Has anyone signed up for this, it starts tomorrow.  I read past messages when it was offered in May.  I am tempted but not really have the time and I am puzzled by the costs.  Full new version of MBX 5.5 costs £ 999.00, Artistic Digitizer costs £ 675.00 so is it anywhere near the same spec as MBX 5.5 or what is missing from it.  I've looked at the comparison charts but cannot see anything obvious.

I have an upgraded MB v 3.0 and a full version of MBX 4.00 so I could upgrade to MBX 5.5 for £ 375.00 if I wanted.  I also have a PE Design Next that I never got used to.  I must be mad to even think that I would want to learn another software.  Any ideas, folks.  Viola

I upgraded from v4 Jr to V4 to V5 and V5.5.  Personally I find V5 and 5.5 far easier to use than v4 or V4.  Makes so much more sense to me.  There are lots of free YouTube videos for Hatch  and Hatch 2 which is almost the same as V5 and V5.5.  I’ve not used artistic, and personally I wouldn’t go for it, if I was going to change I’d go to Hatch2 mainly because the support here in the UK would be quicker, with Hatch you go to Wilcom direct with V5.5 we have to go to Janome, who go to Wilcom, and then back to us.  Wilcoms in Australia so it can take up to 36-48 hours for an answer, but if it’s the weekend even longer.  But when I’ve had problems, usually a windows 10 update it’s always sorted, the support is there, it’s just the time it takes.

i am quite upset that MBX probably won’t continue, Janome now have Artistic MBX will be slowly dropped.  Another reason why I’d go for Hatch because Wilcom will push it forward.  Hatch came about because Janome were losing interest in MBX.

I've had the MBX 4.5 for years and have struggled with learning it. I did the Artistic Digitizer trial earlier this year and the thing that sold me was the training   provided and the continual Facebook support (https://www.facebook.com/groups/artisticdigitizer). If I have a question, I get help very quickly in this group. They record the Facebook sessions and you can go back and watch them again.

The most fun I've had with this software is the ability to take my granddaughter's drawing and put them on tea towels.

At least try the trial and see how you like it if you can (limited to US and Canada I think). Tomorrow Anne will have a Facebook session for the newbies trying the software.  It's been a lot of fun to learn this way.

Thanks Lyn,
You have gone the costly way of upgrading, I started off with the original Digitizer 10K and then jumped a couple of upgrades to MB 3.0.  Did you ever had contact with Peter at Janome Stockport, he was ever so helpful, he sent me a full copy of either V 2.0 or 3.0 several years ago just before Christmas so I could play with the software and I could then send it back to him in the new year if I did not want it. The full version of MBX 4.0 was actually given to me by someone so now I could upgrade from either of them to V 5.5 and it would only cost £375.00.  Hatch is quite expensive so I have to think that as well.  Thank you for your input, very useful.  Viola

Sheri-A,
Many thanks for your useful comments, the free trial is available in the UK as well.  I do not know how people would hear about it unless they happen to look at the Janome UK website.  I checked on it as I receive the Janome Life Canada newsletters and read about the free trial there.  I am certainly interested to learn more about it.  Viola

Viola, Yes I’ve spoken to Peter in the past, and we’ve exchanged emails.  Very helpful, and so are the rest of the team.  I had a problem with the foot pedal on my 15000 and it was all sorted, new foot pedal under the warranty within a few days,.  I do get frustrated though, we have to wait so long for things to arrive in the UK, Artistic has been out for sometime, long before we got V5.5,

I purchased Artistic Digitizer in late summer.  I haven't used it yet as every time I open it I get so frustrated that I just go back to Digitizer V5.5 - it is so easy to use and I do not find Artistic Digitizer to be user friendly at all.  I have to be honest and say that I haven't tried and I just don't seem to want to put my time into watching the videos either.

Now having said all that, I am told that the program is very easy by more than our Janome Educators in Canada, but by one of my dealers.  She says her daughter finds it incredible, but she never learned Digitizer 10000 and onward.  Wendy, (dealer) does use it for changing formats and probably some simple digitizing, but I know that she doesn't have the time to go into it extensively as she has a fabric business and the Janome and Bernina dealership and a small staff - Oh and I can't forget the wool and her knitting.  She does take time to breathe though and takes her vacation time and does her "Grandma" duties too - that is important so she doesn't burn out and be of no service to anyone including herself.  She is always there for us and in good spirits - we customers really appreciate that and she survived COVID-19 which is saying a lot in these trying times.

I suggest anyone wondering about Artistic Digitizer, take the plunge and download the "free trial".  It's the only way you will get a satisfactory understanding of the program BUT don't wait to long as it is very time sensitive.  There are suppose to be lots of videos on getting started on YouTube and I know that both Janome Life and Janome HQ (both from Canada) have a YouTube Channel and our educators are second to none.  They kept us busy every day through the summer with so much teaching and information.

Cheryl - Saskatoon

Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for your input regarding this. It is very interesting to note that Janome websites no longer mention MBX at all, it seems to be all about the Artistic Digitizer although the dealers here in the UK offer the full MBX V5.5 and upgrades to it.  I am curious to know as to what made you buy the Artistic Digitizer.  
Viola

Hi,

I went into the software and looked across the top.  There is a tab on my machine that says to MC15000, I tried to change the machine to another, but it would not but that is my machine.  So it is 2 icons to the left of the Help icon. Clicking on it you can choose that option.  I added a document showing it on my Artistic Software.

Email me if I can try and help you further.

Kit

I don't have facebook. My burning question is: How do you send multiple designs at a time through a direct link cable (computer directly to machine). Nothing in videos, google search Janome website or help in program or manual.  Embird is user friendly. Customizer was user friendly. Artisitc Digitizer not so much.

man-jongg,

I don't think you can send more than one design at a time to your embroidery machine.  I am very new to Artistic Digitizer and haven't really done anything with it as of yet, but I'm familiar with many others and they only allow one design at a time to go to the machine.  The processor in the sewing/emboidery machine couldn't handle that many things at one time.  You can however, go into edit mode on the embroidery machine and import more than one design, ONE at a time and embroider as one item on your fabric.

Cheryl - Saskatoon

Thanks for the info.

Now I can put that issue to rest. Good thing program was free because other that lettering, I doubt I will ever use it due to being only able to send one design at a time.

That's a lot of money for a program that does not measure up.

I can put the designs on a jump drive a lot faster than sending them one at a time.

A digitizing program like Artistic's main function isn't about transferring designs, it's about creating digitized embroidery. Transferring files to a machine is limited in the program because when a design has been digitized it can then be sent to the machine to stitch it out to test it for further fine tuning or for stitching "the real deal".  A digitizing program isn't really meant to be used as a mass transfer system. That can easily be done using the computers File Explorer function.
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Favymtz