Brian Walton

The vast majority of the complaints recently I've seen are inability to get deep discounts below $31. Having to spend a Min of $50 has been the deal killer more than a you can get anything for $31 opportunity. But I would argue that being able to get any plugin at $31 at any time hurts the value perception. I agree it does help kill the sense of urgency that drove a lot of sales.

Since they haven't dropped the min voucher spend back down yet. I really do wonder if they investigated the results in the right area. On the surface it seems like they saw sales drop but are pointing at potentially the wrong places.

Ironically the only reason I picked up the Crown was I thought it could get a decent piano like clean tone with good note separation. Never been a mesa metal tone fan overall. Now I haven't used it again since the demo period after I picked it up as I haven't had the time and also live in a Nembrini or PA world most of the time when I do get a few minutes. So take it with a grain of salt. Overall, most of the amps they release are WAY over the top too gainy for my taste as well....but the price is good and the interface is nice and modern/resizable.

yep, even the $75 voucher with $125 spend means stars have to align to make it worth while. Disappointing as I'm curious about a couple of the upcoming releases (Amek Console and Amek EQ250), but no idea on the release dates or if it would be worth the $31.

Expected this to happen PA announces important changes to the FOREVER 29 plan. The FOREVER 29 offer will run out, effective August 15. So if you want to join the exclusive F29 community, you still have a few days left. We will honor all active plans going forward! So if you are subscribed already, or if you sign up before August 15, there won't be any changes for you! FOREVER 29 – The Details: F29 is a subscription plan that gives you 1 perpetual (aka "forever") plugin license every month, at just $29.99/mo + $1 per plugin. Pick ANY plugin once a month! We will not accept new subscribers for the FOREVER 29 plan after August 15. But, if you are already subscribed to FOREVER 29, we will honor your subscription and will continue to send you monthly $1 codes, as long as you don't cancel. The same is true, if you sign up now before August 15. So hurry, if you want to join! Last call..! If you cancel after August 15, 2022, you won't be able to re-subscribe to FOREVER 29.

They just need to make it resizable and to remember the size preference upon opening.

Pretty surprising choice for release at this stage in the collection they have.

I own almost everything IKM released (outside of some released this year), so I appreciate virtual gear too. It wasn't intended as a contest, but I will say that when I got everything in Amplitube 5 (which most would say is a TON of gear), the thing about the amps that are in there - it always seemed to lack the "boutique" stuff. I've long been a proponent and fan of the fact you have a couple Dr. Zs and a few more rare vintage pieces in the lineup to get out of that box. But I also know that if IKM had Dumbles, Trainwrecks and things of that sort, I'm sure there would be an unbranded version in the package somewhere already. There are tons of ways to get great tone, with far "less valuable" gear. But vintage marshalls, fenders, etc while fairly valuable are also much more on the obtainable spectrum as there are more of them, sold more frequently, and don't cost as much as a house. My point was that with this Tech...if put in the hands of those that do actually have access to the most rare stuff on earth...that sound could make it into the hands of the masses, which you would think people might be grateful for. Then again, many don't have the experience to know what they are missing out on by not having played through such gear. My first comments were around IKM doesn't have amps that are better than what some of us have access to. Again, I'm sure you guys have awesome stuff and I look forward to the digital version of it, but also not a company that is out dropping $250K on a single amp head either and I wouldn't expect you to. Some of us could help you with that is all I'm suggesting.

He was well known and is credited as one of the starts of the boutique amp community. He didn't only make 4 amps. He only made a few of that particular model before he passed away way earlier than he should have. It is documented he made aroud 100 amps in total (across 3 models....the Rocket he only made 5 of) they were all hand build by him selecting each and every part including transformers (most of which he rejected) and that creates a very limited work stream. His amps were so valuable and saught after even during his lifetime (they sky rocketed after) that he even offered a triple your money back guarantee and not a single person took him up on it. And his amps due to the nature of the custom builds were not exaclty on the cheap end of the specturm, but they were fairly priced for the skill and labor. Billy Gibbons, Eric Johnson, Mark Knophler (still uses), Eddie Van Halen all placed orders while he was alive among a number of others. Brad Paisley, Warren Haynees, Keith Urban, Trey Anastasio and Joe Bonnamassa were also other notable owners that paid a premium for them. Not a bad list of buyers/owners for a company that made about 100 amps before the boutique amp craze was even a thing and a number of players bought a few of them. Most of the amps are owned by people you have never heard of but won't sell them becuase they like them too much even though they are worth tens of thousands of dollars even for the least desirable examples. Jim Marshall would call him asking for advice amoung many others. And other amp builders (including Howard Dumble) would actually request to be in booths at Trade shows away from Ken Fischer for fear it would hurt their own amp sales if heard in proximity. He was a highly regarded contributer at Vintage Guitar Magazine characterized by actual in depth technical knowledge not just the fluf that magazines have turned into. He also helped put the Klon on the map by simply giving it a somewhat favorable review and Klon even had this article on the website as a badge of honor (even though he critized the use of goop on the circut) The Komet brand was launched to use some of his design concepts but with components that did not need as much tweaking and hand selection. The Dr Z "Wreck" was also a colaboration around a similar idea. His design concepts but adapted for mass production. Unlike most amps on the market, to really get into the ball park of an actual trainwreck takes both the makers skill and a set of ears to select the specific components, not just a "capacitor of this value in this position." He could even diagnose amp problems and what to fix by hearing them played over the telephone (think about how terrible phone quality was). There are many stories of him telling a guitar player where to put the amp and to play and he would make recomendations to fix it and with what components. When you only make 100 amps, there is only going to be so many players that even get the opporutnity to hear one, let alone play it. The Express which is his most well known model was also one he didn't even like by the end of it. It just grew out of players wanting higher gain and a more "EVH" type of tone. He shared his knowledge freely and created quite a legacy for a very short life span with his own company. He was a legend and not becuase he created gooped circuits and a closed door policy (which is a claim to fame of other builders). It is unfortnaute so few people get to experience them.

Thanks I may try that again, when I used it years ago I never bonded with the layout of the interface. Which must sound ironic coming from someone using WinAmp from 20 years ago.

Dang, you are on the modern version. Here is mine: v 2.79 running a 128 kbps MP3

Based on the description, I'm guessing I'll stick with my old installers. Not interested with "connecting with artists, etc" Just want a super bare bones player that isn't trying to connect with the internet in any way shape or form.

The one seat thing was certainly one of my concerns. Thanks!

What is the authorization method on these? Main company website seems to suggest the brand uses ilok or a licensing system (but perhaps not both concurrently). Any insight into what that looks like for these?

The only reason I didn't buy things last month with the loyalty voucher was the $50 I'd have to spend, it had nothing to do with the deals on the table. If you looked at what you could get during the Summer Sale + Hall of Fame EX sale, it was actually nuts. I put a bunch of stuff in my cart and looked at what my voucher could have got - it would have been somewhere around $8/plugin. And that was generally stuff I didn't have yet and I own at least 90 of what they were offering for sale on the site now. Same deal less than a year ago would have been instant buy. It was just a matter of timing.

Not that it really matters now but DrumCore 4 had this problem for a while. An update in bandlab in 2020 seemed to fix it. I haven't tested it again in more recent versions to be sure it didn't break again. "Bandlab has updated Cakewalk to v 2020.06 update 2, and Aux Outputs now work. They are recognized as separate tracks when inserting Drumcore as Split Instrument Tracks or when creating tracks and assigning them later. This may be related to this item in their list of bug fixes in 2020.06 update 2: Extra Synth Instances inserted when adding all synth audio outputs for Split Instrument Track."

Sad news, been using them since Drum Core 3 (at least 8 years). They still have my favorite kit (Billy Martin) out of every Drum Program I have (AD2, MDrummer, Superior Drummer 2, EZ Drummer with expansion sets, MODO Drum 1.5 all kits). I still think they should have done a number of things to stay relevant. One of which would be to make downloading "loop" audio files optional. Tons of wasted HD space for someone that just wanted all the basic kits and the midi to go along with them. Second would be to drop the price pretty dramatically. Customer service seemed responsive enough but actual software development never seem to make much progress. Maybe Bandlab could buy them for $20 and keep it alive. ?

Missing Larry here to chime in agreement with me regarding the fact it is lame that those who already have a copy do not get another copy added to ones account for participating.

Promo 2 months ago I linked in the thread previously in unrelated post. Also required sufficient jam points. Post was in relation to how IKM handled this product release not the current promotion.

This is what I was thinking. Based on his previous leaves of absense related to Family in KY. I'm expecting he went to help or deal with a situation. As usual, he is missed and the natives have grown restless. Hoping everything is ok though.

How they approached it was a mixed bag. However, getting the 3 extra kits for $28 out of pocket was about the only way they got me to jump on the "upgrade" - seperate kits at that price point or higher was a no go and the normal IKM upgrade pricing is also a no go. This is actually about the best I've seen for an expansion from IKM...an option that offers what you don't have at a reasonable price point. As for the next group buy...they haven't released enough stuff since the last one where I bougth into the group buy to get virtually everything to spend on the tier it would take to get the new stuff. I'd expect I'm a few GBs out from jumping on another one. I did get the recent Synth GB but havne't even opened a single one yet. Edit: Adding to the thought here - I wish we had the same treatment for the Modo Bass upgrade. At $28 I would have jumped on the new basses and patterns engine. At around $150 minus JamPoints I can't come close to stomaching it as a previous version full owner personally.

Was thinking about Neoverb too, but isn't it part of the you can get it anytime for $31? Thus while a nice price - not an earth shaking discount.

This particular "contest" has ramifications of getting guitar tone that is previously unavailable to the masses, assuming the tech captures not just the sound but the dynamics and responsiveness (this is the part I'm skeptical about when talking about gear on this level)....and assuming the product makes it into the hands of those with the gear to showcase it. Or provides a means to play out with that tone, where it has become unsafe to travel with due to the priceless and irreplaceable nature of a specific piece of equipment. Curious to see what comes profiled in the box and what comes after. But without some outside help, some amps won't be in scope just like every other company since the Line6 bean came to market over 2 decades ago has tried to digitally recreate amp tones in various ways.

Respectfully, there were only 5 rockets made and you don't own one. And the one I have access to was stated by the builder as the best sounding amp he ever built, he kept the lesser one to test every other amp he built against it and called it Reality Check. It was the crowning achievement of those in the know consider the best amp builder that has lived. The one and only Kenny Fischer. You have nice stuff but you don't have The holy grail. I just happen to be friends with the owner who does. Along with the Ampeg 4x12 with his personally selected best pre rolla 30s in it.

I went through that same rodeo myself in the link below. But respectfully I provided even more info than IK would have offered, you think they would have posted about the PITA experience to get it all to potentially work?