Camel Audio closes down - ceases doing business

[Bobbotov]

Just read this on the Camel Audio website:

January 8, 2015
We would like to thank you for the support we've received over the years in our efforts to create instruments and effects plug-ins and sound libraries.
Camel Audio's plug-ins, Alchemy Mobile IAPs and sound libraries are no longer available for purchase. We will continue to provide downloads of your previous purchases and email support until July 7, 2015. We recommend you download all of your purchases and back them up so that you can continue to use them (Instructions: How to Download and Backup Your Products).

[S1gnsOfL1fe]

First of all, nice to see you around Bobbotov!

Secondly, I am in TOTAL SHOCK. :o I don't know what to say...so much of my sound is centered around Alchemy. I've built my career around it. What's even more puzzling is I know for a fact that Alchemy 2 was a real thing...I spoke to someone (who while most likely chime in on this thread) this summer who said it was a game changer and was making one of the first soundsets.

Wow, just wow! Say it isn't so. :(

[aoVI]

Didn't see that coming. I thought they were very popular.

And that is ALL there is on the website.

[Bobbotov]

It is odd for sure. No forewarning for people who wanted product or expansions before the door closed. I would think the decision could not have been a snap one so a little heads up would have been appropriate. Something like after such and such a date all sales will cease. I bet there would be a rush of people picking up things they were holding off on buying. They don't need the money???? Weird way to do business. Something drastic must have happened to cause such a rash decision.

And sorry I haven't been around much. Busy with other things so I do not spend a lot of time on forums. Love the new look!

[Ambient Mechanics]

In TOTAL AHOCK here, too! :eek:

With their recent push of Alchemy Mobile, it really seemed like they were going from strength to strength..and all the talk online of Alchemy 2 just helped instill that view even more. I find it hard to such action on their part was a sudden move..and a little more "info" on just why they've taken this course of action would have been nice..not neccacery I know, but nice all the same.

And, as has already been mentioned, a chance for us to actually stock up on any of the preset packs we still wanted to get would have been nice, too..hell, they could have even given em away as a "Thank You" for the support and custom of so many of us over the years..lgiven they obviously wanted to shut up shop this quickly!

I can't help but wonder if the recent changes in EU TAX Laws played a part in all of this, as they would have been directly effected..but, then again, I would have thought they were big enough by now to deal with the impact of such changes.

Nice..only the first week of January behind us and now THIS..not the kind of start to the New Year I had imagined. :sigh2:

[Bobbotov]

I don't know if this will still be viable but the Plug-In Boutique has CA products for sale.

http://www.pluginboutique.com/manufacturers/51-Camel-Audio

This may still be up because of the suddenness (caught everyone off guard) of the closing but time will tell. I don't see how they could continue to sell though if they cannot get product from the supplier.

In any case, there is a story here that time will tell what happened.

[buing]

Ah...ah....... too bad, too bad, too bad, too bad, too bad, too bad, too bad..... :dunno:

[Beneath A Tree That Died]

Just backed up all my libraries. Surprised they're shutting it down, perhaps someone else will continue the Alchemy 2 project under another name, who knows...

[Ambient Mechanics]

It seems they are doing a complete runner. Like other I posted over on KVR forums, in their Camel Audio forum, asking why this has happened all of a sudden..as well as asking the obvious question: Where does all this leave us if we want to install their software on a future new PC/Mac? Will the software be able to activate or will is simply become redundant after the July date they posted on their main site?

Given they are suggesting we make backups, I figured there would be plans for doing just this and they would at least let us know on their KVR support forum.

They deleted my post within ten minutes of my posting..like, it seems, they're been doing to other customers who made similar posts.

I honestly thought they were better than that. :frown:

[Negative Spectrum]

I don't get this at all. If there was one company I thought was rock solid, it was CA. Luckily, I bought the packs I needed before XMas.

Real damn shame, I was really looking forward to Alchemy 2.

[imi fal]

Very unexpected. Though I suppose Alchemy 2 has taken quite long to finish, and cash flow might have become a problem as no new plugins have been released either.

[Ambient Mechanics]

There's a thread 17 pages long and growing, on this over on the KVR forum. It seems lack of cash was not the issue behind this, as their yearly profits seemed constant enough..the yearly growth of their posted profits, that is. It's looking more and more like a take-over..one which has left them legally muted.

The only real facts we have to go on are the following..

they might have sold out to somebody else..well, that's the impression that some have gotten, based on the few facts that are known.

1) They had around £400,000.00 in the bank, as of 31 Mar 2014 - Total Assets less Current Liabilities: £437,864.00
( https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/camel-audio )

2) Somebody posted the following over on the GearSluts forum..
( https://www.gearslutz.com/board/10701434-post9.html )

"I just pulled their accounts from Companies House, thinking they might have run into trouble. They had a reasonable amount of cash in the bank, although they were small enough to only have to file abbreviated accounts, which more or less ruled out that theory unless something really bad happened in the past nine months.

However, the SH01 form, which updates the information on who holds the shares was filed with today's date and is not yet available electronically. So, an IP sale seems likely, particularly as the circumstances are very similar to the Apple purchase of Redmatica's IP: so long guys, thanks for all the fish; here are some download links; use them before we switch off the server."


Over on the KVR forum one of the Sound Designers who was working on the planned new Alchemy 2 VST says he got no notice of anything being wrong..no call or email. He just went to log in today and couldn't.

It's also been suggested that the owner, Ben, who usually tended to make posts on the CA site had died, as the last post made was by another member of CA staff, which seems unusual to some. This line of thought was swiftly put to rest though, when one of the KVR members who personally knows Ben posted a reply stating he is very much alive.

Personally, I'm leaning towards an IP sale, which more than likely means we may never find out who is behind this..that is, if they don't come forward and release some sort of statement. Shame, though..as I was really looking forward to getting my hands on the planned Alchemy 2.

[Thought Experiment]

Some of the posts over on KVR are typically hysterical, but the IP sale is a more plausible hypothesis, if for no other reason than it explains the totally uncharacteristic radio silence on the part of Camel Audio. A gagging order certainly would explain why there was no advance notice, and why the silence continues. I feel sure that if they (i.e. Camel Audio) were allowed to speak, they would have done so, whether it was financial troubles or the entire development team struck down by Ebola...

It'll be a shame for sure if Alchemy 2 never sees the light of day, for now I'm going to make damn sure I have all my installers etc safely backed up.

[MetaDronos]

Moral from this:

* Do not buy tomorrow what you can buy today. Developers are volatile beings - recently few developers vanished, like HG Fortune who passed away, or Prodyon who closed business because of recent EU VAT absurdities.
MHC closed, M-RGT (of Ambitron, PsyGen, PsyBox) simply disappeared into thin air. Products are even more volatile - developers are withdrawing their products because of planned further development (which often does not come into fruition).
Other products are discontinued because of "going 64-bit" or "end of XP" hypes.

* Do not rely on online activation/challenge-response schemes. Remember sad Kjaerhus story. Fortunately Alchemy relies on keyfile.

* Be like this guy, really:

scrat.png

For me it is a HUGE surprise - Camel Audio seemed to be rock-solid stable company, with very good relations with customers and pristine market opinion.
I hope their products reappear somewhere - maybe under new brand.

[Synthetic Aurality]

W T F

Stunned. Just BOOM, gone, back yer stuff up mates.

Alchemy is on EVERY track I've made in the past year. I mean.. wow.. I sure hpe it's an IP sale and that Alchemy 2 rises from the darkness.

This just blows. No other way to put it. Looks like I'm spending this morning re-downloading everything and backing it all up to my external HD, then backing THAT up.

Feh, feh, feh, hateful thing to happen.