Annoying IK Multimedia experience

spantini

spantini

COO of me, inc.
Several days ago, I tried opening an older Reaper project which has AmpliTube 4 & 5 on several tracks. The project would not open. When Reaper tried loading Amp 5 it locked up and a little pop-up window opened with something to the effect Amp 5 was not available to be accessed and my only option to clear the screen was to click a button to eliminate or remove it (Amp 5). When I did this, AmpliTube 5 was deleted from my FX library and could not be found on my PC anywhere !!! Then the loading proceeded and loaded without Amp 5.

So I opened my IK Product Manager and see that my AmpliTube 5 is queued for an update. I run the update and after it installs I see that Amp 5 is now back in my PC and everything works as before. Opening the previous Reaper project goes smoothly.

This was very irritating. Am I to go through this every time an IK product update is available? Then as I'm leaving the IK site, a pop-up advises me that if I'm using a subscription for a product, it's only active for 72 hours - I have to check into their website every 72 hours to keep it activated. I don't have any of their subscriptions, but if I did, and after seeing this notification, I would immediately uninstall their products and find another non-subscription developer to fill my needs.

After resolving my situation, I waited 72 hours and reopened my Reaper project to see if my Amp 5 was still available. Fortunately, this has not affected my install as it's still there and working nicely. But !! Should this occur again when the next update comes around, I may just uninstall it anyway and find another sim.
 
Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln? I kid a bit as isn't that you down just a few threads talking about how cool some of the IK stuff is?

A lot of it comes down to the need to lock things down because of all the piracy in early years. All of these convoluted systems are a result of it. I've been through multiple iterations of similar experiences going back to when I first updated Protools in my old Digi OO1. I lost all my paid plug ins. It was a price to pay for being able to install the hardware into a newer more stable PC. Happened again recently with my switching to Mac. Apple silicon didn't play nice with a ton of audio software, especially plug ins. Price of early adoption. Some worked in emulation, others didn't. I recently updated Cubase and lost more plugins as I am no longer running in emulation.

I try to take it in stride. I guess part of it is that I am still very much amazed by it all including some of the IK stuff. I've picked up a bunch when it has been on sale and it is surprisingly good. I'm grateful when at least stuff gets updated. Not the case for Modo Bass. Version 2 came out and works natively with Apple Silicon but the original doesn't. I hesitated when it was on sale recently but will eventually upgrade as it will likely go on sale again. They added upgrade and crossgrade options for some stuff but not all. I picked up the T-Racks Tape Echo recently after the recent tread about the EchoPlex. I live in wonder sometimes like a kid set free in a candy store. Unfortunately, I still have to pay for the candy.

Sorry about your frustration. I know sometimes you just sit at the workstation and want to get something done. Hitting this sort of road block prevents you from moving forward. Just remember how difficult this was in the 70's and 80's.
 
spantini said:
After resolving my situation, I waited 72 hours and reopened my Reaper project to see if my Amp 5 was still available. Fortunately, this has not affected my install as it's still there and working nicely. But !! Should this occur again when the next update comes around, I may just uninstall it anyway and find another sim.
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Well certainly it’s your right to abandon the software - but did you contact IK Multimedia about the behavior? I don’t have Amplitube but I looked at the different packages and I don’t see a subscription base for any of their software - maybe something is/was corrupted in your install? I’d be curious to now if anyone else has experienced the behavior?
 
Papanate said:
Well certainly it’s your right to abandon the software - but did you contact IK Multimedia about the behavior? I don’t have Amplitube but I looked at the different packages and I don’t see a subscription base for any of their software - maybe something is/was corrupted in your install? I’d be curious to now if anyone else has experienced the behavior?
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I see they've got AmpliTube TONEX for iPhone and iPad as subscription models, don't know about others. I'm not on Apple, so I'm good there. We'll see what happens when the next AmpliTube 5 update rolls around. I also have Amp 4 installed and plugged into quite a few things, but nothing has happened with that.
 
Folkcafe said:
Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln? I kid a bit as isn't that you down just a few threads talking about how cool some of the IK stuff is?

A lot of it comes down to the need to lock things down because of all the piracy in early years. All of these convoluted systems are a result of it. I've been through multiple iterations of similar experiences going back to when I first updated Protools in my old Digi OO1. I lost all my paid plug ins. It was a price to pay for being able to install the hardware into a newer more stable PC. Happened again recently with my switching to Mac. Apple silicon didn't play nice with a ton of audio software, especially plug ins. Price of early adoption. Some worked in emulation, others didn't. I recently updated Cubase and lost more plugins as I am no longer running in emulation.

I try to take it in stride. I guess part of it is that I am still very much amazed by it all including some of the IK stuff. I've picked up a bunch when it has been on sale and it is surprisingly good. I'm grateful when at least stuff gets updated. Not the case for Modo Bass. Version 2 came out and works natively with Apple Silicon but the original doesn't. I hesitated when it was on sale recently but will eventually upgrade as it will likely go on sale again. They added upgrade and crossgrade options for some stuff but not all. I picked up the T-Racks Tape Echo recently after the recent tread about the EchoPlex. I live in wonder sometimes like a kid set free in a candy store. Unfortunately, I still have to pay for the candy.

Sorry about your frustration. I know sometimes you just sit at the workstation and want to get something done. Hitting this sort of road block prevents you from moving forward. Just remember how difficult this was in the 70's and 80's.
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I'm not operating a professional studio, so I'm getting by with as little as possible as far as plugins go. I can't afford subscriptions. An ex-bandmate on the west coast is stuck on Pro Tools, using it to record his original material in his bedroom studio outside L.A. He sends it to a mix engineer in L.A. who then sends it to Florida to be mastered. I've been asked to contribute bass guitar tracks along with some writing, with one caveat . . . I would have to buy into Pro Tools and use that to record my bass tracks. He refuses to accept any .wav files created in Reaper saying they're not compatible and will not work in Pro Tools. I tried explaining my .wav files don't care which DAW they're in, but it falls on deaf ears.
 
I believe he's not understanding my position, which I've clearly stated. He want's me to get involved in the production process and all I want is to create WAV tracks, send them to him, and let him or his mix engineer import them and apply necessary treatments. He'll never get me on Pro Tools !!! (bwahahahaha... NEVER!!! :p)
 
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spantini said:
I'm not operating a professional studio, so I'm getting by with as little as possible as far as plugins go. I can't afford subscriptions. An ex-bandmate on the west coast is stuck on Pro Tools, using it to record his original material in his bedroom studio outside L.A. He sends it to a mix engineer in L.A. who then sends it to Florida to be mastered. I've been asked to contribute bass guitar tracks along with some writing, with one caveat . . . I would have to buy into Pro Tools and use that to record my bass tracks. He refuses to accept any .wav files created in Reaper saying they're not compatible and will not work in Pro Tools. I tried explaining my .wav files don't care which DAW they're in, but it falls on deaf ears.
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When I decided to return to recording, the first mistake I made was to purchase a Protools subscription. I presumed it must of gotten better at midi. Oh how wrong I was. The only saving grace is that I used it to purchase Cubase Pro when on sale and through a competitive upgrade. Another mistake was plug in subscriptions. I'm in your camp now, with carefully picked ones.

I'm very lucky in that I combined what I do for a living along with my side hustles and included the studio into it. I run a small AV installation company but do just enough corporate event support work to justify encompassing production into my business. All falls under my corporation umbrella. Some of it is stupid simple like level matching various videos along with doing sound for live streaming events but it pays just enough. It is advice I give a lot of guys. Turn your hobbies into a small business even if income is limited. Yes, it is a bit of work to keep the books and add that schedule C to your taxes. The advantage is uncle Sam helps subsidize your side hustle/hobbie via the tax structure unless what you do involves no money coming in and is strictly a hobby.
 
spantini said:
I believe he's not understanding my position, which I've clearly stated. He want's me to get involved in the production process and all I want is to create WAV tracks, send them to him, and let him or his mix engineer import them and apply necessary treatments. He'll never get me on Pro Tools !!! (bwahahahaha... NEVER!!! :p)
Click to expand...
Is the free version (Pro Tools Intro) a viable option?

Paj
8^?
 
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