I’m sorry if what I’m going to say next is unfair or if it makes no sense, by lack of knowledge from my side.
Steinberg could and should be much more specific about what are the included expansions (by default) with their product packs like “Absolute 4”, “Absolute 5”.
On the product page, Steinberg do shows what VSTis are included in the pack but they do not specify what are the included expansions for each product, namely “Padshop 2”, “Groove Agent 5”, “Retologue”, “HALion 6” and so on.
Yes, I’m aware that the install agent by default installs the VSTi and related “Factory libraryes” but I just found out that some expansions are not installed and can be installed.
For instance, I tried to install some extra expansions for “Padshop 2”, and “Gove Agent 5” and some worked while others did not.
It wouldn’t hurt if Steinberg could provide in the product description, for each VSTi that are part of the “Absolute” pack, a list of available “free” expansions that are “included” in the pack installation.
If there is a way of finding this information, please just let me know.
Much appreciated.
As is hopefully clear from the ‘Absolute 4 VST Collection’ part of Steinberg Download Assistant, you have access to the same content as Absolute 5, other than:
Backbone (this is a VSTi, not an extension)
Future Past Perfect
Amped Elektra
Electric Bass
Polarities
Sounds of Soul
Arguably the two biggest additions to Absolute 5 were Backbone and Electric Bass. If you own both of them or are not interested in them, perhaps skipping this update makes sense. There was no version bump of HALion or Groove Agent in Absolute 5.
Supposedly there is a new version of HALion coming sometime in 2022; it was mentioned in the Steinberg Licensing announcements. I expect Absolute 6 will be launched at the same time as HALion 7.