same here. I have every version which I threw money at. Magix shamelessely took it. I haven't been able to use the software at all. I am just waiting for them to sell it to someone else with hopes that I will get to use it once again in life. 5 thumbs down for Magix and it's staff.

@leon-g I'm pretty sure they won't sell it because they also distribute the Acid loop packs. The packs make probably more money than the software itself.

@Todd-Powell Acid hasn't been in real development since early 2020. This means everything changed by Windows updates or plugin developers will make it more likely that Acid will run more unstable because nobody is adjusting the program to this new circumstances.

It's basically a dead software. And I don't think they will start development again.

Better not!

I grew up using the old school version of it. Pirated Sony's version of it. Now I own it. This stuff was amazing when I was growing up. It's been pretty stable so far. Just figuring out how to do "real" recording with it combined with my new presonus arc12c.

Acid pro has been a staple for me now for over 20 years. Don't let this software die. If anything Magix - sell it to a company that cares, vegas too. Otherwise, keep making stuff better.

Better not!

I grew up using the old school version of it. Pirated Sony's version of it. Now I own it. This stuff was amazing when I was growing up. It's been pretty stable so far. Just figuring out how to do "real" recording with it combined with my new presonus arc12c.

Acid pro has been a staple for me now for over 20 years. Don't let this software die. If anything Magix - sell it to a company that cares, vegas too. Otherwise, keep making stuff better.

I was in the same boat as you. Had high hopes that Magix will do something productive but nothing! They churned out version after version just to keep the customer guessing and finagle their hard earned money. Very evil and unethical if you ask me. And of course, no word on any development, or letting it go to someone knowledeagble. I would buy the entire software code myself if I knew who to contact. You can't even get support LOL. However, Acid Pro is my go to software as every other software on the market works under the same layout and principal. Acid is the only one with proper paint feature. So, we are at Magix's mercy. Lets keep waiting but as far as anymore versions, I don't think thats going to happen. I am just waiting for it to be bought out by someone before Magix turns in itself and gone from the face of the earth because thats what it looks like they are headed towards.

I was in the same boat as you. Had high hopes that Magix will do something productive but nothing! They churned out version after version just to keep the customer guessing and finagle their hard earned money. Very evil and unethical if you ask me. And of course, no word on any development, or letting it go to someone knowledeagble.

They did do something, just not enough. And they didn't really improve the software in the areas where it needed improvement to attract new users. Depending on a massively tiny niche user base to hold the product up and generate enough revenue to make it worth increasing development efforts is not a sound strategy.

The market is more competitive, these days. ACID Pro needs more than "you can paint loops!" to compete with the options out there... most of which support ACID/REX2, have more robust plug-in support, and have far more developed feature sets for both Audio Recording/Editing and MIDI Recording Editing on top of superior third party hardware support.

MAGIX cannot justify investing heavily in development if the user base is actively shrinking and they are not bringing in new users.

In reality, resurrecting this software was probably a mistake, and the thing that is allowing them to justify keeping it around may be revenue generated from the embedded MAGIX store.

I would buy the entire software code myself if I knew who to contact. You can't even get support LOL.

1. And do what with that code? If MAGIX developers aren't getting the job done, what makes you think you could. Also, you'll probably have to license a ton of IP from MAGIX as they will not sell that off due to it being heavily used in software like SOUND FORGE and VEGAS Pro. This is likely why all of those Sony applications had to be sold together. Separating them is impossible, so you either allow those you don't want to develop to die, or you put them on maintenance mode and find other way to make up the revenue needed to maintain them (e.g. MAGIX Store).
2. MAGIX Support has been responsive when I've contacted them. The only qualm I have is that language barrier can sometimes be an issue.

However, Acid Pro is my go to software as every other software on the market works under the same layout and principal. Acid is the only one with proper paint feature.

It isn't, though. I'm pretty sure Cakewalk SONAR has a paint feature that works well for both Audio and MIDI Clips, as well as in the Piano Roll. It can even ACIDize Loops - probably better than ACID Pro itself (ironic... you kind of need Sound Forge Pro to get the full experience of doing that). That's not an endorsement, just stating that this isn't really an exclusive feature anymore and illustrating just how much competing products have targeted the niches that ACID Pro has historically been good at in an attempt to compete with and eliminate it (which they did do, for about a decade, until MAGIX resurrected it).

Beyond that, and going back to the beginning of your post, I do think MAGIX has done some right things with the software. MIDI Playable Chopper was a necessary feature, though a bit late considering anyone could get Serato Sample and achieve this with better Pitch Shifting and Time Stretching Algos. The STEM SEPARATOR was a good feature - in theory. The quality was just some of the worst we've seen (RX, SpectraLayers and Serato are all miles better than STEM SEPARATOR ever was).

64-Bit, VST3, ARA2, the bundling of some of MAGIX [better than those legacy DirectX] plug-ins (eFX, coreFX, AM-Suite+, etc.).

Honestly, the fact that ACID Pro "Legacy" users cried so much about the UI going dark just displays how out of touch these users are with the overall market, so there is very little MAGIX can do to make the software more attractive to non-users of it that won't cause the current users to badmouth it to the point of dissuading prospective users from picking it up.

Like I said, they have done good things for the software. The issue is that the instabilities are likely deep rooted and difficult to tame. Additionally, they have not really added any of the big capabilities that would bring ACID Pro up to par with competing software. It doesn't have a competitive Piano Roll. No Audio or MIDI Comping. A non-competitive mixing workflow (Snapshots, VCAs, etc.). Poor interoperability with other software (OMF/AAF/XML, etc.). Mediocre Video Support. It's still an SDI application (debatable if this is a + or -). It's still Windows-only. The Audio Editing functionality is not great.

Unless you fall within a very small niche of users who basically use [almost exclusively] Audio Samples & Loops, then the software is likely to be quite a disappointment to use - if not a de factor productivity sieve ("Time is Money").

So, we are at Magix's mercy. Lets keep waiting but as far as anymore versions, I don't think thats going to happen. I am just waiting for it to be bought out by someone before Magix turns in itself and gone from the face of the earth because thats what it looks like they are headed towards.

I don't think this will happen for the reasons I stated above. Beyond that, the best course of action [IMVHO] is to find ways to use ACID for what it is good at alongside a better overall studio DAW solution that still supports ReWire (which MAGIX does offer).

No one will deny you your masochism, but dissuasion is probably not a bad thing at this point ;-) Why continue to dig yourself in a deeper hole for... nostalgia?

@Former user

Beyond that, the best course of action [IMVHO] is to find ways to use ACID for what it is good at alongside a better overall studio DAW solution that still supports ReWire

That's what I recommend. Use ACID for it's unique features to create projects in a fast way, then export your tracks and mix and master them in another DAW. It's an acceptable compromise.

@Former user

Beyond that, the best course of action [IMVHO] is to find ways to use ACID for what it is good at alongside a better overall studio DAW solution that still supports ReWire

That's what I recommend. Use ACID for it's unique features to create projects in a fast way, then export your tracks and mix and master them in another DAW. It's an acceptable compromise.

Most instabilities stem from the use of VST Plugins and virtual instruments, so I'd go even further and simply don't do anything that isn't sample-based in ACID, while doing one's best to limit themselves to the stock plug-ins ... preferably the legacy DirectX FX plug-ins which have proven to be stable across the acquisition and reboot.

Most people will find that they could easily simply eliminate ACID Pro from the situation entirely, though. The only people who really are having issues are those who refuse to entertain alternative solutions - or basically have already been doing what I propose.