[Fixed in 4.4] Weird bug: latest "Spectral Suite" update not included in upgrade plan

[Held]

On Discord Polarity was called shill. Yes, he has a different take on it but that’s not a reason to start a “witch hunt”. He was told to better keep his mouth shut not to risk his reputation and YT revenue. Sorry, but this is close to fascism. Regardless of how pissed we are, we shouldn’t suppress free speech.

You are trying to suppress free speech right now. Free speech allows people to call whoever whatever they want.

No, sorry. Free speech does not allow threatening, rudeness, slander or deception with impunity.

Polarity should be able to say what he thinks about Bitwig without people being abusive.

Insulting people is protected as free speech in the USA. I guess you're not from there.

Funny you're mentioning deception, though, given what Bitwig has done.

[_leras]

You can see I don't post around here much, if at all...But, this situation has rung a couple of alarm bells for me, so....

This new pricing scheme rings very close to what religious cults do. You pay for induction, inner peace is right around the corner. But, if you want to get to the next level you can get there, for a little more cash. Want to learn how to radiate heat from your heart? You'll need a new mantra, that'll cost you.

This is what cults do. They get you in, but once they have your initial investment they don't need you anymore. They all eventually find way to get more from existing users/followers. For me, I'm done - not just for this situation, but other reasons as well...oh well

Ok... So Bitwig is a music based religious cult now.

Right...

The Scientologists of DAWs.

There's hope for you. I heard you can avoid their messaging with a tin foil hat.

[_leras]

Insulting people is protected as free speech in the USA. I guess you're not from there.

Funny you're mentioning deception, though, given what Bitwig has done.

And look where that's got them. Half a nation of ignorant over privileged oafs with no respect for anything, tearing the country apart.

Sure, they need to communicate better. I will certainly give Bitwig the benefit of doubt and assume no malicious intent.

Certainly not planning to throw my toys out of the pram. Might even buy the extension.

[SLiC]

I find it so disappointing to see so many people lose the plot from what is really just a misstep in communication.

It wasn’t a mistake or a misstep, they know exactly what they are doing…check my post from earlier, they have changed words on the website today as to what the upgrade plan we bought actually included! I don’t think I want to be associated with that type of behaviour, they must think we are all idiots.

[PatrickW]

Observation 1 : Never ever as a German company make an important decision when the Oktoberfests are going on.
About everyone is getting drunk and regrets the decisions made during that period.
The only explanation for this marketing disaster I can imagine is that the management and marketing department have been feasting very generously and after the Oktoberfests are going to realise the incredible damage they have done to their product.

Observation 2 : Maybe, there is another explanation for this extremely weird desicion : Someone from Ableton infiltrated the Bitwig company and brainwashed the management/marketing department to take this absurd decision.
Now, the Ableton staff is rolling on the floor laughing.
And Imageline, as seen on some forums, including this one, are stressing that a lifetime FL Studio free update is really a lifetime free update, even after 20+ years.

Observation 3 : I buy an entrance ticket to a club : "All drinks are included in the 100 euro entrance fee !"
OK, it's expensive, but at least, every drink is included ...
At the bar I ask for a Gin-Tonic, as on the menu.
"Great : that is 15 euro !"
"But, all drinks are included ?"
"Gin-Tonic is not a drink, it is a super-duper cocktail, it is not a drink ..."

Observation 4 : I am a 1.0 Bitwig user, I paid for all update plans.
My current update plan runs until January 2023 and I will not renew it.
I don't see a bright future for Bitwig anymore, regarding how much I love working with it.
Once customers lose trust in a company, that company is finished, sooner or later.
You can kick a dead horse, it's still dead.

[_leras]

I guess we will all have to keep an eye on that Bigwig website, no idea what this means but it all just feels so underhand.... could well mean devices used in Bitwig Studio -fx, synths etc are no longer included

Really SLiC?

The words you use are important. Do you really think they have set out with intent to be underhanded? That's quite an insinuation.

You don't think a botched communication and approach is more realistic? They're a small software company making amazing music software, not a bunch of evil business geniuses trying to screw you over.

[_leras]

Observation 4 : I am a 1.0 Bitwig user, I paid for all update plans.
My current update plan runs until January 2023 and I will not renew it.
I don't see a bright future for Bitwig anymore, regarding how much I love working with it.
Once customers lose trust in a company, that company is finished, sooner or later.
You can kick a dead horse, it's still dead.

I think you need to take a more optimistic look at life.

Sorry Bitwig ruined everything for you with a miscommunicated release.

It's still an amazing tool for making music.

[_leras]

I think they must be struggling for cash

I think you must be struggling for worthy conversation points and have resorted to scurrilous rumour mongering.

Congrats on your negative contribution.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Exactly my feelings too. It was a stupid move by Bitwig and they really should rethink their strategy, but I'm quite shocked by the vindictiveness and mob like aggression of a lot of the reactions on here, reddit, YT, etc.

Indeed.

Who knew there were so many Bitwig users with such anger management issues.

Yeah I agree too. It wasn't wise, but I don't think they master business people. I do think words like disgraceful and greedy are way over the top.

On Discord Polarity was called shill. Yes, he has a different take on it but that’s not a reason to start a “witch hunt”. He was told to better keep his mouth shut not to risk his reputation and YT revenue. Sorry, but this is close to fascism. Regardless of how pissed we are, we shouldn’t suppress free speech.

You are trying to suppress free speech right now. Free speech allows people to call whoever whatever they want.

No, sorry. Free speech does not allow threatening, rudeness, slander or deception with impunity.

It doesn't include illegal things like threats of course but it absolutely includes rudeness. People can call Bitwig disgraceful and greedy if they want, and I'm free to disagree and say so if I want. I don't want them fined or arrested for being rude about it.

[hyperdeath666]

Guys, this remains a developing issue - if we could keep the thread on topic, it would be much appreciated.

[_leras]

I find it so disappointing to see so many people lose the plot from what is really just a misstep in communication.

It wasn’t a mistake or a misstep, they know exactly what they are doing…check my post from earlier, they have changed words on the website today as to what the upgrade plan we bought actually included! I don’t think I want to be associated with that type of behaviour, they must think we are all idiots.

They just didn't think it through (yet).

Definitely miscommunicated and I agree, you shouldn't change a definition like that without announcing it, dating it and making sure it didn't apply to current renewal plans.

I also think its fine to do separate plugins but they should have made cross platform VSTs, with better Bitwig installation.

I imagine its quite hard to run a small business, try to keep it afloat and compete with the Abletons and Steinbergs. I'm sure they doing their best and just messed up a bit in how they went about this thing.

Who knows, maybe a third party offered to code these up for them if they were sold and they could get a cut? I'm sure there's a genuine reason behind this and it's just botched communication.

In Bitwig We Trust!

[Dionysos]

I think whoever's in charge of business at the company just didn't think things through properly. I think they got so deep into thinking about monetisation schemes that they lost sense of what's acceptable, and 100% expected all of this to go down well with people.

No evil intent or desperate struggle for money needed. As the saying goes, don't ascribe to malice what can be easily explained by incompetence.

[Dionysos]

Observation 1 : Never ever as a German company make an important decision when the Oktoberfests are going on.

Oktoberfest may just as well not be a thing in Berlin, you'll have to go looking a bit further south.

Someone from Ableton infiltrated the Bitwig company and brainwashed the management/marketing department to take this absurd decision.
Now, the Ableton staff is rolling on the floor laughing.

This idea of competing companies actually holding ill will towards each other is quite childish. I bet that people at Ableton feel more compassion about what must be going on at Bitwig right now than most people here.

[JsinOwl]

I'm guessing this was the brainchild of someone at or near the top of the organization, and that most people at Bitwig do not support this decision. Sadly, the only way to rectify the situation is to apply pressure through $. Words on forums are just noise that will die down. As a community we must make them feel the pain of this decision until they course correct. I will not buy this add on. And every year at the time I would have renewed my subscription, I'll email them to remind them of the very real money they just lost.

The whole thing pains me, because until now I had nothing but love for Bitwig the product and Bitwig the company and that has been completely shattered. I was glad to see them champion an open plugin format, the world needs that, whether the world realizes it or not. It made me think even more highly of them. A little company teaming up with another little company to change the music software landscape. Ugh, how naive.

[kultschar]

Guess they are

1) Ignoring the noise hoping it goes away
2) No idea how to deal with the bad PR
3) Ran out of money to pay the electric bill so can't reply

Hopefully they are still discussing things internally and not going to go ahead with this shady and sneaky changing of terms hoping nobody noticed