Nobody has unlimited cash. But some software manufacturers offer fairly limited trials. Eg: 14 days and then the plugin shuts off. However, I’ve also noticed that others are a bit more generous, either because (I’m guessing) their tech is a bit older or because they know folks are more likely to spring for a device they already have installed. Notable companies who are somewhat generous with free trials:
Tracktion give 90 days SW trials fully featured (a length of time reserved for DAWs)
Some Sugarbytes plugins just ask you to buy them once in a while?! Again saving and modifying presets is not possible.
You can use Shaperbox without restrictions (but can’t save anything)
Uhe & Valhalla plugins emit noise once in a while
You can use some Native Instruments more expensive libraries for 15 minutes at a time before they close down.
Obviously I"m all about paying for software, not cracking it and whatnot. But we all have limits to our bank accounts and I guess an enforced “extended trial” can stretch your music budget a bit further while you wait for sales and whatnot.
Do you know any manufacturers who are somewhat generous with their trials? Let us know if there are any notable ones. Also, what’s your best story about stretching a trial, or have you even ended up getting so used to trial limitations you never even bought the thing? (eg printing audio every few mins or before leaving a session.)
I once got Octamed on an Amiga Format coverdisk and we ended up making hours and hours of music with nothing but that. Some of it was even pretty good.
I always loved Reaktor because the user library is HUGE. There’s a few ensembles people have made that are over a decade old that are still amazing software instruments.
BeatLookUp for example is the smoothest buffer shuffling live mangling device.
Others have come close, but that last little polish on beatLookup makes a big difference.
So many Reaktor devices.
A very solid Space Echo emulation
Mastering Compressor
Envelop following distortion
The Finger (no longer free)
Vectory etc
I used to use the demo version of the Native Instruments B4 II organ on my tracks for years before I finally got a paid version (it’s now been discontinued and so my version doesn’t work with l which is sad as it was one of the greatest things). The demo stopped working after 30 minutes or so and I just restarted it. But gave NI giant money over the years later.
Found out about Arturia V Collection once I got a Volca FM because I needed a better way to visualize making patches. I used to load it up, make my patch, and screenshot all the parameters and then enter them all into the Volca by hand. I had to be done in 20 minutes before the trial would time out. I grew up in the age where you’d have to type in computer programs from a magazine (some of the time) so I didn’t get too impatient with it.
I didn’t have a USB MIDI controller so I’d fire up a V Collection thing, jam out on the laptop keyboard, and just switch to a different one when the time ran out. I think I spent at least six months doing that before I bought a license. The day I finally went to purchase it was on sale, so that was pretty lucky.
I don’t use them seriously so don’t feel bad about this, but the Arturia V collection demos, 20 minutes at a time, have been my go-to for playing in soothing chords and arps while on mute pandemic-era zoom meetings, and for previewing what I might eventually buy for using as a VST…
Not Music related, but in 2006 when Adobe Lightroom was introduced (a photo RAW editor) I realised I could set the system date on my laptop back a couple years and the 30 day trial countdown timer on the opening screen went to 700+ days. That’s was cool.
Yeah looks like these NI/Arturia ones are popular. I definitley mess around with the Light Trilogy by NI from time to time but I haven’t yet thought about buying.
hours of fun.