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In Praise of Companies That Celebrate Black Friday All Year Round (Not a Deal)

Reid Rosefelt

By Reid Rosefelt
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Reid Rosefelt

Reid Rosefelt

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I posted this in VI:Control.  It's relevant to this forum too.

'm talking about companies like Indiginus. Most of the Indiginus libraries sell for $59 or $69 dollars or less. (Blue Street Brass sells for $79.) Are they "as good" as libraries that sell for twice as much or more? Definitely, but in my experience, many are better.

For example, I started a YouTube video once, inspired by the release of Nylon Sky, where I took a MIDI file and played it with all the nylon guitar instruments i owned, both solo libraries and ones in larger collections like HALion, Kontakt, etc. I made adjustments to the MIDI when necessary, but Renaxxance (one of the oldest Indiginus libraries) just killed. It was head over heels more beautiful for this particular piece. We all know that's not a fair way to compare libraries, but I just want to say that it's a hell of a library, worth a lot more than $59 on sound alone.

But then there is the user interface, which is so well-designed and easy to use. Most Indiginus libraries also include a harmony mode that I haven't found on any other libraries. This is great on guitars, but oh man it is great on things like The STEEL and The Fiddle. Arguably one of the main things that makes a Fiddle a Fiddle rather than a violin is the double-stopping.

So do I think these libraries would sell at $150? Absolutely. They are top-level. And I think they are undervalued in a lot of people's minds because they are so reasonably priced. The reality is that most people place more emotional value on what is expensive, and then wait for sales to get "bargains." If the Indiginus libraries were priced like other companies, people would wait for BF when Indiginus libraries would be available for $59 or $69. What a deal!! I worry that so many people get their emotions fueled by sales that they don't buy Indiginus so much. There's no occasion like BF when you have to rush and buy them. I tend to buy the intro prices (just got The Banjo), but I have to remind myself to pick up one every year, because I know I'll enjoy them and use them. I've got a pretty good collection now, but more to come.

Valhalla is another company like this. Are you sure that the reverbs you buy on sale are "better" than Valhalla reverbs?

Do you have any companies like this you'd care to mention?

I was planning on posting this in early November, before the tropical storm of Black Friday begins. I'd like people to consider patronizing companies like this before they spend all their money. But because the intro price on The Banjo ends this month, I'm doing it now.

 

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Grem

Grem

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Last few BF did not excite me to really buy anything. I really don't remember what I got last BF. It wasn't much. 

Back when BF meant something I would save a load of money to spend and get stuff I waited on. But after a few years of "you got to be kidding, right?" prices I have fallen out of the BF excitement. Just ain't worth it.

If I see something and I want it, I will get it. 

That said, I am waiting till NI puts Komplte on sale to upgrade!! LOL!!

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Brian Walton

Brian Walton

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41 minutes ago, Bapu said:

Audio Assault gets a 'fair play' mention from me, Reid.

This is one of the only ones that comes to mind.

 

Those in the OP, I'd honestly disagree with BF pricing.  Most people are not paying $150+ for a sample library these days.  It isn't the early 2000s anymore.  (Yes some do but there are tons of options for fairly cheap).

I like Valhalla DSP but $50 no longer feels like BF pricing when you can get amazing verbs for $10-30 regularly.   $50 seemed like a bargain years ago, today not so much.

While not every single day, I'd say Plugin Alliance is on a every month BF schedule for those on the mailing list.  We saw so many lust worthy plugins for $15 so often people got burned out.

 

Last year's BF didn't offer much, but we had so many deals leading up to it who cared?

Edited by Brian Walton
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Brian Walton

Brian Walton

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36 minutes ago, daveiv said:

I don't regret my Waves purchases at all.

Always on sale approach (or never on sale, if you will) saved me a lot of time I'd spend collecting bits here and there

Those would be at the top of my list of regrets.

Only one I have I don't regret is the background noise removal for vocals that came out not long ago.  All others are no longer used and take up scanning time and are worthless to resell as I'd have to pay WUP and then get someone else to pay more than that for them which is impossible.  

 

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daveiv

daveiv

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20 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

Those would be at the top of my list of regrets.

Only one I have I don't regret is the background noise removal for vocals that came out not long ago.  All others are no longer used and take up scanning time and are worthless to resell as I'd have to pay WUP and then get someone else to pay more than that for them which is impossible. 

Which Waves plugins you got, and what new plugins you replace them with?

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jackson white

jackson white

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I took this post to be a comment on value, i.e. go-to plugins with enduring quality, usability (= intuitive UX,  minimal overhead/DRM ), versatility, .reliability and support. perhaps something that might be considered a digital "classic" at some point in the future. my dive into the whole ITB experience  is relatively recent but a few have stood out after sampling far too many across the vast cornucopia of options out there. fwiw, my initial criteria was a comparison with the analog/hw experience  but getting past that and just focusing on how well it serves a project.

Indiginus has certainly caught my ear, but the requirement for full Kontakt  has made it a non-starter to date. I find the UI to be birth control for ever using samplers and the $300 ante skews the value pricing a bit. (if I was running Soundwide, I'd put the iZotope team full time on a complete redesign as a first priority.) It would get a shot though, if NI ever considered subsidizing Kontakt with an Indiginus purchase.

Valhalla. yep, they just work. I've tried a number of others and there's only 3 go-tos that aren't Valhalla. UADs EMT 140  (because it was the first and parked in half my templates), the Liquidsonics bricasti and there's better springs.

Scuffham S-Gear also makes the cut here. There are better options for anything high gain, but if Mike ever came through with his take on an AC30, I'd put (almost) everything else in the shed.

Discounts do not often represent real value (looking at a few too many under $20 purchases sitting in the corner). The better ones are from companies with great products but poor marketing :-).

Edited by jackson white
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Brian Walton

Brian Walton

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2 hours ago, daveiv said:

Which Waves plugins you got, and what new plugins you replace them with?

These are at least installed (also SSL Comp not pictured), but have quite a few more

NLS, Omni, SSL Channel got replaced with PA plugins (I have all the channel strips but Amek Console 9099 is the go to)

H-Comp - depends on the job but (PA, Toneboosters, Melda, IKM)

J-37 tape (A few options while IKM Tapes are way more recourse hungry, they also sound better to me)

SSL Comp = PA options

Sibilance is pretty good but Melodyne Studio is much more powerful (and expensive).  I'd just use PA Lindel Desser if I didn't have Melodyne and was tyring to get away from WAVES non-sense.

Berzerk Distoriton was free - lots of options to replace that one.

 

(also note that most WAVES plugins sound fine overall.  The regret is single authorization, pricing (even on sale), WUP that means no support after a year unless you buy the plugin again, no updates that are not paid ones, and treating customers poorly with the afformentioned practices and until recently none of them even resized).  

image.thumb.png.d752551763827c113e0b41f00969b8fb.png

Edited by Brian Walton
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kitekrazy1

kitekrazy1

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Title makes no sense.  It's basically developers who don't have sales.   XFer is one.  There is also Reaper

Image Line never celebrates BF because they are from Belgium. 

Large developers have more overhead so they have to do them. 

The ones who don't have sales also don't raise their prices either.

 

 

Edited by Paul Young
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