Page 1 of 4

Permission to be cynical, please?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:59 pm
by unklmic
I think the writing is on the wall, and once a year, along with our regular upgrade, we will be offered a new instrument in the region of $200.

My first impression of the Operator when they announced it was that it was way too expensive, and that I would probably not fork out for it. Besides, I already have a FM synth. But I really love live, and am probably one of their best salesman, and I felt that my copy was now somehow inferior. It was like being downgraded from Logic Pro to Logic Express.

Anyway, I caved in and bought it eventually – and in most ways I do not regret it. I really do not have a problem with the idea of paying for it, but $200?!

Well, now we have the Sampler, and my initial impression is that it is way too expensive, and I probably will not fork out for it. But I really like Live, and could I possible settle for anything less than ALL of Live?

So, I have once again been downgraded to Live Express, and I know that I will eventually cave in and buy Sampler so that I am back to Live Pro.

Well Live 7 has just been announced, and on top of the upgrade, Ableton have created a wicked Slicer – what we have been asking and waiting for FOREVER. It costs $200. My first impressions is that it is WAY to expensive, but I have been downgraded again.

Fast forward 10 years – Live now has A FM Synth, a Sampler, a Slicer, a convolution reverb, pitch correction, a Quietenator, a Drum Synth, a DodgySoundReplacor, and a Virtual Accordionist.

Sure you don’t have to buy them all, you probably don’t need them all, but it is just human nature to want the complete package, and how must would it have cost by now? Bit by bit, year by year you are fleeced. Very devious, and not very nice. Ableton are beginning to loose their warm and fuzzy feeling in my eyes. I hope they prove me wrong.

Rant over

Re: Permission to be cynical, please?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:10 pm
by xuoham
unklmic wrote:
...and a Virtual Accordionist.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Permission to be cynical, please?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:14 pm
by ilia
unklmic wrote: ...and a Virtual Accordionist.
For $200? Man, that's a steal!

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:17 pm
by Patch
Dude - you need to PASS ME YOUR CRYSTAL BALL!!! Your predictions are so precise you have got me worried. We should resurect this thread in a years time, as a kind of "Welcome to the world!" type greeting for Slicer.

And I agree about the "Ableton are beginning to loose their warm and fuzzy feeling" thing.

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:22 pm
by jeskola
they're a company trying to make a buck... not a an old granny who gives you sweets every weekend (or once a year)

Re: Permission to be cynical, please?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:22 pm
by David
unklmic wrote:Bit by bit, year by year you are fleeced. Very devious, and not very nice. Ableton are beginning to loose their warm and fuzzy feeling in my eyes. I hope they prove me wrong.

Rant over
dude, i know your not being totally harsh but, ableton have got mouths to feed just like the rest of us, even if it is just their own mouths...

just a thought

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:25 pm
by pulsoc
Permission denied?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:26 pm
by Patch
I can still see it now. One of the tag lines from Live Version 1. (Remember that???)

Made by Musicians, for Musicians

Pfft! Now it should read:

Made by Rich Folk for Rich Folk

We made 'em rich now they're gonna start fuckin' us over for $200 a year!!!

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:29 pm
by hambone1
Jeez... don't want it? Can't afford it? Don't buy it. What's the big deal?

If Ableton products are overpriced, nobody will buy them. Supply and demand. Econ 101.

I want a Corvette. Can't afford it, though, so I drive my Toyota and ride my bike.

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:33 pm
by Poster
n.m.

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:37 pm
by 5dots
Moreover, don't buy it if you don't need it. I don't need Operator - I use a couple freeware synths now and then, but I do most of my work with samples - so I've never bought it, and don't intend to.

Ableton has so far had a pretty good sense of what features are essential and which are optional. I'd much rather pay an extra $200 for Sampler, given how useful it will be for me, than have that price built in so that everyone has to pay for it regardless of how useful they find it. I wouldn't want to pay an extra $200 for Live just because Operator was built in.

And really, I think it keeps them feeling "warm and fuzzy" - they've got mouths to feed too, and it'd be easy for them to force us to buy instruments we don't all need, but they're not - they're giving us the option.

Every time a new version comes out, everyone whines about the price. Get over it.

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:38 pm
by peeddrroo
Image

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:42 pm
by hambone1
And you should see the Abes' coffee machine.

They gotta pay for that thing somehow...

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:43 pm
by Meef Chaloin
surely they had mouths to feed before the add-ons?

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:46 pm
by Voodu
I don't know I think I would be more pissed if they FORCED us to but the options. I really have no interest in the sampler so I'm kinda glad it's not tacked onto the price without any options.