GSO Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 EWQL Composer Cloud: has anybody tried this yet? opinions/comments please, 'cuz I ain't spending $50 a month until 2 things happen: 1) I get my Custom PC 2) I actually hear some good solid stuff about this from the people here at OCR. *this kinda thing sounds fantastic. however, it could just be me & my disillusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpretzel Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I believe Neblix is using it, and has good things to say! I'm holding off until they support TWO simultaneous activations without the need for iLok, just like Adobe do with Creative Cloud, because I'd want things available on both a desktop and laptop for that money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 There's already a thread on this, but yeah, I'm using it and loving it. The only thing I don't like is some of the content in the libraries. This has nothing to do with grievances for the service, though, just grievances for specific instrument libraries. Composer Cloud is what they say it is. You pay $50/month (or $30 for existing customers for first year), you get log-in based single computer DRM access for all libraries sold by Soundsonline (with the exception of anything beyond Gold level and some specialty packages like QL Spaces). If it's an EastWest library, they will have it. Everything is presented to you and managed in the EW Installation Manager. Licenses are automatically set up, so all you have to do when you want to use a product is to download it and fire it up. It's actually kind of a greedy instant gratification; if I suddenly decide I want to own Stormdrum 3, I just hit "download". Bam. If you don't mind space usage and download times, you might as well just install everything so you have it all. Keep in mind, though, it is *quite* a lot of products. I opted not to use Hollywood Orchestra because I have personal issues with their library design philosophies, but if for any reason I suddenly needed it, it's right there when I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSO Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 I believe Neblix is using it, and has good things to say! I'm holding off until they support TWO simultaneous activations without the need for iLok, just like Adobe do with Creative Cloud, because I'd want things available on both a desktop and laptop for that money. yep. however I also have Komplete 9 Ultimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimy Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I'm not the biggest fan of subscriptions - I'd rather pay once and own something forever than fork over more money every month. After a few months worth of paying, I could own a library, and not have to pay anything extra! But then again, for $50 a month you're getting everything. That's a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 (edited) Try thinking about it this way: What would you actually use from the list of libraries, and is THAT worth the $50 a month? I personally use everything I have, for some reason or another, so... yeah. EDIT: You don't have to pay $50 a month. If you don't feel greedy, $30 a month is just fine, for 7 libraries of your choice. I honestly think that would help if you personally have a problem with self-restraint. Why have something if you end up not using it? Edited June 15, 2015 by timaeus222 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I'd rather pay once and own something forever This is a big misconception plaguing software consumers; there is never a circumstance where you own software. Whether you pay subscription or pay a one-time fee, you merely have a license to use that software which is controlled by the whim of the retailer or manufacturer (this is outlined in the terms of use we usually agree with and simultaneously ignore). You don't ever own software. You may own the DVD's for the software, and you may own the iLok device that you store your license on, but you never own the software. So, using this to try and compare subscriptions to one-time purchases is invalid. There's only really one valid argument against subscription based services, and it's what Timaeus touched on. Add up the prices of the libraries/bundles you want from EastWest, call that your threshold. Find a number n = threshold / ($50 x 12). In other words, find the number of years n where you will start losing money. As a personal rule, you decide how high n has to be for it to be worth it. For me, an n beyond 4 years is plenty worth it. Also consider that over time, the number of products they have in the catalog increases as they make new ones, adding to your threshold over time if you start using them (and thus increasing your n). Also consider that in subscription based model, you can avoid taking a huge bank account hit or having to wait on having the libraries in order to budget and save money. It's instant gratification for minimal upfront cost. timaeus222 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimy Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 This is a big misconception plaguing software consumers; there is never a circumstance where you own software. Whether you pay subscription or pay a one-time fee, you merely have a license to use that software which is controlled by the whim of the retailer or manufacturer (this is outlined in the terms of use we usually agree with and simultaneously ignore). You don't ever own software. You may own the DVD's for the software, and you may own the iLok device that you store your license on, but you never own the software. So, using this to try and compare subscriptions to one-time purchases is invalid. I'm well aware. (Believe me, EastWest's installation process makes sure of that.) Regardless, I paid once, and now I own (the license to use) my libraries. Whereas if I were using composer's cloud, I could never stop paying, or I'd loose the license, which leads us to: There's only really one valid argument against subscription based services, and it's what Timaeus touched on. Indeed. For me, an n beyond 4 years is plenty worth it. I disagree. Also consider that over time, the number of products they have in the catalog increases as they make new ones, adding to your threshold over time if you start using them (and thus increasing your n). Well then, let's pull some numbers out of our ass then! (No personal offense intended.) Also consider that in subscription based model, you can avoid taking a huge bank account hit or having to wait on having the libraries in order to budget and save money. It's instant gratification for minimal upfront cost. Yep. Emphasis on "upfront cost" though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkDjinn Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I'm also a user of the Composer Cloud and I've had it since the day it came out. I'm pointing that out to tell you that even since then, which was only a couple months ago, East West has made great improvements to the downloader and installer. There were a lot of bugs plaguing it at first, which made me very unhappy with it. Now it's smooth sailing. Regarding system requirements (and your future custom computer), I'm using: iMac (Mid-2011) Intel Core i5 2.5 GHz, 16GB RAMWD MyBook Velociraptor 2TB 10000 RPM HDD It's more than the "minimum" and I have experienced zero issues due to my system. As far as the products included, I personally downloaded everything except two libraries I think (the Strat and one other one, can't remember which). It is fantastic to have everything right there just in case I need it. I did it when they had the intro price of $30 a month for everything though. I don't know if I'd personally do $50 a month, but I also make zero (0) dollars from my musical endeavors. If nothing else, it is a great way to get an unbridled and very long "trial period". True, at the end of my year subscription, I will have paid $360 for this, but I've already found a couple of the libraries that I will get great use out of, and I'll be purchasing those once this subscription is up. So all that being said, my vote is GO FOR IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimy Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I opted not to use Hollywood Orchestra because I have personal issues with their library design philosophies, but if for any reason I suddenly needed it, it's right there when I need it. This is off topic, but what don't you like about Hollywood Orchestra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I disagree. It's almost as if I can quote myself saying as a personal rule, you decide how high the number of years has to be for it to be worth it. Well then, let's pull some numbers out of our ass then! (No personal offense intended.) If that floats your boat, sure, or you can just look at their store, see the prices for their current stuff and read about the libraries they're working on to gauge approximate prices for potential releases you may be interested in. It's not rocket science, it's just smart consumer attitude. Yep. Emphasis on "upfront cost" though. No emphasis needed, I used the words "upfront cost" because they specify the exact meaning of what I was saying. This is off topic, but what don't you like about Hollywood Orchestra? The sound, the patch format organization, the PLAY engine. So everything about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteo Xavier Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Typical complaints of semantics and overly-minute nitpicking aside, are they still doing that "you're also going to pay for the months you don't use it until 12 months are up" cock and bull? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkDjinn Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Typical complaints of semantics and overly-minute nitpicking aside, are they still doing that "you're also going to pay for the months you don't use it until 12 months are up" cock and bull? You can cancel, and then you pay 50% of what is remaining for that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkDjinn Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 You can cancel, and then you pay 50% of what is remaining for that year. Oh man, I didn't even realize. I just looked, and now you can pay month by month instead of having the subscription/annual commitment, it's just a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.