Dear Spitfire Audio, would you explain please, why yesterday I had that neat smart 100% proper plugin with all the libraries that I HAVE SELECTED BY MY OWN CHOISE, and now I have this messy web store INSIDE MY DAW with the pics which load from scratch every time I load the plugin (they could at least not refresh every time like a website rather than a plugin), with screaming green banners “free” “free” “free”!! “upgade” “upgrade”! under each library?

I can’t believe now I have to filter to “downloaded only” to see my libraries, I am sorry, but this is ridiculous. Is the fact that I now have an oppressive marketplace inside my music project supposed to inspire me creatively? Or support the meditative non-materialistic creative zone within my daw (like btw the old LABS version did)?

What are you trying to make the user feel? Like if they are kind of cheap then they have to deal with the way it is now? And if they want to feel good again and to stop the app screaming “PAY!” then they’ll have to pay?
I have a little desire to pay when it feels forced. Not to mention I prefer a subscription free life. (Just to clarify I do pay for plugins a lot and happily.)

You could at least leave a choice to keep the old version or download the new one. I think it’s best to create something so desirable which people will pay for without an extra push.. actually extra push would be okay, but this is more like rubbing it into user’s faces.

I would definitely check out and buy some of the new payed libraries if they were released separately and I could just add them into the old version, instead of seeing them first thing when I load the plugin! (at least could’ve make the already downloaded libraries in the default tab and keep their pics and info loaded at all times (maybe even offline) and the ALL LIBRARIES or LAB+ tabs to be opened by consent and load as webpage..)

P.S. I don’t want to criticise the artwork because this is too subjective (I think even more subjective than the user experience). The new artwork is very bold and straightforward which feels clean and fresh. And the old ones are more abstract and artistic and interestingly timeless to me.

Next, all of the free LABS instruments work and are still free, plus, you can easily filter for free vs premium ones. Here, I need to add… Look, you still have all of these wonderful, unique instruments for free, I personally think you/we should be thankful for it. I started producing music in the early 2000s and this kind of free instrument VSTs were unheard of back then. Yes, obviously, Spitfire company needs to think ahead and make sure that their business keeps making money. Don’t forget that there is a whole team of people being paid every single month to produce all these goodies. Plus, servers and all other logistics and expenses. The alternative is not much better – if they go under, there will probably be no LABS in any form anymore.

That being said, the only “complaint” I have is about how the VST plugin works inside the DAW. I personally am always connected to the internet so that’s not a problem even though I agree they should allow users to use the downloaded libraries without an internet connection. However, what I don’t like, is how now the VST plugin is browsing the internet to show you the interface and to allow you to browse through the LABS. This is OK and normal for the installer but not for the VST plugin. I don’t know why they did that and I don’t like having an internet browser inside my DAW. It just feels wrong and unnecessary.

I’d really appreciate it if you could upload those.

Got out of the Spitfire Audio ecosystem a long time ago. Expensive libraries, buggy, no demos and no re-sell and after they removed Christian from his own company I would not go back. I wondered how long it would be before they made LABS into a paid product and now I have the answer.

New LABS is a real headache… That’s very pity. Sometimes developers must do the only thing – not to spoil something good and reliable.

Maybe a cracked version will be available and everyone will can use free Labs instruments without the need of an internet connection 🤣🤣🤣 – it would be nonsense ! I hope that Spitfire Audio will make free Labs instruments useable without internet 🙏🏻

Actually, it’s because of LABS that I wanted to upgrade BBC Symphony Orchestra but now I’m glad I didn’t and there’s no way I’m gonna do it now – who knows what they’re gonna do with it in the future.