Favorite demo mode? (Multiple answers possible.)

[e-crooner]

The title says it all...

Feel free to suggest other limitations...

Btw, I know that the absolute poll results don't mean anything due to the nature of the options, but comparing the results for groups of competing options gives some insight.

[BlackWinny]

Voted.

I voted for two solutions:

A. White noise, consistent.

B. Session expiration, 30 mn or 60 mn depending the complexity of the plugin (30 mn for simple and common plugins, 60 mn for very complex plugins in order to let the user the time to learn correctly and quietly how that complex plugin works, especially if experiments are to do, on rare or brand new types of features specifically devised for that plugin for example).

There is another type of restriction that I could imagine on an instrument (not on an effect of course) on the expiration delay (30 or 60 mn) : mute some notes, randomly at each session (all the C notes at a session, all the G notes at another session, etc.). It could allow to take quietly all one's time to experiment the features of the synth but with enough inconvenience to invite implicitly to buy the instrument rather than settle for the demo.

Just a last note: I think that allowing to load/save patches would not be a lucrative solution for the creator of a commercial plugin. It could even allow the users to not have the necessity to buy the product. It's a personal opinion of course.

[recursive one]

Someone should have taken this out of the Dune thread

If a demo wants me to jump trough hoops (creating an account, making a fake purchase, iloc/elicenser/subscription etc) I'll pass. If I expect a demo won't let me fully evaluate the plugin (it times out, the demo session is less than 15 minutes, it is too crippled) I'll pass. Basically anyhthing else is fine - periodic noise, out of tune, audio dropouts etc.

Regarding the time/session limit, of course I can quickly decide if i like the plugin, but whether it is actually better or different enough to what I already have - it takes time to evaluate.

Also I like it when the demo allows saving the presets, in this case I can finally buy the plugin in order to actually use the stuff I've made while demoing.

[e-crooner]

Just a last note: I think that allowing to load/save patches would not be a lucrative solution for the creator of a commercial plugin. It could even allow the users to not have the necessity to buy the product. It's a personal opinion of course.

You mean for sound set makers? Well, I suppose those have to pack their individual patches into a bank, of course creating banks should not be possible.

[Vortifex]

..

[PTV]

Demo=full version but saving disabled

[BlackWinny]

Just a last note: I think that allowing to load/save patches would not be a lucrative solution for the creator of a commercial plugin. It could even allow the users to not have the necessity to buy the product. It's a personal opinion of course.

You mean for sound set makers? Well, I suppose those have to pack their individual patches into a bank, of course creating banks should not be possible.

No no, I really meant for the possible future users.

I don't know how it is done generally for the professional sound set makers. I think that the professional designers who make sound sets have probably a free NFR copy offered by the developer of the plugin. But perhaps I'm naive... I don't know at all how it works for the professional designers of sound sets.

[e-crooner]

No no, I really meant for the possible future users.

I don't know how it is done generally for the professional sound set makers. I think that the professional designers who make sound sets have probably a free NFR copy offered by the developer of the plugin. But perhaps I'm naive... I don't know at all how it works for the professional designers of sound sets.

Sure, allowing saving and maybe even loading user patches would require other limitations that make it necessary to buy the plugin.

[glokraw]

The lite versions from U-he, and the 30 minute sessions from
Native Instruments have inspired purchases. No doubts from
those demo positions.

[Mac Hine]

If developer wants to sell me a synth... dont let it expire. Usually I test synth, make test song and forget it... after a while I get back int o it and notice that this is just great. I have to buy the synth.

Also many times I have demoed some synth but I have no use for it's sounds at a moment. Later I will come back to demo it again and notice that it is exactly what I need. Usually synths that has limited time to use, have no second change. So use noise or anything else but do not let it expire to total silence.

[gentleclockdivider]

The worst demos are those by plogue , only 5 minutes of actual playing time
It's like he's afraid we would actually record something

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I voted for session expiration, set at 30 minutes. It's how NI has done it for ages, and I really appreciate a bit pf freedom, plus the feeling of not being treated like a kid...or a thief

I also don't mind the soft crackle of U-He synths. However, loud and obnoxious sound-bursts will get me to uninstall the demo as quick as it was installed. The recent reverb from Madrona Labs lasted about 60 seconds before ending up in the trash

What I don't like are saving restrictions when they are combined with other limitations. If that restriction is in place, then I think that loading of saved presets should be limited in the demo, but when one buys the plugin those presets could be accessed.

Also, not a fan of complete expiration. So many times I have downloaded a demo, and then had other things that needed doing. The demo goes unused, and the company loses my sale.

And lastly, I really don't like audio dropouts; especially for time-domain based effects e.g reverb or delay. This issue can be made even worse if the timeouts are not synchronised between instances

[e-crooner]

The white noise in Tal plugins is rather annoying because it is very long and loud.

I even find the U-he noise irritating as it seems to get louder and louder.

[Daru925]

I like when the demo plays a melody after a while (not wrong notes).
Best compromise in my opinion.

[BlackWinny]

Except Melda with his pseudo-MFreeBundle (that I like a lot by the way and I've paid the very cheap license) I haven't seen other examples of full featured (and endless) demos simply displaying a gang screen inviting to pay a small fee.
Do you know other examples?