odd, indeed. I wonder if the developer is moving out of the business?

[OneOfManyPauls]

Air is just a small cog in the big machine that is InMusic (owners of Akai, M-Audio, Sonivox, Denon, Alesis, Marantz, Numark etc) - they're not giving away the crown jewels.

[yellowmix]

That's not what they're saying - their point was that the copy protection likely costs more than the price they're receiving for the software.

So they can either do that as a loss-leader for themselves, or else the conspiracy angle is that they are getting a kickback for getting people on the iLok train.

Yeah, I've floated the idea of the possibility that it isn't quite a quid-pro-quo kickback but more like a discounted price by volume within a certain time period of generated/deposited licenses, so effectively a subsidy. There's nothing nefarious about this, it's a business decision that helps everyone because it would make freebies too expensive to do.

Anyway, it's not like anyone here actually knows how much a deposit costs so maybe it doesn't cost them all that much to begin with. Probably depends on the individual contract.

In any case, of course they want you to get used to iLok, because it's part of their product! It's totally self-serving. PACE benefits as an unavoidable side-effect. Or, as a developer, you can invest time and energy in your own DRM scheme and set up and maintain the C/R servers in perpetuity. Or go with serial numbers/personal licenses (or no DRM at all) and foster goodwill in the world.

[yellowmix]

Looks like I have about a month left to decide on something to grab with my u-he survey coupon.

Figure I should get something that can only be purchased through u-he directly ... maybe one of their commercial synth soundsets? Which ones are some favorites around here?

The Dark Zebra is considered a soundset (the patches are very useful and instructional), and you happen to get a Zebra with Diva filters. And if you have Zebra + that, you get Zebra 3 for free.

If you already have The Dark Zebra, you can't go wrong with Howard Scarr's soundsets if you want a functional and educational set of presets. If you want something unconventional, check out Khyon's Deform.

Otherwise, listen to the demos, read the descriptions, and get whatever you need/jives with your type of music or skill level needs. Also grab the free Tarot soundset while you're there, it's great.

[ATN69]

Which is why I decided to use my 15% discount from u-he to buy the dark Zebra

[murnau]

That's not what they're saying - their point was that the copy protection likely costs more than the price they're receiving for the software.

So they can either do that as a loss-leader for themselves, or else the conspiracy angle is that they are getting a kickback for getting people on the iLok train.

I don't think that this is the point. For me it's simply that they only want to increase their customer base to sell their upgrades for AIP or whatever like they already did in the past.

In the end it's their copy protection and they have to deal with it too.

[sqigls]

take it elsewhere please, this thread is for stupid arguments related to current BARGAINS

[OneOfManyPauls]

this thread is for stupid arguments related to current BARGAINS

which part of a discussion about AIR currently offering their plugins for $1/free doesn't fit that brief?

[murnau]

this thread is for stupid arguments related to current BARGAINS

which part of a discussion about AIR currently offering their plugins for $1/free doesn't fit that brief?

Yep, that could very well interest me too.

[mutantdog]

take it elsewhere please, this thread is for stupid arguments related to current BARGAINS

Someone mentioned iLok, it can't be unsaid!

[Fleer]