Overbridge Premium?

Elektron Software Overbridge
#29

I’ve already made some comments about this whole thing, some of which got pretty blue, so after a couple days I’d like to summarize my thoughts:

Charging for Overbridge is a very poor move for Elektron, if for no other reason than that the software is still not guaranteed to work. The bugs appear to be largely worked out for Ableton Live users, but from what I’ve gathered as a regular participant of this and other such forums, it is not necessarily fully functional in a number of DAW environments. Multitracking can be problematic. In my own experience with the Analog Keys, OB was essentially useless because it would intermittently transmit all notes to track 1 regardless of settings. It’s an almost there idea that is not yet ready for individual sale.

Maybe beyond that tho, this suggests a bad precedent for Elektron. Part of what has made them appealing is that they have seemed like a company created by musicians for musicians, and as a result they have succeeded in many ways because they have released gear in something of a beta state and have allowed it to grow based on user input. With what we are seeing with the Digitakt and OB Premium, it makes me think that sales and marketing are taking the focus instead, and we’ve already got Roland for that.

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#30

I’d pay for a linux version of OB.

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#31

Because that’s the only way we can get that feature it seems. Midi sequencing has been requested numerous times over the years but Elektron refuses to add it to Analog Four.

I was thinking maybe they would add it if we sweeten the deal by giving them a bit of money, since they seem to be moving to a model where some features cost extra anyway.

#32

If you kept up to date with the previous discussions on this you would know this is not true, you’d also be aware of the background to their position on it. Anyway, rather than speculating further about this and that (including very improbable os payment scenarios) can we keep it strictly on topic going fwd :thup:

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#33

I hope you’re not refering to the claim they made at some point that midi sequencing “can’t” be added to A4 as anyone with a slight amount of technical knowledge knows that is simply not true. It would be easy to add but they have decided to cripple the synth to support CV sequencing only, possibly to secure OT sales.

Anyway, back on topic: I wonder if Digitakt OB works better than the Analog series OB since it costs so much? I have had terrible latency issues and noise/crackle issues with Analog Four OB. If Digitakt OB is as unstable, I find it very hard to justify the price tag.

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A4 Feature Requests
#34

That’s the kind of speculation that has been convincingly disproved … those with plenty of technical knowledge can make the leaps to see it from the other side, everything is nuanced but it’s reduced to black/white for convenience when it’s used to support a flawed argument … no matter how vociferously a group present something it doesn’t make it so … the world is most certainly not flat … Elektron have firmly stated that this premise is flawed and have gone so far as to ask for the propagation of the conspiracy theories to cease … it creates bad blood which is why I am stepping in to say do some research before you continue with the alt-facts, it helps nobody

Frankly all this sales motivated conspiracy talk is beyond dull now … anything that doesn’t fit, let’s call it out as protecting sales … utter nonsense, very illogical, they don’t run a monopoly of gear spend … people could buy any other gear they want. They make focussed gear now.

They’re a business, and a far better business for their consumer than most.

OB on DT could in theory work better, the Elektron DEVS have considerably more USB bandwidth to play with now … USB 2 as opposed to USB 1.1

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A4 Feature Requests
#35

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: A4 Feature Request

#36

6 posts were merged into an existing topic: A4 Feature Request

#38

OB is/was never free. It came with your $1500 synth. Charging for OB on units this expensive makes about as much sense as the way Porsche considers basically but the frame, body & engine as “options.”

#42

It’s funny seeing after how many people complained about having to pay for software they have no use for (ob for the analog series), that there are so many people complaining about having to pay for the software to use it. I guess people will always find something to complain about.
Btw, my guess about the time limited portion of the ob software is that it will operate in demo mode so you can decide it will work adequately for your needs before purchasing the full version.

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#44

Fair enough to complain in my opinion.
There was no mention of this new OB pricing scheme and suddenly having to pay extra for software to use the hardware doesn’t seem right at all. Would have been a better marketing strategy to include it and raise the price a little if necessary.

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#45

Overbridge already not keeping its promises and for months we had to find solutions for us to make it work…
Now, we should also pay for what?

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#46

I don’t care about any of this discussion because I’m not interested in the DT, but, How do you think this would have been received if they’d kept their original price point but then said a DT sans OB would drop at say, 599? With applause I imagine.

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#47

I just think they should change the marketing strategy…

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#48

Fair enough - it’s analogous to how Waldorf built all the sample-playback hardware into the blofeld, but charged extra for a license to enable that section. It’s silly. By extension, OB does nothing without the hardware itself.

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#49

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#50

just make it opensource, so I can program it myself :slight_smile:

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#51

A flawed example though as Porsche, along with most manufacturers, will have extras that you can pay a premium for. I get where you’re coming from though, I guess it depends on how one views OB (is it core functionality or an added extra) but I do think Elektron is opening up the option a little. We can see plenty of folks with stuff from the Analog range who would happily have paid £’s less for an OB lite option.

How Digitakt and OB Premium uptake turns out will influence Elektron across the board going forward.

#52

And herein lies the point I think. Elektron have made a bit of a meal of the Digitakt reveal in truth. The general impression given was that you would get full OB functionality along with the unit at those original prices. Things have slipped away from that and now the “full” Digitakt experience attracts the premium. I’m sure lessons will be learned from this one as these sort of slips are incredibly easy to make these days. One look at Andy’s Akai Q&A videos can show how wary one can be when faced with questions from a rabid fan base!

#53

If they made that an option I would have GLADLY paid less and let Elektron keep Overbridge.

1 Like