IK multimedia Amplitube reviewed in this months SOS - small warning

[Wossname]

From the review: "Amplitube is available in three editions from the iTunes App Store: Free, LE and the full version. [...] there are additional ‘in app’ purchases to expand the selection."

Whatever "in app" purchases you do in any version of the app does NOT propagate to "bigger" versions when you upgrade.

I bought the 4track recorder for Amplitube Free, and I'll have to buy it again if I want it in the full version.

This annoyed me quite a bit; enough for me to lend an ear to Peavey's Ampkit again (I have the Ampkit Link interface, but originally went for the Amplitube software because it sounded better) which was a good idea, since the latest Ampkit sounds QUITE a bit better than Amplitube (to me, atleast:-)

So, be sure to buy the "full" version if you are ever going the Amplitube way.

[buggymusic]

If you buy iPhone/touch versions of AmpliTube products then you need to re-buy (at full cost) on the iPad if you want the HD version which is very rude as it is essentially exactly the same code (simply re-compiled for a separate platform as I understand it)

[onesecondglance]

... none of which is unusual practice for mobile devices.

it's good to point it out for people who might not be familiar, but IK aren't being particularly evil here.

[ConcertinaChap]

but IK aren't being particularly evil here.

Comparatively speaking. Because lots of people follow a dubious business practice doesn't make it any less dubious.

CC

[Andi]

but IK aren't being particularly evil here.

Comparatively speaking. Because lots of people follow a dubious business practice doesn't make it any less dubious.

CC

It's not dubious, it's what you're buying and it's what you're getting.

[IK Obi]

We don't mean to appear dubious but Steve Jobs didn't give you a free iPad when it was released if you own an iPhone. Taking an iPhone app and making it for iPad takes man hours, our development team has to work hard to make sure it works properly and looks good on the iPad.

Plus on the iPad, which has more processing power and screen real estate space, you can also look at and use more fx at once.

[Henry-S]

I think it is pretty poor show if you purchase the 4 track recorder in the free app, then have to pay for it again in the pay for app it is pretty cheeky.

If you got given a free trial of a program and bought a virtual instrument for it... then you bought the full version of the program and they asked you to pay for the virtual instrument again, that doesn't sound like a great deal to me.

I would be interested to hear if you purchase the 4 track recorder in Amplitube if it is available in Amplitube Fender or if you have to purchase the 4 track recorder again for the seperate program. Because if so you would be better off just hooking the bloody thing to a laptop and recording into Reaper for free and buy a license for £20 and record as many tracks as you like for all the apps!

I am very dubious about the standards on apple apps and the fact you buy things thinking they are one thing but in order to get what you wanted, you need to buy 3 things inside the app before it does what it claimed to do.

[onesecondglance]

if you paid for air conditioning and leather seats in a new car, would you expect the dealer to fit them for free in any other vehicles you own?

this isn't a "dubious business practice". it's an unfortunate reality of the nature of mobile apps.

[chew_rocket]

i agree that this is NOT evil and some of the comparisons are funny! keep em' coming!

[Dynamic Mike]

i agree that this is NOT evil and some of the comparisons are funny! keep em' coming!

So by that rationale if you upgraded from say Cubase Artist 6 to Cubase 6, and had to buy all your plug-ins again, you'd find that hilarious?

[zenguitar]

i agree that this is NOT evil and some of the comparisons are funny! keep em' coming!

So by that rationale if you upgraded from say Cubase Artist 6 to Cubase 6, and had to buy all your plug-ins again, you'd find that hilarious?

Let's wait until Cubase appears on iPad and see what happens then shall we?

But the bigger picture is quite straightforward. The Apps market is very different from the PC/Mac software market and it plays by different rules. It's is tied to the mobile phone industry, and the business model there is that apps are cheap, but as disposable as the phones. The low cost comes at a price, and that is the business model you buy into.

However, I still think that the OP has a valid point. It would be reasonable to ask that, when purchasing add-ons, it was made clear that they will not work with the upgrade versions and would need to be purchased again. Then people could make an informed decision to upgrade before purchasing add-ons.

Andy

[Dynamic Mike]

I agree with your point & it may well be the case with the iPhone market, but with Blackberry App World anything you purchase is stored in your BB account & migrates with you when you change your phone etc. Okay it's not perfect, I lost a couple of paid apps when I upgraded because they wouldn't transfer to the new OS, but that's only to be expected.

Also as you say an app is the price of a toy & should be regarded as such. But as the OP infers, a company which expects you to purchase the same add-on twice (essentially because you're happy with it) could potentially alienate customers from purchasing any of their real products. If it annoys a potential customer enough to post (albeit a small warning ) then I can see the app possibly losing more business than it generates.

[onesecondglance]

It would be reasonable to ask that, when purchasing add-ons, it was made clear that they will not work with the upgrade versions and would need to be purchased again. Then people could make an informed decision to upgrade before purchasing add-ons.

that sounds very sensible.

[Pete Kaine]

Let's wait until Cubase appears on iPad and see what happens then shall we?

Does the iPad have somewhere to shove your dongle?

[IK Obi]

Let's wait until Cubase appears on iPad and see what happens then shall we?

Does the iPad have somewhere to shove your dongle?

Lol that had me cracking up. Any other questions about AmpliTube?

[Dave Rowles]

I think it is pretty poor show if you purchase the 4 track recorder in the free app, then have to pay for it again in the pay for app it is pretty cheeky.

I'm sorry, but I don't think you understand exactly what's happening here.

The company you should be angry at is apple, not IK. IK are providing a program that works the way apple says it has to work. The in-app purchases work on the apple system. I'm sure that IK would like to give the option of associating the in-app purchases with the full version, however that's not something that's allowed for in the apple system.

[Aftertouch]

I think it is pretty poor show if you purchase the 4 track recorder in the free app, then have to pay for it again in the pay for app it is pretty cheeky.

I'm sorry, but I don't think you understand exactly what's happening here.

The company you should be angry at is apple, not IK. IK are providing a program that works the way apple says it has to work. The in-app purchases work on the apple system. I'm sure that IK would like to give the option of associating the in-app purchases with the full version, however that's not something that's allowed for in the apple system.

So give the customer some iTunes vouchers or something... Anything.

[Aftertouch]

Any other questions about AmpliTube?

Yes, how can this be right on any level?

I understand about the limitations Apple impose, but how can IK justify taking money from clients twice for in app enhancements without giving them anything extra. If I were writing a book on pissing of your customers, this would be chapter 1.

[Henry-S]

I think it is pretty poor show if you purchase the 4 track recorder in the free app, then have to pay for it again in the pay for app it is pretty cheeky.

I'm sorry, but I don't think you understand exactly what's happening here.

The company you should be angry at is apple, not IK. IK are providing a program that works the way apple says it has to work. The in-app purchases work on the apple system. I'm sure that IK would like to give the option of associating the in-app purchases with the full version, however that's not something that's allowed for in the apple system.

I understand exactly. Apple do not let the transfer happen between applications... so why does a dev make them purchasable in a free version? Apple cannot be blamed for that and IK most certainly can. There is no clear indication these cannot be used in the SE or Full versions of Amplitube as I just downloaded it and infact it says "you are about to purchase the Full 4 Track Recorder and Master Effects". Just a shame no mention about those not being able to function if you bothered to upgrade to a paid for version.

Also these so called apps are not cheap. To get amplitube working you need an iRig which is £30 plus £15 for the actual full app and all I hear about is the crashing and the sound quality is no where near the proper application, when this thing is plugged into an amp it makes a lot of hiss.

I have bought many products from IK and Amplitube 2 is bloody excellent... but as far as the Iphone or Ipad, I'll stick to the PC versions for now.

[IK Obi]

AmpliTube iOS uses the same code from the full AmpliTube. It is just optimized for the current iOS devices. None can handle the full program which is also why there are less gear models. That will definitely be changing as well. AmpliTube has been downloaded over 2 million times. That many people can't be wrong.

[Wossname]

AmpliTube has been downloaded over 2 million times. That many people can't be wrong.

A billion flies can't be wrong.

Eat [ ****** ].

[Wossname]

Oh, I forgot. [ ****** ] is a swearword in your language. Hilarious!

[Wossname]

if you paid for air conditioning and leather seats in a new car, would you expect the dealer to fit them for free in any other vehicles you own?

If it cost the dealer NOTHING in work, money or effort - yes. Do not compare the digital world to the physical world.

this isn't a "dubious business practice". it's an unfortunate reality of the nature of mobile apps.

This is not the nature of mobile apps. This is the nature of a company that wants to milk the customer as much as possible.
(although I'm open to the possible fact the Apple put hinders up for developers that wants to propagate purchases between apps. Apple is well-known for beeing evil, IK Multimedia is not)

Anyways - as I said: This was just meant as a headsup to prospective IK Multimedia customers. Their product is excellent.
Just make sure you buy the correct version in the first place.

All of this would btw. go away if IK Multimedia handled the mobile platform like they do the PC platform: You get the core app free, and any amp/cab/stomp you buy gets added to your account. If you had something from before (like I did) it gets automatically added to your account for the free core app.
This worked like a charm on my computer.

So, dear IK Multimedia: Stop producing different apps for the mobile marked - just offer 1 core free app and let us buy whatever we want in addition, like we do on our computers.
(you are possibly already offering this by now - I can't be bothered to check)

[Wossname]

Also these so called apps are not cheap. To get amplitube working you need an iRig which is £30 plus £15 for the actual full app and all I hear about is the crashing and the sound quality is no where near the proper application, when this thing is plugged into an amp it makes a lot of hiss.

I've experienced no crashing, but Yes - the noise/crosstalk is an issue.
The guitarist in my band got the iRig whereas I read some reviews and decided that the Peavey Ampkit's battery-powered headset preamp was to be preferred, since that means that crosstalk between headset and guitar input on higain emulations would be less. (the "cables" on that headset output/mic input on the iPhone/iPod is *impossibly* thin!)

My assumption was correct - the iRig is unusable on our PA system (on higain sounds) whereas the Ampkit Link is usable (but certainly NOT preferable to a guitar amp - it suffices as backup for that vintage 1974 Fender Twin Reverb, should it die mid-gig:-)