I've already uninstalled there 32bit workstation stuff that I don't use, just eating up ssd space. Still have T-racks but don't use it much anymore. I do use Amplitude and ARC but I'm not spending another penny on anything IK.

Wow... Do your bosses know what a fine representative you are of their company? Let's talk to our customers like they're subhuman, dripping with sarcasm. That's sure to increase sales. You're quite the professional.

To be quite honest I cannot believe the histrionic butt-hurt and sense of entitlement in this thread. I thought I was on YouTube for a second 
 
Y'all didn't like the deal. Get over it! The free market is beautiful. 

There's certainly a free market in the sense that you as a consumer have the option to abstain from taking part in a deal you don't like the sound of. And of course you can demand more from vendors, up to a point. They can't please everyone, and they still have to make a profit. But this is all very elementary stuff. I'm just bemused at the whole tone of the thread, and the attacks on Peter. Seems a little uncalled for. It's like everyone's had a little too much to drink 

Considering this is a FREE Market...do we not also have the FREEDOM
to express our discontent with a company, and their reps, that tend
to DEMEAN their customers?

We have every right to express our discontent with their "sales tactics", that is what
FREE Speech is about.

IK repeatedly does things that are NOT in the best interest of the customer,
and their Reps act like IK is ABOVE reproach in this matter...THAT is the REAL
issue.  The fact that the Reps do this shows their "problems", and that 
reflects on the Company as a whole...

You both are completely entitled to express your support for their demeaning and 
condescending attitude to PAYING customers....that is your prerogative...
as it is OURS to express our discontent...

So, if you want to talk about FREE anything...keep it COMPLETELY free...IJS...

DELETE

sharke
"Freedom of expression" is a cute straw man argument but nobody is disputing your right to free speech. Put it this way, you also have the freedom of expression to walk up to a little girl and tell her she's ugly, but you'd be a dick if you did.

You need to get things in perspective. It's a sale. They're under no obligation, contractual or otherwise, to give away anything for free. The contract between vendor and customer is that you pay for something and they give it to you. Anything else is a bonus. You don't like what they're offering? Nobody has a gun to your head. Criticism of a company's sale offerings/pricing structure is one thing, but the hyperbole in this thread and others like it is completely inappropriate and quite frankly nasty. The use of the word "subhuman" above, for example. Overall I just get the impression that some people are more interested in acquiring plugins for the sake of it than they are in making music. Because nothing else would explain the rage.

This is your opinion, and you're entitled to it...ours is different...and we're entitled to it.
And if you don't like it you have every right to voice that discontent.

YOU need to get things in perspective...your rant is more of a "COUNTER-WEIGHT"
then a "valid" concern...

You don't have to like whats said...but you need to acknowledge that both Leadfoot,
OlPal, as well as myself, have EVERY RIGHT to express our "discontent" with their
SALE....even though it's THEIR SALE.

You are completely correct, companies are under NO OBLIGATION to do ANYTHING.
BUT, they DO have a "MORAL" and "SOCIAL" responsibility to their customers to do what's RIGHT...
at least they SHOULD.  But IK doesn't.  They do what they want and make no apologies for it.
As a matter of fact, they are down right SARCASTIC about it.  If you call out their FALSE 
facts..they respond with CYNICAL SARCASM.  The ONLY recourse we have is
to voice our discontent...and NOT buy their products...but if we've already invested
HEAVILY into the company's products..and then they SHAFT YOU for buying them...
and then say "HA...too bad sucker!"...doesn't that seem just a little "demeaning" to you?

Ok...let's look at this...they come out with new products...2 weeks later there's a sale,
and they state that those who already purchased are included...So, now it's a BOGO...
so, if you already own EVERYTHING except the NEW, and THEY are excluded from 
the sale, you don't think you, the loyal customer, have a RIGHT to be discontent
that you spent your money (or are going to spend) but NOW get NOTHING?

THAT is a travesty....plain and simple...just as IK's demeaning attitude is...
If the customer is the REASON, then LISTEN...and respond IN KIND...not IN SARCASM.
THAT is what a Company Rep is supposed to do...not be a sarcastic malcontent....

Leadfoot was only saying that THEY (IK) seem to treat their customers as if they are 
"less then human".

That is the ONLY point that was being made here....

As my original post shows I actually agree with my ol pal Sharke on this one. I thought their deal sucked and chose not to participate. In fact, I thanked them, even if in a backhanded way, for helping me make that decision and keep my money in my pocket. It wasn't until ol IK got so snotty that I got "reinvolved". He rebuffed my initial honest offer of constructive criticism. So be it. I also agree he's taken quite a drubbing. But if you'll read back through the thread (yawn) you'll likely see he's been digging his own grave. So screw him and the horse he rode in on.

yorolpal
As my original post shows I actually agree with my ol pal Sharke on this one. I thought their deal sucked and chose not to participate. In fact, I thanked them, even if in a backhanded way, for helping me make that decision and keep my money in my pocket. It wasn't until ol IK got so snotty that I got "reinvolved". He rebuffed my initial honest offer of constructive criticism. So be it. I also agree he's taken quite a drubbing. But if you'll read back through the thread (yawn) you'll likely see he's been digging his own grave. So screw him and the horse he rode in on.

This is what I stated...that we have the right to "not buy" AND to express our displeasure...

I don't agree with Sharke....not in the context of this thread....sorry...

I don't want EITHER of these NEW things Sharke...sorry...I wont' pay their ridiculous prices...
but, for those who DO...this is a scam...and YES his post was "BS and political CRAP"...

My point is AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN that:

YOU DON'T EXCLUDE YOUR CUSTOMERS IN ANY WAY - NONE OF THEM..
it's not GOOD business...to give them the "business"...


and YOU DON'T TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH ANYTHING BUT COURTESY...

I"m done with this insanity...

Welp...that's what makes a horse race. For the record, IK owes me nothing. Period. I can choose to buy their products or not no matter what their corporate marketing, updating or pricing policies are. I would, however appreciate their spokesmen being friendly, honest and, above all, not rude and condescending. And if you can read IKs comments and not think he was being snotty...then either your "snarky meter"...or mine needs some serious adjustment. But thanks for dropping by to chide us anyway. It's always good to hear another perspective. Wait...why is that little bell sounding??

Agreed. But I think I'm being tarred by someone else's brush. I've read through my posts again and still think for the most part I was not engaged in the sort of hyperbolic rhetoric you're describing. Sorry, if I was.

IK is being criticized for not giving away their products on one hand but then, they're continually accused of devaluating their products by making them so cheap and having ridiculous sales all the time. All I know is that I can only thank them for the great tools they sold me at a very reasonable price. And occasionally rip on them for the elusive Sampletank 3. ;)
 
At the end of the day, all I care about is that IK's Pultec and Fairchild (both of which cost me pocket change) are among my favorite 3rd party tools - and they're actually my go-to plugs for rock guitar tracks these days. 
 
The way I see it, if a plug-in I want isn't on sale now, it'll most likely be sometime in the future. At least, IK is rather reliable in that respect. And if a sale is of no interest, then so be it. Getting all reeled up and going to do any good.
 
I'm trying to imagine myself getting mad at Gibson because they made a blue Les Paul and put it on sale - and I hate the colour blue...
 
Maybe because their reps are present on forums such as these, people tend to unwind on IK. I don't think there'd be half as much hatred and rage against them if not for the fact that people can nurture it by interacting with reps. The level of commitment to that is quite fantastic.
 
You know, most of the people I interact with IRL are 100% oblivious to that kind of debate - dozens of musicians and engineers who use IK products happily. Most of them don't spend any time on forums talking about the products they use, they just use them. We are a very particular type of users, and by no mean are we the majority, far from it.
 
 
 

From what I can see, Peter's first comment in the thread was quite reasonable. It was met with this "CRAP! Corporate BS" rhetoric. His second post wasn't particularly snarky or sarcastic either. Cue: "It's a scam!" (Oh really? A scam?) Cue "Arrogant! Irresponsible" (Irresponsible?) "Your research is completely wrong"? (Based on what. A single data point consisting of yourself?) "Cheap! Greedy" -- they're just trying to make a profit like every other company in existence. "Kicking us in the face?" it goes on an on. Totally over the top. To be honest, in light of the language being used, I think he showed remarkable restraint.
 
 
Excellent points, Sharke.

IMO there seems to be an unhealthy hatred for IK by a small handful of people who seem to be carrying a vendetta against the company and their representative.

I can understand the frustration regarding long over-due upgrades and being on the wrong side of a sale price but some of the anger is at an absurd level.

IMO this thread is like a few others in the past year where the IK representative is being bullied, harrassed, insulted and then he's the one accused of snarky responses.