Here’s a different take on soundware business models: offer your stuff for free, then depend on donations. That’s the tack at Togeo Studios, who have an impressive collection of packs. Wave Attack I, for instance, includes single-cycle waveforms with arpeggiated sequences and leads. Their work is available on BitTorrent, too, which could help defray bandwidth costs. (Well, single-cycle waveforms don’t take up much, but perhaps larger packs might.)

I have to admit, I’m skeptical of the donationware model. The issue is, it seems like a lot of folks just aren’t going to donate – not necessarily for any sinister reasons, but simply because they don’t “get around to it.” Heck, just selling soundware is hard enough. And the brilliant, open source Ardour DAW has struggled to cobble together even a few licenses’ worth of income monthly, despite very reasonable subscription fees and powerful features.

I’m skeptical, but I’m also intrigued. Donationware or freemium models once powered the PC shareware industry and launched the now-massive game company Epic Games (of Unreal fame). Challenging as it might be, these models could open new tools to musicians and would be particularly powerful with open source. It’s something that could help us start new projects here on CDM, while paying our rent / electric bills. So what do you think of Togeo’s work? And that specific example aside, would you be willing to “donate” to software, soundware, and learning materials the way that you do American public radio and TV?

Togeo Studios
Wave Attack 1 Live Pack – mininova [Torrent page]

Ableton Live
is a brilliant piece of software, but aside from some great presets in
the new Operator synth (sold separately), you'll find yourself very
quickly starved for some usable effects presets, drum kits,
instruments, and the like. (Oh, I know, SOME of you are synthesizing
that using hand-built oscillators, but come on, haven't you ever
sketched a song?)

Trackteam Audio has a solution: cheap, high-quality (24-bit audio!)
sets of loops, MIDI clips, patches for Live's Simpler (sampler) and
Impulse (drum kit), and — finally — some effects presets that don't
make your music sound immediately like Monolake.

Trackteam is up to three LiveFills currently:

• Tacklebox: Bread-and-butter content and ubercool vintage synth samples. (see our original scoop)
• Beatbox: All about drum kits.
• Travelbox: Exotic samples from around the world. (now with Operator presets)

Not into loops? Just uncheck them in the installer. You can opt in or
out of whatever you want to install. And these guys are pushing the
envelope when it comes to using Live: Beatbox uses clever audio-slicing
tricks, while Travelbox makes use of Operator and even uses the MIDI
scale effect to constrain your playing to accurate foreign scales.

Cost: US$29-$39 each
Compatibility: Mac/Windows
Availability: Now, via download or CD