Sonible smart:EQ2 with generous crossgrade offer

[tack]

Actually launched on October 1, but I noticed it wasn't mentioned on TSB.

It's regularly €129, with an introductory price of €89, but as an existing owner of frei:raum (I had picked it up on sale), I received a discount offer for smart:EQ2 for €9.90. What's better, when I actually checked out, I only paid €8.25. (Perhaps the €9.90 had included VAT.) So if you've bought anything from Sonible before, check your inboxes for what may be a very generous discount code.



https://www.sonible.com/smarteq2/

sonible is very proud to present smart:EQ 2. We took a huge step forward with this first major update of our award-winning smart:EQ plug-in. Its unique smart:filter – loved by mixing pros around the world – creates tonal balance in seconds, leaving time & space for creative workflow and further in-depth audio editing.

[Quasar]

I did the €9.90 crossgrade thing because I already have Frei:raum. But since I bought Frei:raum 1.0.3 they have changed their policy and now "support" iLok, which is doublespeak for saying that they require a PACE driver.

So unless I install their "iLok License Manager", which ain't happening, I can neither install the smart:EQ 2 that I paid for nor upgrade Frei:raum from 1.0.3 to 1.1.1. Meanwhile (I checked), cracked, unlocked versions of both are extremely easy to find, so I'm not sure what they think they're accomplishing by imposing intrusive CP or what they believe they're protecting themselves from.

If their goal is to ensure that honest customers like me become alienated from their products, then they've succeeded in doing that.

[tack]

I really do sympathize. I resisted getting an iLok or installing the PACE crapware for some years before I finally gave in. I'm an old hat Linux and FOSS guy, so I feel like I sold a part of my soul.

I wish everyone would just do what FabFilter does. I feel like those guys have it nailed.

(Edit: to be clear for other readers, smart:EQ2 doesn't require an iLok dongle but as Quaser said it does require you to install the iLok software.)

[Quasar]

I usually resist buying pricey plugins, but recently bought FF Pro Q 2. Although it is the most feature-rich + intuitive EQ I’ve ever tried, it’s their righteous cp that pushed me over the edge. I WANT to spend money on cool developers and vote that way. Were I wealthy, I would buy every righteous dev’s whole catelogue just on principle, and even as it is I plan to slowly add to my FF arsenal, availing myself of their reduced pricing schemes. FabFillter does it right, and kudos to them.

Sonible merely lost a paying customer for no good reason. I had a brief email exchange with them, and when I politely hinted that their PACE check nonsense can be empirically determined to be futile anyway, they did not respond. Sad. Senseless and sad because no one wins.