KVR Audio

Knoop · Post by **Knoop** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 8:02 pm

I hope I'm not boring everybody else by warming up the old ongoing topic on Arturia's upgrade pricing strategy.
I'm doing so only because I started to get really annoyed after I finally realised how much money I have already given to Arturia.
Being a long time customer I had bought single instruments at first (Prophet, Mini, Jupiter...) The V collection did not even exist back in the day.I then continued to buy the V Collection upgrades 3,4,5, and 6.
Early-on customers like me have invested by far more money than any other Arturia customer to acquire these products in the long run.
I have already spent appr.1400€ to acquire the array of Arturia software instruments until now. I’m not even counting the separate FX purchases(Pre, Comps, etc.). If I now bought the personal offer upgrade for 299€ I would have spent a total of close to 1700€!!
Now compare this with the situation of a brand new customer.
They will only spent 599€ (even only 499€ currently) for the very same product.

Does Arturia really think 1700€ vs 599€ is a fair treatment of the longtime customers?
I do believe this is ridiculously unfair - considering the fact that Arturia has built their company with the trust and money investment of the early believers and returning customers like me.

I am aware that Arturia and especially their dev department is working hard to provide this huge array of great software products.
However if Arturia claims that their price calculation is treating every customer fair in their upgrade calculations
I could not disagree more.
Just an example: I bought the Jupiter 8 V for 220€ in 2011. I think it would be only fair to receive the upgrade to the latest version for FREE.

I will definitely pass on future upgrades with such an unfair price scheme -Arturia actually punishes the long time loyal customers instead of rewarding them.

briefcasemanx · Post by **briefcasemanx** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:53 pm

A person who keeps buying new cars every few years will also have spent way more money on cars than someone who is buying a car for the first time. It's because they got to use brand new cars for years and years whereas the new car buyer went without for all those years.

While I don't think this example is a great argument, I do agree with you that the upgrade price feels a bit steep. But 50 dollars per plugin (plus 2 massively upgraded older plugs) isn't horrendous. I do feel like it should be about $50 cheaper.

JonSolo · Post by **JonSolo** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 11:13 pm

Knoop...

Do I feel your pain? Financially, yes. You and I have a lot in common with Arturia. I estimate spending about what you have, but I think maybe a bit more. At first thought, I would say that any product that is updated should be free...

Maybe I say this on thought because, if I have to go back and fix a track for a client...especially where we have agreed on a price, there is no "upgrade" price for a better product from me. I have been asked to do more and deliver more and do so at the agreed upon price. But then again...that is based on the contract I have with them.

In contract, Arturia, and pretty much everyone else, doesn't agree to much. Most of the time we are buying "as is". I am grateful to devs who keep us in constant updates and improve their products regularly. Arturia literally does this every month. Their products are tweaked and updated and to me...live up way past their promise and contract.

You and I have owned Jupiter 8 since 2011. We have had plenty of time with it. And, I hope, like me, it has paid for itself. But even if not, you have had 9 years with it. Nine years. So new dev DOES come with a cost. If I painted your car 9 years ago, and today the paint starts to peel...oh and for the record...the 2011 version of Jupiter 8 works just fine, and I LOVE the interface far better than today's version...there is no free paint job due to you. You got what you paid for and it lasted NINE YEARS!!! Amazing. My first two marriages did not last that long! And I am only on year 8 in the third. Ok, TMI.

You get the picture. I digress. This is an age old argument.

For the record, I updated today to V8. $199. 5th time I have done that and spent that (except once for $99 last year). Initial cost $549.

No regrets. Every new instrument is FANTASTIC. Get V Collection 8.

briefcasemanx · Post by **briefcasemanx** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:29 am

yeah, i think the new stuff is the best stuff they've made yet. I also like the GUI on the old versions of the Jupiter! I think I might like the old V2 the best!!!

Knoop · Post by **Knoop** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 6:45 am

Thanks to everyone for sharing their valued opinions!
@ thejonsolo:
You mentioned your upgrade price was $199. Did you come straight from VCollection 6 after omitting 7? My current offer from 6 to 7 is $299. Trying to understand the difference in pricing. Thanks again.

LoveEnigma18 · Post by **LoveEnigma18** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 7:11 am

Knoop wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 6:45 am Thanks to everyone for sharing their valued opinions!
@ thejonsolo:
You mentioned your upgrade price was $199. Did you come straight from VCollection 6 after omitting 7? My current offer from 6 to 7 is $299. Trying to understand the difference in pricing. Thanks again.

VC6 to VC7 is $299 and VC7 to VC8 is $199 ($149 if you own OB-Xa V).

Also, a reminder that Arturia shop offers up to 4x monthly payments instead of paying the full price at once. Might be useful if you are on the fence and want to get VC8 now.

Dartelec · Post by **Dartelec** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:24 am

About pricing again - Yesterday I bought an update Jup-8 3 to Jump-8 4 for 29e. This is OK and good. (v4 is much better).

However, if or when I buy (craving for Vocoder and Emulator!) full V8 the upgrade price is still 199€. Same as without buying Jup 4 8. I really hoped to get some discount for upgrading Jup. Maybe some kind Arturia official reads this and calculate new upgrade price for me?

gondii · Post by **gondii** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:53 am

Dartelec wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:24 am However, if or when I buy (craving for Vocoder and Emulator!) full V8 the upgrade price is still 199€.

I'm not sure if it applies in this case, but the personal upgrade offers only show up during some sales. But as far as I know there is always a "floor", so not sure if the upgrades can get any lower than $99 during the next big sale in a few months...

Dartelec · Post by **Dartelec** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:04 am

gondii wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:53 am
Dartelec wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:24 am However, if or when I buy (craving for Vocoder and Emulator!) full V8 the upgrade price is still 199€.
I'm not sure if it applies in this case, but the personal upgrade offers only show up during some sales. But as far as I know there is always a "floor", so not sure if the upgrades can get any lower than $99 during the next big sale in a few months...

You are probably right. I was hoping something like 160-170€ upgrade price (now, before sale), cause I already paid 29€.

gondii · Post by **gondii** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:13 am

Dartelec wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:04 amYou are probably right. I was hoping something like 160-170€ upgrade price (now, before sale), cause I already paid 29€.

I remember wondering about this when was offered no upgrade path during the summer sale for the FX collection, even though I clearly remembered that people could upgrade from V-collection during release. It turned out that this sale just didn't do upgrade offers, however they were included in the most recent BF sale from Arturia and the individual upgrade path dropped the sales price from $199 to $99.

LoveEnigma18 · Post by **LoveEnigma18** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:06 am

Dartelec wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:24 am About pricing again - Yesterday I bought an update Jup-8 3 to Jump-8 4 for 29e. This is OK and good. (v4 is much better).

However, if or when I buy (craving for Vocoder and Emulator!) full V8 the upgrade price is still 199€. Same as without buying Jup 4 8. I really hoped to get some discount for upgrading Jup. Maybe some kind Arturia official reads this and calculate new upgrade price for me?

I asked Arturia sales support about this recently and they said the price will remain the same, $199. Thus, I decided against Jup-8 V update. Missed posting here since there wasn't much discussion about this specific case.

Knoop · Post by **Knoop** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:45 am

I agree it's pretty odd for Arturia not to reduce your upgrade price if you already own parts of the new collection.
By the way: simply upgrading the already owned instruments like the overhauled Jupi 8 and Stage 73 would have been a desirable option for me as I currently don't care too much about neither the Emu nor the Vocoder.
However this option is reserved for owners of Collection 7( I'm on V6...)
I'm asking myself what reason they might have for this restriction. What does the overhaul of those two instruments have to do with V7?

fmr · Post by **fmr** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:54 am

Knoop wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:45 am I'm asking myself what reason they might have for this restriction. What does the overhaul of those two instruments have to do with V7?

Because those were not "overhauls", those were UPGRADES. Especially the Jup-8 V, which were completely rewritten. Offering them to V7 users is already being generous.

Knoop · Post by **Knoop** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 12:12 pm

That's my point! As these are completely new versions (call it upgrades or whatever) they are completely new for everyone, both V6 AND V7 owners. Call it generous towards V 7 owners - I call it unequal treatment of customers.

fmr · Post by **fmr** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 12:35 pm

Knoop wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 12:12 pm That's my point! As these are completely new versions (call it upgrades or whatever) they are completely new for everyone, both V6 AND V7 owners. Call it generous towards V 7 owners - I call it unequal treatment of customers.

Look at it this way. If you upgrade from V6 to V8 you get SIX new instruments AND two upgrades. For 299, I think that's pretty good

Arturia VCollection 7 Official thread