MM,

> if software wasnt so expensive, companies wouldnt go out of business. <

Exactly. Nobody likes a greedy company, and I think that charging unfairly high prices only encourages people to pirate software. And it probably helps pirates feel less guilty too!

--Ethan

Eskimo,

> Rebirth is made by the swedish company http://www.propellerheads.se <

Good catch. Thanks! All fixed.

--Ethan

Interesting thread!

As you can tell, us Ct boys (Ethan and I) stay up late for this stuff.

My 2 cents:

What goes around comes around.

I've paid for every trade up of Cakewalk from PA7 to SonarXL 2.2. I actually do consider it a subscription service...but I support it...because I WANT these folks around. They consistently offer the best bang for the buck, they don't make it hard to install their product, they have excellent support, and they pack their product with what IMO is the best value in the business.

Hmmm, I, too, am thinking and behaving along the lines that Ethan suggested someone might. In a world of piracy...I'm paying a company that I like. How quaint.

Companies can market their products in whatever fashion they desire. It's their prerogative. Personally, that Waves would do all their products in over expensive bundles, to me, is the height of inconvenience and arrogance. So I don't buy it. I've experienced their wares, but I don't own them, I didn't like the deal.

Like I began: What goes around comes around.

Time is always a harsh judge, and those companies haven't figured out the basic tenet that people will spend $100 five times much more readily than they will spend $500 once.

But bashing software companies, however deserved, is straying a little from where this thread started.

To whomever it was that mentioned Ozone earlier....yes--very CPU resource intensive, but it's really a mastering ensemble....not really a track plugin.

For mastering, it's excellent. Really intuitive and easy to use. Some excellent presets and a great manual to get you started too.

I also agree with Ethan's liking of Ultrafunk. I've just started with some of their stuff, but I had a little bit of an artifacts problem with one of the plugins when I attempted to change some of the settings on the fly....which reminds me...they said an update would eventually fix that...I should go check.

In any case, UF is another very intuitive, good sounding plug in.

I'll bring up one more manufacturer that rocks my world too: DSP FX. For those that aren't familiar with them, they make a killer processing bundle that doesn't have the sexy graphics of others, but the sound quality is exceptional.

You can get a bundle that includes ....I'm not looking directly at it....but, to my recollection, I think about 7-8 processing effects....one of which....the pitch shift is the best sounding, lowest resource using effect of it's kind out there. The cost of this amazing group? I downloaded it for about $140 (maybe?) direct from them. Exceptional stuff.

There are some of you that might be familiar with some of the other products that DSP FX makes. They are the providers of the FX effects that come included with Cakewalk's Sonar.

The bundle that you purchase from them has some minor redundancy, but most are additional, excellent add on plug ins. I strongly encourage you to do a search and check them out.

Why?

I, too, support inexpensive, reasonable companies.

Best Regards,

Kev.

I hope the Apple people are reading this. Doc

Kurt!

quote:Originally posted by lambchop:
Because people don't make money by working with a computer game. [[Wink]]

Actually I was just quoting falcon2 on this one. I fully agree with your response on this.

Yeah i totally understand your opinions i was just venting :)

The only company, already mentioned above, i feel comfortable spending money on is the Propellerheads.

Not least because they have great sounding software, but also because they're honest with thier customers, they are innovators, not copiers. All thier programs are easy to use, any muppet could make music with them!!

Also Ejay. Many of you will moan, but they can still be classed as a professional company. Professionalism isnt about how much is spent, or how many inputs it has, or how many vstis it can host at once, or if it can even host vsti's at all!!!

Professionalism for me, is both how the product interacts with the user, and how the company backs the users, and not just the product.

Professionalism is a very subjective term. Some people will tell you your mix sucks, its too muddy..... what if you want it muddy??? Some other people will tell you that you panned this or that too far, or not enough.... to me, thats all bull. I dont believe in standards, esp when it comes to music production, one little bit. Standards stiffle creativity and muffle experimentalism.

Of course lots of people are going to disagree :)

Anyway, my point is... getting back to plugin quality ....... quality is subjective too. What do you want out of that reverb? or that distortion? Quality to me, is a vsti or other plugin that can do many different things, and not just what it was designed for.

I've used the reason delay to flange, to change the tempo, to sweep frequencies, even to blur two songs together .... but its a delay unit.... not a blurrer.... or a filter .... or a tempo automater....

My point is, use whatever does it for you...

doesnt just go with music either - you like plastic cocks in your ass, who am i to argue!!!! :D

Originally posted by Ethan Winer:
MM,

> if software wasnt so expensive, companies wouldnt go out of business. <

Exactly. Nobody likes a greedy company, and I think that charging unfairly high prices only encourages people to pirate software. And it probably helps pirates feel less guilty too!

--Ethan

Yep. I wont lie, i do use some pirate software - and i am slightly ashamed by it... but not enough to lose sleep over.

I told myself i will buy what i use consistently, and delete the rest, and i do follow that little snippet of personal ethics... but people tend to jump down your throat when you admit it.

Cubasis is £60 or so... i'll buy that instead of SX .... might even go one higher and get SL - all i use is Rewire anyway.

I wont buy the waves plugins because they're crap... i will buy the TC plugins because they're good .... i will buy Making Waves... i wont buy Fruityloops... etc... etc...

The only thing i wont download is sample cd's - because i think they are priced decently - this goes for the cheaper decent plugins too like Pentagon and various others i cant think of right now.

My point ... well, piracy isnt all that bad, and its not going to go away either.

If only companies would actually use thier brains instead of thier wallets/dicks/cunnyholes/boobies, then maybe piracy would go down.

I'd have no quarms in paying a subcription fee to Steinberg if it got me all that years releases.

£100 a year ... thats not a bad price in my opinion .... dunno if it'd cover thier costs, but as a consumer, i'd be pleased.

If things went to a more subscription based, or even a pay once get the next updates free, things would be a lot better. Thats where ImageLine have it right - even if thier program sucks monkey wank :p

What a lively post!

:D i got carried away :s:

I´m just waiting for someone to appear talking about TDM PT HD plugs...and.....
lol

I think this is my favorite thread in theplug-insforum. Thanks everybody! Doc

is there any secret team that [k]´s every just released plugin stuff?lol
Maybe adversary companies?
Maybe I am just too eager to watch X-Men2.
lol

btw... have you guys enjoyed PSP Vintage Warmer?
Pretty cool!
:)

i've had it for a year, they just came out with 1.53 and it 's killer.

i've also go the uad 1 and it competes on many levels with the la2a and the 1176. it's an amazing compressor, limiter,for mixing or brick wall limiter for mastering, it also features a 3 band multiband compressor/ limiter if you choose and a 2 band eq.

the presets on it are very good , you can use it on anything.for about $150 american you can't go wrong.

chris perra

(Dead Link Removed)