I think YOP's description of Obi as an unfortunate soul is dead on. I appreciate all the help he gives (Obi's a dude, right?) here with getting tickets bumped and the like, but I don't envy him the part of the job that involves posting news that is only ever going to be received with hostility. Thanks for the good you do here Obi, and I hope when you get to announce ST3 is hitting you'll feel some love.

Its not always received with hostility and don't feel bad for me at all. I get paid to talk about music all day and post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and forums. The youth aren't the only ones using these things. Professionals are using these backstage and on the road all the time.

My take on it -

First - these forums are primarily dedicated to Sonar users, which means that a lot of people here are primarily interested in studio tools and, therefore have no use for iApps and portability. Even if one can argue that iStuff could be integrated. That's still not the primary use of that stuff.

Second - Sonar is PC and a lot of people here simply hate Apple. Even though IK are starting to release stuff for Android, the "iCrap" stigmata runs deep.

Third - Though a fraction of the forum members may perform live, many musicians still don't care for iStuff - as convenient as it could be to others. I know a lot of touring professional musicians. None of them seems too interested in iApps. A couple of keyboard players using MacBooks and Apple's MainStage live, that I have seen. Ableton live for additional sequencing and cues, too. iApps? None.

So it's not a matter of whether those iApps can be used in a professional context or are just toys, but more that, only a minority of forum members here seems to fit the profile of the target audience.

Even among those of us for whom portability is a criteria, you'll still find many who prefer using a more traditional solution, like a laptop. We're just not ready to trade everything for portability, and as impressive as the iStuff is becoming, most of it is still rudimentary compared to what you can run on even just a laptop.

I mean, running Auria or Garage Band and Amplitube may be cool for Slash or Whoever, but a lot of people won't feel like going that far in compromises.

So trying to get people excited about anything "i" around here is almost like trying to sell them kitchen hardware - wrong crowd, mostly.

I agree with Yorolpal and Rain both..

I have no problem with Apple anything...I use an iMac all the time..

I have no problem with iPhones and iPads for that matter...it's
definitely a big market...

I own an LG Thrill 3D Android phone...

I have no problem with Obi at all....I'm glad he's here....to "hear" these things
and report back...

My issue is this...

IK has devoted 2 years of it's time developing iApps that cost about $5 on avg.
While their customers, US, who got them in the game in the VERY FIRST PLACE have
been "placed on the back burner" in favor of a whole lot of iFad that will soon dissipate...
as these YOUTH, spending their parents money on iApps for fun, will easily grow tired of them.
Granted that some Pro's will opt to endorse these...they get paid to...and some will actually even
use them, but again, it won't be for long, as it will not be more then a "notepad" for quite a while.

These things are good for "notepads" to get song ideas down...that's it...
and the price of a tablet with an i7 processor running Win 8 is highly prohibitive at the 
moment, as are TouchScreen monitors...the average Joe just isn't going to plop down
a grand for one right now to have the "latest toy" on the block.

So, as I said, my issue isn't with iK going after the couple of dollars in iApp sales...
I say GO FOR IT...

Just DON'T do it at the expense of those of us who PUT YOU ON THE BOARD to do it
in the first place...

This is an EPIC failure on iK's part.  WE made the company...and THEY let us down.

So, from my perspective...they can have their iKrap and their PC crap too...
They're not going to support the products I've purchased, so I'm not going 
to continue to support them...and the VAST majority of those HERE and ELSEWHERE
feel the same...

Amplitube is nice...but there a lot of viable and even somewhat better alternatives
T-Racks is ok...but again, there are better and more viable alternatives
CSR....it's nice....you get the idea here...

And it took QUITE A LONG TIME for even those to get to 64 bit...
So I say...too little to late...

They'll get a few years of of iWhatever...

But I'm pretty much done with iK...

They'll have to BLOW ME AWAY to get another cent out of me...

I'll take substance over "empty words" everytime...

Not to mention - as good looking as any pro endorsement may be, anyone who's been at it long enough knows that quite often, pros - especially musicians - don't have to rely on software as extensively as many of us are. Paradoxaly, pros can be much less demanding.

In other words, Slash may be quite happy using an iPad to record demos, but he knows he will be re-recording everything in the best studios w/ the best gear out there. His demos could actually sound like utter crap for all we know. 

I'm quite sure Slash doesn't spend hours agonizing over that stuff, searching forums to see how he could improve his recorded tones on the iPad, replacing this cab model w/ impulses from that other manufacturer to get a bit more oomf and such.

Someone who's not in such a position may have to try and get a whole lot more out of his set up. 

Personally, while I may consider Slash's input as to what are some of the best studios he's recorded in or who's a cool engineer to work w/, his views amp sims don't strike me as particularly enlightening. 

IK has released a lot of new models for Amplitude in the last 6 months and T-Racks got a huge update at the end of 2012 (5 new processors).  

So, I wouldn't say it's fair to claim they've effectively abandoned standard Macs and PCs.

SmokeyJ628


IK has released a lot of new models for Amplitude in the last 6 months and T-Racks got a huge update at the end of 2012 (5 new processors).  

So, I wouldn't say it's fair to claim they've effectively abandoned standard Macs and PCs.

No one has said that iK has abandoned the PC and Mac user..


What has been stated is that the FOCUS at iK has gone from US, those who put them on the map,
to iWhatever.

All of their "updates" for Mac and PC are "late to the table" in terms of how it relates to their competition.

And the SampleTank line HAS been abandoned NOW for 4 years....and THAT is their FLAGSHIP sampler...

They've promised updates for almost 3 years now....but NOTHING.  THAT is the issue. 
AND most have abandoned iK, in favor of Kontakt, Alchemy, Independence, etc....there's a LOT of BETTER
and more viable and SUPPORTED products out there...

EPIC FAILURE on IK's part...and I, for one, won't support them anymore...

You may choose to do so...that is your prerogative....but I won't spend another cent on their products..
unless, as I stated, they BLOW AWAY the competition...and THAT WON'T HAPPEN.

I also have no problem with Obi at all.
I'm glad he comes here and helps us with some issues we may be having.

I'm also sorry that he's the one who gets jumped on for his employers short comings.
Sorry Obi but you just happen to be the link in the chain between our forums and IK Multimedia.

Mike

I'm going to hold out hope that IK reflects back on how useful the PC platform is and redirects more serious efforts there. 

cclarry

SmokeyJ628


IK has released a lot of new models for Amplitude in the last 6 months and T-Racks got a huge update at the end of 2012 (5 new processors).  

So, I wouldn't say it's fair to claim they've effectively abandoned standard Macs and PCs.

No one has said that iK has abandoned the PC and Mac user..


What has been stated is that the FOCUS at iK has gone from US, those who put them on the map,
to iWhatever.

I said people have claimed they've "effectively" abandoned desktop users.  ohgrant said above:  "I'm going to hold out hope that IK reflects back on how useful the PC platform is and redirects more serious efforts there. " I just don't get how IK's release of iphone apps proves their FOCUS has gone from the desktop users.  


They have released a number of new and significant tools for desktop users over the past 6-8 months in T-racks and Amplitube.  They've diversified their business by adding the phone stuff.  They didn't quit doing desktop apps just to do iphone stuff.  
Trust me, I wish Sampletank 3 were already out and I think the long development cycle for it is unfortunate.  It's easily way overdue to be updated.  However, people just have selective memory as they only seem to remember iphone apps and forget about new models for Amplitube and T-racks (along with the 64-bit CSR) which have come out over the last year. 


It's fine if people want to get all upset about it, but *some* of the accusations seem to be off base to me.  

SmokeyJ628

I'm going to hold out hope that IK reflects back on how useful the PC platform is and redirects more serious efforts there. 

cclarry

SmokeyJ628


IK has released a lot of new models for Amplitude in the last 6 months and T-Racks got a huge update at the end of 2012 (5 new processors).  

So, I wouldn't say it's fair to claim they've effectively abandoned standard Macs and PCs.

No one has said that iK has abandoned the PC and Mac user..


What has been stated is that the FOCUS at iK has gone from US, those who put them on the map,
to iWhatever.

I said people have claimed they've "effectively" abandoned desktop users.  ohgrant said above:  "I'm going to hold out hope that IK reflects back on how useful the PC platform is and redirects more serious efforts there. " I just don't get how IK's release of iphone apps proves their FOCUS has gone from the desktop users.  


They have released a number of new and significant tools for desktop users over the past 6-8 months in T-racks and Amplitube.  They've diversified their business by adding the phone stuff.  They didn't quit doing desktop apps just to do iphone stuff.  
Trust me, I wish Sampletank 3 were already out and I think the long development cycle for it is unfortunate.  It's easily way overdue to be updated.  However, people just have selective memory as they only seem to remember iphone apps and forget about new models for Amplitube and T-racks (along with the 64-bit CSR) which have come out over the last year. 


It's fine if people want to get all upset about it, but *some* of the accusations seem to be off base to me.  

Ok SmokeyJ,


Let me put this in perspective for you...

Amplitube 3 was released in Feb of 2010...so it was almost 3 years to get to Amplitube 4 CS...

CSR was released in 2007....making almost 6 years for it to be updated...


Granted, there were bug fix "point" releases...

BUT your perspective in skewed...


SampleTank hasn't even had a "point" update since 2010..or a version increment since long before that...



You boyz just keep on keepin' on....

I'm out of that loop....much more viable (and supported) options available...

As Rain stated, if it weren't for the COST to transfer them...I'd give them away....

Peace!