Subject:Lack of support at weekend

Posted by: Disgusted2012

Date:3/26/2012 8:25:45 AM

I bought Acid Pro 7 over FIFTY HOURS AGO and raised THREE QUESTIONS but have not had a response or even an email confirming order.

I am totally disgusted at this utter lack of contact, customer support and inadequate feedback.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Vocalpoint

Date:3/26/2012 9:57:00 AM

Or maybe they just wanted to enjoy their weekend. Like you did?

I am certain that they will get round to you today sometime.

VP

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Disgusted2012

Date:3/27/2012 4:41:52 AM

Nope - 3 days without response from Sony about my order

No response to FOUR support questions raised through CSS

Even the email to this forum administrator was bounced.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Disgusted2012

Date:3/27/2012 5:10:40 AM

...and all it really needs is an initial email response to explain the situation.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Disgusted2012

Date:3/27/2012 6:58:44 AM

Just got an email from bizrate to gather feedback on the order that was "shipped" on 24 March.

Needless to say, my feedback was extremely angry and not at all positive!!!

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/27/2012 8:06:17 AM

So, you ordered a copy of ACID online - directly from Sony over the weekend and here it is Tuesday morning and you haven't received confirmation? I'm a little lost here. usually as soon as I pay, I get an email immediately with a receipt. So, you bought it directly from Sony and got no receipt? Maybe the transaction wasn't completed.

As for support? Over the past 15 years of using Sony products, both professional and consumer I've generally found Sony to be great - but I will say that a one to two day response time is frustrating, it's not outrageous, especially if you order a product over a weekend.

That said, what are your questions about ACID? Maybe we can help.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Vocalpoint

Date:3/27/2012 12:19:30 PM

Usually as soon as I pay, I get an email immediately with a receipt. So, you bought it directly from Sony and got no receipt? Maybe the transaction wasn't completed.

Sounds a little suspect to me. Every product I have ever bought from Sony - the email receipt arrives about 8 seconds after I clicked Buy. Never once have I had an issue.

Would be a bit ironic if his email is wrong or credit card was not working. But not getting an instant receipt after a purchase via the online store is most odd and tells me there is an email problem here...

VP

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Disgusted2012

Date:3/28/2012 2:08:20 AM

YEAH - APART FROM THE FACT THAT I'VE GOT CONFIRMATION FROM BIZRATE ASKING FOR FEEDBACK ON "DELIVERY"

ALSO, THERE WAS AN ORDER CONFIRMATION SCREEN (BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS WAS A COMPETITIVE UPGRADE AND SONY HAVE TO CHECK THE UPLOADED SCREEN SHOTS)

RAISED SIX QUESTIONS SO THEY'VE GOT NO EXCUSE

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: buckaroo

Date:3/28/2012 5:23:41 AM

I feel your pain sir...

Just look at the other threads on here, there seems to be a lack of anything on here! I'm sure the Sony offices are closed early!

I wouldn't buy Acid Pro, now I'm afraid, which I know doesn't help your predicament - Save your Money and buy Reaper!

I'm still amazed at all the things I'm finding in Reaper! Its like Vegas+Acid+SF all rolled into one, very stable, plus a ton of other really great features...

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/28/2012 7:42:44 AM

It was a competitive upgrade? So, it requires someone to manually review the "screenshots" you sent them? That could explain the delay. I have NEVER experienced more than a 24 hour period waiting for Sony.

As for REAPER - I have downloaded it myself when I was looking for a replacement for ACID. It is a nice package, but the "fanboys" will never let you get an accurate picture of what it can and cannot do, or whether or not you will like the workflow. There are already a couple of things I don't like in REAPER (In the explorer window I didn't see an "up one folder" type of button - perhaps this can be "programmed" or "added" but I don't want to spend all my time customizing my DAW...I want to play some music) and I have tried using it a couple of times with KONTAKT and it crashed it, so I went back to ACID to finish my current project and have grabbed a copy Mixcraft 5. Mixcraft has the added feature of being able to print Notation, which neither ACID or REAPER does - and may or may not be important to you.

It doesn't look like you can go wrong for the price of REAPER though, it's like $60 for a home user and it appears to be very robust, but it is in NO WAY "Acid, Sound Forge, and VEGAS all rolled into one."

It's too bad Sony is discontinuing ACID.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:3/28/2012 1:02:26 PM

It's too bad Sony is discontinuing ACID.

Wait, where was this announced?

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:3/28/2012 1:17:57 PM

It hasn't been. It's merely a speculation that some folks have been making. In the thread about ACID 8 someone said something like, "if Sony doesn't respond to this statement then we know they are discontinuing ACID". Sony didn't respond. So lots of people jumped on the "then they must be discontinuing it" bandwagon.

All it means is that ... wait for it ... Sony didn't respond.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:3/28/2012 4:09:33 PM

Just curious - do you often find yourself shouting, being outraged at things, and giving yourself confrontational user names ?

And yes, it does seem that there is a glitch in the system somewhere. As to the best way to go about overcoming such problems .....


geoff

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: inocmusic

Date:3/28/2012 10:53:20 PM

Just out of curiosity I googled where to buy ACID Pro 7 and

Musicians Friend say it's discontinued:
[LINK]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/sony-acid-pro-7[/LINK]

Zzounds say it's discontinued
[link]http://www.zzounds.com/item--SNYSAC

Guitar Center say it's no longer available
[link]http://www.guitarcenter.com/Sony-ACID-Pro-7-105143390-i1429150.gc

American Musical Supply say it's no longer available
[link]http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-SON-ACIDPRO7

so something is going on.....

and I should probably get a life

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/29/2012 11:51:12 AM

Yes, It's really too bad that ACID has been discontinued. I only wish Sony would have let us know.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:3/29/2012 12:33:50 PM

Errrm...these are resellers. Boxed software is practically going the way of the dodo bird.

Sony Creative is still selling all versions of ACID (including Pro) right here. Don't you think if it was discontinued Sony would stop selling it?

/shrug

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: b.complex

Date:3/29/2012 2:31:38 PM

No. Many software resellers offer direct download digital links but still offer the product for sale through their store. If what you say is true, why do those resellers still offer other Sony products like "Sound Forge" for sale, but ACID is marked as unavailable or discontinued?


ACID is officially dead, Sony just chose not to tell us.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:3/29/2012 3:22:33 PM

Until I hear it from the horse's mouth...

Searching for Sound Forge at Musician's Friend just yields Sound Forge Audio Studio, while zZounds and American Musical doesn't yield anything at all. Am I to assume Sony stopped producing Sound Forge Pro as well?

(Guitar Center has Sound Forge Pro 10 and ACID Music Studio 8.)

The plot thickens...or thins...

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Vocalpoint

Date:3/29/2012 4:23:29 PM

My gut feel - it's only a matter of time for SoundForge as well. There has been nothing new on that front since 2009 either.

And to answer the question about Sony continuing to sell ACID and FORGE - well of course they will...What company wouldn't try to milk it for all it's worth before slamming the door shut?

Believe what you will ("horses mouth" et al) - but in today's hyper competitive marketplace - when a "software company" suddenly takes 3.5 years "off" from actually "making software" or giving any indicator whatsoever on the future of one (or more) of their major apps - something ain't right. Jeez - even the last actual Acid Pro 7 "update" was in Feb 2010...like that isn't a hint....

So - either Sony has some uber-cool project percolating - and for whatever outdated, paranoid 1996 "Don't want to give away anything in case someone steals our idea" reason - just doesn't want to say anything. Or - they are making careful plans (or hoping no one notices) while the hourglass gently runs out on several key players.

It has to be one or the other.

Me - I would be very excited if it was the former - but something keeps telling me that I could bet money on the latter - and easily win.

There was a time when ACID was relevant - but this is the same company that thought BetaMax and the MiniDisc were good ideas, refused to believe the Walkmen/DIscman could be topped and launched root-kits on the world.

I really wouldn't expect them to know any better this time around. Or even tell us for that matter.

VP

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:3/29/2012 6:19:19 PM

Maybe there is just little point in offerring new versions for the sake of it when it is already a mature product that does everything (in it's sphere) that it should.

Who wants bloated crap that has part;y-relevant functions added that only serve to complicate ?

That being said, there is one major function lacking in SF....

geoff

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: JohnnyRoy

Date:3/30/2012 6:32:03 AM

Yesterday (March 29 2012) Sony Creative Software held a webinar on the ACID Pro 7.0 mixing console. Why would they do that if the product was discontinued?

Here's what the webinar covered:

"Vegas Pro, ACID Pro, and ACID Music Studio all feature a robust Mixing Console window that gives you complete control of the audio mix in your projects. Whether you're working on the next breakout indie film, mixing a multitrack recording of a hot new band, or simply getting an everyday project out the door for a client, the mixing console gives you the tools you need to get the audio mix down right. And yet, many users find themselves wondering just exactly what all of the tools in the Mixing Console do. In this live webinar we'll go through the Mixing Console tool by tool and give you a complete understanding of what you can accomplish with this powerful window. Join us on Thursday, March 29 at 11:00 AM Central time for this free web event. You'll learn how to manage your project audio tracks, when and why it makes sense to use alternate audio busses, how to apply the same audio effect to multiple tracks at once with an Assignable FX bus, and more. We'll go through these tools in some detail, so beginners and advanced users alike will learn something from this presentation. Want the audio in your projects to pop and turn heads? Of course you do! Then tune in to learn how you can take full advantage of the recording, mixing, and automation tools in the Mixing Console window."

There is even a webinar sales promotion to buy ACID Pro 7:

Only through March 31, 2012!

This hardly looks like a discontinued product. That has no bearing on whether or not they are working on a new release, but the current release is still supported and actively being sold despite some retailers not carrying the boxed version anymore.

~jr

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Vocalpoint

Date:3/30/2012 7:42:35 AM

Yesterday (March 29 2012) Sony Creative Software held a webinar on the ACID Pro 7.0 mixing console. Why would they do that if the product was discontinued?

How does offering a webinar on a product released in 2008 suddenly mean that the product is "not" being mothballed?

Sony had 3.5 years to do a presentation on their cheesy mixing console and all of sudden now - in 2012 - they do one and that is supposed to indicate that all is well in ACID land?

Of course - AP7 is fully supported - why wouldn't it be? But this marketing mumbo jumbo does not indicate in any way that ACID has a future.

Of those with an interest in such thing - I don't think any of us really care about AP7 or it's mixing console or anything else - what we really want to know is - will there be AP8 or some kind of future for this product line?

And the sales promo - why wouldn't they try to sell as many copies as possible before telling us whats really going on here?

Sorry but I don't see it. The most obvious sign - when retailers start using the word "discontinued" and one suddenly cannot buy this software anywhere on the planet (except from Sony) - tells me that while the door may not be shut just yet - it's closing....

VP

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: sodbuster-ca

Date:3/30/2012 3:14:11 PM

"...The most obvious sign - when retailers start using the word "discontinued" and one suddenly cannot buy this software anywhere on the planet (except from Sony) - tells me that while the door may not be shut just yet - it's closing....

VP"

Agreed. This is the exact scenario which occurred with the EMU Emulator X3 soft sampler.

On-line retailers showed it as "Discontinued", but EMU/Creative kept on selling it for a few more months and then finally stopped. When potential users reported the news from the retailers on the forum, the EMU rep emphatically said the retailers were wrong!

A short time later, EMU/Creative listed Emulator X3 as "end of life/archived". End of story!

The "True Believers" can belive what ever they like, but I've seen this story before.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: sodbuster-ca

Date:3/30/2012 3:32:49 PM

"Errrm...these are resellers. Boxed software is practically going the way of the dodo bird..."

mD

Errrrm...those resellers also sell "Download" products and "Download-only" products. (Nice try though. True Believers create interesting logic algorithms that don't hold up under close scrutiny).

"Sony Creative is still selling all versions of ACID (including Pro) right here. Don't you think if it was discontinued Sony would stop selling it?"

mD

No. EMU/Creative did the same thing with their Emulaor X3. (See above post). When a manufacturer cuts its supply to authorized resellers and tells them the product is discontinued, that means the specific product is discontinued. EMU/Creative still had stock on hand and continued direct sales until it ran out.

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Vocalpoint

Date:3/30/2012 4:12:17 PM

EMU/Creative still had stock on hand and continued direct sales until it ran out.

This is exactly where I believe Acid at. There is stock on hand...but only at Sony. Lots of promo activity going around etc etc...get a good deal and so on.

Me thinks that Sony is simply trying to scape in whatever it can until no stock remains - only makes sense that they would. And then after that dwindles to nothing - hand out the final boxes to the devs to remind them what once was - have a bit of party and then make the announcement.

I also got to thinking yesterday - even if there were 50000 Active ACID Pro users worldwide...even 100,000 or more - at 100 bucks a pop or whatever the latest upgrade would cost - is a mere drop in the bucket to Sony HQ.

Given the size of the corporation - cancelling this app would have little to no impact whatsoever on their business activities...

VP

Subject:RE: Lack of support at weekend

Reply by: Matt_Iserman

Date:3/30/2012 4:48:01 PM

I am 80% sure that Acid is dead. However, there is that part of me that gets the sense/hopes that something big is in the pipeline. About a year ago, I started using Band in a Box (BIAB) again after many years of not using it. Within the last few years, they started using a feature they call “Realtracks”. These are actual recordings by skilled musicians that are incorporated into your own songs by the same paradigm they have used for years. You enter the chords, pick the style and the software generates the music from the recordings. The results are outstanding.

Sony took a similar approach with Cinescore; however, instead of entering chords, you picked the theme and mood for the music. What if Sony were to launch a re-branded and expanded version of Vegas that married Cinescore, Acid plus some of the functionality of BIAB? The new software would allow you to pick the length, genre and changing moods, as done in Cinescore, but the resulting work would be based on all of the Sony Acid loops you have in your collection. This would be accomplished by a new database of metadata assigned to all of the loops Sony has produced. Additionally, above the timeline, the chord changes would be listed allowing musicians to readily compose their own accompanying tracks.

The new program could be called something like Sony Musimachine. (Acid is a terrible name and this overhaul would be a great chance to drop it.) It would also include many of the upgrades that current Acid users have been clamoring for, which would keep it on par with current DAWs.

Again, I am 80% sure that Acid is dead. Considering how long it has been since the last release and how many folks have moved on, Sony would need to do something big to bring them back. As such, if there is any chance that in some form Acid lives on, it will be something like I described above.