New User for iLok version

[spicemix]

Hi I was waiting for your iLok transition and was happy to get a nice deal at Thomann as well for the VEPro 7 version. I got my serials entered in the MyProducts page, and it told me, I had to wait WEEKS for the iLok licenses to be provided to my account, at which point I would have to click a big green button (why?) and then I would finally be able to use the software I just paid for.

I downloaded the Vienna Assistant and it was basically indecipherable: what I want, which every other company provides, is a list of the software I have licensed to me allowing me to download, install, and update it. I saw a lot of software I didn't buy, in a cluttered, confused interface, with no download links apparent, even though I clicked on things saying "Download" etc. The license status from MyProducts was nowhere to be seen.

I give this purchase/unboxing experience 0/100 so far. There is only once chance at a first impression, and this sets up custom and willingness to spend more. For which I am now permanently wary. A company absolutely must move heaven and earth to get the first five minutes right. As it is, all I understand from the company is a must-have for large VI sessions and a comprehensive classical sample library. That may be all you need for your existing user base but your market growth will be stunted if you can't even make the first five minutes gratifying.

I can probably install a demo version of the VEPro but not the Synchron library I bought. If the estimate really is weeks that is way way too far off for my current project I hoped to try this on. I'm not at the point of demanding a refund, that is waiting for the software to still not work after weeks of waiting.

I mean seriously. You're going to say new users simply had to be deprioritized for the iLok transition? Should have delayed the sale then until you were ready for business. Flat worst unboxing in the biz.

[cm]

hi spicemix,

unfortunately we have a loose end here which of course has to be improved - if an authorized VSL Dealer issues a Serial Number for an anonymous user instead adding the licenses from our Dealer application directly to the user's account this does not meet the remaining conditions.

to solve your issue we have added your account to the current group of users who can convert - please return to /MyProducts

we apologize for the inconvenience, chris

[spicemix]

OK I'm glad I complained, and now I did get the green button, ceremoniously clicked it and found the licenses in my iLok account and activated them to my iLok cloud. That much done.

Normally I would grant a break in return for the personal service by deleting the complaint, but since it seems this issue will be ongoing I will leave it up for others to benefit from and add their names to the list.

Now the Vienna Assistant is still useless. A bunch of random products, I can't tell which are the ones I paid for and should install, and the random products don't even have download links working that I can see. Downloads pages on the Web say "(eLicenser)" on them, so I have no idea if I can install anything yet or not.

I will continue trying to excavate this mass of random pixels to see if I can somehow unearth what I paid for...

@cm said:

hi spicemix,

unfortunately we have a loose end here which of course has to be improved - if an authorized VSL Dealer issues a Serial Number for an anonymous user instead adding the licenses from our Dealer application directly to the user's account this does not meet the remaining conditions.

to solve your issue we have added your account to the current group of users who can convert - please return to /MyProducts

we apologize for the inconvenience, chris

[spicemix]

Aha! There was just a lag in updating the Vienna Assistant. I wonder if there are humans inside this workflow which one would imagine would simply be automated. Anyway, my products eventually showed up in "Not Installed" and I was able to install them. Hopefully I can now try the thing out, more than 24hrs after paying.

[spicemix]

OK after scanning my 990 (literally, and that's after a recent plugin diet) plugins for an hour (why not lazy, on first use?) I am up and running and able to build a template as people show on YouTube. The Synchron Epic Orchestra 2 is quite nice even without VEPro just as an AU/VST.

I suppose I'm now part of the existing user base and one hopes if I decide to add on to my Vienna instruments it won't be pulling teeth just to get going. Thanks for the assistance and the price break. I suppose since the iLok transition happened now without updating VEPro to 8, version 7 will still be current for a year or more so my investment is safe.

[spicemix]

And for a final followup, I decided with the sale and the ordeal of making a template I ought to get some other VSL library to complete the set. Keeping the "Synchron" vibe. We apparently can't demo these things...the very worst part of sample libraries, as I would have never bought most of my libs had I been able to demo them. The Epic Orchestra serves as demos for some of the libraries however, which are fairly nice.

Still the prices of the full on VSL Synchrons are ridiculous and the audio demos don't really cut it for me. I think the Berlin libraries are better than these if I was in for that kind of coin. I did like the idea of a "sketching tool" that I could just jam out on, earlier I got the Kirk Hunter one for $20 in some sale and that was fun but lame sounding. Plus I wanted to have something that would fit with the "Synchron" acoustics of the Epic 2.0. So I decided to get the Vienna Smart Orchestra and its Expansion for $165 total and try it out without the ability to get my money back. Eek.

It's OK, I will find use for it, it's better than the Kirk Hunter Virtuoso Ensembles, but while it isn't offensively bad, it's not great, and I think I might try the Special Edition 1 instead if I had to do it over. But even the SE1 isn't that great, not enough really to deliver standalone product with. And if it isn't fully adequate then it's all a waste of money anyway, you'll only end up replacing it with something else. This Smart Orchestra XP at least makes it easy to jam out on a split keyboard and still work with some solo instruments as one would normally. And thankfully, the license applied instantly and I was able to try it out instantly.

As for the idea of it blending with the Epic 2.0, yes and no. The ambience of course is similar but the recordings are totally different and the ensemble won't really hang together credibly...part of my problem with the SE1 demos, it's all too disjointed to sound real, no matter how much reverb is sloshed on. Until something is available that pulls that off then all this is a waste of money as far as sound quality goes. So the Smart Orchestra XP's failings sonically end up a non-issue and I can just build out a template with most of the instruments I need from what is there, including the Epic stuff which is much better sounding, and jam out as needed.

The "Big Bang" stuff I found truly worthless btw. Like cheapo samples, but way waayyy overpriced. Anyway back to building out a template with all my Kontakt libs etc. as well.