A mild grumble+warning about IK Multimedia & Amplitube 5 Max

[yeky83]

A SCREW ON CAP

Wait, you like the screw on caps?!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Wait, you like the screw on caps?!

WHERE DID I SAY I LIKED IT!?!?!?!?!

 

[ChordInversion]

I have a lot of IK stuff - Tonex pedal, all 4 X-Gear pedals, and a bunch of software (Total Studio Max 3.5 and a few extras). But I see it for what it is. They're the fancy-look fast food joint of the effects/plugins world. Generally low prices (ok, not the X-Gears, but I got them on a blowout) , decent capabilities, clunky "undo and redo it" software, mostly a comms vacuum. Take the product or leave it. Interaction only via email in their ticketing system. If they don't want to answer a question, they just don't. They'll just go silent or tell you to open a ticket - where you'll be told you're wrong or asked to record samples of things that are in the factory settings. The real basic stuff - like info on input levels for Amplitube or bothering to even out factory amp captures (and X-Drive pedals) so you can switch between them - is left to the customer.

 

[Orvillain]

I successfully made it through 2024 without buying a single IK Multimedia plugin. Long may it continue!

 

[Sascha Franck]

I successfully made it through 2024 without buying a single IK Multimedia plugin. Long may it continue!

I bought all of their plugins even if that was the last thing I ever had in mind.

 

[Orvillain]

I bought all of their plugins even if that was the last thing I ever had in mind.

Would rather give money to NeuralDSP, even though I don't like much of how the company operates, they at least do value their existing customers.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Would rather give money to NeuralDSP, even though I don't like much of how the company operates, they at least do value their existing customers.

Well, at €147 for the entire Studio Max thing I simply couldn't resist.

 

[EOengineer]

I’ve held strong with Tonex Max (came free with Tonex hardware at the time) and TRacks, neither of which were 2024 purchases. Neither are perfect, both have been very useful in production environments though.

I did buy a pile of amalgam profiles but I don’t think that counts.

 

[Mikael Dez]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...amplitube-mesa-boogie-2-guitar-software-suite $70 off

But I agree it should just be included.

 

[Mikael Dez]

What is the Mark V modeled after in that pack? Extreme mode?

 

[paisleywookiee]

What is the Mark V modeled after in that pack? Extreme mode?

The whole amp.

 

[Mikael Dez]

The whole amp.

That’s pretty cool in the fact the Mk V is basically a greatest hits - if I didn’t have the NDSP Mesa IIC+ I’d probably take advantage of this deal just to check it out.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

"Max".

That all depends... was there a "Deluxe" on the tin as well (as I assume y'all say)?

No "Deluxe", don't think you can expect the "Full Monty".

 

[Sascha Franck]

"Max".

That all depends... was there a "Deluxe" on the tin as well (as I assume y'all say)?

No "Deluxe", don't think you can expect the "Full Monty".

Deluxe? Pfft! I give you MEGA! Eat that!

 

[Orvillain]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...amplitube-mesa-boogie-2-guitar-software-suite $70 off

But I agree it should just be included.

This thread is 2 years old. My original post is no longer the discussion. The discussion is about not buying anything from IK for the entirety of 2024!!

 

[Progressive_disclosure]

I’ve been tempted by the TONEX One, but now I’m more looking forward to seeing what happens with cheaper NAM based stuff instead. So no money to IK from me last year and probably not this year!

What I did do last year was uninstall Amplitube 5 Max (which is missing the newer stuff same as OP) since I never, ever use it. I know too little about most the amps modeled to want to deal with not knowing what to set the input to. Screw that.

 

[ejecta]

Turbo?

 

[DaleCohee]

I stumbled upon this thread (very interesting BTW) trying to find out what would be in the Amplitube 5 Max package. Actually more like what wouldn't be in it.
I have Amplitube 4 and downloaded the Amplitube 5 SE package that IKM put in my account but was immediately turned off by everything being locked and not really that usable.
That being said, I see on their site right now that the Total Studio Max package is on sale for $150.00 which contains Amplitube 5 and a shit ton of other stuff. Seems like a no brainer but......... what's the catch?? I want to be sure as there are no do-overs.

Any advice / thoughts / disparagements, greatly appreciated

 

[Antipodes]

There's a bit of a "oils ain't oils" about IK's packages. You buy Max and discover that it does not include the things you most wanted. Then they spam you to get you to upgrade to something like "Max 2" and eventually "Max Max" no doubt. The strategies resemble mobile phone company contracts after a while. Just tell 'em you're all maxed out.

 

[norminal]

@JiveTurkey?