Amplitube5 - Release Date 15-16/12/2020

[Mr Arkadin]

Jeez, is this the worst launch ever?

So as far as I can tell, if you own a version of AT4 (I'm not even going to list the confusing versions - I think I have Max) plus a few or all expansions you pay the same intro price as someone who is new to it? And I'm not even sure which overpriced version I would need. What is going on? I feel like such a boomer.

[Saukar30]

Imma repost this again, cause it's really not that confusing. Note... I believe the SE version just has a more cabs, amps & fx than the free CS but this upgrade is more for those who currently have A4CS or regular A4 and dont want too much else. If you want just the new amps & fx it would be better to choose A5. This is for ppl who have A4MAX and/or a few of the later collections like the Brian May/Leslie. At the end of the day, IK is just giving you different options. But I agree that there should be a better upgrade price if you have more stuff, but everybody gotta make $. Just wait for a sale

For the ppl who are having trouble understanding the upgrade model for IK, I'll break it down:

If you're coming from A4MAX you have different options, not just 1. All the versions will include new versions of the gear you already own

A5CS: Free, all your gear is everything you own already, none of the new gear, maybe the ir loading, but includes routing & new enhancements

A5SE: $100, all of the gear you own, none of the new gear, but includesrouting & new enhancements (includes a few more amps, cabs, mikes, stomps & fx than the free version)

A5: $150, includes all of your gear, plus the new stuff for A5 (probably what most ppl with A4MAX will choose).

A5MAX: $300, everything up until now that IK has made for Amplitube (all the extra artists collections), all new stuff as well

So you have 4 ways of updating. Which you choose depends on what you want. I'm unsure if all of the versions of A5 include the new IR loader. And don't forget you can also use jampoints as well which can reduce up to 30% of the cost of what you choose.

[Saukar30]

To add, you really could just get the free CS version if you have A4 & you just want the updated cabs & amps, new routing features but no new fx or amps. Whatever you have gets transferred over so you dont really have to pay anything. You have many options.

[paulmatthew]

BEWARE** The CS version will NOT unlock previously purchased gear. You will have to get Amplitube 5 SE at the very least.

[Mr Arkadin]

At the end of the day, IK is just giving you different options. But I agree that there should be a better upgrade price if you have more stuff, but everybody gotta make $. Just wait for a sale

I was going to do exactly that. What I am saying is that there is no upgrade price - you are buying this at new price. That's not an upgrade, that's just buying it.

[SLiC]

This gets better! So I have top pay 100E to use my existing MAX in a resizable GUI!

[Mr Arkadin]

This gets better! So I have top pay 100E to use my existing MAX in a resizable GUI!

No. You have to pay €122 because their prices don't include VAT!

[SirkusPi]

On the one hand, I understand the complaints about the lack of a real upgrade price, and if that stops you from buying Amplitube 5, that's absolutely your right.

On the other, I kind of understand where (I assume) IK is coming from. There is already a built-in loyalty discount system, through the existence of Jam Points (which are very generously based on 5% of the MSRP, not the actual purchase price, which is important given IK's regular massive sales).

In other words, we already get a minimum 5% purchase credit against future products every time we make a purchase, and often a much higher effective credit, when one purchases on a massive sale. For example, I got Amplitube 4 at a huge discount (don't remember now the exact price), but Jam Points based on the full retail price, which I can apply to the Amplitube 5 upgrade (if I want).

Would I like to have both Jam points and a big upgrade discount. Sure, absolutely! But I also respect that IK needs to actually make some money at some point.

And if you are really offended that, on top of your Jam points, there is not an additional upgrade discount (and again, that's absolutely your right), then (as many have pointed out) you just have to wait for a couple months until the almost-sure-to-be-coming massive sale.

(Or just don't buy it at all, of course, if you hate the company so. Me, I think the Axe I/O interface Modo Bass are terrific, and am willing to be patient to upgrade to Amplitube 5 when it goes on sale.)

EDIT: But I do understand that we all have our own (irrational?) triggers. Me, I will never, ever forgive a certain synth maker for switching its flagship product from a simple keyfile copy protection to Codemeter after I had already made my purchase. I'm getting annoyed even thinking about it now. But that's a rant for another thread; my point is simply that I understand we all have things that anger us to no end when companies do them, and that everyone may not be outraged by the same thing.

[telecode]

well. the CS is released. will try it after work. my guess is it will install alongside AT 4.

[SLiC]

Total Studio 2 MAX $/€249.99
Total Studio 2 MAX Crossgrade $/€179.99
Total Studio 2 MAX MAXgrade $/€139.99
Total Studio 2 MAX Upgrade $/€74.99

Total Studio MAX seems to have an upgrade so why cant AT4 MAX (I have no idea what a MAXgrade is!!!) - all we are being offered is the Cross grade price- they need to be consistent at least!

[lunardigs]

again, why is anyone sort of surprised? did they exhibit antics any different from previous? no, they didn't. it was to be expected. you need to stop complying to this stuff over and over.

thankfully, amp sims today go a long way since you sort of had GR, Amplitube, Pod Farm, this limited number of choices. do a research. lots of great things happening in various price ranges. big devs, small devs. in fact, small devs have the upper hand if terms of quality of the amps these days. merely taking Italy alone in this context, people like Luca Capozzi and Igor Nembrini will kick the dust out of your generic amp sim assorti all for a very humble intro price.

if you don't like the way you're treated, you part ways, sell the old shenanigans and move on. you free yourself. in this case, truth be told, it's not even worth all the headache you go through, admit it.

I hear that.
I seriously considered Amplitube some years ago (~2013), when I was a Windows guy. It was confusing and expensive then. Seems it still is. Mostly the expensive up-sell, in-app store model irritates me.

Yeah ... I'm rooting for the smaller outfits too.

Meanwhile, being a Linux guy now days, I've discovered (somewhat out of necessity) the rudiments of making 'amp sims' more-or-less with standard plugins; impulse responses; distortions; dynamics; filters, mainly. Turns out it's nothing too special ...
Oh, and there's still no digital replacement for a decent analog front-end. In fact, I'd say, get a good DI before another amp sim, because at least you can go back and re-effect the track.
Manley's TNT has become a favorite of mine. I'm also very fond of the Europa 1, as you can control even & odd harmonics, plus transient response. Switchable impedance is important to me as well.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Imma repost this again, cause it's really not that confusing. Note... I believe the SE version just has a more cabs, amps & fx than the free CS but this upgrade is more for those who currently have A4CS or regular A4 and dont want too much else. If you want just the new amps & fx it would be better to choose A5. This is for ppl who have A4MAX and/or a few of the later collections like the Brian May/Leslie. At the end of the day, IK is just giving you different options. But I agree that there should be a better upgrade price if you have more stuff, but everybody gotta make $. Just wait for a sale

For the ppl who are having trouble understanding the upgrade model for IK, I'll break it down:

If you're coming from A4MAX you have different options, not just 1. All the versions will include new versions of the gear you already own

A5CS: Free, all your gear is everything you own already, none of the new gear, maybe the ir loading, but includes routing & new enhancements

A5SE: $100, all of the gear you own, none of the new gear, but includesrouting & new enhancements (includes a few more amps, cabs, mikes, stomps & fx than the free version)

A5: $150, includes all of your gear, plus the new stuff for A5 (probably what most ppl with A4MAX will choose).

A5MAX: $300, everything up until now that IK has made for Amplitube (all the extra artists collections), all new stuff as well

So you have 4 ways of updating. Which you choose depends on what you want. I'm unsure if all of the versions of A5 include the new IR loader. And don't forget you can also use jampoints as well which can reduce up to 30% of the cost of what you choose.

None of this was helpful because it isn't what people are confused about. However we have our answer now that Amplitube 5 CS has been posted and they have indicated that you require Amplitube 5 SE in order to unlock the gear you already own. Well that's too bad.

So Custom Shop is the platform that is supposed to be used if you want to buy and use specific gear/amps you want right? So what's the difference between someone downloading CS 5 and buying the Fender collection now to use in it, or someone who already owns the Fender collection, who apparently can't use it with CS 5? This makes no sense.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Definitely disappointing, and herein lies the problem I've had with IKM for awhile: complete lack of loyalty towards those who have purchased in the past. Despite having total studio max 2, there is no upgrade pricing (same intro for everyone new/old) and the only option that will likely benefit me now (aside from the free version) is amp 5 max. I really enjoy your plugins, but the business choices are less than ideal. I understand its cheaper than me buying the expansions individually, but don't you see that people who have yet to invest anything in AmpliTube are to benefit exponentially more. Just makes no sense. I'm better off waiting till total studio 3 to upgrade than to buy amp 5 and have to try to sell it later (which im far too familiar dealing with when I chose to upgrade to total studio max 2). Rant over.

Not true. New users would pay $/€100 more than the listed AmpliTube 5 MAX upgrade/crossgrade pricing for example. Please see the news for the information and it states the prices listed are upgrade/crossgrade and new users definitely show $/€100 more when on our site (just verified this yet again, since I thought there must be an error for people to miss/misunderstand this repeatedly but alas, it is there).

at5maxbuynow.PNG

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Perhaps Peter could clarify -- for those who already own all the gear in the v4 Max package, what is the appropriate (upgrade) v5 product to purchase to get the equivalent Max content and at what price?

.........

Per the Specs page your AmpliTube 4 gear will work in Amplitube 5. That means if you have AmpliTube 4 MAX you can upgrade to AmpliTube 5 and have all that gear working in AmpliTube 5.

..............

Hi Peter maybe I too am not understanding the original question, but let me ask you the question I thought was being asked.
HE/she has AMp 4 MAX.....
If they dont' want additional stuff, just want their Amp4 stuff in Amp5...

Which Amp 5 do they need to purchase/upgrade/download (when available?

thanks
rsp

Your existing gear will work in any version. 5 SE or 5 or MAX will have full features. CS will have limited features. They can choose from SE, 5, or MAX depending on what additional gear they want - if none, SE is the option because it is the most economical version with full features

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Perhaps Peter could clarify -- for those who already own all the gear in the v4 Max package, what is the appropriate (upgrade) v5 product to purchase to get the equivalent Max content and at what price?

I can. I did in the "landing" thread and apologies for being a bunch of pages in on this thread post-announcement but there was a lot going on on the official IK Forum about AmpliTube (and you can find the information I'm about to post and more there too). Anyway...

Per the Specs page your AmpliTube 4 gear will work in Amplitube 5. That means if you have AmpliTube 4 MAX you can upgrade to AmpliTube 5 and have all that gear working in AmpliTube 5.

There were some collections released after AmpliTube 4 MAX. If you are missing those and upgraded to AmpliTube 5 MAX at the pricing on our site and at http://www.ikmultimedia.com/news/, you'd be getting Fender Collection 2, AmpliTube SVX 2, AmpliTube Brian May, Dimebag Darrell CFH Collection, AmpliTube Joe Satriani, Fulltone Collection, and AmpliTube Leslie for about $/€43 a piece. Not to mention ALL of the new features in AmpliTube 5 (and they're amazing) PLUS the new gear in AmpliTube 5 (also amazing).

In the news and the AmpliTube 5 web page, we state the new gear and it seems that isn't clear based on some posts above so please check that out:

AmpliTube 5 takes a giant leap forward with 129 new gear models for a total of over 400 ultra-realistic models. Offering a massive increase in gear, features and flexibility for an even more seamless and satisfying user experience, AmpliTube 4 massively raises the bar of what can be expected from an amp simulator today.

Both existing and new users will enjoy an all-new GUI featuring an updated ergonomic layout and new level of realism. Also now fully scalable, it can conveniently adapt to any display size including the latest Retina displays.

We also revisited all of the original AmpliTube legacy gear, adding a fresh new look, optimized internal gain structure and superior power amp/speaker interaction to maximize realism and feel. Featuring 100 completely re-measured cabs, two new stomps, five new amps, a new cab, and two new room simulations, there is so much new sound to be explored.

Thanks for clarifying the upgrade options from Max 4 to Max 5 by sending us to your News site. But ok you listed off 7 items and said they would be 43$ per product. So it is $300 to upgrade 4 to 5 Max. Brutal. I don't think so.

Brutal? Damn, here I thought getting $680 worth of gear (that's what those collections cost purchased separately after AmpliTube 4 MAX) for $299.99 was a great deal especially when everything you have will open up in it and take advantage of all the great new features, VIR™, etc?

If you have those collections, then you just need SE or 5 and you're golden. Sorry, not seeing the problem here.