The IK Multimedia SampleTron 2 dumpster fire.

[MCMorrise]

As an avid user of GForce M-Tron Pro and Arturia Mellotron V, I was really looking forward to IK Multimedia's new-and-improved take on the Mellotron, SampleTron 2. (FWIW I'm also an IK Multimedia user (MODO Drum, plus SampleTank/T-RackS/AmpliTube CS).

I expected both a massive content library à la GForce, AND the "user samples meet tape DSP" capabilities of Mellotron V, just … better than Mellotron V, because frankly Arturia isn't cutting it and their devs should be ashamed of how bad the user sample functionality is.

I couldn't find a manual for SampleTron 2 anywhere on the IK site. Turns out, you can't find ANY manuals for any of their products, which if you ask me is textbook predatory salesmanship: if the customer doesn't know what they're getting, they're more likely to buy a product. I said as much in my forum post, where (after reading every post about SampleTron 2) I took a little hammer to Peter's precious glass house. A previous user had expressed serious beef about poor handling of user samples, so I gave them a little encouragement as well.



Well, turns out Peter didn't like that one bit. I found the post deleted, and with no warning on the part of IK, I was permabanned. Really classy.



When you say the honest-to-goodness truth about how a software company deals with their customer base and how poorly they've handled dev of a piece of expensive software, you don't expect the next item on their to-do list to be handing you a permanent forum ban.

Anyway, this is incredibly shitty on the part of a major dev who claims "Musicians First" as a business motto. I will be making a video about this. and I'll do whatever it takes to make IK Multimedia more transparent, more accountable to their user base, and a lot less dystopian Orwellian double-plus-good megacorp.

[Examigan]

The manual can be found in the IK Product Manager, or if you login on their site you can get to them under "My Products".

[Hink]

but the real question...and I am posting this because it was reported by another member, not IK and a well respected member...is KvR the place for this another one of these rants? I reviewed back through your few posts, my first thought was to move this to the mod forum to see what the other mods thought, I think for now I'll just suggest that you remember to keep it respectful as it wont take much. IK threads get a lot of abuse here, they really do not bring much to the table when they go that way, IK has it heard it all and typically trhey end up with a ton of reports and as much as you want to make them more transparent that really isnt your call to make and frankly bashing them online probably isnt the best way to go about it so you are walking a thin line, voting with your walLet and conscience is likely gonna serve you better over time.

Be that as it may, I do understand a good vent so as long as points get made respectfully I wont say anything, but if it follows the same path as others...well we already have plenty of those so it wont last long. Of course another mod might not agree and I could hit submit to an abyss please keep it civil, not a free for all on IK

[MCMorrise]

for now I'll just suggest that you remember to keep it respectful as it wont take much.

I don't think, based on my post, that I have said anything untrue about IK Multimedia or their business practices. Considering the way I was permabanned without any warning, I think it a fair assessment of their ethos.

I believe in telling the truth about pro audio software devs and their business practices. Sometimes that comes across as coarse or blunt. Unfortunately, just like bad practices in totalitarian governments, bad practices in the soundware industry won't stop until they're exposed.

[MCMorrise]

The manual can be found in the IK Product Manager, or if you login on their site you can get to them under "My Products".

If you own it, you can see it under My Products. I had to download and install IK Product Manager to access the manual without buying SampleTron 2, and that's a completely unnecessary and frankly unacceptable intermediary step.

[Hink]

for now I'll just suggest that you remember to keep it respectful as it wont take much.

I don't think, based on my post, that I have said anything untrue about IK Multimedia or their business practices. Considering the way I was permabanned without any warning, I think it a fair assessment of their ethos.

I believe in telling the truth about pro audio software devs and their business practices. Sometimes that comes across as coarse or blunt. Unfortunately, just like bad practices in totalitarian governments, bad practices in the soundware industry won't stop until they're exposed.

there's a fine line between a vendetta and telling the truth about a company. You were banned there, not here, they gave you reasons why and it's between you and them. Taking here to garner sympathy seems to me to be crossing that line, ironically on a forum that generally shows no mercy for IK there has been no piling on... I find this telling as it has been a month and a half.