Ooops, edited

At the end of the page's link.

$40 is too much. Probably worth it, but with all of the other 1073 emulations out now, im sure im not the only one who doesnt need another 1073. Not to mention the ones waiting on VMR.

When the talks of this started it was supposed to be a few extra features for a few dollars. $40 is hardly a few.

I want to support, and $20 for an EQ i dont need isnt too big a deal, but for $40 it would have to been pre-UAD, IK, and VMR (for those that are purposely waiting)

I think $40 is a steal if this plug in is good. Going to check it out for sure.

This isn't "another 1073". You have a lot of types of eqs. I think 40$ is well worth it for a "tool" suited for mixing and mastering. Also you have tonelux tilts wich are only found in softube and sonimus brands (both expensive than this).

I'm starting to find all these comments about pricing (all over GS) really annoying, if you think it's overpriced don't buy it, simple. If you already own some alternatives you're fine with, guess what...
Personally and given the quality and care that went into the freebie and the added versatility of the GE I don't think there will be a lot of competitors at this price point
A.

It's good to push developers on their price because they can change the price on their release :-)

BTW, it's the price for "Gentleman's edition" additions only. If you like SlickEQ but you don't want additional features, just use freeware version.

e.g.

SlickEQ GE = SlickEQ (0$) + GE (~40$)

SlickEQ ::== 3 bands (4 models) + HPF + 3 saturation types
SlickEQ GE ::== 3 bands (5 models) + HPF (2 types) + LPF (2 types) + Tilt ("/" and "v" shapes) + 5 saturation types + "gentleman's spirit"

My personal opinion, both EQs have different "feel". 1st one is much like 1073, LF and HF bands in most usage cases are shelves. GE one is different. It's tilt against HPF/LPF plus 3 bands of half-parametric, it leads you to use different workflow with it.

I honestly meant you no disrespect. I must have really hit a nerve with the others. May be a good idea to let the beta testers know that their action reflects on the developer as well.

As you mostly said, I would think you'd want every opinion you could get. Good and bad. It only helps you. I just think that the pricing/timing isnt ideal.
I dont expect you to change anything because of it, but i feel its worthwhile information. I hope you can understand my initial point for what it is.

...honestly I would pay 40$ for a "blank word doc" from the guys just to say THANK YOU! - and of course the price of the GE is a no brainer anyway, can´t wait to buy it!

Can we all just stop using the word 1073? Even though they might have a similar EQ layout, the SlickEQ has nothing that even resembles the Neve. And I mean that in a good way! They're just so far apart from each other that I don't even understand why were talking about it... I think we've just might have ruined this thread with all these references to the 1073..

Anyway, after trying the beta of the GE I'm very happy and impressed by it! Not that it's a whole different plugin than the standard SlickEQ, it just has more options/filters in it. Which is a good thing, I can do pretty much anything when it comes to digital equalization using only the SlickEQ GE.

Regarding the price, 40$ is way cheap for this, it could cost 4-5 times that and I still would think it would be a cheap purchase for its quality and for what it delivers. Even the standard SlickEQ at 40$ would be a steal! I don't work for TDR/VOS and I don't understand why they chose this business model so I can only grateful they allow us to have such great tools for free or for insanely cheap prices.

No complaints from my side. Sometimes bad talks attract people more than good talks (it's all my personal opinion of course). It's gearslutz anyway ;-)

Testers became angry due to comparison against 1073. Hmm, I'm a bit worried about infinite numbers of simulations of the same gear too but it's a kind of philosophical question. But testers believe this plugin is not a copy/replica/emulation of something (and I believe too! :-) and it was a starting point of "flame".

I like the point to discuss the price before the release, because changing it after release is a bit tricky point!

I've got the image in my archives of initial SlickEQ GUI concept



and you know, without HPF it didn't remind Neve :-)

That is exactly my experience and opinion.
The GE is really well thought out and delivers fantastic results.

I think this is a misunderstanding due to "non-optimal" communication from our side.

So far, we only informed our close circle of beta testers into our "business" model, and simply forgot to do the same for the public. We should have done this before.

Time to explain a few things:

First of all, keep in mind both Vlad, Herbert and myslef have "real jobs", as well as tons of weird hobbies. We really do this for our own egoistic nerd trip.



The regular model (Waves, NI, whatever) looks like this:

1. Conception, development and testing.
2. Massive ad campaign, usually based on some clever rhetoric trickery (this sometimes even happens before 1.).
3. Massive invests into copy protection.

The user gets:

1. A shipload of manipulative and reassuring advertisements leading him to the product.
2. A practically useless demo version.
3. For big bucks, user gets granted access to the only truly working version of the product.

This model is very expensive, but almost fool-proof. At least, it has been in the last 5 years. This is why these products cost 200$ in average. The price for printing a random number such as 1073 into an audience's head is damn expensive and easily makes 50% of the final online retail-price.



Our model is different, we do the following:

1. Conception, development.
2. standard edition release.

The user gets:

1. A free, unrestricted plugin. In return, users help us nailing down bugs and concept issues, as well as spreading a lot natural word of mouth. These things usually cost tens of K$, but don't generate any expense in our case. Zero. In addition, in 2014, ppl are seriously getting tired of ads. Natural and sincere word of mouth is better. Much better.

2. If user likes the standard plugin (after unlimited evaluation time including free updates!), he has the option to buy a relatively cheap (relative to the model above), slightly improved version of the standard edition. This is meant to finance both the standard and "steroids" editions. In the current case, 30€ is not the price for a tilt-filter and an additional low-pass. It's practically the price for the availability of both editions. Since we don't need demos, we don't need expensive copy-protection either.

Yes, this is a slightly socialistic mechanism (I've heard musician are attracted by socialistic ideas ). But it's perfect for us and the user, in the sense that it maximizes happiness, communication, stability and PR, while still generating only very low expenses. A clear win-win if you ask me. That's essentially the "gentleman" concept.



Of course, it is important to explain the mechanism, and we plan to do it as soon we put the GE online.

Just for your info, slickEQ + slickEQ GE took us about 3-4 months to develop. Three developers. Pls ask around at linkedIn what three high end generalists with deep experience in C++ realtime programming, web programming, math, signal processing, audio, UI design, music psychology and audio plugin dev in particular cost on the free market, if you find any. We would have to sell at least 5000 units at 30€ just to recover the money we could have earned elsewhere with trivial work in a big IT corp. Beside Klanghelm, I don't know of any quality plugin company offering new products for less than 50$!

We're realistically expecting about 100-200 sales! This is purely meant to cover the regular expenses directly related to plugins (certificates, hosting) and maybe a few beers. The other 100K $ for each new plugin development are paid and advanced from OUR own pockets.


Maybe this explains the heat in previous comments? (beside the fact that it's currently crazy hot here in Germany)

I'm expecting sales will be MUCH higher than that

I thought this model was a kind of a "secret plan" :-) And I'm happy it's been "socialized"!

Vlad, our meeting on world domination is scheduled for Monday next week.

Heck, I'm considering byuing just because these guys seem so nice and are so transparent (I really like transparency in business. Go Vodafone!). And a good plugin as a bonus :=)

Just to remind everyone what these guys have already given us:

Slick EQ
Molot Compressor
Limiter 6
Feedback Compressor I & II
All the VoS catalog with gems such as Epic Verb, NastyDLA/VCS, VBL etc.

I would agree that 40 bucks would be over the top if this was a newcomer developer with no reputation whatsoever in the community, but clearly this isn't the case.

In this case its not only about "buying an EQ", its about supporting developers who gave us a lot of good things for free and are now offering a fine tool for an affordable price.

We're getting a fine product which will be delivered and supported on all major platforms. Vlad and Fabien are always around to provide users with the best possible support - and that counts a lot on my book. Wish more developers had the same sense of community like these guys have.

Oh and did someone said communism?

Cheers

Don't forget Toneboosters and Sknote.

And OverTone and HoRNet. Point is, there are quite a few independent devs putting out some very nice tools for little or no money these days. One could assemble a high-quality toolbox for next to nothing that works pretty much the same as the high-dollar plugins from big-name vendors.

Case in point: the entry that won first place in last year's PureMix GearFest mixing contest, chosen out of hundreds of submissions, many from professional mixers, mainly used free plugins from VoS, TDR, and Vladg.

Cheers to the freeware Dream Team behind SlickEQ for their excellent work and generosity. I think their planned asking price for the GE is quite reasonable.

Cheers,
Eddie

I think the person who said 40$ is too expensive is right from his point of view of a negligible plugin purchase.

By that I mean he doesn't think he would really use the plugin so much, but would like to offer something in return for it for those occasions he would use it.

I agree that this price point of 40$ is a respectable threshold which would retain some of the plugin's "perceived value".

A great plugin that is free, even if it's the best of it's class, would have trouble with it's overall perception of worth.
This is mainly because of the way our brains were trained by our consumerist society to acknowledge the value of something based on it's price.

As Oscar Wilde said the modern cynical man is "a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing"


So on one hand I agree with the decent but not near throwaway price point of this plugin because it retains a certain status based on the financial value.

On the other hand, there are many other customers who would have bought it out of reflex at a 20-25$ price point, especially since the fan base of these great developers are people with sensible budgets, that discover you don't really need a lot of money to make good music.

Tough decision if you ask me.

People are not used to see good stuff happening.. so when good stuff does happen they get paranoid, start to see schemes behind it etc. or just don't recognize it.

It's a sad fact that we have to be a bit cynical in this society to cope with it.. but sometimes it's way too much and unnecessary.

BTW lovely post overall hopefully people will get some ideas of how hard it really is to make something out of passion and survive doing it without selling your soul

I think developers with this mentality should unite and for an Independent Plugin Developers Resistance Movement.

Where bulls advertising, over hyped sales talk and false claims are shunned but most importantly imagine as a customer being able to build cross developer bundles such as Slick Ge + Klanghelm SDDR + Sknote etc

Five plugins for $150 or whatever..

All small indie developers.. Work together and strength in numbers?

I think plugin alliance was supposed to be this way but not so sure I've ever seen such transparency there or cross brand bundles??

Zz.

Plugin Alliance is basically Brainworx. As far as I remember the only developers besides Brainworx @ PA are SPL (not sure if they're coded by Brainworx), Noveltech and Paul Frindle's Pro Audio DSP. At the beginning I also thought they would be a hub for developers to gather around but it didn't turn out that way.

I second that... and actually I would say GS has been real annoying lately.
There isn't one thread we don't read through without finding a troll post...

First of all hats off to your efforts and great plugin!

But if you invest that much of your own money and time in the product, how are you able to make a living? You can’t blame companies like NI or Waves for trying to make a profit. They might have bills to pay and mouths to feed.

Thanks for a thorough and humble explanation of your process. Your efforts are both respected and appreciated.

Given the opportunity, i wouldnt doubt that you guys could do some real damage to the plugin market. I like to think that your contributions (all of you-hornet, klanghelm, VOS, ect) helps keep prices down and cracks to a minimum.

I totally agree. As i said before, its worth it. I have the freeware, and it alone is worth $40.


I have to wonder about the willingness to purchase this plugin after a lot of people have spent big money on UAD, IK, Waves, and Slate. I mean that covers A LOT of buyers, and i dont think most need to compare the 2 plugins to decide which is right for them....as i agree with your assessment of "fool proof trickery" i think their minds are mostly made up.


My point is that im buying a plugin i (and a lot of other people) already have, so to me, its not much more than a donation.. Especially already having the freeware. I want to donate, and $20 i think is great. $40 feels like a bit much.

Again, im not trying to change your mind. I wouldnt expect you to do anything differently than you see fit. It was just a comment, and im pretty sure that you value ALL of your users comments, positive and negative, as long as constructive. Other than the bickering, i dont see how they were anything but.

My reasoning is a little different. I dont think that makes it any less valid. (i know you never said it did) but it shows that there are circumstances where people may feel hesitant about the price.

Im pretty sure plug-n-mix have plugins that do this as well, and i think that Boz dude has freeware for this. (boz digital labs- i think) Besides, Is it really doing something that cant be done with channel EQ? Convenient sure. Irreplaceable?

There's an incredible demand for software-dev and web-dev.

Time is the main problem, that's why we are trying to buy us more DSP time with the GE's.

Oh, I don't. Not at all. Making profit is fine. But it's definitely not my job to keep their business alive.

That's basically the idea behind my collab with Vlad (and Herbert with regard to SlickEQ). But we really want to keep it small and focussed. We spend weeks (!) on seemingly trivial UI questions such as button positions. Add a few more developers and it takes months or year until they find an agreement.

From my exprience, 2-3 seems to be the perfect size for a creative project team.

This is a GREAT idea. Not that trivial in reality because of different CP and EULAs, but well worth a try if you ask me.