Axe PC

laxu said:
I also agree that a 8 i/o audio interface is a bit much.
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Honestly, I'd love to have as many as I can get, you can never have enough I/O.

I'd rather have 20 In's and Out's and use only 1, rather than have 4, and need 5.

I also find it nice to have enough I/O to be able to lay down a whole band at once, in a "live" setting, so I can come back later to comp , and layer, as I've always felt that recoding "live" made smoother recordings.
 
The USB portion of the interface is 8 channels but the interface itself is only stereo (two in, two out).

I designed it as 8 channels so that we can use the technology for a line of audio interfaces in the future. Future products may include an 8-in, 8-out USB audio interface. Two of the USB sections can be paired to make a 16-16 interface, etc.
 
laxu said:
3) How about something like an iLok key version instead? Lots of people, including me, already have quality audio interfaces so having more of them isn't exactly helpful. I think it's simply an awful shame to make life harder for the legit user just to thwart piracy. If it sounds as good as you say, I'm sure those who would buy it will buy it and those who wouldn't buy it in the first place simply won't.
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You clearly arn't in the software business. People can, will, and do rip off nearly anything they can. Make it too easy and even normally "honest" people will "somehow" end up with software they haven't paid for and are using on their computers.

I'm kinda presuming that the AxePC hardware will be designed for guitars and might have better impedance loads on the pickups than most audio interfaces?
 
When I first heard about a VST coming out my only thought was how much and how soon, I want it... then I learned that it will be tied to a USB hardware interface and that it will phone home over the internet. At that point I lost all interest I had in the product. I already own a firewire audio interface, I don't need another one just to run a VST.

I'm actually really disappointed as this could have been awesome. I mean if you absolutely feel you have to have a hardware key, then make it a small dongle and get rid of the phoning home as it makes the product more practical and more useful.
 
steveb said:
laxu said:
3) How about something like an iLok key version instead? Lots of people, including me, already have quality audio interfaces so having more of them isn't exactly helpful. I think it's simply an awful shame to make life harder for the legit user just to thwart piracy. If it sounds as good as you say, I'm sure those who would buy it will buy it and those who wouldn't buy it in the first place simply won't.
Click to expand...

You clearly arn't in the software business. People can, will, and do rip off nearly anything they can. Make it too easy and even normally "honest" people will "somehow" end up with software they haven't paid for and are using on their computers.

I'm kinda presuming that the AxePC hardware will be designed for guitars and might have better impedance loads on the pickups than most audio interfaces?
Click to expand...

Actually I am in the software business and this is a completely incorrect assumption some developers get hung up on. The people that would pirate your software would not buy it, period. I watch companies spend tons of money and piss off their paying customers on a daily basis to prevent 'lost sales' from piracy by people that would have never bought the software to begin with.
 
technomancer said:
When I first heard about a VST coming out my only thought was how much and how soon, I want it... then I learned that it will be tied to a USB hardware interface and that it will phone home over the internet. At that point I lost all interest I had in the product. I already own a firewire audio interface, I don't need another one just to run a VST.

I'm actually really disappointed as this could have been awesome. I mean if you absolutely feel you have to have a hardware key, then make it a small dongle and get rid of the phoning home as it makes the product more practical and more useful.
Click to expand...

I agree with pretty much everything he said. Copy Protection is necessary, but forcing a potential user to buy an interface with the software (software alone I guess, would be way cheaper and thus more appealing to a lot of people) just takes it a little to far. Many people already have them, plus to keep up to date with drivers etc. can be a real pain. Just use an ilok or a synchrosoft dongle, the latter one has only been cracked once...

As a Mac user I would also like to add, that at least in regard to music related software/plugins, piracy seems to be more a PC phenomenom, so at least a Mac version without the interface could be an option.
 
About the GUI...

Would it be possible to use only the GUI (no vST part) instead of the editor ? Working the same way as the editor, communicating via midi with the Ultra or Standard (without owning the actual Axe PC hardware). I think that could be very useful for many reasons. First of all it would make transfer between a vSt Axe and a real Axe a lot easier. Build a patch on your PC in the studio, transfer it onto the Ultra for a gig...

And, since you said that the GUI is gonna be 'schweeeet', I think us hardware users wouldn't mind to get a slice of that.

Another reason could be, similar as now, ever once in a while potential customers download the editor to see how things more or less work. A 'schweeeeet' interface to download might help convince people even more.

As much as I dislike L6's sound. Editor GUI-wise they have always been leading. Think of it as food. Who would like to eat the most expensive food if it looks like it's been eaten twice before... :shock:
 
tdr said:
As a Mac user I would also like to add, that at least in regard to music related software/plugins, piracy seems to be more a PC phenomenom, so at least a Mac version without the interface could be an option.
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Sorry, but I think that is either wishful thinking or you're not getting around much :lol: . I work/record in a lot of different studios around Europe and sometimes the States as well. Some use PCs, some use Macs, but they've got one thing in common: pirate software. Doesn't matter what system it is, I've seen almost everything cracked, equally used on both platforms even in high end places.

To avoid a small financial disaster I'd make it as crack free as possible !
 
AndrewSimon said:
bmi said:
The ilok system seems to work fine as a dongle :
https://www.ilok.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/iLokManager

Perhaps available in the futur for those who only want the VST plugin?
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iLok not only sucks, it's also cracked.
Basically every software protected by iLok is cracked.

:x
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I've a license of Protools HD on an Ilok that i've never used.(you need the right firmware too)
So you think that it was possible to find it cracked?
 
Is this going to bring down the value of existing Axe Fx's? Won't the hardware price have to come down in the future as well?

I ask this because given the choice to buy a rack effect or one that can be moved and edited on your laptop (assuming the same tones), why would you buy the rack effect?
 
NashVox said:
Is this going to bring down the value of existing Axe Fx's? Won't the hardware price have to come down in the future as well?

I ask this because given the choice to buy a rack effect or one that can be moved and edited on your laptop (assuming the same tones), why would you buy the rack effect?
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Well, the price of the Axe-Fx won't go down. As it is the margins are slim.

You're never going to beat the performance, ruggedness and ease of use of the Axe-Fx. For many people that's worth the extra money.

Laptops are fragile, easily stolen and prone to reliability problems. Also, you'll never get the latency performance out of a PC that you will with an Axe-Fx. OS limitations prevent this. For some people the extra-low latency of the Axe-Fx is worth the money.

My hope is that the sound quality of the Axe-Fx will now be available to a wider audience. People who couldn't afford the Axe-Fx and already own a good computer can get the Axe-Fx experience for a modest investment.
 
I think Cliff needs to announce the price of the AXE-PC.
This will eliminate a lot of wishful questions.
Cliff already said the AXE-PC will NOT be in the Amplitube/Guitar Rig price range
it will be higher.

:shock:
 
technomancer said:
steveb said:
laxu said:
3) How about something like an iLok key version instead? Lots of people, including me, already have quality audio interfaces so having more of them isn't exactly helpful. I think it's simply an awful shame to make life harder for the legit user just to thwart piracy. If it sounds as good as you say, I'm sure those who would buy it will buy it and those who wouldn't buy it in the first place simply won't.
Click to expand...

You clearly arn't in the software business. People can, will, and do rip off nearly anything they can. Make it too easy and even normally "honest" people will "somehow" end up with software they haven't paid for and are using on their computers.

I'm kinda presuming that the AxePC hardware will be designed for guitars and might have better impedance loads on the pickups than most audio interfaces?
Click to expand...

Actually I am in the software business and this is a completely incorrect assumption some developers get hung up on. The people that would pirate your software would not buy it, period. I watch companies spend tons of money and piss off their paying customers on a daily basis to prevent 'lost sales' from piracy by people that would have never bought the software to begin with.
Click to expand...

Just to give an example, a game called Sins of a Solar Empire famously shipped with absolutely no copy protection at all and still sold 500,000 copies in a market that is absolutely rife with pirating (PC gaming). The CEO of the company that published it gave quite the treatise on the difference between a "potential customer base" and a "potential user base." Some people who will be users will not pay money, no matter what. You can't attempt to stop those people from pirating something. The more difficult your protection, the more likely a scene group is going to try and crack it just for the practice and bragging rights anyway.
His whole approach surrounded marketing to your potential customers by only offering paying customers support, making it very convenient to purchase the product (online distribution), offering frequent updates to ensure the product works smoothly. Basically, making the end user experience as hassle free as humanly possible - the complete opposite approach of big publishers like EA, who have created an enormous community backlash by limiting installs of their software and the like.
 
AndrewSimon said:
I think Cliff needs to announce the price of the AXE-PC.
This will eliminate a lot of wishful questions.
Cliff already said the AXE-PC will NOT be in the Amplitube/Guitar Rig price range
it will be higher.

:shock:
Click to expand...
Here's my guess... $699 for the "base version" and $199 for each bundle... and if you buy more than one at a time you get $50 bucks off each bundle.

P.S. "Needs" is a harsh word... how about, "It would be nice if" :D
 
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