Probably not a big blip on folks radar here since I think the majority are mostly analog...but Waves has managed to create quite a kerfuffle with going strictly to subscription only...
My first Waves purchase was in 2000 from Banjo Center came in a shiny black box with manual and disk, it was "The Renaissance Collection" it cost me $399 and was non-returnable...I went home and loaded into my Win2K machine and started up Cakewalk and tried to insert a plugin to get started...immediate BSOD...this was back when they were with PACE and used a challenge/response authorisation...
For 2 weeks I was on the phone with Pace/Cakewalk/and Waves...in the end the president of Pace sent me a mug for my troubles...never did get it to work without crashing my computer...seems AMD at the time did not play well with PACE...my loss and Banjo Center would not accept open software...
Believe it or not 2 years ago I was cleaning out some boxes and found my registration and notes from 2000...
I emailed Waves and explained the situation...they activated my Ren Collection and for $14 let me upgrade the whole thing to the latest version, then I asked to transfer it to my newer email account and they gladly did so...I was impressed and a 20 year old purchase came back to life for me...
Still love the Renaissance Collection...and honestly in the last few years have rejoined the Waves bandwagon after swearing them off in 2000...they teased me back with all those $29 specials or bundles at reduced cost...I own the Ren/Studio/Abbey/Platinuim collections and a handful of odd ones...
I was honestly surprised that they honored 20 year old software and for a few bucks promised to get me the latest version on my MAC computers...(I have since stopped building my own PC's and buy Steve Jobs appliance, the transition was made by building my own 2012 Mac Tower but that was the last computer I will probably build).
Anyway, I know Waves is pretty big in the LIVE SOUND market and I've built a Waves DIY server vai guys here suggestions and it works nice but I don't really need it...
But this seems a bit "shoot yer self in the ass" by eliminating the WUP that everyone complained about...
I never really saw WUP as the enemy, just the cost of doing business with modern software and computers, and truthfully I never upgraded plugins I didn't use...
But some of the classics (Abbey Roads/Schoeps Omni/Studio Classics/etc) I always kept up to date...
I hate fiddling with plugins and a mouse...so the Waves stuff was quick and dirty (or clean) depending on need.
But it seems the days of being able to update are over...they have basically said "Whatever version you have now is the end of the road for our support, for anything else you need to subscribe"...
Its not really the subscription thing that bothers me...thats temporary economic model in the industry that already has a sell by date...
The tragedy here is a company that at one time seemed to care about its base has basically said "C-Ya" unless you subscribe...
I loathe subscriptions...fought tooth and nail to keep my ProTools current WITHOUT sending them money every month...
I guess version 14 is where I get off this ride.
My first Waves purchase was in 2000 from Banjo Center came in a shiny black box with manual and disk, it was "The Renaissance Collection" it cost me $399 and was non-returnable...I went home and loaded into my Win2K machine and started up Cakewalk and tried to insert a plugin to get started...immediate BSOD...this was back when they were with PACE and used a challenge/response authorisation...
For 2 weeks I was on the phone with Pace/Cakewalk/and Waves...in the end the president of Pace sent me a mug for my troubles...never did get it to work without crashing my computer...seems AMD at the time did not play well with PACE...my loss and Banjo Center would not accept open software...
Believe it or not 2 years ago I was cleaning out some boxes and found my registration and notes from 2000...
I emailed Waves and explained the situation...they activated my Ren Collection and for $14 let me upgrade the whole thing to the latest version, then I asked to transfer it to my newer email account and they gladly did so...I was impressed and a 20 year old purchase came back to life for me...
Still love the Renaissance Collection...and honestly in the last few years have rejoined the Waves bandwagon after swearing them off in 2000...they teased me back with all those $29 specials or bundles at reduced cost...I own the Ren/Studio/Abbey/Platinuim collections and a handful of odd ones...
I was honestly surprised that they honored 20 year old software and for a few bucks promised to get me the latest version on my MAC computers...(I have since stopped building my own PC's and buy Steve Jobs appliance, the transition was made by building my own 2012 Mac Tower but that was the last computer I will probably build).
Anyway, I know Waves is pretty big in the LIVE SOUND market and I've built a Waves DIY server vai guys here suggestions and it works nice but I don't really need it...
But this seems a bit "shoot yer self in the ass" by eliminating the WUP that everyone complained about...
I never really saw WUP as the enemy, just the cost of doing business with modern software and computers, and truthfully I never upgraded plugins I didn't use...
But some of the classics (Abbey Roads/Schoeps Omni/Studio Classics/etc) I always kept up to date...
I hate fiddling with plugins and a mouse...so the Waves stuff was quick and dirty (or clean) depending on need.
But it seems the days of being able to update are over...they have basically said "Whatever version you have now is the end of the road for our support, for anything else you need to subscribe"...
Its not really the subscription thing that bothers me...thats temporary economic model in the industry that already has a sell by date...
The tragedy here is a company that at one time seemed to care about its base has basically said "C-Ya" unless you subscribe...
I loathe subscriptions...fought tooth and nail to keep my ProTools current WITHOUT sending them money every month...
I guess version 14 is where I get off this ride.