Addicted Drums 2

 
If you upgraded 'right away' and got X3 right after it came out then you've been using AD for at least 7 months.
 
> 'it seems like a slap in the face' 
Well, if you want to beat yourself up just think - if you had held off of buying X3 till now you would not only have gotten AD2 for free but gotten a totally killer deal on Sonar as well.  
 
 
 
 

If you got Sonar/AD January or later there are discounts.
 
From http://www.cakewalk.com/Page/Addictive-Drums-2-Upgrade-with-SONAR-X3-Producer 
If you purchased Addictive Drums (or SONAR X3 Producer) on or after March 1st 2014, you will get a FREE upgrade to AD2 in your XLN Audio Account. 

If you purchased Addictive Drums (or SONAR X3 Producer) in January or February of 2014, you will get a 50% discount for the upgrade at http://www.xlnaudio.com/addictivedrums/. 

I do agree that it is a little aggravating that those of us who have proven our loyalty to Cakewalk end up being left out of any sort of upgrade deal. I had used Cake products in other studios since 1998. It was those experiences that led to me setting up my own room and buy 8.5. I have upgraded every year since just as quick as the new versions became available. After that investment it seems a little hard to swallow that I only used AD1 for less than a year before having the door slammed shut when it comes to updating.
I just don't see where this upgrade is worth the price but I explained before. A lot of the features in AD2 would not be used by me anyway. I play my drum tracks in from a controller or write them in the notation window. The only benefit would be an upgraded sound engine or better sampled kits.
My major issue is how long before the kits for AD1 are no longer available and we are forced to upgrade. I don't like that word forced. I will continue to use Toontrack and BFD. I am not mad or ranting but this situation has made me question XLNs business ethics. I wonder if this is a Cakewalk decision by the new owners or is XLN holding out. I would gladly pay a reasonable amount of money for the upgrade but almost 100 dollars would almost buy EZD2 if I were just starting out buying drum software. 
 

We all know everything goes on sale after awhile. If you want the cheapest price don't be an early adopter.
 
Rocky

If AD1 was an installation that could be saved to disc it wouldn't be such an issue.  But since the only way you can install it is thru an online installation...it makes you wonder how long one will be able to even install it.  For those who actually PAID for AD1...they should get a FREE upgrade to AD2 IF XLN decided to remove the online installation for AD1.
 
Honestly I can not see how XLN could legally do away with the AD1 installation without giving the AD1 owners a free upgrade since so many already own a legal "copy" (if you can call it a copy).  People have hard drive issues all the time and have to reinstall their software.  With a hard copy...it's not a big deal to reinstall, even if it's no longer supported by the company...but with an "online only" type of installation....you are at their mercy.
 
JMHO

Gawwuf
I have been a long user of Cakewalk software, and love the Sonar X series, I upgrade right away, it seems like a slap in the face that only new users can get this upgrade to Addicted Drums 2.
 
Just sayin.
 

Really? How much did you pay for Sonar and upgrades after that? How long have you had use of Sonar? I can't imagine why you would expect freebies, Sonar is tremendous value.

And really do you need AD2? I'm rapidly concluding I don't need it. What is wrong with AD1?

I agree with other posters, XLN should offer the ability to create an offline installer.
 
[EDITED FOR TYPO - I wrote AD1 rather than AD2]

Honestly I thought what they did last time with the SONAR Content Club of the month was a great solution. It rewarded early adopters by giving them more perks but also enticed new purchasers with monthly incentives.
 
Also, I'm just sour grapes that I missed out on the free CA-2A & AD2 upgrade...would have loved that!!

Gawwuf
I have been a long user of Cakewalk software, and love the Sonar X series, I upgrade right away, it seems like a slap in the face that only new users can get this upgrade to Addicted Drums 2.
 
Just sayin.
 

dwardzala
Lets be clear, this is XLN's doing, not Cakewalk.
 
Also, they can legally do it because we bought a license to use the software, not the software itself and I'm pretty sure their End User License Agreement states that they can do exactly what they did.
 
I am certain there are ways to protect your installation (disk image, etc) so that in the event of a hardware failure you can recover.

Is the actual gripe against "new users" getting a better deal at time of purchase than the early adopters?
 
OR
 
If we are going by the "logic" of the OP.........the people who bought X3 in March 2014 and got the free AD2 upgrade, should also be getting for free all future upgrades to AD3??? AD4??? AD5 etc....???
 
 

There's nothing to stop you from continuing to use AD1 except the knowledge that AD2 is lurking out there, taunting you to upgrade.
 
I know that this is hard for many us - I mean this is software !
How can I be a man if I don't own the latest release and have it installed on all my computers? Could I live without my wife rolling her eyes yet again as I try to explain the benefits of upgrading something she doesn't understand or care about?  Her tender, loving comments of 'didn't that do-hicky you bought last week do the same thing?' and others just serve to remind me of the emptiness that comes of not having something new to install...
 
...Steven
 
 

AD1 is dead? Oh no! I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. RIP AD1.

If you get the install packages at least it's likely somebody (or even the company itself) might release a hack/patch to get around the activation in the event of death and possible lawsuits. No install packages no chance.

AD is great for customer service. the company is owned by musicians just like us.
with the release of toontracks new EZ Drummer 2 im guessing they are bouncing a little perc our way, for new users of sonar, or new buyers I should say.
 
lets not ruin it for others to enjoy this upgrade and not feel guilty.
this happens every single year, the price goes down, there is a deal included.
we shouldn't be surprised.
 
think about though, seriously, don't we have enough toys to play with ?
 
we're musicians, we're compulsive, we want it, then when we get it, we don't use it. :-)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sidroe
That's just the point. I did not choose to use AD1. It was given as a freebie in X3! Then when you incorporate in to your workflow your left standing around after only 7 or 8 months being told, "Oh, BTW, that drum software we gave you is now dead and if you want to continue to use it you have to pay another 100 bucks for the new and improved."
As I said before, I use Superior 2 as my goto in the studio. I would have liked to continue using AD on my live gigs because it loads so fast. I was just about ready to buy a brush kit from XLN but I don't think that will happen now. Why use an outdated kit with an outdated drum sampler. I don't like being forced to pay a pricey upgrade for something I have only gotten a few months of use out of. What do you do when they no longer support AD1? It all just leaves a bad taste.

Hi Sidroe. I always like reading your posts and respect your opinion, but isn't the bold hi-lighted above a bit over the top? I mean , one can still use AD1. Or am I missing something? 

Truth in advertising. It is named "Addictive Drums" right?