A question send to UAD by mail

[snakes]

Hi there,

Regarding the new UAD1-e Card, to that I have some questions about crossgrade.

I bought 2 ProjectPaks a while ago and want to make a crossgrade to the new UAD1-e cards. I also bought a G5 dual 2.0 with only PCI-e slots inside, and thats the reason why I need the crossgrade. But my problem is that Im not quite happy about how the crossgrade works because, I bought :

Cambridge Plug-In
Fairchild Plug-In
Pultec-Pro Plug-In
Plate 140 Plug-In
Precision Limiter Plug-In
Precision Equalizer Plug-In
Precision Multiband Plug-In

and it have almost cost me the same price as a new FlexiPak, only for the plugins.

With the new UAD1-e, as I can read in your statement, I have to buy a new Express or Expert pak and then transfer all my authorizations to the new cards right ????
But if the new UAD1 cards will cost the same or more than the old cards, whats the idea to crossgrade then ???
Why not sell UAD1-e cards without any plugins at low price to old customers ??? As I read the forum on your webpage, not everyone is happy about the crossgrade you offer.

I just spoke with denmarks biggest musicstore, and they think like me, that it would be insane if you did not make a better offer for old customers.

If your not making a better offer for me and other customers, I have to tell you and admit that you will lose a happy but now a sad customer.

Kind regards

Jakes

sorry for my bad english :?

 

[snakes]

Then I recieved this:

Hi Jake,


Our cross grade promotion is as follows


The upgrade path for current users is as follows,


If you are a current owner of the UAD-1 card and you buy the express pak, you will receive a 100$ voucher for the online store, if you purchase the expert pak you will receive a 250$ voucher for the online store. All of your current uad plugs will also still run on the PCIe card.


Thanks!
Dave Sheffield


And made a short reply:

Hi again

Now it´s simple - If the new UAD1-e card will cost the same as the old card, then you have lost me as a great customer. Sad to say, but true.
I´m not going to spend another $1082 on 2 new cards just because your not capable of making a better offer or crossgrade. And what can I use $100 on ??? a half plugin maybe !!! I allready have all the plugins i need, so $100 is nothing that I can use.

Jakes

 

[snakes]

And here is a topic from another place, talking about the crossgrade.

Then it´s not only me who thinks it´s a insane crossgrade plan UA made.

Jakes

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showthre ... ght=uad1-e

 

[the lewis bros.]

While a nice crossgrade path would be optimal, I PLAN to buy a newer motherboard with enough conventional PCI slots to handle my 2 UAD1s and sound card.
There is something to be said that you bought a machine without any PCI slots, without even knowing IF there would be a crossgrade.
You must be a gambler.

 

[Onlytryingtohelp]

If you buy two Express Paks, it'll cost you just under a thousand (although there will likely be better deals out there) All of your current plugins will transfer to the new cards and you'll get four hundred dollars worth of vouchers for plugins (a $100 voucher comes with each card and you'll get a $100 voucher as a crossgrade for each card for a $400 total) and you get to keep your PCI cards which you can sell on Ebay. I would imagine that you could quickly and easily get $250 each, which would put your total cash outlay at less than $500 and you'll have $400 to spend on new plugs. I can't imagine that you won't want the new Neve at least, then you could either get one of the Roland plugs or wait for the Neve 33609.

 

[snakes]

While a nice crossgrade path would be optimal, I PLAN to buy a newer motherboard with enough conventional PCI slots to handle my 2 UAD1s and sound card.
There is something to be said that you bought a machine without any PCI slots, without even knowing IF there would be a crossgrade.
You must be a gambler.

I knew there would be a UAD1-e release, but not that UA had a stupid crossgrade PLAN !!!

I bought a MOTU 24 i/o some time ago, they made a perfect crossgrade PLAN with their new PCI-e card. For only $295 I got a new PCI-e card 2 days later. If MOTU did what UA has a plan of doing, then MOTU should have told me to by a whole new 24 i/o system and then they would send me the new PCI-e card. Cant you see thats wrong mate ???

Why are you going to buy a computer with the old PCI slots, if you now there is a new standart comming ???

Jakes

 

[the lewis bros.]

Because you can still get a mobo with both, and I don't want to discard the 3 PCI cards no matter how much. $0 is best
I don't think Lynx Audio has a PCIe card in the future or a crossgrade.

I also don't think I would crossgrade to PCIe anyway. I'll wait for Firewire.
I think UA produced these for new users who already have the PCIe architecture.

 

[snakes]

What are you then going to buy the day the old PCI standart is out of picture ??? And I dont know if you have noticed, that all new MOBO has fewer PCI/PCI-e slots than before.

Jakes

 

[the lewis bros.]

There are a ton of Asus boards that will give you a great system with
both PCI and PCIe slots plus IEEE1394. Here's just one example:

http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?mode ... =11&l3=248

 

[snakes]

There are a ton of Asus boards that will give you a great system with
both PCI and PCIe slots plus IEEE1394. Here's just one example:

http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?mode ... =11&l3=248

I´m sorry. I ment fewer PCI slots not PCI-e.

And thats not the issue here is it ??? The problem is that I have 2 UAD1 cards in another computer that I cannot use in my new system.

jakes

 

[Onlytryingtohelp]

I still don't understand why you think this plan is so terrible

* You can sell your PCI versions quickly for $500
* You get $400 worth of plugs
* All the plugs you currently own will run on the new cards with no extra charge
* You should be able to find two Express cards for less than $1000
* So for less than $500, you're up an running and have $400 worth of plugs to shop for--your net outlay is less than a $100

Seems like a pretty good deal to me? Am I missing something?

 

[snakes]

I still don't understand why you think this plan is so terrible

* You can sell your PCI versions quickly for $500
* You get $400 worth of plugs
* All the plugs you currently own will run on the new cards with no extra charge
* You should be able to find two Express cards for less than $1000
* So for less than $500, you're up an running and have $400 worth of plugs to shop for--your net outlay is less than a $100

Seems like a pretty good deal to me? Am I missing something?

1. who wants to buy 2 Cards without plugins ???

2. where ???

3. So true, but all my plugins will be sold with licence with my old cards.

4. Where ???

5. Not true.

As I said before - I bought 2 UAD1 as project paks worth $1098 - I bought Plugins worth $1322 - that is a price at $2420 in my system. Now tell me mate, is $100 voucher still enogh to cover my BIG buy from UA ???

 

[flynn]

1. who wants to buy 2 Cards without plugins ???
Anyone already having the plugs they like, but want to add cards.

2. where ???
The UAD100 promo. It's all in the pressrelease.

3. So true, but all my plugins will be sold with licence with my old cards.
No, you choose if the card should be transfered with or without plugins

4. Where ???
Stores (both physical & internet ) ?

5. Not true.
Not ?


EF

 

[jcat]

Snake, you can add your plugins to any card you like, they're not tied to one for life!

:-k



Cheers,

jcat

 

[Onlytryingtohelp]

1. who wants to buy 2 Cards without plugins ???

They're Project Paks and include all the Project Pak plugins, you sell them as Project Paks and should easily be able to get $250 each

2. where ???

When you register your new Express Paks into the same group as your existing PCI units, you'll get a $100 voucher that comes with each unit, plus a $100 crossgrade voucher for each unit. Then you sell the PCI units without the additional authorizations you purhcased and just transfer the registration on your PCI cards to the person you sold them to.

3. So true, but all my plugins will be sold with licence with my old cards.

Only if you want to sell them that way. If you do what I describe above, all the plugs you've purchased will be authorized on the new Express cards.

4. Where ???

Do a search on this forum for dealers with good prices.

5. Not true.

Actually, it's even better than I thought, because if you buy the new cards and register them before the end of August, you'll get another $100 each per card from the just announced UAD100 promo. This means you'll spend less than five hundred to get your two new cards and then have $600 to spend on plugs. Wow.

As I said before - I bought 2 UAD1 as project paks worth $1098 - I bought Plugins worth $1322 - that is a price at $2420 in my system. Now tell me mate, is $100 voucher still enogh to cover my BIG buy from UA ???

As previously mentioned, you should be able to get $500 for your 2 PCI cards, you get to keep all the plugs you've purchased and you get $600 worth of vouchers.

Here's a link to a webzine article on buying or selling a UAD http://www.uaudio.com/webzine/2005/september/index5.html

And here's a link to the Express Pak FAQ, which has a lot of info on this whole process. http://www.uaudio.com/products/digital/expresspak/FAQ.html

 

[billybk1]

As I said before - I bought 2 UAD1 as project paks worth $1098 - I bought Plugins worth $1322 - that is a price at $2420 in my system. Now tell me mate, is $100 voucher still enogh to cover my BIG buy from UA ???

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Is it really that difficult to comprehend?

1) You sell both project paks. +$500US
You probably get at least $250ea.

2) You buy (2) new PCIe project paks: -$800US
Where I shop I can easily get project paks
for $360-$400US.

3) You get $100 coupon for each new +$200US
PCIe card, crossgrade offer

4) You get $100 coupon for each +$200US
new card purchased (either PCI or PCIe)

It seems I would be coming out $100 dollars ahead! That is being real conservative. I am a savvy shopper and experienced ebayer, I know I could actually get the new cards even cheaper and sell the old ones, for even more. I think I could even add another $100 to $150 to my net profit :wink: I guess if you are really lazy you would, at least, break even.

Then I would just do a transfer, with UA, of all the plugins that I had purchased extra ($1322 you say), to my new cards. Which would cost me nothing extra!

I think you need to re-think your whole strategy or do you always pay more than you have to and just like to complain about it later? :?

Cheers,

 

[DAWgEAR]

I'm not sure about the assumptions people are making about being able to sell a PCI UAD-1 sans plugins for $250.

If people ARE paying $250 for a used card w/o plugs, they are insane considering the alternative that exists.

If a person wants just an additional PCI UAD-1 card, that can be gotten brand new effectively for free by buying a Flexi Pak during the UAD 100 promotion period (assuming the person was going to buy $600 worth of plugins).

And with 1 Neve plugin here and 2 more Neve plugins coming (plus who knows what other goodies are in store), the decision to spend $600 in the future should be obvious, at least to me.

 

[billybk1]

I'm not sure about the assumptions people are making about being able to sell a PCI UAD-1 sans plugins for $250.

No one is saying you sell a project pak sans plugins. All project paks have a basic set of plugins (1176LE, RealVerb, Nigel, CS-1, Pultec EQ), that always go with every card. You don't pay extra for these and they don't need authorizations. We are talking about the $extra$, plugins, in the UA online webshop. You keep these and sell the basic card, as a project pak. Even if you purchased a Ultra PCI Pak (with all the extra plugins), just sell it as a project pak and transfer all the premium plugin authoriuztions, to your new PCIe cards.

Just take a look on ebay, I see basic project paks going for $250-300 all the time. :wink:

Hmmm......I just looked on ebay, for completed listings, on the UAD-1 and in just the last week alone, I saw:

UAD-1 Project Pak $334 Sold: May 27, 2006
UAD-1 Project Pak $300 Sold: May 25, 2006
UAD-1 Project Pak $355 Sold: May 22, 2006

If you wanted a quick sale I am sure you could get at least $250, for a basic project pak. With my ebaying experience, I think I could get more like $325 or more and I'll have the buyer pay for shipping.

 

[DAWgEAR]

What I meant by \"sans plugins\" is without additional-cost plugins. I should have been more clear.

ALL UAD-1 cards (new, used, Flexi, Project, Ultra, ... whatever) will come with the basic set of \"Project Pak\" plugins. In other words, even if you have no authorizations for paid plugins, installing the powered plugins software in the presence of a card will give you access to these.

So, it's a wash and does not affect the comparison I was making.

The exact comparison is:

• Buy a new, under warranty, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, card in the form of a Flexi Pak and (assuming you would have bought $600 in plugins anyway) get the card plus the \"Project Pak\" plugins essentially for free

vesus

• Buy a used UAD-1 card (and assume whatever risks come with buying used) with the \"Project Pak\" plugins for $250.

Sounds like a no-brainer to me. Or am I missing something fundamental?

Of course, this direct comparison only applies if the Flexi Pak is a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th card (to get the UAD 100 $100 voucher).

But even if someone is looking to buy a 1st UAD-1, he could buy the Flexi Pak (and of course not receive the UAD 100 voucher) and get a brand new card for effectively $100.

So I can't fathom someone buying a used card for $250 under any circumstance ... unless they are ignorant of the alternatives.

If you take my reasoning to its logical conclusion, used cards should be almost worthless on the second hand market this summer.

EDIT: Billy, I just saw the price quotes you mentioned. I can only offer one explanation: uninformed buyers. I suppose their existence is good for people wanting to sell their UAD-1s!

 

[billybk1]

So I can't fathom someone buying a used card for $250 under any circumstance ... unless they are ignorant of the alternatives.

Believe me, there are plenty of buyers, out there for used UAD-1 cards.
The UAD-1 card is something tangible and they hold their value much better than say, a software only product. Ever try to sell a Waves bundle, for anything near,what you would pay for it new. LOL
One poor guy who had purchased a Waves Diamond Native Bundle
(I think he said he paid like $2800 US, for it new) could not even sell it for $1400. That was the lowest he would go, so he ended up just keeping it.

EDIT: Billy, I just saw the price quotes you mentioned. I can only offer one explanation: uninformed buyers. I suppose their existence is good for people wanting to sell their UAD-1s!

If you can't get at least $250, for a used project pak, you aren't trying hard enough, is all I can say. I see them being sold for that and more every day.


Cheers,

Billy Buck