Gig Performer not available through Plugin Alliance anymore (Not a Deal)

[Walter Cruz]

https://gigperformer.com/messagetopacustomers.html

A Message To Plugin Alliance Customers

 

We at Deskew Technologies appreciate your continued support and loyalty to Gig Performer, the most advanced VST/AU plugin host for live performers.

 

As you may know, starting May 31, 2023, Gig Performer® 4 will no longer be part of the Plugin Alliance MEGA Bundle. As noted by Plugin Alliance, active subscribers of the PA MEGA bundle will continue to be able to run the PA Locked edition of Gig Performer 4.

 

If you are a customer of the PA Locked edition, you may want to consider purchasing a Gig Performer® 4 license from Deskew Technologies, which not only enables you to continue running any VST2/VST3/AU plugins from Plugin Alliance (provided you are actively subscribed to any of their bundles) but also plugins from any other plugin manufacturer. Visit https://gigperformer.com/store.html for more information.

 

If you own a license to the PA Unlocked edition of Gig Performer, you will be able to use that version for as long as you wish. However, to access features in future Gig Performer updates, PA customers will need to cross-grade to the Deskew version. Click here to see cross-grade pricing.

 

Some answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Plugin Alliance Customers can be found here.

 

We understand there may be concerns about paying full price or a significant upgrade fee for Gig Performer 4 from Deskew Technologies. Still, we want to assure you that the value you receive from our software is worth the investment.

 

Here are some compelling reasons:

Unleash Unparalleled Functionality: By investing in our software at its full price, you gain unrestricted access to new features and updates. This means you can harness the full potential of our solution and run any VST2/VST3/AU plugins from any plugin manufacturer.

Own the Stage®: Since its beginnings in 2015, Gig Performer has established itself as the go-to host software for gigging keyboard players, guitarists, drummers, vocalists—even Front of House engineers—who want to take complete control of their VST instrument and effect plugins during live performance (learn more). We designed our software to keep you on top of your game, allowing you to deliver your best performance.

Guaranteed Support and Updates: Paying the full price ensures we can continue providing you with the best possible product and service. Our dedicated support team is committed to assisting you every step of the way, promptly addressing any queries or concerns you may have. Your investment also allows us to invest in research and development and hire the best talent to enhance our software with new features and improve overall performance.

Long-Term Cost Savings: While the initial investment might seem higher, paying the full price can save you money in the long run. Our software’s robustness and scalability eliminate the need for frequent upgrades or costly add-ons, ensuring a stable, cost-effective solution that delivers consistent value over time. Our low CPU demands also mean you can run our software on a relatively inexpensive Mac Mini or Windows PC, making it accessible to a wider range of users.

Join a Thriving Community: Your investment in our software enables us to support a vibrant community of like-minded music pros. In addition, you gain access to our community forums, training materials, and networking opportunities, allowing you to learn from experts, share insights, and collaborate with other industry leaders.

 

We take pride in the fact that Gig Performer just plain works, as evidenced by the positive feedback we have received from our users. Our reliable and stable software lets you focus on your performance without worrying about technical issues. This is why professionals and well-known musicians worldwide trust Gig Performer.

 

We appreciate your consideration and hope you will continue supporting us by investing in our software. Thank you for choosing Deskew Technologies Gig Performer.

 

Sincerely,

The Deskew Technologies Team

[Walter Cruz]

Cross-grade pricing for Plugin Alliance customers

To cross grade, please submit a ticket via this link and include proof of purchase price.

 

$15 (Admin Fee) – If you purchased Gig Performer PA Unlocked Edition for $199

$100 (for macOS and Windows licenses) – If you purchased Gig Performer PA Unlocked Edition at the discounted price of $99

$70 (license for either macOS or Windows but not both) – If you purchased Gig Performer PA Unlocked Edition at the discounted price of $99

We regret that we are unable to process cross-grades for Plugin Alliance orders that were deeply discounted

 

https://gigperformer.com/gig-performer-upgrade-crossgrade-request.html

[MusicMan]

31 minutes ago, Walter Cruz said:

Cross-grade pricing for Plugin Alliance customers

To cross grade, please submit a ticket via this link and include proof of purchase price.

 

$15 (Admin Fee) – If you purchased Gig Performer PA Unlocked Edition for $199

$100 (for macOS and Windows licenses) – If you purchased Gig Performer PA Unlocked Edition at the discounted price of $99

$70 (license for either macOS or Windows but not both) – If you purchased Gig Performer PA Unlocked Edition at the discounted price of $99

We regret that we are unable to process cross-grades for Plugin Alliance orders that were deeply discounted

 

https://gigperformer.com/gig-performer-upgrade-crossgrade-request.html

That's a very unusual cross grade policy based off the price you paid... That's almost a bit IKM.. you really either own the product, or you don't, but I get their thinking..

[Anxiousmofo]

Clearly a company to avoid. 

[fitzroy]

48 minutes ago, Walter Cruz said:

We regret that we are unable to process cross-grades for Plugin Alliance orders that were deeply discounted

  

[Brian Walton]

2 hours ago, Walter Cruz said:

 

 

We understand there may be concerns about paying full price or a significant upgrade fee for Gig Performer 4 from Deskew Technologies. Still, we want to assure you that the value you receive from our software is worth the investment.

 

Here are some compelling reasons:

Unleash Unparalleled Functionality: By investing in our software at its full price, you gain unrestricted access to new ,.......

Long-Term Cost Savings: While the initial investment might seem higher, paying the full price can save you money in the long run. Our software’s robustness and scalability eliminate the need for frequent upgrades or costly add-ons, ensuring a stable, cost-effective solution that delivers consistent value over time. 

I get the feeling they are out of touch with the value they provide to the vast majority of the customer base.

The post also makes no sense suggesting on one hand the product is already rock solid and doesn't need updates while simultaneously telling us we need to pay full retail to get much needed updates and new features.

So far, at my not eligible for crossgrade pricing I purchased it at, I'm still waiting for it to deliver even that much value to me personally let alone paying some crazy fee.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Brian Walton

[Craig Fowler]

That's...a pretty douchey move. If go into partnership with PA, you *know* that your product is going to get massively discounted. I don't own it, but I'd be pissed if I did!

[bluzdog]

 https://gigperformer.com/when-does-gig-performer-go-on-sale/

[MusicMan]

Dear Reality handled it perfectly. My license was just transferred across by raising a request to them. It seems they treat you as a regular customer.

The concept of charging someone more because they legitimately bought a product at a discount through their official reseller is a bit anti customer in my book.

I had thought I might upgrade to the unlocked version out of convenience, but don't think I'd bother with this company now. 

[Fwrend]

5 minutes ago, MusicMan said:

The concept of charging someone more because they legitimately bought a product at a discount through their official reseller is a bit anti customer in my book.

+1, my feelings as well.  What business is it of Deskew if an official reseller gave a discount - this is like saying screw PA and you and demanding the FULL retail price after "legitimately" purchasing it.  I purchased GP3 listed at $69 for $44.99 after completing a survey for $25 off.   Below is how I purchased GP4.  Guess which crossgrade price they'll offer me - $199; $99; $70!?

Again, depending on the Deskew/PA agreement, Deskew got the same money from PA whether PA used their own provided Loyalty/Survey Vouchers or not.  Of course, I'm assuming and it may have been calculated proportionally, but it still stinks.  The only caveat I see is that Deskew wisely distinguished the two versions from the start, i.e. PA version vs. direct purchase version even though they basically were the same. 

MAGIX used a similar technique recently with their "buy Samplitude ProX 7 for $299 and get ProX8 free."  IF you purchased directly from MAGIX.  I purchased X7 Suite for $159 through Safe Harbor in May.  When X8 was released, MAGIX told me that it didn't apply to me since I didn't purchase it through them.  SH told me to send them the invoice anyway and request the upgrade.  I was pleasantly surprised to find my X8 serial in my inbox the next morning. It would be nice if Deskew would concede but I'm not holding my breath.  At least they're consistent?

I really like the program which allowed me to setup a live system using a Dell Micro PC, interface, and Behringer Motor 61 which I used to play VSTi's as well as mix FOH (3 layers of 8 motorized faders) and IEMs with VST FX  (controlled by 3 layers of 8 knobs) and control playback of backing tracks (from the 3 layers of 8 pads and transport controls).  Really pretty remarkable.  But still.....this sucks.

 

[dumbquestions]

So i paid good money for a product I need to pay for again to get updates now?

I use gp4 live every week. Stuff like this is why i’m frozen on osx mojave. Wonder if Deskew’s decision is related to dealing with soundwide/Francisco partners instead of dirk, or something like that? Regardless, I shouldn’t be punished for someone’s finicky business decisions. Mainstage is $30 & performs many of the functions I need, I have no problem trying to make that work how i need it to (Yes this is my official breakup text, Deskew)

Hope you & Waves enjoy a good life together.✌️

 

[ALC]

Is there a major release version coming?  Right now, there's no reason to upgrade since the latest PA version of 4.5.8 matches the latest Deskew version 4.5.8.

I purchased GP4 for less than $99, so I don't qualify for a cross-grade--I don't think I'll rebuy a new version for full price.  What I have works well enough for my purposes, which is mainly testing out plugins (since it has incremental scanning, it has the fastest scanning of new plugins), but I haven't delved into more complex setups.

For keys, I think pretty linearly, in terms of inserts, and FX busses.  So, for what I want, for just a simple VI preset selector within the context of a song set, Studio One Pro Show Mode or Steinberg Live Pro are much easier to set up, though those are not as mature as GP.

I like GP, but not for $199.  I also think the graphics could use a bit of polish.

Edited June 13, 2023 by ALC

[Walter Cruz]

Well, probably nobody bought the PA Gig Performer for 199 or either 99, so almost no one will get the crossgrade price.

It was quite an odd partnership. Deskew see their product as a Premium product, and they associated themselves with Plugin Alliance, that is on the constant 29 (or less) sales. Something was not right.

Not nice news to everyone who bought the PA version.

[Walter Cruz]

21 minutes ago, ALC said:

Is there a major release version coming?  Right now, there's no reason to upgrade since the latest PA version of 4.5.8 matches the latest Deskew version 4.5.8.

I don't think so. The 4.5.8 PA version even supports the Mac ARM processors, so probably they will continue to work for a good time.

[Carl Ewing]

6 hours ago, Anxiousmofo said:

Clearly a company to avoid. 

Bingo. 

My guess is that the product isn't very profitable, PA discounts we're killing their margins, and they're now using this cross grade to make money back from existing users who became user via heavily discounted PA purchases. That's awful business practice.  What they should do is offer free crossgrade, and then charge those customers when the product is updated to version 5.

Ain't no way I'm paying MORE money for a product (specifically the product version) I already own, and paying a price reflective of the sales price I got it at. Lol. I doubt that's even legal. Not the consumers fault they signed a contract with PA.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Carl Ewing

[TheMaartian]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I will not say that any of the sentiments mentioned in the previous posts are wrong, but I will say that I don't agree with them.

I have been a regular user of the unlocked Windows version of Gig Performer since early v2, and an active member of their support forum. Deskew isn't a big company. It's a couple of guys who came from IBM Research who happened to be musicians who needed/wanted a better product for hosting instrument and effects VSTs for live use. Gig Performer is the result.

Back when I had to work for a living, I spent over 15 years doing active software development. I also qualified and certified third party software for use in the oil and gas, and SCADA industries. In my opinion, Deskew provides the most responsive and most useful support of any software developer I've every dealt with, going back to the late '70s and my use of DEC PDP-8 minis at Fermilab (octal assembly language with a three-pass paper tape assembler).

I remember when the PA-locked version of GP was released. Deskew had to modify GP to lock it to PA's plugins. From the beginning, Deskew made it clear that the PA version would not be updated with every point release (vX.x.x), but from time to time with a dot release. (vX.x).

Working on GP and occasionally touring is all they do. The income from GP pays their bills. I have ZERO issues with paying a fair price for such a useful, high quality product.

I can tell you that the amount of new functionality that comes with each new release of the full version is astonishing, and they only charge for upgrades when moving to a new major version (vX to vX+1), and that only happens every couple of years (like Studio One). All of that new functionality is driven by their existing user base on their very active support forum.

If their requested upgrade pricing from the PA-locked version to the full unlocked version is not worth it to you, cool. But don't complain about it. It's their product and they have a right to price it any way they want. Personally, I have received WAY more value from GP than what I've paid over the years. GP and Studio One are my two main music apps, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Peace, love and understanding.

Edited June 13, 2023 by John Maar

[Walter Cruz]

42 minutes ago, John Maar said:

If their requested upgrade pricing from the PA-locked version to the full unlocked version is not worth it to you, cool. But don't complain about it.

There's no crossgrade path from Gig Performer PA-locked to Deskew full Gig Performer - they are charging for crossgrading from PA Gig Performer UNLOCKED, which is pretty much the same software than Deskew Gig Performer, except with a different authorization method (PA login).

I access their forums too, they seem to be nice people, and I can still see a lot of reasons to complain.

[Walter Cruz]

7 hours ago, bluzdog said:

 https://gigperformer.com/when-does-gig-performer-go-on-sale/

Given its functionality, we believe that Gig Performer is very fairly priced and we feel strongly that discounted pricing serves only to erroneously devalue the product. We offer a high quality product that undergoes continuous enhancement and improvement along with strong support for our customers through our extremely popular community forums,ticket support and other mechanisms when appropriate.

So... they should never have joined the Plugin Alliance in the first place.

[chris.r]

Scratch that.

[Brian Walton]

3 hours ago, John Maar said:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I will not say that any of the sentiments mentioned in the previous posts are wrong, but I will say that I don't agree with them.

I have been a regular user of the unlocked Windows version of Gig Performer since early v2, and an active member of their support forum. Deskew isn't a big company. It's a couple of guys who came from IBM Research who happened to be musicians who needed/wanted a better product for hosting instrument and effects VSTs for live use. Gig Performer is the result.

Back when I had to work for a living, I spent over 15 years doing active software development. I also qualified and certified third party software for use in the oil and gas, and SCADA industries. In my opinion, Deskew provides the most responsive and most useful support of any software developer I've every dealt with, going back to the late '70s and my use of DEC PDP-8 minis at Fermilab (octal assembly language with a three-pass paper tape assembler).

I remember when the PA-locked version of GP was released. Deskew had to modify GP to lock it to PA's plugins. From the beginning, Deskew made it clear that the PA version would not be updated with every point release (vX.x.x), but from time to time with a dot release. (vX.x).

Working on GP and occasionally touring is all they do. The income from GP pays their bills. I have ZERO issues with paying a fair price for such a useful, high quality product.

I can tell you that the amount of new functionality that comes with each new release of the full version is astonishing, and they only charge for upgrades when moving to a new major version (vX to vX+1), and that only happens every couple of years (like Studio One). All of that new functionality is driven by their existing user base on their very active support forum.

If their requested upgrade pricing from the PA-locked version to the full unlocked version is not worth it to you, cool. But don't complain about it. It's their product and they have a right to price it any way they want. Personally, I have received WAY more value from GP than what I've paid over the years. GP and Studio One are my two main music apps, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Peace, love and understanding.

They charged for version updates.  Unless this new model is lifetime updates I can't fathom that it will have $200 worth of updates during this version release.