Yet another reason to stay out the box

[OneWorld]

I bought some software from Plugin Boutique, the product being one of the Izotope range.

I finally got around to install it, or so I thought. The download that came from Plugin Boutique was in fact an installer from Izotope, Product Portal, it took about 5 mins to download to I can assume it has gobbled up a sizeable chunk of my c:drive

So, I try and install the product I bought, of course I have to create an account, that's after having to create an account at Plugin Boutique - "Not anotherrrr one!!!

So I create an account at Izotope. I log in and look for my product (How izotope knows I have bought a product is a mystery to me) but anyway, no product. I have scoured the size for help and of course, nothing, so I now sit waiting for a reply from customer service, I clicked on 'contact us' and of course was presented with a multiple choice of options, none of any use.

I still rely to some extent on hardware, well for synths at least and apart from the room they take up, I cannot think of one good reason to get rid, except I have a couple of ancient critters that of course could just go phhittt, one day I switch them on.

But the situation with software these days makes me lose the will to live sometimes, and more to the point, when I see some tempting offers to buy this or that, I am more and more less inclined to, the juice ain't worth the squeeze. So Mr/Miss/Mrs Izotope/Plugin Boutique, before you fill my inbox with spam, now yo have my email address, don't waste your time, I can't be bothered with all the the faffing about.

That said, you might look at companies like Steinberg, I have bought several products from them, I pays my money, I login, I download and install and within 10 minutes I am making music - that's how things should be

[S.Crow]

1. Locate the serial number in your PB account for the Izotope product.
2. Run the Izotope portal app and login.
3. Register the serial number from step 1 in the app.
4. Download and install the product from within the portal app.
5. Check to see if the portal app tells you how to authorise it on your current PC.

The above is a fairly standard procedure when buying software via a third party vendor.
Easy when you know the drill.

[RichardT]

Such is the world we live in, unfortunately! Hopefully you’ve got it all sorted now.

[The Elf]

There are just as many traps outside of the box - connector types, level mis-matches, balanced/unbalanced, phantom power, ground loops, mono/stereo unbalances and misunderstandings, clocking problems...

Out of the box, or in the box, it's just stuff we all have to deal with. Same old same old.

[James Perrett]

That said, you might look at companies like Steinberg, I have bought several products from them, I pays my money, I login, I download and install and within 10 minutes I am making music - that's how things should be

And that's exactly how things normally work with Izotope too - at least in my experience. However, I've only ever bought their plug-ins direct from them.

[Mike Stranks]

I buy my Izotope products from Plugin Boutique...

Perfectly straightforward IME.

... and I have no problem being registered with Izotope... I had a couple of attractive loyalty discounts because of that.

[Paul881]

Actually, I think that the OP has made a valid point generally that also irritates me. After creating an account with a user name, password, you then have to many times download an installer which often times usually needs periodically updating (usually when the OS has been updated) and then you get plagued by daily emails cluttering up your inbox trying to sell you more.
And some plugins actually need the installer running as well to allow you to run the instrument/fx which takes time to load ( i.e. Waves).I’m also thinking Native instruments and to a certain extent, ReFx here. This hinders the creative flow and I long for the days when you buy a product online, download it, install and away you go. The only time you then get interrupted is if you need an update.
Rant over!

[Albatross]

Some time ago I decided to limit myself to only the native plugins that come with Reaper, and an old version of Reaper at that. Its a joy.

[RichardT]

Actually, I think that the OP has made a valid point generally that also irritates me. After creating an account with a user name, password, you then have to many times download an installer which often times usually needs periodically updating (usually when the OS has been updated) and then you get plagued by daily emails cluttering up your inbox trying to sell you more.
And some plugins actually need the installer running as well to allow you to run the instrument/fx which takes time to load ( i.e. Waves).I’m also thinking Native instruments and to a certain extent, ReFx here. This hinders the creative flow and I long for the days when you buy a product online, download it, install and away you go. The only time you then get interrupted is if you need an update.
Rant over!

I remember the time before native access etc - it was worse!

[Hugh Robjohns]

I remember the time when high-quality pro audio gear cost an absolute fortune, to the extent where few could afford more than one reverb, or more than a couple of compressors. And EQ and preamps were only ever those provided in the desk.When something broke down -- which it did -- it cost an arm and leg to fix, too... And a working studio involved a big room, huge racks of gear, and big power bills.

So, speaking personally, the minor frustration of registering a great sounding plugin is definitely a cost worth paying for the massive convenience and huge versatility we now have with our fully featured studios in desktop boxes!

There's an adage about wood and trees that would probably apposite here...

[Eddy Deegan]

It also raises the point about why 3rd party plugin resellers exist at all. A plugin is a piece of software and as such there has to be a distribution mechanism for it, which due to licensing is almost certainly going to involve creating an account of some kind.

You can always buy a plugin direct from the creators but presumably one uses 3rd party resellers to get a cheaper price.

Except for freeware/open source software, for services where you are getting something for free, or at a reduced cost, the 'true' price invariably encompasses you as well. Thus you are exchanging a portion of the cost for an additional signup.

I don't like that model (especially the part where you must maintain that 3rd party account in order to continue to use any plugins you've purchased using it) and don't use it, but you can't have it both ways.

If you're expecting a 3rd party to resell you a plugin at a discount without requiring anything at all from you then I'm afraid you're probably in for a long wait

That said, once or twice a year at least, most vendors have a fairly decent sale where you can buy from them direct at a discount without any additional fiddliness. In my experience I've also found that once you have accumulated a few products from a company they'll often respond positively if you occasionally ask them nicely for a random discount out of the blue.

[The Elf]

As time marches on I'm finding a decreasing need for plug-ins outside of my DAW's stock offerings.

Many of us came to our DAWs a looong time back, when the stock plug-ins were at best vanilla, and at worst... pretty dire. At that time we bought third-party plugs. And we ceased to question that decision. I have to admit that it took me a long time to look back and question whether things have changed. I believe they have.

I own a lot of Waves plugs, but on a daily basis I now use only three or four of them constantly - and a couple of days ago I finally got off my backside and found a stock plug that, with a minimum of tweakery, achieved the same as one of them. I suspect there's another about to bite the dust, but it needs me to be in my analytical mood to prove it.

Of course there are plugs I won't be able to replace. But they will be in the minority. The days of being slave to shelf-fulls of those third-party plugs are, I believe, well and truly over.

Just thought I'd mention it!

[RichardT]

I remember the time when high-quality pro audio gear cost an absolute fortune, to the extent where few could afford more than one reverb, or more than a couple of compressors. And EQ and preamps were only ever those provided in the desk.When something broke down -- which it did -- it cost an arm and leg to fix, too... And a working studio involved a big room, huge racks of gear, and big power bills.

So, speaking personally, the minor frustration of registering a great sounding plugin is definitely a cost worth paying for the massive convenience and huge versatility we now have with our fully featured studios in desktop boxes!

There's an adage about wood and trees that would probably apposite here...

Yes, plus the astonishing costs of multitrack tape! And recorders...

[James Perrett]

I'm another person who relies on Reaper's stock plug-ins for many things. OK - so they're not as pretty as some of the third party offerings but they get the job done. In fact I find the fancy graphics on some third party plug-ins distracting so I've gone back to the stock plug-in equivalent.

Izotope's RX is possibly the only plug-in that I can't replace with a stock plug-in (although I nearly always use it in stand-alone mode anyway).

[RichardT]

Yes, stock plugins are great these days. I do use Fabfilter plugins as my workhorses, partly because of the wonderful graphics, but otherwise I use stock plugins for most things. The multiband compressor in Cubase is now very good - a few years ago I would have bought a third party plugin, but there’s no need now.

[OneWorld]

Yes, stock plugins are great these days. I do use Fabfilter plugins as my workhorses, partly because of the wonderful graphics, but otherwise I use stock plugins for most things. The multiband compressor in Cubase is now very good - a few years ago I would have bought a third party plugin, but there’s no need now.

I am actually coming that that sort of conclusion anyway, but am seduced by the claims that are made and think that I'll stump up the money and buy the thing, whatever it might be. But I make side by side comparisons and say to myself, with a bit of tweaking about, the difference between the two is hardly noticeable, and ask myself, why bother buying any more stuff. But I like to try innovative products and to some extent admire the independents that are developing new products. But it is not the product itself but the convoluted process of getting the software installed.

I have to admit, the synths that come with Cubase are quite convincing and along with Halion Sonic, which I tend to use more than the full version of Halion, there is a good set of instruments which when put through various effects sound quite impressive.

I am currently trying to get one software manufacturer to give me a new activation after the mail account I used was closed, the company I used for free webmail stopped the service and closed the accounts. The email address was my login id and I am trapped in the situation where to assign a new email address I have to get into the existing email so a new activation can be assigned but the address doesn't exist anymore. A notification email was sent out that the email service was going to be closed but at the time I was out the country and went off-grid, even if I was not off-grid, the list of passwords was back at home

[RichardT]

. I am currently trying to get one software manufacturer to give me a new activation after the mail account I used was closed, the company I used for free webmail stopped the service and closed the accounts. The email address was my login id and I am trapped in the situation where to assign a new email address I have to get into the existing email so a new activation can be assigned but the address doesn't exist anymore. A notification email was sent out that the email service was going to be closed but at the time I was out the country and went off-grid, even if I was not off-grid, the list of passwords was back at home

Yes, this seems to be how life is in the 21st Century! Many of our problems are solved by technology, but many of our problems are caused by technology.

[Eddy Deegan]

Call me shallow but I rather like nice interfaces on my plugins; I find it helps the muse and, oddly, the better they look the less I tend to mess about with them!

[OneWorld]

Call me shallow but I rather like nice interfaces on my plugins; I find it helps the muse and, oddly, the better they look the less I tend to mess about with them!

Personally I'd rather get to grips with a Polybrute than look at a pic of one, but yes, in truth, some do look very convincing. My beef is why do you have to download, run an installer, create a new account, download the software, activate it etc it's like pulling teeth, it takes less time to unbox a new synth and plug it in.

One other consideration, I have hardware that has actually increased in value! But this is not a software v hardware issue, I like a lot of the software I have, but it is the ever increasing complexity involved in getting it installed

[zenguitar]

it takes less time to unbox a new synth and plug it in

Evidently your unboxing is falling short of expectations. You need to focus on your green credentials much more. Carefully peeling the packing tape from the cardboard is the essential first step. You really don't want to contaminate your cardboard recycling with plastic film.

Andy