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Dirk Ulrich stepping down as CEO of Plugin Alliance


Yan Filiatrault

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2023 News: I am stepping down as CEO for Plugin Alliance & Brainworx Audio, then joining the Soundwide Board of Directors!

PRIVATE PRESS RELEASE - December 30, 2022

Today marks my last working day as CEO for the 2 companies I have founded, BX (Germany) and PA (USA). Founding these 2 companies from scratch and establishing them in the Champions League of my beloved Audio Industry was the run of a lifetime.

After selling my companies exactly 1 year ago and integrating them into the Soundwide group, which also features NATIVE INSTRUMENTS and iZotope, I am now passing my daily CEO tasks on to my dear friend Winni Schapitz, who is already the Managing Director for BX in Germany at this point.

Since I invested some of the funds I received for selling PA and BX into Soundwide I am still the largest private shareholder of the group, so my stepping down as CEO doesn't mean that I will be "out".

In fact, I have been invited to join the Soundwide "Board of Directors" from January on! So from January on I will do my best to help the SW team to take ALL our brands to a new level, not just PA and BX. United in what we will do in the future, so we can inspire and empower Millions of creators around the globe to express themselves and reimagine the future of sound.

"Letting go" is the hardest part of this transition for me. I have literally lived what I am doing 24/7, and 365 days per year, for MANY years. The first BX plugin was created in 2005/2006... and I cannot remember when I had the last vacation that didn't involve at least a few emails per day, or taking care of some social media tasks, the occasional call / video conference from the hotel room etc.

Going forward I will be happily representing Soundwide as a whole, but I believe the time has come for a new generation to bring in their ideas and run the ship day to day.

Again, what a run this has been. I feel blessed to be able to take a small step back now, knowing our employees, customers, partners, artists, fans and friends are in good hands with the new Management team.

Official communication will go out via the various channels of all the brands and companies involved in the next few weeks, but I wanted to let my friends and closest followers already know about this, first hand.

Thank you all for your continued support, and "Go Team Soundwide"!

Dirk.

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I thought his stepping down was actually announced around the time of Soundwide so, not much of a surprise.

I met Dirk in person once at a an IMSTA FESTA in New York City, where he was demoing the bx SSL consoles, and TMT technology. He really radiated shining passion and love for music production. I think he will do great at the Board of Directors, still providing advice and direction, but with more time for himself for enjoying the results of years of hard work.

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A non event for me .... to put it softly ....

And soundwide ? since it has been created i still don't see anything coming from this that is noticeable , in fact didn't seen anything coming from this at all ...

I was exited for izotope to be in with NI , i can see those IA treatment doing wonder in machine (cleaning samples , rebalancing those ect ..) 

I have this feeling that it's brands that had their time and momentum and are fighting the fall with regrouping , i don't know i m surely to pessimistic

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14 hours ago, Eusebio Rufian-Zilbermann said:

I thought his stepping down was actually announced around the time of Soundwide so, not much of a surprise.

I met Dirk in person once at a an IMSTA FESTA in New York City, where he was demoing the bx SSL consoles, and TMT technology. He really radiated shining passion and love for music production. I think he will do great at the Board of Directors, still providing advice and direction, but with more time for himself for enjoying the results of years of hard work.

This was old news.

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1 minute ago, Zo said:

A non event for me .... to put it softly ....

And soundwide ? since it has been created i still don't see anything coming from this that is noticeable , in fact didn't seen anything coming from this at all ...

I was exited for izotope to be in with NI , i can see those IA treatment doing wonder in machine (cleaning samples , rebalancing those ect ..) 

I have this feeling that it's brands that had their time and momentum and are fighting the fall with regrouping , i don't know i m surely to pessimistic

It makes users paranoid.  The first sign of paranoia is "subscription model".    Fl Studio users got wind that the new Image Line CEO came from NI and  the no more free updates panic started.  One of the founders brought a sense of reality.

I don't think these positions have an effect on software.

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15 minutes ago, kitekrazy said:

It makes users paranoid.  The first sign of paranoia is "subscription model".    Fl Studio users got wind that the new Image Line CEO came from NI and  the no more free updates panic started.  One of the founders brought a sense of reality.

I don't think these positions have an effect on software.

i ain't stressing .... just saying here that NI and PA didn't brougth anything really ground breaking since a while .... izotope is more dynamic imho ....

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40 minutes ago, paulo said:

Also, AFAIK they didn't shut down some customer's accounts just because they happen live in a country that it has become fashionable to dislike.

I question if it is positive that a company makes business disregarding all political and etic views! But YMMV!

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12 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

Must it be either/or? How about striking a well-considered balance?

I dare to say that is virtually impossible in the current social (media) climate. Taking any position on any topic is 100% guaranteed to 'offend' someone who wishes to. Justified or not.

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2 hours ago, Technostica said:

I have a code for a freebie from a large list of PA plugins.
Send me a PM if you want it and I will sort it tomorrow.
If you don't hear back from me then it found a different home.
The list is here:

https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/avid-inner-circle-bundle.html

I have one of those too.

All the stuff offered.......well.....

(already) Installed!

 

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