Waves Plugins - can someone explain the update charges to me.

[Liney]

Apologies if this has been covered before.

For context, I always pay for all my plugins, and am quite happy to do so (much of my pay packet has gone straight to Fabfilter in recent times!). I'm really grateful for the expertise that brings me all the tools that I now use daily.

I recently bought Waves NX, and am now tempted by one or two other things by the same company, for instance Kramer Master Tape and CLA-2A.

However, I'm a bit confused by their payment plan...have seen people post that when you buy Waves plugins, in effect it is more like you are renting them. I wasn't fully aware of anything like this when I bought NX (I'm sure it was in the small print so not blaming anyone for this).

So:

a) is there an annual fee to keep using the plugins you have bought from Waves?

b) is there just a fee when for instance OS X is updated to whatever comes after it?

c) If I owned just, say, NX and also Kramer Master Tape, what would any likely costs be going forward. Would it be like having to repurchase them on a regular basis. Can I just go on using the versions I originally bought for ever at no ongoing cost?

Like I say, I am happy to pay for all my plugins, but if all the companies I use charged a regular subscription, I think the cost would become prohibitive.

[jhudstudio]

Here is another thead about this subject that may give you better insight. I myself am not 100% sure.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-c ... -plan.html

Best regards,
Jay

[Gamma-UT]

a) is there an annual fee to keep using the plugins you have bought from Waves?

No

b) is there just a fee when for instance OS X is updated to whatever comes after it?

No. If it stops working and you need an update then you will have to pay the WUP at that point to get the update. However, WUP applies to major updates not point releases, so Waves Central may well continue to provide those outside of WUP. When Waves goes to v10 and you want that version, you'd need to buy WUP.

c) If I owned just, say, NX and also Kramer Master Tape, what would any likely costs be going forward. Would it be like having to repurchase them on a regular basis. Can I just go on using the versions I originally bought for ever at no ongoing cost?

Yes, assuming an OS update doesn't knacker one or both of them and you need an update that you can't obtain without buying WUP.

It's worth bearing in mind Waves stuff is pretty stable – it doesn't tend to keel over with an OS update.

It's not a subscription, it's just not as straightforward as them charging for a version upgrade on its release. Unless you're on one of the big bundles, particularly Mercury, it's generally not a big deal.

[Liney]

Great - thanks for the replies. Very useful.

[simon.a.billington]

A story I have shared a few times is that a year or two back Waves released Element 2. It was a free update to all those who had Element and WUP. Unfortunately, however, my WUP had lapsed.

At the time it was released they were asking $80 sales price for it, so I decided to have look and see how much it would cost for me to pay WUP just for Element...

$10

That’s all I had to pay to upgrade it. I didn’t need WUP to keep Element up to date. I didn’t have to pay WUP on it annually or pay for it before Element 2 was announced. I was simple able to wait until there was a point I needed it, pay it and upgrade my plugins.

You can ignore the annual thing. WUP isn’t a subscription model. It’s better actually.

[imrae]

Here's the scenario I'm unsure about:

• I have a bunch of version 9 plugins
• WUP runs out
• Waves releases version 10
• I buy a new plugin

Will I be able to install the new version 10 plugin without WUPing the version 9 stuff?

[stardustmedia]

Some little additions from me... Too many people complain about WUP, although I think they just whine and don't know it better (or the kind of people that just want everything for free forever and backward compatible forever)

a) is there an annual fee to keep using the plugins you have bought from Waves?

No, definitely not. I run my Waves plugins since a couple years, without WUPing once.
It becomes only then an annual fee, when you wish to have continous support, for whatever reason. But you are not forced to. Plugins will keep working on your system. I still have v9.2.0

b) is there just a fee when for instance OS X is updated to whatever comes after it?

No, like I said above I haven't yet WUPed. Although I upgraded from Mavericks, to Yosemite, then to El Cap. I guess I'd need WUP as soon as I go for High Sierra or later. Apple made quite some changes there.

c) If I owned just, say, NX and also Kramer Master Tape, what would any likely costs be going forward. Would it be like having to repurchase them on a regular basis. Can I just go on using the versions I originally bought for ever at no ongoing cost?

As long as you don't need the upgrade, because for instance after a "bigger" OS-upgrade (see above), no! In such case just make sure before the upgrade, if WUP is needed or not. No need of paying anything, they just keep working. So never touch a running system, or you have to live with all the upgrade PITAs anyway. Not only Waves is affected.



To put all of that in relation.

The cost for 1 year WUP depends on the amount of plugins, but never exceeds 225 USD. It's capped there. If I select only 2 plugins, it says 59 USD. So if you have to pay those amounts only each few years, I think it's quite cheap to get support for the newest bestest OS and fastest super new computer. And it's guaranteed! Other developers just close and there they go, your plugins

[ATS]

Some little additions from me... Too many people complain about WUP, although I think they just whine and don't know it better (or the kind of people that just want everything for free forever and backward compatible forever)

a) is there an annual fee to keep using the plugins you have bought from Waves?

No, definitely not. I run my Waves plugins since a couple years, without WUPing once.
It becomes only then an annual fee, when you wish to have continous support, for whatever reason. But you are not forced to. Plugins will keep working on your system. I still have v9.2.0

b) is there just a fee when for instance OS X is updated to whatever comes after it?

No, like I said above I haven't yet WUPed. Although I upgraded from Mavericks, to Yosemite, then to El Cap. I guess I'd need WUP as soon as I go for High Sierra or later. Apple made quite some changes there.

c) If I owned just, say, NX and also Kramer Master Tape, what would any likely costs be going forward. Would it be like having to repurchase them on a regular basis. Can I just go on using the versions I originally bought for ever at no ongoing cost?

As long as you don't need the upgrade, because for instance after a "bigger" OS-upgrade (see above), no! In such case just make sure before the upgrade, if WUP is needed or not. No need of paying anything, they just keep working. So never touch a running system, or you have to live with all the upgrade PITAs anyway. Not only Waves is affected.



To put all of that in relation.

The cost for 1 year WUP depends on the amount of plugins, but never exceeds 225 USD. It's capped there. If I select only 2 plugins, it says 59 USD. So if you have to pay those amounts only each few years, I think it's quite cheap to get support for the newest bestest OS and fastest super new computer. And it's guaranteed! Other developers just close and there they go, your plugins

yeah, anytime you buy a new plugin from them it comes with a year of WUP

[ATS]

A story I have shared a few times is that a year or two back Waves released Element 2. It was a free update to all those who had Element and WUP. Unfortunately, however, my WUP had lapsed.

At the time it was released they were asking $80 sales price for it, so I decided to have look and see how much it would cost for me to pay WUP just for Element...

$10

That’s all I had to pay to upgrade it. I didn’t need WUP to keep Element up to date. I didn’t have to pay WUP on it annually or pay for it before Element 2 was announced. I was simple able to wait until there was a point I needed it, pay it and upgrade my plugins.

You can ignore the annual thing. WUP isn’t a subscription model. It’s better actually.

but people here complain about WUP like crazy but silence when a dev charges $100 for a version 2 update of a synth.

[stardustmedia]

yeah, anytime you buy a new plugin from them it comes with a year of WUP

True...

Just to make it clear for WUP-rookies: Only for that newly bought plugin. The other plugins don't get a WUP renewal. The WUP-deadline is handled plugin by plugin.

[Gamma-UT]

but people here complain about WUP like crazy but silence when a dev charges $100 for a version 2 update of a synth.

WUP is a bit of a moving target. The first iterations of WUP were very customer unfriendly. A lot of Waves hate spills over from that time (though it was something like ten years ago) and, with online things, it tends to be infectious.

[simon.a.billington]

A story I have shared a few times is that a year or two back Waves released Element 2. It was a free update to all those who had Element and WUP. Unfortunately, however, my WUP had lapsed.

At the time it was released they were asking $80 sales price for it, so I decided to have look and see how much it would cost for me to pay WUP just for Element...

$10

That’s all I had to pay to upgrade it. I didn’t need WUP to keep Element up to date. I didn’t have to pay WUP on it annually or pay for it before Element 2 was announced. I was simple able to wait until there was a point I needed it, pay it and upgrade my plugins.

You can ignore the annual thing. WUP isn’t a subscription model. It’s better actually.

but people here complain about WUP like crazy but silence when a dev charges $100 for a version 2 update of a synth.

Yeah that’s what I see a lot too.

I think because they have the false idea you have to pay it and in doing so you get nothing in return.

But no, you pay for it when you ARE getting something in return.

Mind you, Waves always gives out vouchers to the same value you spend on WUP. So there is that as well.

[MFXxx]

You just need to be smart and shrewd. Without covering previous posts my experience. Purchased various plugins. Some still under wup some not, kept running fine. Waited, waited, bought a few more in their ongoing eternallly expanding sale and finally WUP was $540 due to packages and time so the whole lot was a total of 2 years. I could deselect ones I didnt want to WUP and noticed Marcury upgrade deal, so upgraded to mercury and WUP is valid for almost 2 years. Great deal from my WUP perspective.
In short I wouldnt worry too much, it works out pretty good in the long term.

[simon.a.billington]

If you selec the One Computer Authrisation option at the top, it maxes out to around $300-320.

[Ah_Dziz]

Here's the scenario I'm unsure about:

• I have a bunch of version 9 plugins
• WUP runs out
• Waves releases version 10
• I buy a new plugin

Will I be able to install the new version 10 plugin without WUPing the version 9 stuff?

Yes you will be able to install your new v10 plugin and continue using your v9 stuff. I've been in this situation before. I eventually updated my platinum bundle by paying the WUP because they had added a couple cool new plugins to it.