Be careful of Greeks bearing gifts?

[Elton Hyland]

Hmm .... must be a lot of cliches out there but I couldn't think of any. I purchsed the 003 along with the Command 8 and PT LE ( Bundle ). It says it comes with X X X plugin-ins so I think, WOW! COOL!
Well, come to find out that these are "light" versions and do very little of anything unless your ready to lay down another $1000.00 for the full versions.

The OZONE bundle is a "light" version and only lets you use about 10 presets. You can't manipulate anything. Nothing! NADA! ZILCH. Of course, if I want it to work I'll just plop down another $400.00.

I have PT LE working great and the potential of this program and gear is totally mind boggleing. However, I get the sinking feeling that the pain in my mouth is a fish hook.

PS: Please, before someone slams me for this post, it is not meant in a bad way. Just a concern for what the future holds. ( Especially for my wallet )

[rossi56]

Mate. I share your frustation,I did not expect full versions of the plugs but at least to be able to tweek them a little to make them useful, and to say nothing of the time consumig registration procedure.... Oh well

[Herkimer]

Here's a reply that won't help you at all... but I remember being in your position.

Truth is, those teaser plugs WILL get you to buy the full versions eventually. You'll buy one here and there, now and then, and at some point you'll realize you have a really great setup. Try to sock away some money every month. Learn to REALLY use the plugs you do have - and then when you have the money, you'll know what to get and how to use it.

The Ozone demo is available online and is FULL functioning for ten days. I bought it on the eleventh.

The amplitube LE version is limited but really quite good. Fiddle with the knobs and dial in some good settings. Once you really get some sounds you like and start using regularly, you'll start thinking about buying the full version.

I understand everyone's budget is different. I used to have $300-500 to spend every month on music gear. That's changing due to a job loss and pending move. But if you can just save $100 a month, you can get a $299 plugin every three months. I've found a lot of them seem to hover right around that $300 price point.

The very best money you can spend is to get FXpansion VST_2_RTAS adapter. It will allow you access to thousands of free VST plug-ins all available freely and legally online. It only costs $99. Almost any plug-in you could want has a generic VST version available online legally. Like Ozone? Try BlueCat Frequilizer and Stardust in VST format. Like Soundreplacer? Try Replacer LTD from Boxsounds. Get the free Kjaerhaus bundle and you get some of the best plug-ins available in any format at any price. Check out FreeAmp 2.0. It's an amp modelling suite that's a bit like Ampitube. All Free. All Legal.

So don't despair. You'll get there. I promise. I just takes time and a commitment to save a little money to buy plugs you really like and know how to use. Then when you do get a new one, it's like Christmas day!

[Herkimer]

I also thought of another fun story/anecdote...

I remember getting my first job in middle school. It paid $15 per week. That was enough money to buy a new cassette tape as well as a movie ticket and pizza on a Friday night. (Yes, that was a while ago!)

Each week I would very carefully pick and choose my one new cassette. Then for the following week, I would absolutely devour that cassette over and over again. I would learn ever nuance and dynamic. I would memorize the lyrics and learn the bass parts.

The following week, I'd do it all over again. (Along with the movie and pizza)

Years later, after I got my first professional job, I couldn't wait to run to the record store. I would go out and buy 5-7 CDs every weekend. Truth is, I never quite devoured those with the same devotion. They weren't as special as the ONE cassette. I didn't have the time to listen to them over and over again. There were too many. I would pass over CDs quickly if I didn't like them on the very first listen. And as a testament to rabid consumerism, I would do it week after week.

What's the point? Well plug-ins are kinda like that cassette tape. Save up and work hard to buy that ONE. When you do get one, devour it completely. Learn all it's features and abuse it past its design. You'll be all the better for it and you'll value that plug-in beyond its price.

[rossi56]

Herkimer

I totaly understand where you coming from, but when you buy a pckage and you think you gettiing this that and the aother you expect some functionality, having said that i do agree with your cassette analogy

Ross

[NickH]

I couldn’t agree more about this…

I just threw the disks away in disgust, I don’t mind having a discounted upgrade path, but light versions of the software begins & end with PT LE for me, I would rather run a full time limited iLok demo if I am going to try a plug in, and personally I am very glad I tried other plug-ins & didn’t get suckered into buying ozone or t-racks before I found out about IMO better suited plug-ins that I much preferred…

It annoys me that hardware companies resort to this JUNK MAIL equivalent of software advertising, but then to ‘sell’ it on the box as a great feature, like they are doing us a favour… quite lame…

N

[Elton Hyland]

I just purchased the EzDrummer package. It came with the VINTAGE ROCK Expansion pack and I purchased the NASHVILLE expansion. I watched the demo videos and made an INFORMED purchase. Believe me, I got what I paid for. I thought I was making an informed purchase of ProTools. Granted, this program will do everything that I want it to do, the thought of having to shell out $$$ right after I just spent $400 on EzDrummer is not a good way to build clientel.
I am now stuck using the presets ( all 5 of them ) as I am broke. Plus the fact that my neck will be broke if I spend more money ( Wife + Frying Pan = ) I really don't think that Digidesign will change this policy as they are probably getting a nice stipend from the Ozone people.

I do like the previous comments on this subject and agree with the analogy.

Prozac! ( Cheers! )

[spkguitar]

Well, I am of a little different opinion.

I appreciate the "lite" versions. They are free. Let me state that again; they are free. If they weren't included in the Digidesign/Pro Tools package at all, the Digidesign/Pro Tools package would still be the same price.

It is very much like going out to the web and downloading demos for all of this software, except that

1. the downloading work has been done for you
2. most of these limited edition "demos" are not publicly available, and
3. many of these limited versions have more capabilities than any demos that are publicly available.

Are they totally useless? No, not really. All of them are quite functional for what they can do. I still use the Sampletank SE version that was included with my system for quite a few things. I decided not to upgrade that one because other samplers had better features, but there are still some sounds included in the SE version that I find useful. And yes, using the "lite" versions of some of the plugins included prompted me to upgrade to the full versions (Reason, Ableton Live, Amplitube, Melodyne) but before I upgraded them I still found the "Lite" versions extremely useful at the time. I found them useful until I could afford to upgrade, and I knew which ones I wanted to save my money for, and could prioritize which ones I needed/wanted first. It allowed me to plan better. And my "ignition pack" was the first one. Ignition pack 2 includes a few more plugins, even if they are the lite versions.

Some of the light versions also allowed me to discover what plugins I didn't want to upgrade. For me personally, the TRacks EQ never floated my boat, was extremely buggy at first, and just didn't "do it" for me. It's not even installed on my system at all anymore.

Regarding including the Ignition Pack as a "selling point" for the Digidesign/Pro Tools package, all of the sales documentation I have ever seen clearly indicates that they are "Lite" or "Limited" versions of the full software versions, and in some cases also indicates what the limitations are, so I can't really see any kind of deception going on there. I think maybe what is really in question here is what different people's expectations of "Lite" or "Limited" software really is.

Just my 2¢, not that it's worth much.

[Steevp]

"Xpand" came bundled with my Mbox Pro, possibly the greatest "free" thing anyone has ever given me

Hey Elton, they've just upgraded EZDrummer to V1.1, you are eligable for the free upgrade, go & download it, it has a couple of cool (And needed) new features.. my favouite being the little progress bar that lets me know where I am in a midi loop.

[sunburst79]

Xpand Kicks @55, but its the full version so to speak .

I tend to agree with SPKGUITAR, their free nobodies breaking your arm to install them... and when you first starting out and have ZERO plugs their great to have.

I would like to see the Massey DEMOS included in the ignition packs.