4.4 released

[SLiC]

Its even worse if you've been waiting for normal 4.4 update with core features, you at least could skip Spectral Suite, now you have to wait another several months for 4.5 and for some people it will mean to renew update plan...what a trick. If that was 4.3.11 that would be another story.

P.S. I will admit that i wrong if they release 4.5 in October.

What makes you think 4.4 would have been core features? 4.1 was mainly weird midi FX like bouncing balls, 4.2 was mainly updating existing FX and 4.3 a convolution reverb...this is very much in line with the 'point' offerings, the major DAW workflow stuff tens to come in a big number like V5.

The bigger updates are the ones many people will buy upgrade plans to get- they will be keen to get it out as soon as possible and pushing this interim update out won't slow them down, its commercially to their advantage to get it out.

[Enrize]

still better than endless arguing and closing the business at the end

This is KvR, people don't just stop arguing...

But at least we're back to the same old "waaaah, the update had different features than the ones I wanted" which, as a developer, I have been hearing for the past 30 years.

They can communicate and say that Spectral Suite will be a part of 4.4 update that will come later alongside with other new features, yet they choose to trick their users again. Don't know about you but for me its clear.

[foosnark]

How is giving people the addons AND giving the people who paid for it refunds AND outlining that in the future they will make everything part of the Upgrade Plan AND apologizing "tricking their users?"

I marvel at your dedication to being bitter, cynical and unhappy.

[Enrize]

Its even worse if you've been waiting for normal 4.4 update with core features, you at least could skip Spectral Suite, now you have to wait another several months for 4.5 and for some people it will mean to renew update plan...what a trick. If that was 4.3.11 that would be another story.

P.S. I will admit that i wrong if they release 4.5 in October.

What makes you think 4.4 would have been core features? 4.1 was mainly weird midi FX like bouncing balls, 4.2 was mainly updating existing FX and 4.3 a convolution reverb...this is very much in line with the 'point' offerings, the major DAW workflow stuff tens to come in a big number like V5.

The bigger updates are the ones many people will buy upgrade plans to get- they will be keen to get it out as soon as possible and pushing this interim update out won't slow them down, its commercially to their advantage to get it out.

Probably because Spectral Suite was originally planned as add-on, and suddenly converted as independent 4.4 update. It really that obvious.

[Enrize]

How is giving people the addons AND giving the people who paid for it refunds AND outlining that in the future they will make everything part of the Upgrade Plan AND apologizing "tricking their users?"

I marvel at your dedication to being bitter, cynical and unhappy.

I have a point.

[zambal]

Its even worse if you've been waiting for normal 4.4 update with core features, you at least could skip Spectral Suite, now you have to wait another several months for 4.5 and for some people it will mean to renew update plan...what a trick. If that was 4.3.11 that would be another story.

P.S. I will admit that i wrong if they release 4.5 in October.

Even if you're right about them postponing whatever they had originally in mind for 4.4, that doesn't mean they are going to sit with their arms crossed all day for the coming months. If any it would just mean that 4.5 (or 5.0) will become a bigger upgrade.

[Enrize]

Its even worse if you've been waiting for normal 4.4 update with core features, you at least could skip Spectral Suite, now you have to wait another several months for 4.5 and for some people it will mean to renew update plan...what a trick. If that was 4.3.11 that would be another story.

P.S. I will admit that i wrong if they release 4.5 in October.

Even if you're right about them postponing whatever they had originally in mind for 4.4, that doesn't mean they are going to sit with their arms crossed all day for the coming months. If any it would just mean that 4.5 (or 5.0) will become a bigger upgrade.

Let's see (and i hope so). I just explained how i see it at the moment.

[_leras]

I feel cheated! It has nothing in it that I didn't have in 4.3.10 with Spectral devices. That's it I'm off to learn Reaper.

Enjoy your windows 3.11 experience.

[Enrize]

I see it as they made it 4.4 exactly for this reason (to take some of your update plan). They could make it 4.3.11, right? Or they can move it to 4.4 with everything else they had originally in mind for 4.4, right? If Spectral Suite was planned as add-on, there is definitely something planned for 4.4 update apart from Spectral Suite. Yet, they choose to make it 4.4.

[trevormeier]

Well done Bitwig. A generous response.

[_leras]

How is giving people the addons AND giving the people who paid for it refunds AND outlining that in the future they will make everything part of the Upgrade Plan AND apologizing "tricking their users?"

I marvel at your dedication to being bitter, cynical and unhappy.

There's another 100+ page thread to show that's not exactly a surprise.

I'm glad Bitwig made it right, knew they'd come round.

It didn't need the mob hate though. Manners and respectful behavior are free and have just the same outcome.

[Slacks]

Short and to the point. Just what's needed right now. Very much appreciated. Thank you, Bitwig. Looking forward, they'd do themselves a lot of good to work on their communication skills and community interactions. It wouldn't hurt to show their faces and use their actual voices more. The last few days gave them tons of valuable customer insight. They should really study these threads. There's tons to learn. Heck, if I was a competitor, I'd be poring through these threads too. There could even be a secondary marketplace in their future, it just can't come at the expense of the core product and its upgrade plan. And with all things, they need to put users at the center of the process. That's just good brand building. Oh and they should look up "Crisis Management" and learn from the successes and failures of others. Self-inflicted wounds take a long time to heal. It truly didn't have to be this way.

[dvMi]

After such a choice, I think to stay in bitwig! well done, now I respect them and the extension of the plan will be mandatory!

[Teksonik]

It didn't need the mob hate though. Manners and respectful behavior are free and have just the same outcome.

You mean the mob hate coming from fanbois who called the people who complained "crazies" or "children" or "childish" or accused them of "crying" or "whining" ?

Is that respectful behavior?

Yes some people may have gone a bit over the top but that came from both sides.

The bottom line is you and all the other fanbois owe those who complained a debt of gratitude because without them Bitwig would not have changed course and rectified their mistake.

So show some "manners and respectful behavior" to those who fought to make Bitwig do the right thing and say thank you.

[foosnark]

I see it as they made it 4.4 exactly for this reason (to take some of your update plan). They could make it 4.3.11, right? Or they can move it to 4.4 with everything else they had originally in mind for 4.4, right?

Think about this for a minute.

If they called it 4.3.11:

- That would be categorizing new features as a bug fix update, which it is not. If people are concerned about "honesty" that needs to go both ways.
- Yes, a few more people whose plans lapsed after the 4.3 release would have gotten access to Spectral Suite without updating their plan. Which means Bitwig would have given away their effort to people who weren't paying for it.
- And then as soon as 4.4 hits, if it had new features they wanted, they would update their plan anyway.

If they didn't release a new point version now and waited until the other features were ready for 4.4:

- That would have felt like a slower response. Apology and explanation now, but you still don't get the stuff for another... six weeks or whatever it will be. Kind of feels less effective.
- Meanwhile, a few more peoples' plans would expire, and those people would not get access to Spectral Suite without updating their plan, and they would be right to complain about the delay cheating them out of the features.

Releasing Spectral Suite as 4.4 today, like they did:

- Everyone who's current on their plan -- the ones who felt cheated in the first place -- now gets the suite. Things are resolved quickly.
- Anyone who wants Spectral Suite and isn't current on their plan can update now, or wait for another release, just like always.
- There is no reason that this delays the release of 4.5.

....and now I'm pretty tired of arguing about this.