what a deviously clever bit of marketing
1) Give away something for nothing that is very old and will hardly work
2) In a month (few months / years / decades!) you "launch" your new product
3) You offer ALL owners (whether they purchased it in good faith many years ago or have just been given the product) an upgrade price
4) People who now "own" Sampletank because they have just been given it, might actually be MORE inclined to upgrade than old existing users.
 
I expect they have realized they might not sell that many to New users (that's of course if there is anyone on the planet who has not got it!) and they might not sell many upgrades to older users who have all become a little disillusioned.
So give it away to the few people who may not already have it then get them to purchase your upgrade - as I said, deviously clever
 
Nigel
 
 

Or..........................just be content with ST2 ................and not upgrade.

gustabo
ST3 should be coming real soon now, just got a copy of ST2 in my cereal box...
Wonder if that means that I'll qualify for a discounted upgrade price...

this is the problem for those who bought their stuff , to see it heavily discounted soon after.. they aren't the only ones but does make 2nd guessing their marketing folk interesting..
 
I'd prefer to buy off someone like esoundz .. upgrade wise.. IK have a rather stupid policy regarding re-downloading sound libs... they charge.. esoundz , I can download again without issue if my dvd is / was faulty.. others don't for the same.. so they might wanna start rethinking that also. same with their license transfer.. they charge!! ... suprised they don't charge to login ;-)
 
 

Here's the latest post in the KVR forum from Peter at IK........aparently, ST3 is generating a lot of heat:
 
 
 
 
"by Peter - IK Multimedia; Tue Feb 11, 2014 8:22 am SampleTank 3 - Hopefully civil unlocked informational thread
Since the two threads got locked, I’ve tried to create the most informative and least inflammatory post possible about SampleTank 3, and I will share information as clearly as possible. The rest is up to you, my participation will be with information that I have and can share as clearly as I am able to communicate it.
SampleTank 3 - The hopefully civil and unlocked informational thread
It is true that 2013 came and went and there was no SampleTank 3. For those unaware, there were some issues and we were not able to release it when we expected to. SampleTank 3 was shown at Winter NAMM 2013 in Anaheim, California from which there are multiple videos (and there was also a mistaken product post from a dealer at that time that has since been removed).
Here is a the information we’ve presented so far, I will add anything I may have missed later in the thread if necessary:
SampleTank 3 will be 64-bit only, and you will be able to use previous Powered By SampleTank libraries (Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleMoog, SampleTron, Sonik Synth, Xpansion Tanks, etc) inside SampleTank 3 and it will be definitely possible to import SampleTank 2 combis in SampleTank 3.
Why was it decided that SampleTank 3 will be 64-bit and why was SampleTank 2.5 not updated to provide 64-bit compatibility? See this post on our Official IK Forum: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/forum/viewt ... =12&t=6909
The included library will be over 30GB in size and will include over 3,000 instruments in 20 categories
There are three main sections to the GUI: Play, Mix, and Edit and the new interface is less cluttered with much larger typeface. The Play page has detailed 3D renders of the instruments but can also show a list of the instruments in each slot, volume, pan, MIDI channels, output levels, etc instead.
There will be articulations, round robin, key switching, and velocity switching to bring more realism and control to the SampleTank experience.
The sound quality of the included library is poised to rival that of dedicated libraries while also providing many more of certain types of sounds than the stock library of other products.
SampleTank 3 will include over 50 effects, many of those will be new effects too. There are also effects from flagship products like T-RackS and AmpliTube too. Each of the 16 instrument instrument parts will have 5 insert effects slots. There are 4 stereo FX returns and a Master Channel each with 5 effect slots, too.
There will be 14 types of filters, including analog-modeled filters included.
SampleTank 3 will cost 60% of what SampleTank did when released in 2003 and there will be upgrade pricing, including an extra discount for early adopters of SampleTank 2.
I will add photo and video assets to the thread as time goes, too, this is a good chunk of information to start, though. Thank you for reading."
 

Thank you for sharing the currently public details about SampleTank 3. We'll have more information closer to release.

snooooooooooooze

This is the same EXACT thing we've heard for MONTHS....ad nauseum...

Blah blah blah...

Face it...the vast majority of "Pros" are pretty much done with SampleTank based on 
the MAJOR LACK OF SUPPORT over the years.  I'm sure you'll pay off many "top guys"
to promote your program to increase sales.  As I've stated over and over...there will
be MARKETING HYPE TO BEAT THE BAND!!! (lterally)

Most have moved on to "other" products, that ARE supported, and where, when they INVEST
THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY... the don't have to wait 11 years to get a return...
AND listen to crap for years about the "next version".

Seriously....you better sell this for PEANUTS.....and HOPE that SOMEONE buys it...
The "Newbies" that you GAVE ST 2.5 to will "fall for" your hype.  But those of 
us who have been around won't.  Sorry.

I invested FAR TO MUCH to be "left hanging" for so long, as did many others...

I wish ST3 the best...but if ANYONE out there has ANY sense...they'll PASS.

cclarry
This is the same EXACT thing we've heard for MONTHS....ad nauseum...

Blah blah blah...

Face it...the vast majority of "Pros" are pretty much done with SampleTank based on 
the MAJOR LACK OF SUPPORT over the years.  I'm sure you'll pay off many "top guys"
to promote your program to increase sales.  As I've stated over and over...there will
be MARKETING HYPE TO BEAT THE BAND!!! (lterally)

Most have moved on to "other" products, that ARE supported, and where, when they INVEST
THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY... the don't have to wait 11 years to get a return...
AND listen to crap for years about the "next version".

Seriously....you better sell this for PEANUTS.....and HOPE that SOMEONE buys it...
The "Newbies" that you GAVE ST 2.5 to will "fall for" your hype.  But those of 
us who have been around won't.  Sorry.

I invested FAR TO MUCH to be "left hanging" for so long, as did many others...

I wish ST3 the best...but if ANYONE out there has ANY sense...they'll PASS.

 
Sorry I JUST do not get it, why you are on such a crusade.
 
You bought a product and it worked for a long time (still works), and WAS upgraded since it was initially released hence the name SampleTank 2.5.  Now they are a redoing the sounds, providing a new version and your projecting onto IK.
 
Nobody promised you a rose garden.  You bought a product that delivered and you used it, you cared about it.  Now after a long time they are going to improve said product and include things that you and many users want AND going to provide an upgrade path so the price will be cheaper to you than buying a new product.
 
I truly do not believe that IK can do anything to appease you from the posts you and some others have posted.  I don't get it.
 
new product with new content and new features - yeah I will probably buy it, as an upgrade.  why not more sounds in my library to have.

MachineClaw

cclarry
This is the same EXACT thing we've heard for MONTHS....ad nauseum...

Blah blah blah...

Face it...the vast majority of "Pros" are pretty much done with SampleTank based on 
the MAJOR LACK OF SUPPORT over the years.  I'm sure you'll pay off many "top guys"
to promote your program to increase sales.  As I've stated over and over...there will
be MARKETING HYPE TO BEAT THE BAND!!! (lterally)

Most have moved on to "other" products, that ARE supported, and where, when they INVEST
THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY... the don't have to wait 11 years to get a return...
AND listen to crap for years about the "next version".

Seriously....you better sell this for PEANUTS.....and HOPE that SOMEONE buys it...
The "Newbies" that you GAVE ST 2.5 to will "fall for" your hype.  But those of 
us who have been around won't.  Sorry.

I invested FAR TO MUCH to be "left hanging" for so long, as did many others...

I wish ST3 the best...but if ANYONE out there has ANY sense...they'll PASS.

 
Sorry I JUST do not get it, why you are on such a crusade.
 
You bought a product and it worked for a long time (still works), and WAS upgraded since it was initially released hence the name SampleTank 2.5.  Now they are a redoing the sounds, providing a new version and your projecting onto IK.
 
Nobody promised you a rose garden.  You bought a product that delivered and you used it, you cared about it.  Now after a long time they are going to improve said product and include things that you and many users want AND going to provide an upgrade path so the price will be cheaper to you than buying a new product.
 
I truly do not believe that IK can do anything to appease you from the posts you and some others have posted.  I don't get it.
 
new product with new content and new features - yeah I will probably buy it, as an upgrade.  why not more sounds in my library to have.

Thank you and kudos. We are working hard on SampleTank 3 and look forward to what we hope will take care of everyone's requests/needs in what they wanted in the next generation of SampleTank.

I empathize with cclarry and feel like it would be in IK's best interest to just let this ST3 thing quiet down until they have a true product that is available.
 
But for some reason they continue the marketing hype and pushing the product even though they have no availability date or pricing. On another forum there have been at least 2 threads locked due to the forum members and the IK rep arguing about the product. Now, the IK rep has decided to start a New thread over there about ST3 to continue the hype. I JUST don't understand that type of marketing mentality, he just continues to p--s the potential Customers off.
 
Too many broken promises and too much BS. Other than that, I like the IK products I own that will work well in today's 64bit world. Unfortunately bridged 32bit products cause me more problems that I am willing to deal with. If you live in a 32bit world that's fine also as long as you can continue to do the things you want to do and are happy with the results so ST3 should be no issue at all since it will not work in a 32bit world...