Slate plug-in subscription, worth it?

[H-evolve]

Hi all, I was wondering if any here have subscribed to the Slate plug-ins.

I was kinda browsing for bus compressors and as always, read that everybody is going for slate plug-ins, etc. etc.

So I ended up on their website and saw that they now offer to subscribe for 15$ per month (yearly subs) and you get access to most (if not all???) their plug-in?

Am I getting something wrong here? Anybody tried it?

Was wondering if that would be something interesting for me. I mean, mixing my own music is more a hobby and I don't quite have money waiting to spend on 200$ plug-ins and what not. No need to tell me that after a year I'll have spent nearly 200$ of subscription, I'm aware of that.

Anyway, was curious to get some opinions.

Thanks

 

[Korwent]

I don't really like the subscriptions systems, and I'd rather own the licenses I use, plus I don't really feel the need for more plug ins right now, but everyone seems extremely satisfied and to consider it a no brainer...
I already have a bunch of their plug ins and wouldn't really want to sell these licenses and don't want to repay them as included in the pack, so that has to be atken into account too.
In the end there's no definitive answer unfortunately!
maybe you could subscribe for a month and test the plug ins in order to chose whether or not it is worth it and spot the plug ins you really need in case you decide not to keep subscribing so that you can buy them later!

 

[jeid]

I own some of the Slate plug-ins, but there's been a few releases that I didn't have and I figured that spending $15 a month was worth it to get the ones I didn't have and any new ones that come out. You get the full Slate Digital range (that doesn't include Trigger and SSD4). I barely notice the money leaving my account and it's only really the price of a couple of beers.

 

[Machinated]

the plugins are by no means perfect but its hard to argue with the value for what you get. I'd recommend it (although I use a ton of other stuff too).

 

[H-evolve]

I took more time to read their website this morning. It includes every available existing plug-in. Obviously it will include everything that comes out and also, that is what is specially interesting, it includes free training sessions in mixing and mastering.

They don't mention the frequency at which those trainings will take place, but I mean... Just that could be very well worth the money.

 

[H-evolve]

... I barely notice the money leaving my account and it's only really the price of a couple of beers.

Glad to know I'm not alone thinking "Number of beers" is a proper unit of measure for money.

 

[Astrikos]

So what happens after the year?You can't continue use the plugins?

 

[jeid]

So what happens after the year?You can't continue use the plugins?

It's a subscription, like Netflix.

 

[H-evolve]

It's a subscription, like Netflix.

Ya, you just renew, like any other subscription.

But indeed, you must think about the fact that if you have been paying for 5 years and decide to stop, you lose everything. So you gave them I guess 600 to 700$ and get nothing in the end (some teaching if you took the classes they talk about).

At the moment my biggest concern, by far, is the fact that they FUCKING work with iLok. What a retarded way to protect your software. The way I work is that we record in my friend's basement and mix there. However I need to also be able to mix from home. So we could be simultaneously mixing. That iLok shit makes that almost impossible...

 

[schwinginbatman]

It's kind of iffy, depends on how much you use Slate's stuff. I love his stuff, and my mixes are like 75% to 100% his plugins, so it's a great deal for me. I did the math at one point, and the cost of buying them all upfront is about the cost of subscribing for roughly a decade. That also doesn't include all the new plugins that will be released that's included in the sub.

But TBH, where I see the most value is the month-to-month subscription. I can subscribe for a month or two, mix my record, and then not have to perpetually pay. I don't use my own setup enough to justify the year-long subscription.

 

[Trevoire520]

I own a while bunch of the Slate stuff (VBC, VTM, VCC, VMR, FGX) and was really keen on picking up the Blue 1176's after demoing them. I figured that for not much more than the cost of that 1 plugin I could have everything for a year, and with the black friday deal I got a perpetual licence too (which I used for the Blue 1176's)

The way I see it is that the bundle only costs the equivalent of 1 plugin per year, and for that you're getting a bunch of new plugins every year.

 

[mickrich]

I use the delay.
Don't like the saturation stuff, maybe because I mix into a pair of Neve clones into Drawmer valve compressor.
I find the SSL eq a bit too smooth, not "grabby" like a real SSL or even waves SSL (I use waves SSL for everything)
I also prefer CLA76 and MJUC than the Slate compressors. I use a hardware bus compressor so haven't even tried the Slate bus comps.
I use Sonnox Inflator and Fabfilter Pro Q2 and Pro L for mastering.
........ so I'm paying $15 a month for a delay plugin =\
I suppose somebody using clean interface mic pres and VI drums etc would really benefit from the bundle.

 

[H-evolve]

Well for me it's not going to work. I'm very stiff on some principles and that iLok shit just pisses me off.

And it doesn't even protect against hacks. You can easily find torrents of their products.

To add to this, the way I work on my things, I'd need two iLok... So no thanks...

As for FabFilter, their products are awesome, but too expensive for me at the moment.

I'll try ToneBooster stuff. Inexpensive, heard good things about them, even though I'm aware it's not going to top FabFilter stuff.

Whenever possible, I'll get the Pro-Q for sure.

 

[Korwent]

I use the delay.
Don't like the saturation stuff, maybe because I mix into a pair of Neve clones into Drawmer valve compressor.
I find the SSL eq a bit too smooth, not "grabby" like a real SSL or even waves SSL (I use waves SSL for everything)
I also prefer CLA76 and MJUC than the Slate compressors. I use a hardware bus compressor so haven't even tried the Slate bus comps.
I use Sonnox Inflator and Fabfilter Pro Q2 and Pro L for mastering.
........ so I'm paying $15 a month for a delay plugin =\
I suppose somebody using clean interface mic pres and VI drums etc would really benefit from the bundle.

Why don't you just buy the verbsuit if that really is the only one you use from them?