Brian Walton

Even if something is free - VSTs that don't perform properly can literally freeze and shut down a DAW. I appreciate knowing complaints about these types of issues to avoid them in my workflow as those issues actually "cost" the user and is suddently no longer a "free gift" as it were. Appreciate developers that offer free things, but sometimes you run into free that just isn't worth it. Paid products fit into the same boat.

How about some specifics? I had a bit of trouble with Tape Piano 2 on one machine but it was resolved. I own but don't really use most of them other than I like Vybz and use that. Only one I really actually care about. They don't use terrible protection schemes and that helps put them on the "good in my book list" until I run into meaningful problems.

Eats your CPU? Seriously though, I like it but find I can rarely use it on a project do to the overhead with my older machines. And with the AI function to adapt to a track it isn't exactly the first thing I think of for a bus verb, though you can keep updating the reading as you add tracks.

If they are really closing shop and not selling through someone else. Honestly not sure why a company like this doesn't just release the IR packs for free download. There is no suppot needed for such things. I don't remember the liscencing system for software (like the IR loader itself) but of course if they have protection on the softare removing it before releasing it as "freeware" is a burden on the developer.

Thanks, yeah I already grabbed a seat but haven't installed it as the short bit of videos I watched on it seemed to imply it didn't do anything without copying that profile it makes to one of the other apps I don't have.

Does this actually do anything useful if you don't have Ozone or Neutron versions that support the "integration?"

I don't like the interface, no so much visual problems but too many times there is no audio output or some other quirk that makes me remove it. I only have player but have some libraries for it. I actually avoid using it in any project instead of learning how to resolve the issues that arise.

Yes, but I also think it is poor from to blame someone else for not knowing who your customers are. I'm curious where you got the "most users" bought it somewhere else stat, I've never seen that and most post discouraged the practice as it could be more difficult to get the included freebies, etc. Of course the Ipad versions are different and frankly wouldn't count them as included in the discussion anyway. What you seem to miss here is the "upgrade" price they are offering doesn't feel like a discount from what pricing used to be. $50 was the standard app price and would go on sale for $35 every few months and even hit rock bottom of $25 for a long stretch during the pandemic. It wsa only a few months ago they hiked up to $55 and now it is $70 at this new launch. Charging $41 an app doesn't exaclty feel like loyalty/upgrade pricing. The new MSRP is totally different than anything they have ever sold before.

I've tried all three and while free and somewhat powerful. They are a chore to use, slowness and interfaces not designed by elite designers. I only recommend them to Canon shooters since they don't have a Capture One Express version for free. And also explain that paid alternatives will make the process less painful.

Yep, and some of the wider lenses like the 28mm 2.8 are fairly weak optically compared to the rest of the lineup. The 20mm 2.0 is great but quite rare to find. The APS-C is great for use with longer focal lengths to get that extra reach in wildlife photography though as anything past 200mm and a good Fstop in full frame world starts getting really expensive really quickly. So a 70-210 f4 beercan minolta for $100 looks pretty good for 300mm+ equivalant lens

Nice, I have an A58, A68, as well as newer Sony mirroless cameras (in addition to other brands), but I'm quite familar with the Minolta mount and the lenses that go with that camera. Have a ton of them. the Macro 100mm 2.8 being my favorite. Which I even got an LA-EA4 to adapt it to my newer Sony E-Mount cameras.

Ahh..I don't remember "locker" as a term that I've ever seen used with what used to be called the Custom Shop in IKM world. I have the latest version installed, and since boogie 2 is the only thing I don't own in there here are screen shots if I was to purchase ala cart where I also don't see the term "locker" used anywhere.

If you shoot Sony, Nikon or Fuji there is a free version of Capture One Express you can use. Of course it lacks layers and some of the very high end adjustment tools of the pro version. That said I'd take it over LR6.

Affinity does all 3 of those things (with various compentencies). Better Dark Room tools would be Capture One. That said, I think that dark room development for most pros is a combo of both RAW development and processing with at Pixel editor. Even though C1 is more powerful than LR, just about every pro I know (including myself) still uses a pixel editor for some manipulation functions even if it isn't what most would look at for "photoshop" work.

Affinity v1 offers something different than all those when working with photos. Paint shop Pro 2022 would be the closest in feature set. But if you are not a photographer that does "Photoshop" type of edits the features and workflow might not be of value to you. I have all those apps to but never use the others, everyone has different needs and most of those listed including affinity take a lot of dedicated time to make them of any real value.

Try looking for Studio Link. That is what they call the feature. You open an image or document and click on the designer or photo icon and are instantly switched to that other app (a few of the features are missing with this workflow vs opening the single app but not that many. The switch is crazy fast. If you have ever done that integrated switch between adobe illustrator and Photoshop the load time is going to blow your mind.

You lost me when you tried to compare Affinity to one of the worst "treat customers like garbage offenders" in the software development world. Affinity got the customer base they did becuase of great pricing, unlimited authorization for computers you own (off-line authorization is removed as an option in this new release), good tools, etc. I tested the new version for 10 minutes and already found things they removed.

Having publisher allows instant switching between Designer and Photo. Even if you don't work with layouts that integration can be a major benefit.

Yes, I'm aware of the situation and I already own them (well not the boogie 2 ones as those were post mega group buy release). Im simply making statements that the website is unintentionally misleading as to the fact they are pictured on the website for these tiers but the only way to get them are separate purchases on top of even the MAX bundle.

They need to speed up the update roll out. The new versions with resizable UIs are great but the majority are starting to feel dated by that limitation alone. Good to see some options below the normal discounting when stacked with loyalty email codes. Have most everything released some make it on every project others never used and a few are just rare problem solvers. While there are a number of free tilt shift option on the market tbone 2 adds just enough extra to replace the others.

I have literally dozens of plugins across both companies I paid less than $30 a piece for. With many at a third or less than that.

Which tier has the xgear and boogie 2 which are shown on the pages? That is the point the wording fails to suggest some gear isn't included even at the highest tier. I read the quote quite carefully and any reasonable person would expect if you bought every tier on that page that all gear pictured would be included. Which is not the case from your previous post.

The team should really re-consider moving those amps and effects to a different page if they are not included in ANY of the tiers yet there are images of them on the product page for those tiers. Basically remove them from the page with a hyper link to Ala Cart availble models also or even a sub section. Or that top section should say even MAX doesn't include everything. Most people understand the idea of tiers mentioned but the inherent implication that the highest tier should include what is pictured seems obvious.

Indeed, they basically jacked up the rates and then offered a "40% discount" on release and no "upgrade" discount. I have loved and supported Affinity but this is one of the only things they have don't that I just don't agree with the approach. Each app was $50 for years at full MSRP. The new apps are now $70 MSRP but they are providing a limited time "discount" and all users get the same pricing even if they own V1 of all the apps. It would be different if the new features were mindblowing, but in general it just feels like what we would have seen with incremental upgrades that we did't get over the last 18 months. Lack of content aware AI of any kind is a glowing omission given the advancements Adobe, Skylum, and On1 made in the last two years....Affinity didn't offer anything and that stuff transforms workflows. The embedded adjust after the fact RAW stuff would be interesting if the RAW engine was overhauled to be competitive with C1 or LR but it isn't on that level. I'll buy it, but the anticipation I had for v2 was a let down due to the cost vs feature ratio. If they had the AI selections and that sort of advancement then the new pricing strucutre would make sense for an upgrade cost. As it is, basically it is a full re-purchase of the trio of apps to get a few current and then the promise of unknown future updates until v3. I was expecting about $20 per app "upgrade" pricing. That seems in line with previous pricing structures and general business practices. I think more people should call them out on the "rate hike" that went along with this release. For brand new users, $99 seems reasonble for the entire suite, it just stings for v1 owners of everything.

Document last updated May of 2021. Wonder if it holds true as the website seems more recent in the link I posted.