Bargain Center: discussion, gossip, etc.

[cptgone]

Financially it does make sense if you think in terms of cash flow. I am in the $75 tier, which means that I spend more than $600 a year on their plugins. The personalized subscription offer they sent me is $150 a year. That would cut my annual expenses quite a bit provided that they keep adding plugins that peek my interest.

It's like a pyramid scheme, without the chance of reaching the top.

[mgw38]

Actually, regardless of what you think about the subscription model, it is not like a pyramid scheme at all. Not even close.

[omiroad]

At least with a magazine subscription you got to keep the old magazines.

I only do rent-to-own (NotePerformer).

[yellowmix]

On one hand, it makes me think of all the songs I lost, back before the days of quality virtual instruments, because of no longer having the hardware instruments they were made with. On the other hand, we all ought to be bouncing stems of everything, anyway, just because it's now so easy and there are so many other things that can go wrong.

True, but things have changed. Millennials are coming from a brand new world where tools and assets aren't physical and are, in fact, forever. There is now nothing stopping anyone from running older software in a virtual machine if they wanted to. The constraints on physical hardware are one thing, but artificial, man-made constraints are another (see Microsoft Books "owners" losing all their books). I have no intention of fighting material reality but the latter is certainly changeable.

[cptgone]

Actually, regardless of what you think about the subscription model, it is not like a pyramid scheme at all. Not even close.

True that, but your justification of buying into it reminded me of a pyramid scheme (or rather, throwing money at one, hoping for lasting returns):

That would cut my annual expenses quite a bit provided that they keep adding plugins that peek my interest.

[jeffb01]

True, but things have changed. Millennials are coming from a brand new world where tools and assets aren't physical and are, in fact, forever.

I agree with the first half, but not the "forever" part. Like todays cutting edge video games rely on servers that inevitably will be shut down - and then there will be no way to play them. Often the music they listen to in on spotify and if an artist removes their music, their playlist just won't have the music - which I think is what you were saying...

[dzilizzi]

My fixed voucher subscription is $179 per year. I really don't use them that much. And now I have FabFilter products. Truthfully, I have way too many effects. I usually end up using the ones that come with ProTools or the Waves ones I've been using for years just because it is easy.

That said, if you use their stuff and it is a business expense, subscriptions make sense. And? I never put EW into the subscription model, they are more of a rental product. You don't get penalized if you discontinue the rent and can come back at any time for the same rental price.

[mgw38]

No, that just means that if I‘m subscribing to a service, there needs to be an actual service that has value.

Actually, regardless of what you think about the subscription model, it is not like a pyramid scheme at all. Not even close.

True that, but your justification of buying into it reminded me of a pyramid scheme (or rather, throwing money at one, hoping for lasting returns):

That would cut my annual expenses quite a bit provided that they keep adding plugins that peek my interest.

[yellowmix]

I agree with the first half, but not the "forever" part. Like todays cutting edge video games rely on servers that inevitably will be shut down - and then there will be no way to play them. Often the music they listen to in on spotify and if an artist removes their music, their playlist just won't have the music - which I think is what you were saying...

Yes. When online multiplayer interaction is integral to the game experience this does not apply. There are games with free servers that players have simply lost interest in and are unplayable, that one summer where everyone was playing Pokemon Go was fun but it'll never happen again, I'm okay with that ephemeral nature. I'm talking about licensing music, movies, books, software, it's all data in the end. You can buy unencumbered ebooks, videos, music and read, watch, and listen to them forever. You buy a digital copy from Microsoft or Google or whatever, it's gone when they decide it is. Same data. Consumer-hostile artificial restrictions. We do not have to accept this.

[WatchTheGuitar]

OK so that was fairly quick and seems definitive - got a reply directly from the horse's mouth and it's as we suspected - although whether you want to debate the 'am I a new subscriber' part if you are currently one and then take an extension is up to you though what I'd say is if they are closing the gate on it for new users then they'll find some way to ensure all are in the same boat down the line.

This is now me off the Cloud when my current sub ends next Month. Since I got the sub last year I picked up D16 Group VSTs that cover the TR- and TB- end of things, Diva which can do a fair approximation of Juno/Jupiters with some tweaking and to be honest picked up far too many VSTs on sale since that I've barely investigated - the latest one being that Factory one from Sugar Bytes - so removing some VSTs might make a nice change.
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Me: Hi, I am interested in the Summer discount offers and planning to subscribe for 2 more years, but someone on a forum said you are discontinuing the 'yours' rewards programme. Is this true or would I expect to 'own' 2 of the Roland VSTs in perpetuity after a further 2 year subscription expired? Regards, WtG

Roland reply: Hi WtG,

Sorry, the YOURS program is no longer offered to new subscribers.

Regards,
Travis

[WatchTheGuitar]

Quick update. I replied to Roland saying I think it's a bad idea and I won't be renewing and then they replied with...

If you bought a non-promotional subscription before 12/31/18, then you're still eligible. If you sing up for one of our summer promotions, those subscriptions are not eligible. If you joined before 1231/19 and you re-up with a standard subscription, those subscriptions are eligible.

So that's clear then.

[ChamomileShark]

Quick update. I replied to Roland saying I think it's a bad idea and I won't be renewing and then they replied with...

If you sing up for one of our summer promotions, those subscriptions are not eligible.

So that's clear then.

So did you try singing up? Like send them a .wav file as proof?

[sprnva]

Seeing as everyone is talking about PA...

If you own a Red or Clarett interface, you can get their new Focusrite console emulation free.

https://pro.focusrite.com/introducing-b ... are-owners

[elxsound]

Seeing as everyone is talking about PA...

If you own a Red or Clarett interface, you can get their new Focusrite console emulation free.

https://pro.focusrite.com/introducing-b ... are-owners

Oh, happy day!

Didn’t want to wait for a $29 sale, and now I don’t have to!

[WatchTheGuitar]

Quick update. I replied to Roland saying I think it's a bad idea and I won't be renewing and then they replied with...

If you sing up for one of our summer promotions, those subscriptions are not eligible.

So that's clear then.

So did you try singing up? Like send them a .wav file as proof?

I could send them a link to my audio pay zone tbh.