New Gear at NAMM 2015

[MoTang]

How are people missing this? The Slate subscription is. an. option.

i think everyone in this thread is 100% aware of that, but as edc stated and what Winston wolf alluded to it paints a grim picture of the future of software plugins. Slate is one of the largest companies in the plugin world right now and people are worried that waves, softube, ik, and uad might follow. Already cakewalk sonar is now on a subscription service, and I think we are all aware of the Adobe subscription.

 

[LeSedna]

I am SO getting a mini 6505. Finally I can have a 5150 at home !

 

[LeSedna]

Slate subscription is another option besides regularly purchasing licenses. Not sure why people complain about it.
The Rupert Neve Designs 500 series rack and DI box look great!

Yes and I am planning on 500 styled preamp clones this year. I can't

A quick Google search and that does actually look quite interesting.

The Blackbird Steven Slate stuff looks interesting...but after the David Bendeth debacle I think I am going to hold out for a bit until purchasing anything SSD expansion related because it seems with Toontrack and Steven Slate that their drum expansions are very hit or miss.

Also, in case anyone wants to view 2015 models for guitars and haven't already:

Ibanez 2015 (USA models only):
http://www.ibanez.co.jp/usa/products/New/index.html

Jackson 2015:
http://www.jacksonguitars.com/en-CA/features/newin2015/

Schecter 2015:
http://www.schecterguitars.com/international/guitars/2015guitars

ESP 2015:
http://cdn.growassets.net/user_files/esp/downloads/000/002/400/ESP-2015-Preview.pdf?1421441439

BC Rich 2015:
http://www.bcrich.com/new-for-2015

PRS 2015:
http://www.prsguitars.com/products/prs_2015_catalog.pdf

EDIT: Just read through the Gearslutz thread again, and Steven claimed that they would make around ten plugins a year to justify the subscription fee...interesting. Ten plugins a year is quite a lot.

I'm loving that ESP Stream bass design. Btw, I didn't know they produce in USA now ?

i think everyone in this thread is 100% aware of that, but as edc stated and what Winston wolf alluded to it paints a grim picture of the future of software plugins. Slate is one of the largest companies in the plugin world right now and people are worried that waves, softube, ik, and uad might follow. Already cakewalk sonar is now on a subscription service, and I think we are all aware of the Adobe subscription.

The one thing I indeed do not like about this, is the fact if one day you have to stop subscribing, you just cannot open your old files anymore. I hope there will still be interest in paying full price plugins. If it is cheaper to subscribe in the long run, a lot of people will be unhappy.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

I find it outrageously hard to believe that subscription is going to become the only model. Why would any company limit consumer choices when there's no real downside to keeping both available for the company? They're just different types of revenue streams, like car leasing versus purchasing.

 

[LeSedna]

Slate officially stated long term owners can have up to 3 months credit if they use the monthly plan.

 

[dominus_malas]

I love slate and use all his plugs and love them more then any other company..... but I think this will fail. People want to just own software and not rent it. It's a pain in the ass enough with all the fucking authorization hoops you gotta jump through already (thanks pirates).

Also how is this supposed to work? Every month I have to download a new license key and open ilok manager and drop it on my key? As simple as that sounds that's 2 steps more then other subscription services (netflix/whatever).

That's not a piracy issue. That's a protection issue. Slate chooses to deal with iLok. After the iLokalypse of 2013, there's no way in hell I'm touching any software protected by iLok. If my iLok dies, I just stop using those plugins. No big loss, there's plenty of other competitors out there.

U-He uses a fairly intricate serial based protection and seems to be doing just fine. He's offered to help other plugin manufacturers implement his system.

 

[MoTang]

I find it outrageously hard to believe that subscription is going to become the only model. Why would any company limit consumer choices when there's no real downside to keeping both available for the company? They're just different types of revenue streams, like car leasing versus purchasing.

Correct me I'm wrong, but it's apparently because from what I hear, the revenue stream of buying a la carte isn't necessarily maximizing profit...many people for instance are still running pro tools 9/10 because they don't feel like the upgrades are justified to buy into the next version. By making things subscription only you force your customer into upgrading and also force them into opening their wallets if they want to use your product.

I think the counter argument could be then...well if the company isn't giving the consumer anything substantial then they don't deserve my money...but that's bad business.

Taking away options from the consumer sometimes makes more money in the end. Hence why many are calling subscription fees and stuff anti consumer.

 

[Machinated]

URS plugins are alive.

OH MY GOD. although they are also pretty dated now. used to love saturation, wonder how it holds up these days.

http://www.ursplugins.com/index.asp

 

[Studdy]

Here is a major concern as an owner of all his plugins. Now the price of his additional modules/plugins will be more expensive now to actually purchase. This is so subscription makes more sense for people. therefore his longtime customers will slowly be forced into the plan because it makes no sense to own them, therefore making all the past purchases wasted money. Additional module were initially portrayed to be reasonably priced additions to the already purchased VMR. Which made VMR a good buy. There is no good way to look at this for the customers who have already bought all his plugins, it wont affect his business because the new method will draw a ton of new customers, its just a bad thing for current loyal customers.

 

[Hawkevil]

That mini 6505 seems perfect for home use! Not too sure about the el84's though.

Instant buy when it goes on sale in the UK I think.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

Correct me I'm wrong, but it's apparently because from what I hear, the revenue stream of buying a la carte isn't necessarily maximizing profit...many people for instance are still running pro tools 9/10 because they don't feel like the upgrades are justified to buy into the next version. By making things subscription only you force your customer into upgrading and also force them into opening their wallets if they want to use your product.

I think the counter argument could be then...well if the company isn't giving the consumer anything substantial then they don't deserve my money...but that's bad business.

Taking away options from the consumer sometimes makes more money in the end. Hence why many are calling subscription fees and stuff anti consumer.

I suppose, but say I buy 2 Slate plugins in a year, each $200- that's almost two years' worth of subscription fees for Slate instantly. If I buy only one, it's only two months less revenue for them. There's huge amounts of money to be made either way. The only danger I can see is if they start hiking prices on individual plugins, but Slate products are so popular that I see little rationale for that; if they release a product in a given year, most of their users are probably going to buy it, or at least buy one.

 

[cfh11]

That mini 6505 seems perfect for home use! Not too sure about the el84's though.

Instant buy when it goes on sale in the UK I think.

the mark v:25 uses el84s and it sounds awesome.

 

[~BURNY~]

Peavey classic Mini Head <3

 

[xphen0m]

As stated earlier, if a lot of developers started doing subscription/membership options, that'll add up quickly and that's not good in any situation. I just started doing the subscription two days ago when I upgraded to Sonar Platinum. Hopefully, each developer that goes this route keep the up front payment as an option like Slate and Cakewalk are doing.

I can most certainly 1,000,000% guarantee you that IK Multimedia WILL be doing subscription in the near future because IK Multimedia.

 

[Delitzsch]

URS plugins are alive.

OH MY GOD. although they are also pretty dated now. used to love saturation, wonder how it holds up these days.

http://www.ursplugins.com/index.asp

I wonder how their updated Saturation 64bit plug-in v3.0 sounds in comparison to the new VCC that Slate will be releasing soon.

 

[Delitzsch]

Peavey classic Mini Head <3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PNiya64MA0

On the other hand, that mini 6505 sounded like crap. Much prefer the mini Mark V to it, but maybe they'll come out with some better demos. However, that video did not impress me.

 

[Machinated]

I wonder how their updated Saturation 64bit plug-in v3.0 sounds in comparison to the new VCC that Slate will be releasing soon.

I don't think v3 of saturation will sound any different to 2.5. just a 64bit update I'd guess?

also VCC models consoles, saturation models transformers/mic pres/tape heads etc. I guess the closest thing to saturation would be decapitator.

 

[heshian46]

This is just speculation but, I bet we can expect to see a lot less of the killer discounts he does on a regular basis (black friday, christmas, your moms birthday, etc.). We'll probably see more of a shift towards this subscription service when it comes to marketing and pricing incentives.

 

[Clockwork]

If anything Slate would still want people to buy the plugins. If some kid can't afford them and subscribes for a few months and then goes on to buy a full plug they have essentially got his money twice. I really don't think people should be as but hurt as they are. Other software companies do the subscription model and still sell their stuff outright. All I hear is that people are upset kids can use the same plugins as them without shelling out the same cash. Big deal go cry about it, they still have to learn to mix.

That being said that 6505 mini is so god damn cheap I'm going to buy it as soon as physically possible.

 

[Studdy]

All I hear is that people are upset kids can use the same plugins as them without shelling out the same cash. Big deal go cry about it, they still have to learn to mix.

To me and I'm sure others, this is a deal. I dont want to say a big deal because we are discussing plugins. Maybe I misunderstand it completely. For me I do music as a hobby but like to have killer tools that i like. I maybe only mix a few projects a year. Can you not just pay 19.95 for a single month mix the record and not pay again till you need to mix again? If this is the case than it is kind of a shitty deal. Had I or many others known that we would have not invested in the plugins and only "rented" them come mix time.