Bitwig have made a turnaround, and are now including the Spectral Suite for free in the latest update. Everyone who paid for it will get a refund. Excellent decision by Bitwig!
This is the breakdown: 1. You pay for a yearly subscription to receive new Bitwig features as they roll out. 2. Bitwig releases new features. 3. It costs EUR/USD 80. Unacceptable.
These are proprietary devices - they don't work in other host DAWs. That makes them an exclusive feature of the Bitwig ecosystem: like the modulators or The Grids. If the update plan doesn't cover features exclusive to the DAW like these, and possibly other devices in future, then they've just creating another economic tier of DAW ownership (Bitwig PRO, or Bitwig KOMPLETE, or whatever) Arbitrarily drawing a distinction between nominally 'core' or 'basic' features and 'extra' or 'extended' features is common in other platforms, but so far we've been spared the Apple-ification of Bitwig, and were led to believe (I would suggest, promised) that the update plan was paying for the development of new features and devices that eventually find their way into an update release. It just feels a bit cheeky - a bit money grabbing. Perhaps new sales have tailed off and the company feels that tapping those who've already committed to the product presents a more accessible economic resources than than putting resources into developing new customers?
Completely agree. If they are going to essentially make a plug-in, and charge a premium, it should work on other DAWs. To have it only work on Bitwig actually proves that it should be part of the upgrade plan we're all paying for.
What is this “Applefication” you speak of? Genuine question. When I purchase Logic Pro, I don’t know, 8 or 10 years ago, I paid $299…. That was it. Haven’t paid a dime since then for anything in Logic and they update it regularly and keep throwing stuff in with each update. And it works. Always. In fact the Mac 🖥️ I tend to run it on most is a 2013 Mac… knock on wood it’s been running fine since Day 1 and likely will keep on running for a while longer yet. I know that sounds like I’m shilling for Apple (I’m not really) but rather, I’m curious what is wrong with Apple Vs some of the other players out there like BitWig or FL etc… I don’t like constant paywalls either and that would be a non-starter for me in any DAW … no one needs that kind of tactic. BitWig does look like it has some cutting edge tools to it and that’s why I landed here.
@@neek01 I think at the time I was just naming the other large DAW software out there… I realize some like FL have free updates as well… so it wasn’t a knock at FL, rather, I merely wasn’t understanding the shade thrown at Logic Pro which is highly stable and always updated and gets the job done fairly smoothly. Everyone’s mileage may vary though… I get that too.
Bitwig has a small (compared to other DAWs) but very loyal and passionate community of customers. I think it's very stupid for them to do stuff that could risk alienating that group of people. I'm sure they knew this would be controversial. Adding in more pay-walls and tiers might bring in more revenue for now but it's very short sighted imo.
I was singing Bitwig's praises to everyone who would listen before, but now I don't think I can do that anymore in good conscience, even though the DAW itself is still great. Practices like this spoil that.
It's very simple to me. "12 Months of Free Upgrades"- "Future-proof: All Bitwig Studio updates in the following 12 months are FREE". The way people are reacting is totally legit.
One of the promises with the annual upgrade plan was, "all future updates in the following 12 months are free", that was the deal, and i was very happy to fund the company every year, and now i will think about it and stick to the 4.3 versión for a long time unless they consider their customer feedback and respect their promises.
Let's say you actually bought the 'plugins'... are they going to charge for the upgrade to those devices then? Too many unanswered questions, and honestly, as a smaller company, they really have more of an opportunity to communicate better. They are pulling an Ableton and it tastes bad.
What's more, apparently you need the latest BW version to purchase the devices, so it's some kind of double payment for those outside of the update window... I think there´s a lot of perceived (and IMHO real) value on the very simple Ableton Live Suite update philosophy: pay once, you get several years of relatively minor updates for free, you get ALL the official devices and instruments, and a very interesting upgrade price on the next release after those years. Maybe the developer has less incentive to create something really new on this case, but I see it as a lot more honest take on updates.. (and BTW, you can get Suite on sale for a very close price to Bigwig Studio... BWS is an incredible DAW but not cheap)
That's exactly my position, I'm on 4.0.something and I'm not able to use these. Honestly if I have to choose between paying for devices or for the daw features then okay, but do not force me to pay for one in order to be able to have another
here we go!!!! BITWIG is now the new pro tools with their back door antics. I purchased BITWIG because of it's amazing functions and fair pricing but I guess they have been hanging around pro tools. Nothing will beat REAPER in terms of price and upgrade plans not to mention the best support community of any DAW out there!
Spectral split? Ok I get it. Transient split? No, it's becoming an standard on music production/mixing/even mastering. It worries me, what other things will Bitwig consider "specialized"? I truly believe, as a SplitEQ user, that transient splitting is becoming more and more a need rather than a gimmick.
Multiband transient processing is a super powerful tool. I agree. Don’t use it all the time, but when an issue does occur (Ex: a drum loop with lots of bleed on the snare drum and has an inconsistent mid-high frequency ‘crack’ due to cymbals or hi hats being too dynamic and at different levels when the snare hits), that’s when I would take a Multiband compressor to control dynamics in that area and maybe instead of bringing up the volume with the band, I’d reinforce the transient with a multiband transient shaper now that things are level. ALL THIS TO SAY... Bitwig, transient shaping, splitting, whatever you want to call it, is an incredibly useful tool and I believe it should be native to the DAW. It is not a gimmick or shouldn’t be considered an add-on.
Totally agree! It would send a completely different message If they released it alongside v4.4 / 5.0 that would introduce a number of core DAW features and workflow improvements. That would make the plan going forward clear(er). I'm still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, I'm gonna get the upgrade+devices deal from JRR Shop's blowout, but they definitely hurt their image on the market. Going forward it will get much, much more difficult to convince anyone to jump to Bitwig, as if it wasn't difficult already with the "subscription" model :(
Definitely agree. Surprised I haven't seen anyone else espouse this idea in all the comment chains. If they were serious about what they meant in their hastily posted "Why Add-ons" Q&A, saying 'Core features of Bitwig Studio will continuously be developed as part of the 12-month upgrade plan' they absolutely should have released additional core features along with these devices. Without doing so it looks like they've been spending the noticeably gap between feature releases working on polishing just these add-ons.
The thing that’s frustrating about this to me is that Bitwig has made it clear that they prioritize sound design and unique features over keeping on top basic workflow stuff. And it’s like “ok you pay this yearly fee, and they are slow on updating user requested workflow features but they always have the cool sound design stuff… so it’s cool” but now it’s like…. the cool sound design stuff is just gonna be extra money on top of the yearly fee?? I’m very confused as to how they thought this was a good idea. If they had just released an update with a bunch of user requested features AND THEN they were like “and here is some experimental stuff that costs extra” I don’t think anyone would mind, but it’s the combo of things.
this. so much this. i never understood how the overwhelming majority in the very small bitwig community, namely the manchildren, always applauded bitwig for only releasing esoteric toys, instead of making substatial updates to the daw itself. now they get nothing... and as much as i would like to blame bitwig, its also the manchildrens fault for applauding bitwig in their plans to staying small and never being recognised as a daw for professional music production.
Good thoughts, thank you and I amd on the same page like you🌻 Currently im only reading and waiting. As I saw on KVR forum there will be another planned statement coming today or tomorrow from Bitwig. We will see what is going to happen the next days.
this is why you don't feed the machine.. I refuse to use anything subscription and you should too.. you lose money in the long run.. God I purchased FL studio 10 years ago.. I couldn't even imagine how much it would of cost me with a subscription plan
Development time is being used to create add on content which will draw away from development time on the "core" product if you don't like a device don't use it and wait for the feature or continue to ask for features that are not part of the current release. This new approach will only divide the community.
I’m upset about it, I expected to get everything new with my update plan. The only way this would be considered ok was if it were a plugin you could use anywhere.
Thank for speaking up on this . The community needs to let the Bitwig know how the user base feel. As a recent convert to Bitwig from Reason. This lack of transparency made me not use reason anymore ( reason 12 ui was not at all usable upon release) . I personally am going to e mail Bitwig and address this issue. These devices are great but we don't have mseg, midi comping,any other core features that the developer could work on the device i feel majority of the community didn't ask for and have to pay extra to use. If anyone is still reading this please e mail Bitwig support. If don't want to switch to another Daw.
you are sheet out of luck, mate. this company has not worked on core DAW features except minor bug fixes and audio comping since its inception. they promised major stuff like over the internet project collabs bla bla bla here this that but they never delivered on any of it.... and just pumped out nieche garbage(its cool dont get me wrong, but its gimmicks) that started to be their new way of moving forward. 90% of every bitwig update is stuff ypu will propably not going to use in a professional music environment. its frustrating to say the least if you joined in the beginning where they made all those bold promises of a allinone futurefeature packed DAW for professional music production. almost a decade down the line, i can say the dream is dead. no wonder this DAW has so few fans despite having so much potential.
No. This IS a bad idea. I dont see how it can be a good idea. FAR more work went into the grid than these devices. To say that these devices are worth something extra when something as powerful as the Grid was released with the subscription plan is just a flat out lie to defend the devs. I LOVE Bitwig. Been with them since 1.2. But I will call them out when they have a terrible idea. This is a terrible idea.
Transparency and communications has been a big problem in general all along. Sometimes it is amusing to get surprise goodies and sometimes it is super frustrating. Paying up front for mystery features is a bit strange in the first place. I really think at the very least there should be an open ticketing system where people can see a road map and issue status. That would be great, even if it is only high level. As it is everything is by email which is so not 2022. if there is a cash flow problem that is bubbling under the surface as rumors circulate, I think now would be the time to be transparent about that. As I said in one of my other posts, most committed customers would totally be cool if BW said we need to charge 15% more going forward. Given the economic climate it's kind of understandable. I would pay it. This comes off as almost trying their best not to hike the price, but hike the price, and it totally backfiring, because what they have done is totally confusing and feels sneaky. I'm sure that wasn't the intention one would hope. I feel sorry for front of house influencers and community relations people who are having to deal with cleanup on this. thanks garron, polarity and all for saying something and providing places for people to vent and have their say etc. ughh anyway, bit of a mess.
We are already supporting Bitwig with our upfront yearly upgrade subscription...this is taking us for granted. It is dishonest and deceitful...these are the main reason i left the previous Daw..reason ...
Who knows what's going to happen in the future. I'm on 4.1.6 now, if I fancy this because it's not in the upgrade plan I probably won't be able to get it without having the latest version which will require me to get the upgrade plan, that's a hell of a lot of money if my intention was to just get the spectral set. It just makes things tricky and probably was only implemented to get money straight away. I don't like this as it starts to get messy, soon they will be charging for Bitwig complete or something mad like 'Bitwig studio spectral and mastering edition' that's outside of the upgrade plan and outside of potentially other add-ons they create that need to be bought in a compete bundle instead.
The update cost is the same price or more than other DAW's subscription plans. So i think everyone perceives it as a subscription. Just doesn't sit well.
This is the kind of cash & grab nonsense you normally see when a business is failing. Just days ago, Bitwig lured a bunch of new users with free u-he plugins, and as soon as those new customers walked through the door they were slapped in the face with an update that requires an additional purchase. I will give u-he the benefit of a doubt that they had no idea that Bitwig would do this. Of course, I'm a bit biased since I have a great relationship with u-he, but I certainly hope that's the case.
You are promised you will have all the upgrades until you pay yearly upgrade plan and then they doing something behind you ? Noooo. Bye BW no more upgrades.
I just bought bitwig about a month ago and I'm already gonna jump right off. I could get the "pay for a year of upgrades" but this is too much for me cuz while I appreciate bitwig's built-in features, I don't need this specific DAW to make music. I value my trust on the company the most, and I just lost it right now. It was already hard to convince me and other new users about the "subscription" model they had, but now I doubt anyone is gonna get excited to buy the software knowing the news. I'm going back to Ableton! It was good while it lasted.
I don't consider these devices special, Bitwig is a creative forward looking DAW, devices should be core functionality. Happy to pay for Grid patches and sound packs though. I do understand your logic on holding things back for a future release and being able to release when available. I love Bitwig and want to help them, but not when feeling a bit fecked over.
I've written to them asking why they have done this. Hopefully they will clarify because I'm not really seeing anyone who is happy about this. If there is uncertainty then there is a danger that people will hold buying the upgrade plans and they will lose money.
Thanks for this. I have to say that, being new to bitwig, I had no feelings at all about this news and was really confused by all the hullabaloo. This seems to explain why this announcement felt at odds with people's expectations.
I feel like I paid for this already with the annual fee. If this the model moving forward, then the annual plan needs to drop significantly, or give current plan subscribers a stout discount.
This is borderline fraudulent behavior. So far we have been paying under the premise that the payment would cover all software updates. Sneakily changing that without announcement is unethical. It really is that simple.
Everyone's gas bill has gone up. I can't afford this. Neither my wallet or mental health can deal with this. Bitwig since ver 1. I'm not paying for development outside of my upgrade. Back to Renoise for me.
It's almost like Bitwig is taking PR lessons from Ableton. Because they do exactly that, except they might implement one user suggested feature every 10 years or so.
If they're not that massive company, it would be even more key to clearly communicate way ahead of time that such a change will happen. Look at u-he and what they are doing with zebra legacy. Perfectly fine this way. But this from Bitwig is a big no-no, sorry.
I'd be happy to pay if it was like, £25. £70 is a lot for a spectral plugin which is effectively an extension of bitwig. I pay an upgrade licence for this already though, that's the problem really.
Yes, the problem is people fence sitting - trying to be reasonable like yourself. You have already paid for it to be developed, and then you say "I'd be happy to pay again'.
@@guser7137 I'm not happy to pay again though, as I've already said it should be included in yearly upgrade licence, if they'd have sold it as a 3rd party add-on for £25 as one of their CLAP plugins however I might have considered it. Not paying £70 for something that is stock bitwig and should be included though. I'm not the problem here though regardless.
Thats what the yearly update fee is for supposedly. This is just a bitch move by bitwig IMHO, its certainly broken my trust that they will release anything good in the annual updates, and instead will want to charge extra for it in future.
I don't agree. The point of the Upgrade plan is that you are getting the stuff that Bitwig do, i.e. this feature. You aren't paying for 12 months of 'fixing bugs we put in our software'.
I understand the general frustration of, "Why are they selling (what amounts to) extra features / functionality outside the subscription model?" This is a valid question. But I think the most important issue is one of clear communication to set expectations. Clear and timely communication seems to be a bigger and bigger problem in today's world. The volume and velocity of information creates non-stop distractions and great stress for everyone. Perhaps Bitwig could have done better in setting expectations with the Spectral Series. However, one thing people need to remember is that businesses need multiple streams of recurring revenue to incentivize innovation, much less to keep the lights on. Since Bitwig is the dark horse in the DAW world at the moment, and could be considered niche at this point, enthusiastic users of the software might reframe the issue of contributing more money as investment to ensure Bitwig's success, so that the software continues to be supported and doesn't just disappear suddenly. Nothing sucks more than paying for updates for years just to watch the company that created it disappear.
The problem with selling a product as a premium product vs what they purchase is that customers will feel they will get a substandard products in the future
My thoughts were yeah I upgraded after 4 or 5 month lapse, oh shucks, nothing much new has changed or been added since 4.3.4, Will wait to see what comes along. First thing to pop in email. Pay us more money for these 4 new effects. Oh that sucks what did I just pay 169 for? (Sad music) I guess that is coming still coming later since it is not these?
Exactly - If that €169 is only for bug-fixes and a higher version number, than it's not worth it. There MUST be improvements, and their musty be €169 worth(ish) of them, otherwise what's the point of paying for the renewal?
The biggest problem is double dipping and charging us more money for things that we always expected, based upon their own words, to get in the main product.
There is no grand vision - only flailing in advance of a buyout or going open source. There is no justification just rationalization. The company is failing.
Maybe they think those plugins are bad or too hard to maintain, so they wanted to make sure people dont get them; but they had to release them somehow cause the CFO forced them. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have to upgrade first to the latest version, and then pay again for these new fx, which are really cool(I tried the demo) but man, in my situation personally I have to pay twice, one for the upgrade and another one for these because I have 4.0.8...
This is a company that's better at engineering than marketing. Communication is the answer to the problem. Roll out the new modules to existing subscribers and for new users either increase the overall price or create a new tier. This way everybody wins and loyal customers are rewarded.
they literally asked money from people as annual fees, which took up their dev time that went into nothing else because its a smol company,.... so they can develop stuff for bitwig.... which they then sell back to said people. KEKW!!!! ETUUUU! etuuuu!!! ahahahahahah
It's day 2 and the Discord channel is still blowing up over this, and Bitwig is silent. Really really bad PR. I hope it's not going to be one of those situations, where I like the software, but hate the company....
I don't have much interest in these devices but frankly this completely breaks my trust in bitwig as a company. I think bitwig can look forward to my annual update fee lapsing from next year and until I see an absolute "must have" feature.
The thing that makes this situation horrible, is the way they just snuck it in, like a roofie. They didn't give people a heads up. They just were like: "nobody is going to really care. Other companies do this all the time." Unfortunately they are in a generation of people who are more paranoid than a Vietnam vet that doesn't trust the system. This ain't the 90s, this is the 2020s, people will notice that there is something wrong with the matrix. The people are done with the lying and manipulation. We want quality and a trustworthy product. After what they just pulled. Most likely they're going to loose costomers very quickly. But, let's see. Maybe they made a shitty mistake and things go back to normal. It seems people are cool enough for 2nd chances.
I love Bitwig for the sound design aspect, but they HAVEN'T added basic features like scales in the piano roll or midi comp along with just stuff competition has. I love new devices but seeing as Bitwig is a small company this takes time away from the main product, on top of not communicating enough. I even seen Image-line flex there free updates model in comments on another video about this topic, this isn't the way Bitwig.
Problem is, and this is just my hunch, that based on how specific these plugins are, they have probably been working on these for quite a while. So our yearly renewals probably paid for these devices a couple times over. To me that's the biggest deal. I've helped fund these for most likely a couple years. And these are only add ons because they're calling them that. It's nebulous. They are plugins! Should be part of Bitwigs update. I'm disappointed because these look so fucking awesome.
I think with a mature product (contrary to a community) you can't expect users to think along lines of 'incentivizing the developers'. So, it is about growth stages. As a potential customer I would be scared away when these kinds of considerations are at play. On larger level I think the industry suffers from two things: 1) the end of lockdowns, so people spend their time and money on other things again, ending a two-year-boom (that's independent of a lots of things, and also of a lot on conclusions/causes) in home-recording, and 2) the crisis because of the Russian invasion and energy-policy, robbing many people in Europe of their spending power.
bitwig can't be considered a mature product, though. The other popular commercial DAWs kick bitwig's ass in a LOT of aspects. The only thing bitwig does better is modulators and other sound design-related stuff like the grid.
@@adev8565 That may not be the point. It's rather what they want to be, what they can afford to be, and where they are heading for (acting like they do). Does it match?
Er... FL Studio pay once for a lifetime of free updates, if you buy the "all plugins" version (which is what i'd recommend), you will never have pay for an imageline/FL Studio plugin ever again. This is by far the best business model for its users and frankly, creatively its only real competition is Ableton. So if you want a DAW that doesn't hold back its updates for the paid version, id recommend FL Studio. Btw, I've heard Reaper has a comparable ethos, but I can't speak on it since I don't use it, but i hear its more of a pro tools mix orientated daw. Peace, love and respect..
The real issue is their own instrument plugins . The daw is amazing but the cryptic interfaces and lack of feedback from them is holding this amazing daw back from really connecting with the first time users and professionals alike and the tutorials are just plain intimidating and vague . 👽✌🏻
@@BrunodeSouzaLino yes I know I’m using logic for now because my plan isn’t entirely rethinking what instruments look like .I like to program them . The Modular kids want to design instruments in the daw ? Great that’s what Max for live and the Grid is are for . Its not my thing . I Concentrate on the music and the “sounds” i design on fleshed out plugins or hardware in my rig synced to my computer. ✌️👽
One great benefit of all this BS for me personally is I cranked up Reason Studio again and I forgot how damn good it is. Sure, BW has tons of cool modulation stuff and the grid, but for me I forgot how amazing Reasons mixer is and how the environment is really emulating a real world studio, its just so damn easy to use next to BW. Feature to feature BW has more going on, sure, but for real world song writing and mixing which is what I do 95% of the time, Im heading back to Reason. Im done with BW's predatory marketing.
I tried Bitwig for the first time this summer, and bought an upgrade licence - and now this feels like a bit of a stab in the back. As many others have already stated, I would have been entirely happy for the upgrade fees to be increased in order to cover any increased development costs Bitwig might be encountering. I love Bitwig and want to support them, but this is not an ethical way to change a business strategy. Unless and until they backtrack on this (or come up with some acceptable solution), I have a plan that will ensure I continue to use the product but also disincentivise them from following this addon approach: I'm going to make sure that it's not profitable for them. How? Like this: 1. Calculate how much the licence costs me per day, assuming I renewed every year. 2. Wait until the one year anniversary arrives, and DON'T renew but keep using the software without getting updates. 3. At that point, decide if any of the paid addons are things I really want, and if so, calculate the total cost if I bought them. 4. Keep waiting until enough days have passed at the daily rate calculated in step 1 that I would have paid DOUBLE that total, THEN buy the upgrade licence again and the add-ons I want. In this way, Bitwig will LOSE the $99 instead of GAINING it - and this applies to every addon they release this way that I decide to buy. From my point of view it means I might have to wait over a year before I get some of these addons and also I'll be unable to upgrade for some of the time - but that's OK with me.
I get that the communication is kinda clumsy but I don’t have a problem with the setup as long as it means the standard subscription price don’t go up. I’ve been a Bitwig subscriber since 2015 and been very happy with them and the price. If I don’t feel it is necessary I don’t always renew the subscription immediately as the previous cycle ends - in fact my last subscription ended last December. So when this popped up and I had been eyeing Eventides latest transient thing-a-majig it was the perfect time for me to renew my Bitwig subscription and get these extra devices that do the Eventide-thing and more for a lower price. I should also say that my price for these devices was 30 bucks - not sure why - if this is the price for already paying customers they should probably say that somewhere. But yeah, I get that it doesn’t look good when they sneak in some new money plan out of nowhere, but I’m hoping it is to hold the standard prices down.
sucks, but it's a technique used by almost ALL other DAW companies. Especially Pro Tools and Ableton. I don't understand why more people aren't buying Persons Studio One Sphere for $150 a year, you literally get every new release they have. (updates, new stuff, and Add-ons). Or Use Logic, you buy it once and get all the updates for as long as Apple supports Logic Pro X. Its only $300 (2 years worth of Sphere or Bigwig). I'd say, when all your options are bad, pick the least worst....kinda like voting. :)
I don't think it's the price moreso the fact that we have to pay for certain devices on top of paying for the update plan's new features and bug fixes, seems a bit scummy imo
@@alexandersorbas1881 oh misundertood you. that's actually considerable, the fact that this came out of nowhere and they're charging for it. could be a bad omen...
I’m not mad at them at all. I think they just made innovative devices that they believe are worth paying for. They have always felt to me like company that makes devices they think are cool. Most other Daws do it this way. Or something like it.
These are addon products that have nothing to do with the yearly subscription. Buy it or don't buy it, just stop the damn whining wanting everything Bitwig makes to be part of the yearly plan. Not everything is included, how hard is that to understand?
Just cus they say it's an add on, and not and not part of yearly updates doesn't make it so. Nobody cares if that's the way bigwig wants to see it. It's stupid. You tell people to pay for a yearly subscription to get all updates to bigwig. They released a NATIVE plugin update to bigwig, that can only be used in bitwig and told those same people who pay for all bigwig updates to pay extra for it. It's moronic. Bigwig did bad, and they should feel bad. But luckily they realized they were morons and undid it.
if it wasn't for youtube hype, Bitwig would be in the same position it was 4 years ago...I dont even use it, I accept growing a DAW business is going to lead down ALL the same paths as every other DAW has, however, at this stage, its a dumbass move by Bitwig..this is the exact moment you need a greater edge and forsake profits for growth.
![Eminem - Like My Shit [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vx_IMvFkrfA/mqdefault.jpg)
Bitwig have made a turnaround, and are now including the Spectral Suite for free in the latest update. Everyone who paid for it will get a refund. Excellent decision by Bitwig!
For real?!
@@JC20XX yeah i mean i didn't even know they initially charged for these i just took forever to upgrade and found them in the software
lol
This is the breakdown:
1. You pay for a yearly subscription to receive new Bitwig features as they roll out.
2. Bitwig releases new features.
3. It costs EUR/USD 80.
Unacceptable.
It costs 100 EUR/USD. 80 is just the special offer.
not only that. apperantly those features only work woth the newest version of the daw. so you pay once more.
Yep, I don't have much interest in these devices but frankly this completely breaks my trust in bitwig as a company.
This is why you go to ableton FL studio route
On top of that, they did a promo to upgrade....and right after the promo ended, this Spectral thing came out. Nice, perfect timing :)
These are proprietary devices - they don't work in other host DAWs. That makes them an exclusive feature of the Bitwig ecosystem: like the modulators or The Grids. If the update plan doesn't cover features exclusive to the DAW like these, and possibly other devices in future, then they've just creating another economic tier of DAW ownership (Bitwig PRO, or Bitwig KOMPLETE, or whatever) Arbitrarily drawing a distinction between nominally 'core' or 'basic' features and 'extra' or 'extended' features is common in other platforms, but so far we've been spared the Apple-ification of Bitwig, and were led to believe (I would suggest, promised) that the update plan was paying for the development of new features and devices that eventually find their way into an update release.
It just feels a bit cheeky - a bit money grabbing. Perhaps new sales have tailed off and the company feels that tapping those who've already committed to the product presents a more accessible economic resources than than putting resources into developing new customers?
cheeky you say... they changed texts on their website just to cover up all of this lmao. thats beyond cheeky.
Completely agree. If they are going to essentially make a plug-in, and charge a premium, it should work on other DAWs. To have it only work on Bitwig actually proves that it should be part of the upgrade plan we're all paying for.
What is this “Applefication” you speak of? Genuine question. When I purchase Logic Pro,
I don’t know, 8 or 10 years ago, I paid $299…. That was it. Haven’t paid a dime since then for anything in Logic and they update it regularly and keep throwing stuff in with each update. And it works. Always. In fact the Mac 🖥️ I tend to run it on most is a 2013 Mac… knock on wood it’s been running fine since Day 1 and likely will keep on running for a while longer yet. I know that sounds like I’m shilling for Apple (I’m not really) but rather, I’m curious what is wrong with Apple Vs some of the other players out there like BitWig or FL etc… I don’t like constant paywalls either and that would be a non-starter for me in any DAW … no one needs that kind of tactic. BitWig does look like it has some cutting edge tools to it and that’s why I landed here.
@@-KingOfKhaos Not sure why you mention FL, since it has lifetime free updates
@@neek01 I think at the time I was just naming the other large DAW software out there… I realize some like FL have free updates as well… so it wasn’t a knock at FL, rather, I merely wasn’t understanding the shade thrown at Logic Pro which is highly stable and always updated and gets the job done fairly smoothly. Everyone’s mileage may vary though… I get that too.
Bitwig has a small (compared to other DAWs) but very loyal and passionate community of customers. I think it's very stupid for them to do stuff that could risk alienating that group of people. I'm sure they knew this would be controversial. Adding in more pay-walls and tiers might bring in more revenue for now but it's very short sighted imo.
I was singing Bitwig's praises to everyone who would listen before, but now I don't think I can do that anymore in good conscience, even though the DAW itself is still great. Practices like this spoil that.
Right?! We're so tight knit that this is going to spread. It's not like there's a big mainstream audience that won't notice.
yes, and it actually makes me concerns that bitwig is in legit financial trouble
way to make me question my loyalty though.
It's very simple to me. "12 Months of Free Upgrades"- "Future-proof: All Bitwig Studio updates in the following 12 months are FREE".
The way people are reacting is totally legit.
What a letdown.
One of the promises with the annual upgrade plan was, "all future updates in the following 12 months are free", that was the deal, and i was very happy to fund the company every year, and now i will think about it and stick to the 4.3 versión for a long time unless they consider their customer feedback and respect their promises.
Let's say you actually bought the 'plugins'... are they going to charge for the upgrade to those devices then? Too many unanswered questions, and honestly, as a smaller company, they really have more of an opportunity to communicate better. They are pulling an Ableton and it tastes bad.
What's more, apparently you need the latest BW version to purchase the devices, so it's some kind of double payment for those outside of the update window...
I think there´s a lot of perceived (and IMHO real) value on the very simple Ableton Live Suite update philosophy: pay once, you get several years of relatively minor updates for free, you get ALL the official devices and instruments, and a very interesting upgrade price on the next release after those years. Maybe the developer has less incentive to create something really new on this case, but I see it as a lot more honest take on updates.. (and BTW, you can get Suite on sale for a very close price to Bigwig Studio... BWS is an incredible DAW but not cheap)
That's exactly my position, I'm on 4.0.something and I'm not able to use these. Honestly if I have to choose between paying for devices or for the daw features then okay, but do not force me to pay for one in order to be able to have another
wait what??? thats some whole new level of fucked up that nobody seems to be talking about
here we go!!!! BITWIG is now the new pro tools with their back door antics. I purchased BITWIG because of it's amazing functions and fair pricing but I guess they have been hanging around pro tools. Nothing will beat REAPER in terms of price and upgrade plans not to mention the best support community of any DAW out there!
Spectral split? Ok I get it. Transient split? No, it's becoming an standard on music production/mixing/even mastering. It worries me, what other things will Bitwig consider "specialized"? I truly believe, as a SplitEQ user, that transient splitting is becoming more and more a need rather than a gimmick.
And plugins like Quantum that handle it well, will cost you.
Multiband transient processing is a super powerful tool. I agree. Don’t use it all the time, but when an issue does occur (Ex: a drum loop with lots of bleed on the snare drum and has an inconsistent mid-high frequency ‘crack’ due to cymbals or hi hats being too dynamic and at different levels when the snare hits), that’s when I would take a Multiband compressor to control dynamics in that area and maybe instead of bringing up the volume with the band, I’d reinforce the transient with a multiband transient shaper now that things are level. ALL THIS TO SAY... Bitwig, transient shaping, splitting, whatever you want to call it, is an incredibly useful tool and I believe it should be native to the DAW. It is not a gimmick or shouldn’t be considered an add-on.
Yeah... im also pissed. What a terrible message to send your loyal customers.
Totally agree!
It would send a completely different message If they released it alongside v4.4 / 5.0 that would introduce a number of core DAW features and workflow improvements. That would make the plan going forward clear(er). I'm still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, I'm gonna get the upgrade+devices deal from JRR Shop's blowout, but they definitely hurt their image on the market. Going forward it will get much, much more difficult to convince anyone to jump to Bitwig, as if it wasn't difficult already with the "subscription" model :(
Definitely agree.
Surprised I haven't seen anyone else espouse this idea in all the comment chains. If they were serious about what they meant in their hastily posted "Why Add-ons" Q&A, saying 'Core features of Bitwig Studio will continuously be developed as part of the 12-month upgrade plan' they absolutely should have released additional core features along with these devices.
Without doing so it looks like they've been spending the noticeably gap between feature releases working on polishing just these add-ons.
@@Sheenrocks4 it's seems so obvious that I really have to wonder if they don't care about the loyal fans? Throw us a bone.
The thing that’s frustrating about this to me is that Bitwig has made it clear that they prioritize sound design and unique features over keeping on top basic workflow stuff.
And it’s like “ok you pay this yearly fee, and they are slow on updating user requested workflow features but they always have the cool sound design stuff… so it’s cool” but now it’s like…. the cool sound design stuff is just gonna be extra money on top of the yearly fee?? I’m very confused as to how they thought this was a good idea. If they had just released an update with a bunch of user requested features AND THEN they were like “and here is some experimental stuff that costs extra” I don’t think anyone would mind, but it’s the combo of things.
Yes, it completely goes against the business model. This should have been in version 5 as bundled as a way to encourage renewal.
EXACTLY. If I don't get midi comping or retroactive recording *and* also don't get the fun little devices then I'm out.
There's not even basic features like scales in the piano roll or other things like riff creation or chord detection/creator.
Groove pool ffs
this. so much this. i never understood how the overwhelming majority in the very small bitwig community, namely the manchildren, always applauded bitwig for only releasing esoteric toys, instead of making substatial updates to the daw itself. now they get nothing... and as much as i would like to blame bitwig, its also the manchildrens fault for applauding bitwig in their plans to staying small and never being recognised as a daw for professional music production.
Good thoughts, thank you and I amd on the same page like you🌻 Currently im only reading and waiting. As I saw on KVR forum there will be another planned statement coming today or tomorrow from Bitwig. We will see what is going to happen the next days.
So... back to the drawing board.
this is why you don't feed the machine.. I refuse to use anything subscription and you should too.. you lose money in the long run.. God I purchased FL studio 10 years ago.. I couldn't even imagine how much it would of cost me with a subscription plan
Development time is being used to create add on content which will draw away from development time on the "core" product if you don't like a device don't use it and wait for the feature or continue to ask for features that are not part of the current release. This new approach will only divide the community.
I’m upset about it, I expected to get everything new with my update plan. The only way this would be considered ok was if it were a plugin you could use anywhere.
Thank for speaking up on this . The community needs to let the Bitwig know how the user base feel. As a recent convert to Bitwig from Reason. This lack of transparency made me not use reason anymore ( reason 12 ui was not at all usable upon release) . I personally am going to e mail Bitwig and address this issue. These devices are great but we don't have mseg, midi comping,any other core features that the developer could work on the device i feel majority of the community didn't ask for and have to pay extra to use. If anyone is still reading this please e mail Bitwig support. If don't want to switch to another Daw.
you are sheet out of luck, mate. this company has not worked on core DAW features except minor bug fixes and audio comping since its inception. they promised major stuff like over the internet project collabs bla bla bla here this that but they never delivered on any of it.... and just pumped out nieche garbage(its cool dont get me wrong, but its gimmicks) that started to be their new way of moving forward. 90% of every bitwig update is stuff ypu will propably not going to use in a professional music environment. its frustrating to say the least if you joined in the beginning where they made all those bold promises of a allinone futurefeature packed DAW for professional music production.
almost a decade down the line, i can say the dream is dead. no wonder this DAW has so few fans despite having so much potential.
No. This IS a bad idea. I dont see how it can be a good idea. FAR more work went into the grid than these devices. To say that these devices are worth something extra when something as powerful as the Grid was released with the subscription plan is just a flat out lie to defend the devs. I LOVE Bitwig. Been with them since 1.2. But I will call them out when they have a terrible idea. This is a terrible idea.
Transparency and communications has been a big problem in general all along.
Sometimes it is amusing to get surprise goodies and sometimes it is super frustrating.
Paying up front for mystery features is a bit strange in the first place.
I really think at the very least there should be an open ticketing system where people can see a road map and issue status.
That would be great, even if it is only high level. As it is everything is by email which is so not 2022.
if there is a cash flow problem that is bubbling under the surface as rumors circulate, I think now would be the time to be transparent about that. As I said in one of my other posts, most committed customers would totally be cool if BW said we need to charge 15% more going forward. Given the economic climate it's kind of understandable. I would pay it.
This comes off as almost trying their best not to hike the price, but hike the price, and it totally backfiring, because what they have done is totally confusing and feels sneaky. I'm sure that wasn't the intention one would hope.
I feel sorry for front of house influencers and community relations people who are having to deal with cleanup on this.
thanks garron, polarity and all for saying something and providing places for people to vent and have their say etc.
ughh anyway, bit of a mess.
We are already supporting Bitwig with our upfront yearly upgrade subscription...this is taking us for granted. It is dishonest and deceitful...these are the main reason i left the previous Daw..reason ...
Who knows what's going to happen in the future. I'm on 4.1.6 now, if I fancy this because it's not in the upgrade plan I probably won't be able to get it without having the latest version which will require me to get the upgrade plan, that's a hell of a lot of money if my intention was to just get the spectral set. It just makes things tricky and probably was only implemented to get money straight away. I don't like this as it starts to get messy, soon they will be charging for Bitwig complete or something mad like 'Bitwig studio spectral and mastering edition' that's outside of the upgrade plan and outside of potentially other add-ons they create that need to be bought in a compete bundle instead.
The update cost is the same price or more than other DAW's subscription plans. So i think everyone perceives it as a subscription. Just doesn't sit well.
Yss! another reason why subscription plans are bad in general.
Rubbish decision buy Bitwig will not be renewing update plan
This is the kind of cash & grab nonsense you normally see when a business is failing. Just days ago, Bitwig lured a bunch of new users with free u-he plugins, and as soon as those new customers walked through the door they were slapped in the face with an update that requires an additional purchase. I will give u-he the benefit of a doubt that they had no idea that Bitwig would do this. Of course, I'm a bit biased since I have a great relationship with u-he, but I certainly hope that's the case.
You are promised you will have all the upgrades until you pay yearly upgrade plan and then they doing something behind you ? Noooo. Bye BW no more upgrades.
The company may be having financial troubles if they need to do cash grabs like this. Not a good sign
Pls comeback g
Your surge and vital videos helped me alot i hope you are fine my friend
I'm glad they undid this decision. The spectral suite is incredible and does stuff that nothing else on the market can do.
I just bought bitwig about a month ago and I'm already gonna jump right off. I could get the "pay for a year of upgrades" but this is too much for me cuz while I appreciate bitwig's built-in features, I don't need this specific DAW to make music. I value my trust on the company the most, and I just lost it right now. It was already hard to convince me and other new users about the "subscription" model they had, but now I doubt anyone is gonna get excited to buy the software knowing the news. I'm going back to Ableton! It was good while it lasted.
Hang in there, this is a blip, it IS a fantastic DAW.
@@soundfx68 love the optimism
there's always torrents :)
i kind of wish they would make an autotune device, its one thing thats severely missing on linux and in bitwig imho.
I don't consider these devices special, Bitwig is a creative forward looking DAW, devices should be core functionality. Happy to pay for Grid patches and sound packs though.
I do understand your logic on holding things back for a future release and being able to release when available. I love Bitwig and want to help them, but not when feeling a bit fecked over.
microtransactions? whats next? lootboxes?
More like macrotransactions if you asked me.
@@paradoxic1888 Yeah - Seriously. The full price is almost two-third of the yearly renewal price. That's insane...
more like 5 year subscription plans, payable once up front. 🤣🤣
$100 (post launch deal) is too much. I'd pay like $20-40 for these. But $100 for plugins that I can't use in another DAW is too much.
I've written to them asking why they have done this. Hopefully they will clarify because I'm not really seeing anyone who is happy about this. If there is uncertainty then there is a danger that people will hold buying the upgrade plans and they will lose money.
Thanks for this. I have to say that, being new to bitwig, I had no feelings at all about this news and was really confused by all the hullabaloo. This seems to explain why this announcement felt at odds with people's expectations.
As you're new, you likely don't have any thoughts/expectations on what the Upgrade plan is sold as.
Subscription models are bad as they are, why make it ever worse Bitwig?
Not the best marketing plan for sure though 😂
Once again, Image-Line shows why it's an industry leader. And yes, I own Bitwig Studio and no, I don't use it because of exactly these things.
Image-Line is King! I've had it for years and use it every day. Lifetime free updates and always works. And achieve the same results as any other DAW.
I feel like I paid for this already with the annual fee. If this the model moving forward, then the annual plan needs to drop significantly, or give current plan subscribers a stout discount.
This is borderline fraudulent behavior. So far we have been paying under the premise that the payment would cover all software updates. Sneakily changing that without announcement is unethical. It really is that simple.
Everyone's gas bill has gone up. I can't afford this. Neither my wallet or mental health can deal with this. Bitwig since ver 1. I'm not paying for development outside of my upgrade. Back to Renoise for me.
It's almost like Bitwig is taking PR lessons from Ableton. Because they do exactly that, except they might implement one user suggested feature every 10 years or so.
HEY FRIEND, ARE YOU DEAD?
If they're not that massive company, it would be even more key to clearly communicate way ahead of time that such a change will happen. Look at u-he and what they are doing with zebra legacy. Perfectly fine this way. But this from Bitwig is a big no-no, sorry.
I'd be happy to pay if it was like, £25. £70 is a lot for a spectral plugin which is effectively an extension of bitwig. I pay an upgrade licence for this already though, that's the problem really.
Yes, the problem is people fence sitting - trying to be reasonable like yourself. You have already paid for it to be developed, and then you say "I'd be happy to pay again'.
@@guser7137 I'm not happy to pay again though, as I've already said it should be included in yearly upgrade licence, if they'd have sold it as a 3rd party add-on for £25 as one of their CLAP plugins however I might have considered it. Not paying £70 for something that is stock bitwig and should be included though.
I'm not the problem here though regardless.
Thats what the yearly update fee is for supposedly. This is just a bitch move by bitwig IMHO, its certainly broken my trust that they will release anything good in the annual updates, and instead will want to charge extra for it in future.
I don't agree. The point of the Upgrade plan is that you are getting the stuff that Bitwig do, i.e. this feature. You aren't paying for 12 months of 'fixing bugs we put in our software'.
In addition, this is being developed with the money people are paying for their upgrade plan. They are being asked to pay again to get the feature.
I understand the general frustration of, "Why are they selling (what amounts to) extra features / functionality outside the subscription model?" This is a valid question. But I think the most important issue is one of clear communication to set expectations. Clear and timely communication seems to be a bigger and bigger problem in today's world. The volume and velocity of information creates non-stop distractions and great stress for everyone. Perhaps Bitwig could have done better in setting expectations with the Spectral Series. However, one thing people need to remember is that businesses need multiple streams of recurring revenue to incentivize innovation, much less to keep the lights on. Since Bitwig is the dark horse in the DAW world at the moment, and could be considered niche at this point, enthusiastic users of the software might reframe the issue of contributing more money as investment to ensure Bitwig's success, so that the software continues to be supported and doesn't just disappear suddenly. Nothing sucks more than paying for updates for years just to watch the company that created it disappear.
Exactly!
The problem with selling a product as a premium product vs what they purchase is that customers will feel they will get a substandard products in the future
My thoughts were yeah I upgraded after 4 or 5 month lapse, oh shucks, nothing much new has changed or been added since 4.3.4, Will wait to see what comes along. First thing to pop in email. Pay us more money for these 4 new effects. Oh that sucks what did I just pay 169 for? (Sad music) I guess that is coming still coming later since it is not these?
Exactly - If that €169 is only for bug-fixes and a higher version number, than it's not worth it. There MUST be improvements, and their musty be €169 worth(ish) of them, otherwise what's the point of paying for the renewal?
Well just don t buy the plug-in pack. So Bitwig will see that this is a disturbing way on how to play your supporters aka customers.
agree, biggest problem is the communication on the grand vision
The biggest problem is double dipping and charging us more money for things that we always expected, based upon their own words, to get in the main product.
There is no grand vision - only flailing in advance of a buyout or going open source. There is no justification just rationalization. The company is failing.
@@emberblend6897 exactly what i was thinking
The biggest problem is treating their customers like chumps
Am not mad at bitwig, love their stuff.
This release was confusing as well.
Maybe they think those plugins are bad or too hard to maintain, so they wanted to make sure people dont get them; but they had to release them somehow cause the CFO forced them. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have to upgrade first to the latest version, and then pay again for these new fx, which are really cool(I tried the demo) but man, in my situation personally I have to pay twice, one for the upgrade and another one for these because I have 4.0.8...
This is a company that's better at engineering than marketing. Communication is the answer to the problem. Roll out the new modules to existing subscribers and for new users either increase the overall price or create a new tier. This way everybody wins and loyal customers are rewarded.
they literally asked money from people as annual fees, which took up their dev time that went into nothing else because its a smol company,.... so they can develop stuff for bitwig.... which they then sell back to said people.
KEKW!!!! ETUUUU! etuuuu!!!
ahahahahahah
It's day 2 and the Discord channel is still blowing up over this, and Bitwig is silent. Really really bad PR. I hope it's not going to be one of those situations, where I like the software, but hate the company....
I don't have much interest in these devices but frankly this completely breaks my trust in bitwig as a company. I think bitwig can look forward to my annual update fee lapsing from next year and until I see an absolute "must have" feature.
The thing that makes this situation horrible, is the way they just snuck it in, like a roofie. They didn't give people a heads up. They just were like: "nobody is going to really care. Other companies do this all the time." Unfortunately they are in a generation of people who are more paranoid than a Vietnam vet that doesn't trust the system. This ain't the 90s, this is the 2020s, people will notice that there is something wrong with the matrix. The people are done with the lying and manipulation. We want quality and a trustworthy product. After what they just pulled. Most likely they're going to loose costomers very quickly. But, let's see. Maybe they made a shitty mistake and things go back to normal. It seems people are cool enough for 2nd chances.
I love Bitwig for the sound design aspect, but they HAVEN'T added basic features like scales in the piano roll or midi comp along with just stuff competition has. I love new devices but seeing as Bitwig is a small company this takes time away from the main product, on top of not communicating enough. I even seen Image-line flex there free updates model in comments on another video about this topic, this isn't the way Bitwig.
Problem is, and this is just my hunch, that based on how specific these plugins are, they have probably been working on these for quite a while. So our yearly renewals probably paid for these devices a couple times over. To me that's the biggest deal. I've helped fund these for most likely a couple years. And these are only add ons because they're calling them that. It's nebulous. They are plugins! Should be part of Bitwigs update. I'm disappointed because these look so fucking awesome.
I think with a mature product (contrary to a community) you can't expect users to think along lines of 'incentivizing the developers'. So, it is about growth stages. As a potential customer I would be scared away when these kinds of considerations are at play. On larger level I think the industry suffers from two things: 1) the end of lockdowns, so people spend their time and money on other things again, ending a two-year-boom (that's independent of a lots of things, and also of a lot on conclusions/causes) in home-recording, and 2) the crisis because of the Russian invasion and energy-policy, robbing many people in Europe of their spending power.
bitwig can't be considered a mature product, though. The other popular commercial DAWs kick bitwig's ass in a LOT of aspects. The only thing bitwig does better is modulators and other sound design-related stuff like the grid.
@@adev8565 That may not be the point. It's rather what they want to be, what they can afford to be, and where they are heading for (acting like they do). Does it match?
Reaper and vcv rack?
Er... FL Studio pay once for a lifetime of free updates, if you buy the "all plugins" version (which is what i'd recommend), you will never have pay for an imageline/FL Studio plugin ever again. This is by far the best business model for its users and frankly, creatively its only real competition is Ableton. So if you want a DAW that doesn't hold back its updates for the paid version, id recommend FL Studio. Btw, I've heard Reaper has a comparable ethos, but I can't speak on it since I don't use it, but i hear its more of a pro tools mix orientated daw. Peace, love and respect..
The real issue is their own instrument plugins . The daw is amazing but the cryptic interfaces and lack of feedback from them is holding this amazing daw back from really connecting with the first time users and professionals alike and the tutorials are just plain intimidating and vague . 👽✌🏻
Their "cryptic" interfaces are exactly how Live has theirs, down to how the effects rack is structured. Bitwig was made for Live users.
@@BrunodeSouzaLino yes I know I’m using logic for now because my plan isn’t entirely rethinking what instruments look like .I like to program them . The Modular kids want to design instruments in the daw ? Great that’s what Max for live and the Grid is are for . Its not my thing . I Concentrate on the music and the “sounds” i design on fleshed out plugins or hardware in my rig synced to my computer. ✌️👽
Its all about money.. they will always work around to suck user's money..
One great benefit of all this BS for me personally is I cranked up Reason Studio again and I forgot how damn good it is. Sure, BW has tons of cool modulation stuff and the grid, but for me I forgot how amazing Reasons mixer is and how the environment is really emulating a real world studio, its just so damn easy to use next to BW. Feature to feature BW has more going on, sure, but for real world song writing and mixing which is what I do 95% of the time, Im heading back to Reason. Im done with BW's predatory marketing.
I tried Bitwig for the first time this summer, and bought an upgrade licence - and now this feels like a bit of a stab in the back. As many others have already stated, I would have been entirely happy for the upgrade fees to be increased in order to cover any increased development costs Bitwig might be encountering. I love Bitwig and want to support them, but this is not an ethical way to change a business strategy.
Unless and until they backtrack on this (or come up with some acceptable solution), I have a plan that will ensure I continue to use the product but also disincentivise them from following this addon approach: I'm going to make sure that it's not profitable for them. How? Like this:
1. Calculate how much the licence costs me per day, assuming I renewed every year.
2. Wait until the one year anniversary arrives, and DON'T renew but keep using the software without getting updates.
3. At that point, decide if any of the paid addons are things I really want, and if so, calculate the total cost if I bought them.
4. Keep waiting until enough days have passed at the daily rate calculated in step 1 that I would have paid DOUBLE that total, THEN buy the upgrade licence again and the add-ons I want.
In this way, Bitwig will LOSE the $99 instead of GAINING it - and this applies to every addon they release this way that I decide to buy. From my point of view it means I might have to wait over a year before I get some of these addons and also I'll be unable to upgrade for some of the time - but that's OK with me.
Transient Split, Freq Split, Loud Split, Harmonic Split = User Split..
nicely put, and accurate.
It's difficult communicating a lie
Recent events have me feeling a little more negative towards bitwig than I was in this video
I get that the communication is kinda clumsy but I don’t have a problem with the setup as long as it means the standard subscription price don’t go up. I’ve been a Bitwig subscriber since 2015 and been very happy with them and the price. If I don’t feel it is necessary I don’t always renew the subscription immediately as the previous cycle ends - in fact my last subscription ended last December. So when this popped up and I had been eyeing Eventides latest transient thing-a-majig it was the perfect time for me to renew my Bitwig subscription and get these extra devices that do the Eventide-thing and more for a lower price. I should also say that my price for these devices was 30 bucks - not sure why - if this is the price for already paying customers they should probably say that somewhere. But yeah, I get that it doesn’t look good when they sneak in some new money plan out of nowhere, but I’m hoping it is to hold the standard prices down.
sucks, but it's a technique used by almost ALL other DAW companies. Especially Pro Tools and Ableton. I don't understand why more people aren't buying Persons Studio One Sphere for $150 a year, you literally get every new release they have. (updates, new stuff, and Add-ons). Or Use Logic, you buy it once and get all the updates for as long as Apple supports Logic Pro X. Its only $300 (2 years worth of Sphere or Bigwig). I'd say, when all your options are bad, pick the least worst....kinda like voting. :)
How do you want to communicate that you are broke? 😅
I don't think it's the price moreso the fact that we have to pay for certain devices on top of paying for the update plan's new features and bug fixes, seems a bit scummy imo
@@AziDoesQuestionableThings I meant Bitwig with being broke
@@alexandersorbas1881 oh misundertood you. that's actually considerable, the fact that this came out of nowhere and they're charging for it. could be a bad omen...
If you lost trust but still prefer the daw to others...remember there will be torrents of the updates ;)
I’m not mad at them at all. I think they just made innovative devices that they believe are worth paying for. They have always felt to me like company that makes devices they think are cool. Most other Daws do it this way. Or something like it.
These are addon products that have nothing to do with the yearly subscription. Buy it or don't buy it, just stop the damn whining wanting everything Bitwig makes to be part of the yearly plan. Not everything is included, how hard is that to understand?
You are definitely trying too hard on every single comment section ...
Just cus they say it's an add on, and not and not part of yearly updates doesn't make it so. Nobody cares if that's the way bigwig wants to see it. It's stupid. You tell people to pay for a yearly subscription to get all updates to bigwig. They released a NATIVE plugin update to bigwig, that can only be used in bitwig and told those same people who pay for all bigwig updates to pay extra for it. It's moronic. Bigwig did bad, and they should feel bad. But luckily they realized they were morons and undid it.
if it wasn't for youtube hype, Bitwig would be in the same position it was 4 years ago...I dont even use it, I accept growing a DAW business is going to lead down ALL the same paths as every other DAW has, however, at this stage, its a dumbass move by Bitwig..this is the exact moment you need a greater edge and forsake profits for growth.