Native Instruments and iZotope mess

[isuckatproducing]

So turns out that even though I've transferred the license on NI website, "part" of the license is still in my iZotope account. ))

And they have separate support. LOL

[osiris]

^ THIS is what I'm talking about. I can only update Vocalsynth2, Neoverb, and Neutron Elements with the Izotope thing. They don't even show up in the IL updates. (Not that I think they will ever be updated again)

[jamcat]

NI bought iZotope and PA and now it’s super confusing how to install and activate stuff.

NI did not buy iZotope and Plugin Alliance.

The 3 were bought by an investment group. Dirk Ulrich who owned PA ended up the largest private shareholder of the group, so if anyone bought anyone, it was Plugin Alliance that bought the other two. The new entity was originally known as Soundwide, but that was a stupid name that no one had ever heard of, so they changed it to Native Instruments only for the name recognition and for no other reason.

Dirk became very disillusioned with how the whole operation was being run, so he sold his stake and bought Apogee and Manley instead.

[isuckatproducing]

NI bought iZotope and PA and now it’s super confusing how to install and activate stuff.

NI did not buy iZotope and Plugin Alliance.

The 3 were bought by an investment group. Dirk Ulrich who owned PA ended up the largest private shareholder of the group, so if anyone bought anyone, it was Plugin Alliance that bought the other two. The new entity was originally known as Soundwide, but that was a stupid name that no one had ever heard of, so they changed it to Native Instruments only for the name recognition and for no other reason.

Dirk became very disillusioned with how the whole operation was being run, so he sold his stake and bought Apogee and Manley instead.

Well, still it's all one entity, but good to know.

Funny thing is I now became a fan of iLok, as long as companies offer installers without launchers.

I can easily install stuff without fighting buggy mess of software when reinstalling Mac OS.

[isuckatproducing]

Dirk became very disillusioned with how the whole operation was being run, so he sold his stake and bought Apogee and Manley instead.

Do you have more info? What did he not like?

[rasmusklump]

And with Dirk at the helm the spam mails from Apogee started....

[jamcat]

Dirk became very disillusioned with how the whole operation was being run, so he sold his stake and bought Apogee and Manley instead.

Do you have more info? What did he not like?

I really don’t know. I could only speculate. You can read what he wrote here:

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?stor ... bVwvIn0%3D

I could be wrong about him selling his stake. It looks like he only stepped down from the board of directors, but still remains the largest shareholder.

By the way, prior to Soundwide, NI had been experiencing years of losses, layoffs and horrible management, with several executives being fired, including the CEO and CIO. Brainworx was the only company of the 3 that wasn’t a total train wreck. I imagine the train wreck continues.

[isuckatproducing]

Just hearing news that NI is heading towards bankruptcy, unless someone else will buy them, but I have my doubts, since they are apparently in a LOT of debt.

Would be wild for NI, iZotope and PA to suddenly disappear.

[SHall1000]

Would be wild for NI, iZotope and PA to suddenly disappear.

That would be some serious spring cleaning for lot of people!

[keys_au1]

That would be some serious spring cleaning for lot of people!

Not sure that would be the case. Installed apps will still run, juts won't get updates or new features.

To be safe, I recommend licence holders do as we did when Cakewalk (Sonar) got absorbed elsewhere. Just downloaded every .exe file from our accounts and stored them offline (with the keys and activation codes.

Although, with "live online" activations these days not sure that would work either??

[isuckatproducing]

That would be some serious spring cleaning for lot of people!

Not sure that would be the case. Installed apps will still run, juts won't get updates or new features.

To be safe, I recommend licence holders do as we did when Cakewalk (Sonar) got absorbed elsewhere. Just downloaded every .exe file from our accounts and stored them offline (with the keys and activation codes.

Although, with "live online" activations these days not sure that would work either??

Well, with most NI stuff you need Native Access to install and activate it anyway.

That's why I'm a fan of iLok now, because you can just backup installers (if available) or even literally just copy the AU/VST plugin file and it will work forever.

Of course iLok can disappear to, but it's highly unlikely.

[Milkman]

NI is a trainwreck as a whole, and the izotope/NI/other 3rd party chaos is just par for that course. Emotionless acceptance of such chaos isnt really the way most people (who value time, money, art) think, especially in the art community.

The tendency to call people who value money/time "childish" is not a tendency I misunderstand, however, and you can see this mentality infecting many industry sectors where customer service, reliability, etc are values people care about. Contrarians and brand managers, one and the same. ; )

Its funny, but video gaming is where the "you are childish for having trouble with this brand" thing seemed to originate, but now its all the way into the music community eh? lol I didnt think, essentially, "stop crying/being emotional" was how you addressed these customers, but I stand corrected!

[enCiphered]

lol

[VitaminD]

The issue is pro audio software quickly became a valid, substantial market. It's a symptom of rapid success (followed by an even quicker market saturation).

I think the boom (late 90s to mid 2010s) caught the eye of Private Equity and corporations (Apple as example). All the beautiful things that were so carefully crafted within our little ecosystem were plucked out by people that thought they could profit off of it (but also sold off by those who made it in the first place).

And we get situations like this. I don't suspect this is the last big name we'll see in the next few years merge, reorganize, or collapse. The software is effectively 'good enough' for most newcomers, who seem to be the largest sector of the market.

I wonder if there also might have been a bit of a surge in sales over a multi-year period due to trendiness or popularity in society that is waning a bit? The same thing happened with the camera market. From around 2005-2015 it was REALLY trendy to have a DSLR. Sales were incredible. Then near the end of that trend, sales really started to wane. Smartphones were approaching the level of 'good enough' for everyday people that they stopped hiring amateur portrait photogs as much. The whole market went back to enthusiasts and professionals.

I think something not the same but also not unlike that is happening now in the pro audio software market. The trendiness has waned and the baseline quality is remarkable. What you can legally get free is higher quality than many commercial products 15 or 20 years back. You can even buy a DAW, bundled with a suite of instruments, effects, and samples, for one or two hundred dollars. Cheap. I'm guessing most don't stick around after months to a few years. So there probably isn't a massive long term sales cycle per customer. Which probably explains all the gimmicks and bargain basement pricing by so many Effects developers.

The camera market stabilized. But it's new camera shipments are down to late 1970s levels. I don't think we'll get that bad, but I do think we'll see more churn.

[jancivil]

"you are childish for having trouble with this brand" thing

Straw man much? a pretty stupid one too*

I got tired of someone I cam't block in every thread regardng NI doing the exactv same routine.
When someone is so upset with eg., NI they'll never use the products they have licensed this can't be about valuing the money invested. I think I said "petulant". iDGAF, it was a one shot deal.

*: In this thread I was at pains to provide an example of problem-solving. Which would seem to indicate I've had troubles with this brand. A whole lot of the people serially kvetcning in that same quality aren't exactly problem-solving people. normally I'd have 'em on ignore once a pattern is shown