Roland Cloud

[TS-12]

I recently emailed Roland offering them that I can work for FREE to attempt helping them fix those CPU spike issues, but they replied that they don't have any open positions. Well, then your team should be well staffed and experienced and knowledgeable to fix those issues, but it has been around 5 years and those issues are not fixed at all. So looks like Roland Cloud team is not willing to fix those issues. All they can do is keep replying that they escalated the request to their programing team or that they are still working on it. Dear, Roland Cloud, all that time you spent replying to emails you could have invested into tactually fixing those issues.

[Trancer]

I wanted to test the Roland Cloud.

And very unpleasantly surprised, a request to register a credit card

How is it possible to request a credit card for a supposedly free 30-day trial?

This is forcing the hand of future users and I don't find it very fair.

You don't put your card, no access to the trial.

Roland's philosophy is really questionable.

If by chance the Cloud doesn't interest me after the 30-day trial, how can I avoid being charged on my bank card, since Roland has my bank details?

What really bothers me, if I don't take out a subscription, Roland has my bank card registered.

Have you had any problems with this practice?

What guarantee do you have that I won't have withdrawals from my account?

What will Roland do with my bank details, for example if I don't become a customer?

I love Roland and their products, but I find this approach invasive and I don't understand Roland's justification for acting this way.

In general, we test, we don't like it, we uninstall, otherwise we buy a license, practical, classic and normal.

Here I am not criticizing Roland, I deplore this kind of practice.

[WatchTheGuitar]

This is pretty common practice with commercial subs and you’d be really unlucky to get payments taken after you cancel though being a credit card you should be able to claim it back anyway.
To prevent being billed you just make sure you log into your account on the Roland Cloud website and set your subscription to not renewing. To be on the safe side do it early, don’t leave it until a day before the 30 days is up.

[IvyBirds]

I wanted to test the Roland Cloud.

And very unpleasantly surprised, a request to register a credit card

How is it possible to request a credit card for a supposedly free 30-day trial?

This is forcing the hand of future users and I don't find it very fair.

You don't put your card, no access to the trial.

Roland's philosophy is really questionable.

If by chance the Cloud doesn't interest me after the 30-day trial, how can I avoid being charged on my bank card, since Roland has my bank details?

What really bothers me, if I don't take out a subscription, Roland has my bank card registered.

Have you had any problems with this practice?

What guarantee do you have that I won't have withdrawals from my account?

What will Roland do with my bank details, for example if I don't become a customer?

I love Roland and their products, but I find this approach invasive and I don't understand Roland's justification for acting this way.

In general, we test, we don't like it, we uninstall, otherwise we buy a license, practical, classic and normal.

Here I am not criticizing Roland, I deplore this kind of practice.

I opened up two secondary banking accounts online. The first one has less than $100 in it, both have their own Debit Cards

If I ever am forced to enter a credit card like Roland wants I just give them the debit card from the first account. That way if there is ever any issue with it, that account is a throw away anyway

The second account is just used for any recurring monthly subscriptions. I use it for streaming TV and music services as well as Software. Things like Netflix and Hulu, in addition to Adobe and Microsoft Office. I transfer money into that account automatically every month to cover the subscriptions plus a bit extra. It makes it much easier to go manage your subscriptions that way as they all come out of one account and they are the only things to do so, especially when they start doing stuff like raising your bill

If I was doing something like the Roland Cloud I would use the first account for the "free trial" and if I decided to keep it, would then change the card to the secondary account

At no point do any of them have access to my main account

[Trancer]

Thank you very much for your answer.

I am not used to the subscription, hence my surprise and my distrust.

Now if it is normal and a common practice, it reassures me a little.

Despite everything, I do not understand the reason for this practice, but hey.

Why not do as for VST for example.

Test the vst with limitations of course and if conquered by the Vst, there is a purchase (license).

More normal method.

Why another way of operating, of doing for a subscription?

[ChamomileShark]

Why another way of operating, of doing for a subscription?

My guess is that the reasoning is that it makes it easier for the potential customer to go straight into the paid subscription. You've provided the creadit card details when you start the trial so there is no barrier / hassle for a customer if they want to proceed.

It's common for all subscriptions, not just in music technology.

The downside of course is that you are giving out your details to more companies (but I assume it gets deleted when the trial is ended by the customer) and if you forget you get charged.

[JamminFool]

[...] and if you forget you get charged.

there it is.

[N 4 LIFE]

Why another way of operating, of doing for a subscription?

My guess is that the reasoning is that it makes it easier for the potential customer to go straight into the paid subscription. You've provided the creadit card details when you start the trial so there is no barrier / hassle for a customer if they want to proceed.

It's common for all subscriptions, not just in music technology.

The downside of course is that you are giving out your details to more companies (but I assume it gets deleted when the trial is ended by the customer) and if you forget you get charged.

and on the day you give them your credit card put a note in your phone calendar and also a note 25 days from that day so you can cancel. otherwise they will bill you again and again.

[Septic Underground]

It is not that hard...get that monkey off your back.

[Caine123]

Question. If you buy just ZENOLOGY PRO, can you upgrade to the COLLECTION?
does Zenology Pro get on sale?

Hey Caine123, Its always worth reaching out to customer support in these situations. They could be able to help you over there!

I got info now that this is not possible at all. Jon please check this cause this is just not well at all for customers.

a) you cannot upgrade to the Pro Collection, you are stuck and need the Cloud to use the additional soundpacks or you buy the pro pack and dont get any discount at all for having Zenology Pro already.

b) $599 is not cheap, if you check Omnisphere and many other packages they are cheaper and offer more. yeah i want the old authentic sounds which is only in Zenology Pro, still who does these prices?

c) it seems the Pro Collection never gets on sale....

this is really bad, i considered to get Zenology Pro first and to upgrade later maybe, but yeah this is just bad.

thx

[Trancer]

I took the Ultimate trial and it doesn't work.

When I watch the video, it puts a download icon and here I have nothing.



Can you tell me how to use the content of the Ultimate subscription.

In addition, everything is included in Pro, otherwise it is paid (patches / patterns).

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Trancer]

Everything works perfectly now.

Really great.

With Galaxias, really excellent and a great potential for exploitation and composition.

On the other hand, I have a question.

30-day trial Ultimate subscription.

My question is this.

Can I really download everything, use everything?

Whether it's Zenology Pro, the expansion models, the sound patches for Zenology Pro.

Whether it's all the patches, sounds.

Can I install everything in my library and use everything?

I suspect so, I suppose that since I have the download tab, I have access to everything, but just to be sure.

Because even though I have the download tab, there is a Pro icon and the price.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Can answer that - yes you can use everything because it validates the plugins online.

[Trancer]

Thanks for your answer.

It seems logical given that Ultimate subscription.

I had a doubt, because so many things to download and
to use.

For those who are interested and so far, I am doing a test on a six-year-old Intel i7 PC and no operating problems.

Even using the expansion models, CPU consumption between 10 and 12% per track.

Using Ableton Live 11.

So, so far very satisfied with this Roland Cloud solution.

The only thing that bothers me is Roland's business model.

My fear is that at some point, if the Cloud does not bring in enough money, Roland will remove it without notice.

To do this, no more access to anything since subscription, rental.

[ChamomileShark]

My fear is that at some point, if the Cloud does not bring in enough money, Roland will remove it without notice.

To do this, no more access to anything since subscription, rental.

When they discontinued the Concerto products they gave them away and took off the need for the Cloud Manager (I think).

As far as I can see the only danger is if they stop updating stuff so that they become unusable on newer PC or Mac OS, or DAW requirements.

But that can happen anytime even with big companies (e.g NI have dropped numerous popular products, PPG was sold to PA and you can't now install etc etc.)