Camel Audio ceasing sales? [Update: CA acquired by Apple]

[SuitcaseOfLizards]

I pretty much only have one-two instances of Alchemy in any project. Yes, it's inspirational, has a massive pile of presets, and can give me "that sound" when I need it, but as I dig into Padshop Pro and Zebra2, and now my Anomaly VSTi, I can actually (GASP!) do without Alchemy IF I HAD TO.

Since Alchemy doesn't seem to "phone home", I think I'll be good to go for a while.

[OutCider]

I wish Apple pays everyone that make 'beats' to stop making them forever.

I'll chip in a tenner if there's any chance it will work.

[bluedad]

somebody needs to come up with something...

I think (hope) by the time Alchemy stops working on my computer someone will have come up with
something even more exceptional.

[Ameyah Audio]

somebody needs to come up with something...

I think (hope) by the time Alchemy stops working on my computer someone will have come up with
something even more exceptional.

just checked alchemy 1.55 works fine on win 8.1 x64 both bit versions. cant test win 10 right now.
need to get the iso again and install in VB.

but hey Apple will fork it up on OSX, i am so sure.no backwards comp.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Those that complied earned a little cash and those that didn't are probably dumped in a river somewhere

dumped in the iriver, wearing 'cement ishoes™', and sleeping with the ifishes

[Kalamata Kid]

As Camel Audio is now defunct and Apple is taking over the helm and the only question remaining is whether or not Alchemy will see any light of day again, I went to my demo (now on week 4) for one last time to see what all the sadness is about. Is Alchemy really the greatest thing since sliced bread? Am I really going to be terribly disappointed that I can't get my hands on this?

So I played around with it.

Nice sounds. Nice textures. Interesting morphing and modulations.

I would consider it an excellent synth.

But better than everything I own? Irreplaceable?

Hardly.

In fact, I can name at least 5 or 6 synths whose sounds I like just as much if not better.

For the kinds of things I would "personally" use Alchemy for, here are synths that I would turn to in its place and not feel the least bit "bad" or that I had to settle for "second best."

ABSynth 5
Blue II
Omnisphere
Serum
Zebra 2

I'm not saying that these synths do similar things, though Omnisphere is pretty close. I'm saying that the sounds I can get out of these things are close enough to what I can get out of Alchemy (from what I can tell from the demo) that I won't miss not having Alchemy. I mean it's not like Alchemy is "OMG, nothing else can make these sounds" because it's not. With some ingenuity, you can coax some very interesting sounds out of other synths that are out there.

Is it maybe harder to get those sounds out of those other synths because of Alchemy's architecture? In some cases, yes. It others, not so much.

Point is, the world hasn't just ended. Alchemy isn't irreplaceable. And trust me, if it really IS...somebody with at least a half a brain in their head is going to come out with something. Technology just moves along too fast for something NOT to come out, especially when a void is left, if there is indeed such a void.

I would say there maybe is to a degree, but not to the point where everybody who doesn't have Alchemy should just throw themselves out a 10th story window.

Because there ARE other options.

My 2 cents for whatever they're worth.

bump still mad at apple.

you are joking sir with BLUEII? hardware GUI, seriously hard to program, i tried a few times, Themida protected and not to mention the serious stupid Protection, no wonder it loads so slow, it has nice waveforms, limited audio import, no granular synthesis.

Omnisphere has no sample import and with v2 you have to import layer by layer, not fun at all

Absynth, nice synth, but the GUI and the sample import it limited.

Serum only has WT import, it is a nice synth, but it has no granular features

Zebra, more synth based, you can mangle audio material also only a small wavetable.

we still need something which combines various synthesis forms like alchemy did. you could for example load in crash/cymbal sample and turn them into a drone and layer it easy, something i couldnt come up with any other vsti.

somebody needs to come up with something, because Apple will screw this up for the windows users like they always do.

Ameyah Audio,

Thanks for the clarification. wagtunes's list is impressive but the one feature is very important to me is that the audio sample be used as the sound source. So is there a VSTi in the list below 5 that does this? Perhaps MachFive 3?

My favorites are ABSynth 5 (which I own), Omnisphere 2 and Serum (might get) but would really like a VST instrument that uses my audio samples as the audio source to make new and musically interesting sound.

[highkoo]

I wish Apple pays everyone that make 'beats' to stop making them forever.

I'll chip in a tenner if there's any chance it will work.

Geez I just got the urge to get irrationally rude.
I mean, it would have been totally out of line, and really a shame if I had in this epic thread.

A game we can all play.

Apple comes round your house and say well give you cash to stop making beats for ever. How much will it take for you to comply?

Why did no one play...?

I am still thinking...
I think that there is probably a number high enough to make me mistakenly say yes, thus ruining my life.

[Ameyah Audio]

Ameyah Audio,

Thanks for the clarification. wagtunes's list is impressive but the one feature is very important to me is that the audio sample be used as the sound source. So is there a VSTi in the list below 5 that does this? Perhaps MachFive 3?

My favorites are ABSynth 5 (which I own), Omnisphere 2 and Serum (might get) but would really like a VST instrument that uses my audio samples as the audio source to make new and musically interesting sound.

hey,

i never tried MachFive, but a friend told me it has a really good engine and amazing granular features.
if you dont mind the dongle, it is something for you.
ohh HaLion could be also something for you, it is more advanced as Padshop Pro.

[OutCider]

Geez I just got the urge to get irrationally rude.
I mean, it would have been totally out of line, and really a shame if I had in this epic thread.

That would have been silly seeing it was only a bit of fun. The reality is, I love beats, and beat maker 'producers' are positively the best.

Why did no one play...?

I am still thinking...
I think that there is probably a number high enough to make me mistakenly say yes, thus ruining my life.

Maybe people are too busy being bum hurt over the camel ordeal, maybe it was a sh1t game to begin with.
I say I wouldn't quit making 'beats' and music because it's just part of me, but for millions, I'm not sure I wouldn't make the sacrifice.
If only it was don't goad beat makers for cash. That I'd do for 1 million dollars and not a penny less.

[Hunter]

Read all these comments last days, and everyone seems to think the CA guys are cash loaded. And they had the choice saying no to Apple. But is it, who knows?
It might they were not in good financial shape, burned a lot of money developing Alchemy 2 and realized they had to spend a lot more getting it release ready. Maybe even coming to the point it could completely ruin their company.
So the Apple take over was a welcome development against a dooming bankrupcy and they simply couldn't turn it down, despited how much they hated treating their customers this way.

I don't say this is true, I even haven't any clue in this direction, but the cash loaded filthy rich bastards scenario may not be the thruth. So as things seem to be out in the open now it would be good CA and Apple would do a press release explaining what really happened.......

well said, there is always a background to every story and i'm sure this is no different, this whole thing is a complete fact vacuum being filled with guesses and bs. keeping ten or more people employed for so many years since the last product release, plus all the other costs of running a business and office, content licensing costs, etc etc is going to be expensive and really perilous for a tiny independent company. The only thing I do know is Ben used to have a lot more hair!

this 8 figure sum can only be made-up, unless they work in rupees or vietnamese dong or something. there is absolutely no way a company that small, supplying such a narrow niche market is worth over ten million pounds or dollars. I'll eat this PC if there was a sale even near 8 figures.

[trimph1]

Oh great. We can now see speculation as to how much they got from Apple.

I'd say in the low 7 digit range....

[whyterabbyt]

I'll eat this PC if there was a sale even near 8 figures.

I heard it was 9 figures and Ben just bought Edinburgh.

[trimph1]

I'll eat this PC if there was a sale even near 8 figures.

I heard it was 9 figures and Ben just bought Edinburgh.

He did not acquire all of Scotland?!

[Mushy Mushy]

I'll eat this PC if there was a sale even near 8 figures.

I heard it was 9 figures and Ben just bought Edinburgh.

He doesn't need 9 figures for that

[Mushy Mushy]

I heard it was 10 figures and he's starting an animated series.
Rumour has it BenTen is the working title.