Why did you leave Studio One?

[noremorze]

What a surprise: "Users on a non-updating perpetual license will be eligible to receive maintenance updates for their current update increment (Ex. vX.1.1 receives bug fixes/updates in vX.1.2), but their license will not be eligible to update to the next major feature update increment (Ex. vX.2.0)"

[Blaster]

But this is not an "upgrade" to an existing purchase. It seems that a person new to Studio One can rent it for a year - cancel - and thereafter own the full Pro version for $179.99. (US) The critical question is whether that version can ever be upgraded.

From the FAQ (https://www.presonus.com/en/studio-one-plus-hybrid.html):
If you want to regain access to new Studio One Pro updates and the additional content and features of Studio One+, you can re-subscribe to Studio One+ Monthly, renew your Studio One+ Hybrid plan, or purchase a standalone perpetual license upgrade to Studio One Pro at any time.

[Blaster]

What a surprise: "Users on a non-updating perpetual license will be eligible to receive maintenance updates for their current update increment (Ex. vX.1.1 receives bug fixes/updates in vX.1.2), but their license will not be eligible to update to the next major feature update increment (Ex. vX.2.0)"

Of course. Update != Upgrade.
You'd need to buy an upgrade.

I mean, you're not getting the pro version for cheaper this way...

[Vocalpoint Studios]

or purchase a standalone perpetual license upgrade to Studio One Pro at any time.

There is a big difference in "purchasing" a standalone version of Pro and being able to use a "non-updatable" perpetual license as a discounted major version number upgrade path to a say a new V7 release.

It has not been spelled out anywhere whether a user who gets a "free" perp license AFTER killing his/her Hybrid plan - can use that dead license as a discounted upgrade path.

If it can - the value becomes dramically better - if not - I do not understand how anyone but a new user would consider this.

VP

[noremorze]

What a surprise: "Users on a non-updating perpetual license will be eligible to receive maintenance updates for their current update increment (Ex. vX.1.1 receives bug fixes/updates in vX.1.2), but their license will not be eligible to update to the next major feature update increment (Ex. vX.2.0)"

Of course. Update != Upgrade.
You'd need to buy an upgrade.

I mean, you're not getting the pro version for cheaper this way...

Which is exactly my point. Some people think that you'd get it for less. While on paper that is true if you don't update, most people keep their DAWs updated. With this, you'll pay way more. And that's what they are aiming for, gullible people who fall for this crap.

[jamcat]

Well, I didn't left S1, yet.
But this 6.6 update does too little and also adds a subscription only instrument which does not really add to their weak collection of instrument plugins.

It's a free update that adds some new stuff focusing on immersive audio, plus a bunch of bug fixes. I'm just happy to see recalling "Lock pan to channel" has finally been fixed.

PreSonus actually adds quite a bit of new features to free .x updates. This is stuff you usually only see added to a new full version upgrade.

Maybe the next update will add stuff you want?

As for the subscription only instrument, I just see it as a new paid instrument that I have no interest in buying (or renting, as the case may be.) If they had released it as a separate product to buy, no one would be upset by it.

[SLiC]

I don’t mind that nothing in this update is much use to me, but don’t like the direction of travel with the subscription only stuff in an update.

[Greenstorm33]

The only viable ways to pull a Bitwig while still offering normal perpetual licenses are to either make your major version cycle so short that perpetual licenses aren't much better of a deal than the upgrade subscription, or to hold things of significant value back from perpetual licensees. And I don't think soundware will cut it.

[chk071]

What a surprise: "Users on a non-updating perpetual license will be eligible to receive maintenance updates for their current update increment (Ex. vX.1.1 receives bug fixes/updates in vX.1.2), but their license will not be eligible to update to the next major feature update increment (Ex. vX.2.0)"

Of course. Update != Upgrade.
You'd need to buy an upgrade.

I mean, you're not getting the pro version for cheaper this way...

That's exactly how they advertise it though. Just read from Arnd Kaiser, general manager at Presonus, that one of the "highlights" of the hybrid license is that you basically get a perpetual license of Studio One for free.

Many question marks with that kind of licensing though. It's beyond me why companies make things more intransparent and complicated instead of more simple.

[jens]

But it still seems pretty stupid to me. What good are rented add-ons and a perpetual core license to each other? If you ever use the rented stuff and then end the subscription, everything you’d done falls apart.

Oh, please don‘t open this can of worms again. Never understood why I should open old files. I finish a track, I create a mixdown & stems and I‘m done. Never look back. And even if I would do, I still have the recorded audio, and all the MIDI data (if I‘m looking for that genius chord progression I once used).

You still can open old files without the add-ons. You‘ll simply get a list of missing plugins.

So because you see it that way everyone else should as well? You aren't related to Bones by any chance?

[jens]

Shit!!! What a f**k up!!! I just checked and it's the same price that I would have to pay for a year of hybrid for a new customer.

So basically, they just robbed me of my license right now.

Any new custumer can get a Pro license plus one year of updates/potential upgrade for 180$.

But if I want to upgrade my V5 Pro license to V6, I have to pay 150$ - and if V7 comes out in half a year, I have to pay 150$ again - so that's 300 for a current owner ofV5 Pro vs 180 for a new customer.

So they f**ked every current customer over like no company ever before them. Which means they're finished, done, dead - there's no way for them to survive this epic f**k up.

[chk071]

Well, that's what we've been discussing the last 10 pages or so. That subscribers are being advantaged.

But, indeed, if they just give it away with every 180 € hybrid subscription, then there is really not point at all to buy a perpetual license for 400 € anymore. Which, yeah, is obviously their plan. Subscription for everyone.

Crap, didn't think that I come to dislike Presonus' business policy so quickly.

And, I frankly see a bit of a pattern in the whole industry. Bitwig, Pro Tools, Reason, Studio One, Cakewalk. More and more going down that road.

[THE INTRANCER]

Still on S1 4.6 Pro, and I'm not intesrested any carrot dangling by Presonus to join any club, and I'll probably upgrade to V7 during back friday in 2024, if it's out that is.

[eerie_audio]

" New virtual instrument “Lead Architect” (included in Studio One+)"

This is just the beginning, remember to vote with your wallets, these kind of changes only last as long as people are willing to pay to support them. If a large amount of people start skipping versions upgrades it might wake them up.

[cbend]

Shit!!! What a f**k up!!! I just checked and it's the same price that I would have to pay for a year of hybrid for a new customer.

So basically, they just robbed me of my license right now.

Any new custumer can get a Pro license plus one year of updates/potential upgrade for 180$.

But if I want to upgrade my V5 Pro license to V6, I have to pay 150$ - and if V7 comes out in half a year, I have to pay 150$ again - so that's 300 for a current owner ofV5 Pro vs 180 for a new customer.

So they f**ked every current customer over like no company ever before them. Which means they're finished, done, dead - there's no way for them to survive this epic f**k up.

This move by Presonus has "Waves epic disaster" written all over it. At least Waves had the sense to back off.

I think it's time to look at alternatives to Studio One.