I hate to do this, but I have too.
So, I have been sharing presets since 2009, for Axe Standard/Ultra, and 2010, for Axe II. All my banks, that is, which was quite unique, and they became somewhat popular – I don't like to brag about it, but many times I recorded up to 5 000 visits in less than a week on my blog (where the files were downloaded) after a new release. Besides the numerous kudos on the forums, I also received literally thousands of private emails, sometimes asking technical questions, many times just thanking me for helping them to keep the Axe they were going to sell, just because of my presets. Some of those users of my sounds became good friends and we sometimes even exchange mails that are not guitar related.
So, after using a free donation system, I decided to go (semi)professional with my presets. I'm saying "semi" because, it's true, I don't have a proper website to sell them ; instead, I manually send a link each time I receive a payment. I decided to do this for two reasons : 1) there's a enormous work besides all those presets, you have no idea (I have severe OCD and I can work for straight 12 hours a day on presets, instead of going to the beach like my friends do). I don't have to update all these presets because I don't use most of them, but I took the habit to do it because people were counting on them ; 2) and yes, I need money. I live in an emerging African country, my monthly pay is not even 1 000 dollars, and I can lose my job at any time – I work in a newspaper which used to print 40 000 copies daily and now print 8 000 (and probably sells only half of it), 30 of my colleagues were fired in January and I don't know who's next. So that money is a sort of psychological safety, it helps me to know that if ever I lose my job, I will still be able to repay my monthly apartment loan for some time.
Which brings me to the part I like the less. I received this mail from someone who just bought my AX8 presets, apparently a new Fractal user (after three previous mails where I explained to him how to use Fractal Bot) :
Him : I want my money back. This is way too fucking complicated and requires the purchase of commercial cabs to install properly. I dont have a hope of getting these to work.
Me : did you watch the "sending cabs" video included in Dropbox ? You don't even need to use Fractal Bot to send the cabs, a drag and drop will do. And you don't need commercial cabs if you use the "Alternate banks".
Him : There was no video in the dropbox that I could see. What was it called?
Me : (I send him a screenshot of the dropbox folder). You should also have read the "IMPORTANT - read me ! ! !.txt" text file. It explains everything
Him : Yeah, but you can't read that till to pay and get the dropbox link.
Him : I'll revisit tommorow and keep to posted
Me : Watch this :
1) ( direct link to the dropbox video showing how to send cabs into Axe Manage
2)
But if it's still too complicated for you, let me know
Him : (after watching my "sending cabs" video) : Where do I get this axe-manage:cabs software?
Him : Axe-manage cabs is not available in ax8 edit. It is only available for the axe-fx.Please give me my money back. Your video does not work for the ax8
Me (after receiving a Paypal dispute claim) : Axe manage works in AX8 edit. Click on tools/Cab Manage
I was going to propose to send you two files : one with all the presets, the other with all the free cabs
but yeah I can give you your money back (…)
Finally, the guy admits to me that he's "incompetent with technology. I struggle a lot but I am trying to learn"
I have absolutely no problem refunding someone, even if he will keep my presets and will probably find a way to make them work for him. But jeez, these kind of things pumps so much of my energy that after that, all I want is to stop all this and do presets for myself only…
Apologies for the whining. I'm just feeling very very tired.
