KVR Audio

stardustmedia · Post by **stardustmedia** » Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:46 pm

Aloysius wrote:With a Bonus of $299 per year, thereafter.

Nope, the bonus will be paid as a free upgrade for the advanced version

momalle3 · Post by **momalle3** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:59 pm

Wow, I just installed the demo

I've never in my life seen an update where they removed features and asked you to pay for it.

Looks pretty--the interface in 5 always reminded me of playing Battle Zone in 1980. But the upgrade includes dramatically reduced functionality. Terrible

218 · Post by **218** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:36 pm

momalle3 wrote:Wow, I just installed the demo

I've never in my life seen an update where they removed features and asked you to pay for it.

Looks pretty--the interface in 5 always reminded me of playing Battle Zone in 1980. But the upgrade includes dramatically reduced functionality. Terrible

You should write Izotope and let them know what you think. If enough ppl write them maybe at some point they´ll actually start doing something serious about this.

Breeze · Post by **Breeze** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:45 pm

I've been with iZotope since Ozone 1. Like most devs starting out, they used to be closer to the community and their users. Over the years it's clear that they've moved into a different market niche and have little regard for the "small fry" in their user base.

From a purely business perspective, the pricing is just logical: for very one unit of Advanced you sell you have to sell 4 to the small fry to make the same money and with less overhead and support issues. If you have enough sales of Advanced for your business model to work, then Regular is just an olive branch to offer something to the small fry. The fact that the software is changing it's focus and specializing as a purely mastering tool is just part of that process.

From my perspective I'm with all of you: I'm not "sidegrading" as it doesn't fit my needs. But we're all in fact just subject to their corporate directives. I think it sucks too, and more so because here it is again: a new company leveraging a friendly helpful ways with their customers up to the point they don't need most of them anymore. Been there, seen that too many times...

Welcome to the LOzone.

Proxima4 · Post by **Proxima4** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:50 pm

Totally agree, In this instance I really think iZotope should take some time to consider what's being said here at KVR and in the digital music community as a whole to get us back on board.

I love iZotope products and on the whole they have provided value for money, but with this version 6 update (which is quite quick after version 5 frankly) I feel they have dropped the ball slightly.

They have considered how user's use the product in general and what is purely necessary in the the mastering concern. but they have missed the opportunity for users to grow and learn new ideas in the field of mastering with features that they have included in the past.

I remember a time when M/S eq was a bit of a mystery but now I use it as often as possible and think of it as a normal feature, that ain't that long ago and I don't consider myself that much of a pro, but iZotope was definitely partly responsible in coming to terms with it.

They need to go back to the original idea. "Tools that have standard and advanced features that provide current and forward thinking ideas"

Breeze · Post by **Breeze** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:34 pm

Proxima4 wrote:"Tools that have standard and advanced features that provide current and forward thinking ideas"

Right but it totally depends on what your "forward thinking" is about. In iZotope's case it seems to have become money.

What kills me too is that when you write to their support line about any of this, they seem to have hired expert flak catchers who answer with just the right degree of apologist tone that basically says "we know what you're saying, but there's nothing we can do..." which sadly seems to translate into "frankly, we don't really care"...

Here's hoping any of this discussion gets to them...

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:54 pm

I started with Ozone 4, then Alloy, and added Trash. Upgraded to Ozone 5 Advanced, Alloy 2 and Trash 2. Love all these plugs.

Even before reading the responses here I had already visited their site and decided that the upgrade offered me nothing, but took away features I use and enjoy. I had already decided not to purchase the "upgrade."

If they go the same route with their other plugs, they will lose me as a customer altogether.

Though I can still use these plugs for a long time to come, my original plan was to use Alloy (and sometimes the individual Ozone Advanced modules such as EQ) as my main tracking and bus plugin, and Ozone as my mastering plug, enabling me to move from one DAW (SONAR) to another (Cubase) without having to learn to use different tracking and mastering plugs. This worked well for me and I use Alloy 2 more than any other plug.

So this is potentially bad news for me long-term, as I had hoped that Alloy and Ozone would continue to raise the bar and offer me everything I needed into the future. At this point, it appears iZotope is no longer competitive with other companies' plugs, and the way they're heading they will be even less competitive in the future.

Sux.

Sampleconstruct · Post by **Sampleconstruct** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 6:53 pm

Received 3 emails today from downgradetope reminding me that I had 7 seconds left to downgrade to O6 for too much money, I think it's time to flag them. They have soooooo lost me.

Robmobius · Post by **Robmobius** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:20 pm

Sampleconstruct wrote:Received 3 emails today from downgradetope reminding me that I had 7 seconds left to downgrade to O6 for too much money, I think it's time to flag them. They have soooooo lost me.

This is my third email form them so far too - Still only 299.00 for a downgrade! Thanks for the reminder Izno hope.

rustman · Post by **rustman** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:28 pm

I'm still getting to know O5 and it still has that new car smell to me. That's why I was so pumped for 6 to come out- more of the same coolness....wrong. Short of a $99 store credit, I'm done with them, as a matter of principle.

SampleSmith · Post by **SampleSmith** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:57 pm

I bought on blind faith, too.

Then I looked here. Duh?
Some more looking around...
https://www.izotope.com/en/company/pres ... nvestment/
This was 14 months ago and perhaps tells more than the replies listed above. The bankers must be driving the buss [sic] by now.

progtronic · Post by **progtronic** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:21 pm

Yeah.. I'm getting the same (somewhat desperate sounding), "Just a few seconds left to save on Ozone 6! - Get it now!.. before we invent even more ways to screw you over!!" emails as well.

Wonder if their investors will realize what a bad idea it was to interfere with a perfectly good product.. if/when this whole 'payevenmoreforlesswiththishorribledowngradeyoubitches-gate' thing, totally backfires on them.

Now I'm looking for alternatives for my favorite Ozone modules.. really don't want to keep investing in this company if this is any indication of their overall scheme for future design and marketing.

metamorphosis · Post by **metamorphosis** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:36 pm

Jumped the shark at "the T-Pain effect" and just kept climbing. No in all seriousness, somebody want to sell me their O5?

(

kovengarden · Post by **kovengarden** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:56 pm

I was wondering why multiple promo emails for Ozone6 coming in recently. After reading some of the feedbacks on the Net, this is a NO buy for me and I am not bothered to test the demo. The upgrade costs too much btw.

'Enhanced' user experience? Come on...

SampleSmith · Post by **SampleSmith** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:05 pm

I can say that I felt a lot better about things when I spent another 20Euros on TB_FIX from Toneboosters. It gave me a small sense of retribution and a really nice dynamic EQ to boot. Not such a bad day.

Thanks for the tip (near the top of the thread)!

Ozone 6 Announced!