Can someone (not from IK) explain the difference between Amplitube 4 free/paid?

[sjm]

I'm trying out a couple of amp sims, and so I took a look at Amplitube. My question (see title) comes up many, many times on the IK Multimedia website. However, none of the "answers" actually explain the difference between the free and paid versions. They all just point to the "Gear" section on the Amplitube product page - which is the source of my confusion in the first place.

You see, I have the CS/free version of Amplitube installed, and when I compare the gear on that paid product's page to what I already have, I already have 90% of it for free. Which raises the question, what exactly am I paying just shy of 200 smackeroos (after VAT) for? To me it looks like the answer is "a handfull of amp sims". That's however not the impression IK seem to be trying to create on their product page. At any rate, all the FX listed on the product page don't actually seem to be part of Amplitube 4 paid, but part of the free custom shop version.

This raises some immediate red flags: it looks like IK are trying to make it incredibly difficult to find out what you are paying for, and making it look like you get a lot more than you actually do. That hardly inspires confidence. But maybe the marketing isn't as unethical as it appears; maybe I'm missing something, and there's a lot more to the paid version. I'm not sure why IK are making this information so hard to find; the only logical reason I can think of to obfuscate this information is to hide what the customer is actually paying for, because it might not be that great a deal after all when you realise most of it is free anyway. But maybe that's just the cynic in me?

So can anyone explain in very simple terms what is in the paid version of Amplitube that is not in the free version, i.e. what you are actually paying a hefty chunk of cash for. Maybe even a gear list for future reference so that all the others with the same question can finally find an answer? It would be much appreciated.

Edit: What I want is a plain English explanation of the difference between the free CS version and the non-free standard version. I've been on the website in circles already, so please don't direct me back there. See above for my understanding of what the web site says.

Summary
180 buys you:

• room simulator? (maybe not; according to shidostrife this used to be part of paid, now part of free)
• 1 stompbox (Acoustic Sim)
• 5 amps:
  • Brit 8000
  • Brit 9000
  • Red Pig
  • Brit Silver
  • Brit Valve Pre
• 5 cabs:
  • 4x12 Brit 8000
  • 4x12 Brit 9000
  • 4x12 Red Pig
  • 4x12 Brit Silver
  • 4x12 Brit 30
• 1 mic (Double Dynamic 57)
• 1 tuner (Ultra-Tuner)

[Harry_HH]

Room modelling is the main one. There may be something else in addition to that, but that´s basicly what you pay for.

The IK pricing has be most unfair to me. I paid the almost the full price of the AT4, after owning AT2 and AT3.
IK has sold the AT4 full later in about one tenth what you mention above.

I would advice you, if you need the room modelling feature, that you either look/wait a much better price from the IK,
or use the free version AND purchase some much cheaper ambience modelling plugin, which you use with the AT4 free.

[budweiser]

Ik are the kings of shaddy marketing, so good luck with that.

[Acid Mitch]

Doesn’t payed version give you insert effects and lot’s of extra amp models ?
The free and payed version are the same thing except in the free version most of the amp models are greyed out and if you click them you get a message saying “this model has not been activated”. You only get about 5 or so amp models to use and you either buy the singles your interested in or get the bundles.

[sjm]

Doesn’t it give you insert effects and lot’s of extra amp models ?
The free and payed version are the same thing except in the free version most of the amp models are greyed out and if you click them you get a message saying “this model has not been activated”. You only get about 5 or so amp models to use.

My understanding is that's the same with the paid model too. Except that the number of amps you have roughly doubles. Nowhere do I see any suggestion that AT4 actually includes all the models; instead it looks like there are a bunch of module you can buy to get that additional gear.

But as I say, it's clear as mud.

[sjm]

Room modelling is the main one. There may be something else in addition to that, but that´s basicly what you pay for.

Seems a bit of a rip-off for 200 smackeroos. (I'm aware I can pick it up cheap in other ways)

[Harry_HH]

Doesn’t it give you insert effects and lot’s of extra amp models ?
The free and payed version are the same thing except in the free version most of the amp models are greyed out and if you click them you get a message saying “this model has not been activated”. You only get about 5 or so amp models to use.

Unless you own AT-products previously: all you Fender and Hendrix etc. stuff comes of course available in the AT4 free.

[Acid Mitch]

When I click “versions” on the Amplitube 4 web page it shows the different versions and seems pretty clear. You want “max” for everything.

If your looking at a bundle description hit “gear” to see a list of included amp models,etc.

[sjm]

You want “max” for everything.

If your looking at a bundle descrition hit “gear” to see a list of included amp models,etc.

What I want is a plain English explanation of the difference between the free CS version and the non-free standard version. I've been on the website in circles already.

[yellowmix]

From the individual pages:

Amplitube Custom Shop: 9 stomps, 4 amps, 5 cabs, 3 mics, 2 rack effects

Amplitude 4:

10 Stompbox Models – Acoustic Sim, Chorus, Flanger, Opto Tremolo, Delay, Wah Pedal, Diode Overdrive, Compressor, Graphic EQ, Volume Pedal (can be controlled by external controller)
9 Amplifiers – 5 Classic British Amps: Brit 8000, Brit 9000, Red Pig, Brit Silver and Brit Valve Pre, plus American Tube Clean 1, American Tube Clean 2, British Tube Lead 1, Solid State Bass Preamp
10 Cabinets – 4x12 Brit 8000, 4x12 Brit 9000, 4x12 Red Pig, 4x12 Brit Silver, 4x12 Brit 30, 4x10 Open Vintage, 1x12 Open Vintage, 2x12 Closed Vintage, 4x12 Closed Vintage 1, 1x15 Bass Vintage
29 vintage and modern individual speaker models
4 Microphones – Double Dynamic 57, Dynamic 57, Condenser 414, Condenser 87
2 Rack Effects Units – Digital Delay & Parametric EQ
2 Tuners – UltraTuner plus a Fully chromatic rack tuner

Amplitube Deluxe:

33 Stompbox models including: Acoustic Sim, Chorus, Flanger, Opto Tremolo, Delay, Wah Pedal, Diode Overdrive, Compressor, Graphic EQ and more
25 Amplifiers including: American Tube Clean 1, British Tube Lead 1, Solid State Bass Preamp, Jazz Amp 120 plus 5 all new classic British amps and more
29 Cabinets including: 4x12 Brit 8000, 4x12 Brit 9000, 4x12 Red Pig, 4x12 Brit Silver, 4x10 Open Vintage, 2x12 Closed Vintage, 4x12 Closed Vintage 1 and more
29 Vintage and modern individual speaker models
12 Microphones including: Double Dynamic 57, Dynamic 57, Condenser 414, Condenser 87 and more
15 Rack effects units including: Digital Delay, Parametric EQ, Rotary Speaker and more
2 Tuners: UltraTuner plus a fully chromatic rack tuner

Amplitube Max:

88 Stompbox models including: Acoustic Sim, Chorus, Flanger, Opto Tremolo, Delay, Wah Pedal, Diode Overdrive, Compressor, Graphic EQ and more
80 Amplifiers including: American Tube Clean 1, British Tube Lead 1, Solid State Bass Preamp, Jazz Amp 120 plus 5 all new classic British amps and more
92 Cabinets including: 4x12 Brit 8000, 4x12 Brit 9000, 4x12 Red Pig, 4x12 Brit Silver, 4x10 Open Vintage, 2x12 Closed Vintage, 4x12 Closed Vintage 1 and more
29 Vintage and modern individual speaker models
19 Microphones including: Double Dynamic 57, Dynamic 57, Condenser 414, Condenser 87 and more
24 Rack effects units including: Digital Delay, Parametric EQ, Rotary Speaker and more
2 Tuners: UltraTuner plus a fully chromatic rack tuner

---

The difference is that the free version doesn't include stuff in the other packages, that's it. There are so many different pieces you need to figure out what you want and which package(s) include it. And you can always buy pieces a la cart. There are also other package bundles which help if you happen to want multiple pieces in it.

[DarkStar]

^^^
First off, can you let us know exactly which AmpliTube products you have purchased / authorised?

The respective number of gear models is (I reckon) for Stompboxes, Amplifiers, Cabinets, Speakers, Microphones, Rack FX and Tuners is:

Code: Select all

					Stmp	Amp Cab  Spk  Mic  FX   Tun
AT4 MAX			 88	80	92	29	19	24	02
AT4 Deluxe	 	33	25	29	29	12	15	02
AT4				  10	09	10	29	04	02	02
AT3/4 CS			09	04	05	??	03	02	01

[sjm]

From the individual pages:

Amplitube Custom Shop: 9 stomps, 4 amps, 5 cabs, 3 mics, 2 rack effects

Amplitude 4:

10 Stompbox Models – Acoustic Sim, Chorus, Flanger, Opto Tremolo, Delay, Wah Pedal, Diode Overdrive, Compressor, Graphic EQ, Volume Pedal (can be controlled by external controller)
9 Amplifiers – 5 Classic British Amps: Brit 8000, Brit 9000, Red Pig, Brit Silver and Brit Valve Pre, plus American Tube Clean 1, American Tube Clean 2, British Tube Lead 1, Solid State Bass Preamp
10 Cabinets – 4x12 Brit 8000, 4x12 Brit 9000, 4x12 Red Pig, 4x12 Brit Silver, 4x12 Brit 30, 4x10 Open Vintage, 1x12 Open Vintage, 2x12 Closed Vintage, 4x12 Closed Vintage 1, 1x15 Bass Vintage
29 vintage and modern individual speaker models
4 Microphones – Double Dynamic 57, Dynamic 57, Condenser 414, Condenser 87
2 Rack Effects Units – Digital Delay & Parametric EQ
2 Tuners – UltraTuner plus a Fully chromatic rack tuner

Yes, I read that, but as I say, 90% of that seems to actually be available for free in the CS. For example, I have all the stomp boxes. So I'm not actually getting 10 stompboxes, I'm getting zero. At least, AFAICT. That's what I'm asking here: what am I paying for? Not what is listed on the product page.

[DarkStar]

How many Amps and Cabs do you have?

[sjm]

^^^
First off, can you let us know exactly which AmpliTube products you have purchased / authorised?

None, apart from the free CS.

The table you posted is close to what I'm looking for. So there's 1 stompbox (not sure which) included in the standard version that isn't in the free one, right? And an extra 5 amps, 5 cabinets, 1 mic and a tuner.

Which is not the same as what is listed on the product page (that includes the free ones as well).

So in summary, 180 buys you:

• room simulator
• 1 stompbox
• 5 amps
• 5 cabs
• 1 mic
• 1 tuner

Which was close to my initial understanding, and indeed means that the product page is highly misleading.

[wagtunes]

What pissed me off when I bought it was that Amplitude Max wasn't max. There's still stuff I don't own. Couldn't they just maybe increase the price a little and then include everything, which is what I thought I was getting but didn't?

Other than that, I'm content with the product. It sounds great and I use it a lot. I can't ask for more than that.