Sonic Reality

benjamind · Post by **benjamind** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:10 am

Hi,

I believe there will be an upgrade to Sampletank 2.1, and ST2XL users will qualify for a free upgrade.

Wow, that's awesome, considering that they'll be including 2 DVDs which will obviously mean improved quality and variety of sounds. Not sure how many GB will be in total, I know 2 DVDs can hold 9GB, so this is something to look forward to.

I'm wondering though, I know that it's a free upgrade if we are registered ST2XL users, will we need to pay for the 2 DVDs? I'm sure there will be shipping costs, I know it's about $15 to send 2 DVDs to Australia, but will there be any other costs apart from shipping?

If we have to pay more than just the shipping ($15-30) and production costs for 2 DVDs (about $10), then it begs the question - would it really be a free upgrade?

Zoing · Post by **Zoing** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:11 am

I believe the 2.1 application will be free, the sounds are extra.

2.1 has extra features, so it is a free upgrade.

I might be wrong, but I think new purchasers of ST2 XL will get the new sounds, but I'm sure Squids will correct me if I'm wrong on that.

benjamind · Post by **benjamind** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:42 am

It was my understanding that current ST2 XL users would qualify for a free upgrade. Period. There was no mention of extra fees for the sounds, I was assuming that we'd be charged only for the 2 DVDs plus the shipping which shouldn't be much.

Zoing · Post by **Zoing** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:59 am

Well, I think your understanding may have been mistaken, here is a quote from Squids... Maybe the sounds aren't free for anyone, hard to tell from this...

ST2.1 has some other really cool features too. How about double the amount of outputs to 16 stereo/32mono? Nice huh? Here's a feature I know you guys will like. FREE update for ST2 users. That's right! Well, the application part of the update is free anyway. There's also a major sound update but that is TBA. More sounds using the new stretch engine and 2 DVDs (new standard for these ST workstations). The sound update will cost something but probably not much and of course it will be optional (so you could get the features for free or the sounds too for the value of what the new sounds would cost anyway...even better value as usual). Hey, IK won the Electronic Musician editor's choice award for ST2 yesterday! Not bad eh? Wait till everyone has 2.1!

benjamind · Post by **benjamind** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:43 am

Just spent $375 on Sampletank 2 XL not that long ago.

Most of the sounds are very usable IMHO, but there were a few that weren't any good (and I'm sure 100% of the people would agree with me here), it wasn't the actual timbre of the sound but rather the poor quality which made it obvious that the sound was either not sampled or set up properly.

I'm almost certain they've fixed these sounds, and fixed some minor glitches/inconsistencies that may have existed in many sounds. I just hope they don't charge me an arm and a leg to get the new updated sounds.

Hate to say it, but even $100 is too much for a sound update if you've just paid $375 for ST2XL!

Steve Prince · Post by **Steve Prince** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:53 am

Sampletank 2 press release wrote:More sounds.
The sounds included in SampleTank® 2.1 have been updated and now include a 2DVD sample set with a variety of quality instruments covering a wide range of nearly every type of sample.
These updates, along with great features like its ease of use, 16 multitimbral parts, 32 built-in multieffects, AmpliTube® and T-RackS® DSP inside, loop-sync, zone and more, have contributed to establishing SampleTank® 2 as the standard sound system for thousands of musicians worldwide. SampleTank® 2.1 will be available by the Spring 2005. All existing SampleTank® 2XL users will be qualified for a free upgrade.

Well the way I read their press release it seems that the sounds are free also.

Steve

baggio · Post by **baggio** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:34 pm

I agree that the press release reads like the sounds are free but I think that this is a mistake and it is referring to the software only. Also, with what Squids has said it would appear that the sounds will be extra - I would hope not but it looks like they are.

MickGael · Post by **MickGael** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 1:17 pm

benjamind wrote:Hate to say it, but even $100 is too much for a sound update if you've just paid $375 for ST2XL!

I sheepishly agree....

Pete C · Post by **Pete C** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:24 am

We should get hooked up. It's not Sampletank 3 here, it's just 2.1...regardless of content. I would expect to get all 2.x updates for free. Look at Reason, when the Propellerheads just gave out the electric piano sounds for free for no reason other than to be nice.

Pete

Squids · Post by **Squids** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:47 am

Before you guys go off thinking what you think should be free or not free let me just tell you this. The SampleTank 2.1 upgrade was always going to be a free application downloadable update to give it some new features for new purchasers and to give something to existing users with added value such as a new improved stretch engine, split and velocity ranges, double the amount of outputs, improved transposition that is saved with the patch and other great features.

Then it was me who suggested that there be a sound update too with a run through of the existing XL library and adding several gigs of new material to it (which I am overseeing now that SR is a major part of IK's sound development). In order to do a sound update we need to get paid my friends otherwise we'd go out of business. It's that simple. I had to take busy IK and SR resources and have them on this for a while. It's a lot of work. But, several gigabytes of new material is worth a lot and the upgrade price for just the new sounds will be fair (as it always is with our products... have a look at Sonik Synth 2 for example).

What is really cool is that the sound upgrade is completely optional. You don't have to get it. You can opt just to download ST2.1 for the software features and you should be quite happy if you bought ST2.0 based on its features without even knowing ST2.1 existed before. If you spent $375 then you just joined many thousands of other people that did too and are quite happy with their purchase. Just because something new is being offered doesn't make the original any less of a great product.

Hey, we could simply not include a sound update at all. It'd save me a lot of work and expense! But, I REALLY want to mess around with this killer new stretch engine that has two modes- one for notes and one for phrases with a harmonic preservation control and other tweakable parameters. Can I without you expecting it for free? Please?

It won't be expensive. I am sure it will have VFM in a big way. Anyway, it's optional. But, 2.1 as a software update will be a free download.

dgkenney · Post by **dgkenney** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:47 am

Squids wrote: It won't be expensive. I am sure it will have VFM in a big way. Anyway, it's optional. But, 2.1 as a software update will be a free download.

Works for me

I think the features of the free 2.1 update are great...especially the stand alone, zone and stretch capabilities.

And I know the SR sounds will be a fantastic addition at a reasonable price...cause its always been that way.

Dan

Zoing · Post by **Zoing** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:40 am

dgkenney wrote:
Squids wrote: It won't be expensive. I am sure it will have VFM in a big way. Anyway, it's optional. But, 2.1 as a software update will be a free download.
Works for me

Dan

What he said!

Caleb · Post by **Caleb** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 7:07 am

It sounds great Squids.

Can I just humbly ask - I have the ST2 engine without sounds - should I just buy this latest sound content as a sound upgrade rather than the original XL sounds?

Is it actually the same + improved + more or is it a complimentary soundset?

The fact that you guys are on the sound development for this makes me favour this lot of sounds.

Anyway - let me know what my options are as an ST2 engine only guy so I can plan for the purchase down the track.

Caleb

telebunke · Post by **telebunke** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 1:14 pm

Squids wrote: Anyway, it's optional. But, 2.1 as a software update will be a free download.

Squids, you're the man - and you're very patient with all theese guys here. I always aprreciate your attitude and the way you keep us informed, too.

To all those that might still think "Sounds should be free, too".
Have you ever tried going to your BMW sell point to say: "I'd like a free upgrade to the current model, since the newest model includes a CD Player for the same price, I paid 4 months ago."

Aha - copying of DVDs might not be very expensive, but the work to program the sounds must have been a lot....
That's woth some $$$.

Greetings
tele

harmony gardens · Post by **harmony gardens** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:26 pm

Since I was one who thought they might be free, don't think I was being unreasonable. Afterall, the press release was not specific in this, and although we can understand the Squids was busy with NAMM, but he was mysteriously slow in confirming this. He's been building us up pretty good lately, and when I saw the press release, I thought,, WOW,,, cool!!!!! But,,,,,,, oh well.

I know, this is just the way it goes, but I bought mine a couple of weeks ago. Had I known the new sound set was coming out, I would have gone for the group buy with the drums combo and the engine only, rather than the Sampletank 2 set.

I'm totaly happy with my IK/ products, and I'm very glad to get the free engine upgrade. I haven't even heard all my sounds yet, and the upgrade comes along. I'm sure the upgrade will be reasonable, and I'm sure I'll buy it. We can now take this as the way it is, and move on.

Don't think I don't know about business. If the car dealer you are hypothesizing about, put an add in the paper saying I was entitled to the current model and a CD player, I would go see what it was about, wouldnt' you? We just get the CD player,,, and the new model costs a few bucks. I'll be a customer for a long time, you can count on that!

Sonic Reality

KVR Audio

Free Sampletank 2.1 Upgrade...clarification