Camel Audio Reportedly Acquired By Apple

camel-audio-alchemyAccording to Apple-focused news site MacRumors, Camel Audio has been acquired by Apple.

They report:

Apple appears to have acquired popular music plug-in and effect maker Camel Audio, based on information found on corporate registry site Companies House [PDF].

Camel Audio’s address has been updated to 100 New Bridge Street, which is Apple’s London address, and the company’s sole director is now listed as Apple lawyer Heather Joy Morrison, suggesting the company is in the possession of Apple.

In January of this year, Camel Audio, maker of Alchemy, CamelSpace & CamelPhat, announced that it was closing shop. In a statement they said, “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.”

No official announcement has been made by Apple about the Camel Audio acquisition. The company made 20 corporate acquisitions in 2014, but it rarely comments publicly on them.

What do you think about Apple’s acquisition of Camel Audio? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

via Angelo Italo

71 thoughts on “Camel Audio Reportedly Acquired By Apple”

    1. I say good luck to them. It’s a tough world out there for everyone involved in music and music tech, and if they’re talented enough (they clearly are – alchemy was incredible) to get a regular gig with the most profitable company in the world, so be it. Hopefully we’ll see their work showing up in logic and on iOS. Tough break for windows users who have alchemy, though.

      1. Totally get the possibility of Windows versions of this perhaps being the last that will ever see the light of day, but up until this announcement no one would ever see another update – Camel was gone. At least there’s a chance of something continuing now 🙂

        I would imagine that this technology will end up in Logic as a new instrument, but who knows, maybe Apple will release all their ‘plugins’ as, erm… plugins?

        OK, I’m dreaming!

    1. Don’t expect to see Camel’s products return in anything like their current form on any platform, and don’t expect to see Camel’s products to return in ANY form on Windows.

      Apple has a tradition of buying companies with great technology, but limited reach, because those are the companies and technologies that offer a lot of opportunity for growth.

      Expect Camel’s work to re-emerge in a year or so as free tools within Logic and possibly GarageBand.

  3. YEs! Great guys, the Camels! And Apple is a great company. Both companies provide invaluable product and services. Hope Ben and CO. go great places. And Cheers to Apple, for getting into the great and creative world of, VSTs

  5. All this speculation about new EU VAT regulations in the comments on the previous news report turned out to be completely bogus (or, UKIP FUD? :))… If people want to blame someone for the closure of Camel Audio, blame your pet company Apple :).

        1. Let’s pretend Softube suddenly posts a “so long and thanks for all the fish” message like Camel Audio did. And then two months later it looks like Ableton bought Softube. Does that means Softube is saved? Or does that mean Ableton now has a lot of new tech that they can make available only to Ableton Live users?

  8. There goes the innovation of Camel Audio. Expect nothing but Mac only applications using technology that other companies have already invented.

    1. “There goes the innovation of Camel Audio. Expect nothing but Mac only applications using technology that other companies have already invented.”

      ….because nothing innovative ever happens on the Mac platform?

      Sorry, but you’ll have to troll harder next time.

  10. Windows users will have to make music without (new) Camel products from now on (just like Logic and SoundDiver). They will be missed but there are to much great tools out there to be sad about it.

  13. While I can understand it surely makes total sense for the Camel guys from a financial standpoint, I am nevertheless highly disappointed as a previously enthusiastic Alchemy user on Windows. The time I invested in this software to learn it down to it’s smallest detail and to some extent also the invested money are of much less worth to me now, as I can be sure it won’t be updated for my system. The future of this products will be less sophisticated, more consumer oriented obviously, so in my view it’s also bad news for Apple Alchemy users as well.

    It is of course true that Windows users can go on using Alchemy as it is (for as long as it’s still supported by DAWs / OS), but let’s face it – an investment in software is always a decision also based on trust in future development of that software. So a step like this is a disappointment for the users left behind.

        1. He said “The future of this products will be less sophisticated, more consumer oriented obviously”. Does the foolishness of this statement really need to be clarified? Apple has had a commitment to creative professionals since the very beginning and if there is a more sophisticated daw than Logic Pro, what is it? Meanwhile, Windows is the most popular OS due to its support for video games and office software. What sounds more “consumer oriented” to you: an OS optimized for professional music and video production based on UNIX or an OS optimized to push as many polygons as possible in video games?

          1. So Apple computers are less consumer orientated? and more for professionals. And windows Pc’s are mainly for gamers & graphics. That is a very simple ‘black/white’ outlook you have there.

          2. i am one of these ‘creative professionals’ having used apple hardware and software since the early nineties, mostly as a video director and editor. apple was committed to us then.

            now they are committed to the iphone crowd.

            1. The new 5k iMac isn’t committed to video editors? Who do you suppose is going to buy this device? The new Mac Pro, with up to 12 CPUs and 12 gig of GPU ram, is for “the iPhone crowd”? Yeah, ok. Let me guess, you’re still mad that they cancelled the old 17 inch Macbook? I always hear old fogeys pining for that thing. Bummer, but the 15 inch rMBP has more pixels than that big old suitcase ever did, yet it’s smaller and lighter.

          3. People yelling things like this always seem so unprofessional to me. This goes both ways. I am a ´creative professional´ and have met great rigs in studios. Both Mac and Windows. I have worked with both OS´ at the same time when working in house on a game. I have never met people as polarized as on the interweb. Makes you wonder how pro these pro´s are, yelling about their OS being the best.

            1. the fact they have time to argue with people on the internet over pointless specifications should tell you how much of a “professional” they are.

      2. You know, it’s funny, that whole “gaming PC” slur, and yet it’s always been argued that a computer that can handle games well, which are the toughest, most demanding pieces of software on the planet with microsecond timing requirements not to mention how man gigs of RAM and VRAM are needed and coprocessors etc and so on, can handle just about anything life can throw at it. I’ve seen gaming rigs that make NASA look like Chuck E. Cheese. Music software would be like throwing marshmallows at a Pontiac GTO. “Did you hear that?” So, don’t bother with the “gaming PC” slur, it’s plain BS that only reveals technical ignorance.

    2. I reserve judgment until we hear a definitive announcement from Apple that they no longer offer or support Alchemy for Windows.

      Also your point about not being able to use Alchemy on future computer platforms and OS versions applies to *all* versions of *all* music software – not just Alchemy. It’s an issue I have yet to see adequately addressed by any software or OS manufacturer.

        1. It’s only crazy if you’re not thinking like a business.

          it’s in Apple’s best interest to buy up cross-platform developers that have poor distribution. They fix the distribution problem and the app becomes a unique asset for Apple’s platforms. Google and Microsoft do the same thing for the same reasons.

          It’s also in the developer’s best interest – because they’re more valuable as a part of a big organization, and they can stop spending their time on all the stuff they hate: distribution, customer support, HR, etc.

          1. Well said!

            As a Logic Pro X & MainStage user, I’m excited that Apple is buying Camel and taking advantage of their plug-in coding expertise. This shows me that Apple will continue to be committed to music production.

            I also hope that Apple will have the Camel group code some new music and synth apps for iOS.

            1. the problem is that more often than not, Apple’s acquiring of outside technologies is only for one or two very specific things, and the rest is forgotten and abandoned. i would not be surprised to see something like the sound engine of Alchemy used to supplant the existing EXS system in Logic, but that will likely be the extent of Camel’s contribution to Apple.

              the real trick would be to find out if Apple bought Camel and brought their teams on as Apple employees, or just bought the IP. If its just the IP, then you can expect the scenario i described above.

    3. I learned my lesson with Kore. Although I love Alchemy, I’ll no longer use any particular software as the primary basis for my music. Ignoring all the rambling about “sonics,” the real magic in hardware is knowing that it should be equally functional in a decade.

      1. False dichotomy.

        Your hardware will be stuck in time, with no upgrades.

        If you treat your computer the same way, like some people do, it will work just the same as it does today.

        The reality is that people want all the new shiny features that computer/software upgrades offer, but they also want everything to work the same as it has in the past.

        1. that’s only somewhat true… there are plenty of manufacturers out there who continue to support their hardware and provide updates well after release… the Access Virus TI series is an excellent example of this. Its 5 years old now and still gets updates fairly frequently. TC, despite discontinuing their Powercore product in 2011, continued to provide software updates until last year.

          Having said that, there are plenty of manufacturers who are the exact opposite… they get your money and that’s it. it seems though these days its getting better because that’s what they have to do to stay competitive in their marketplace.

      2. Oddly enough I was able to install Kore and all my Kore libraries on my latest computer (MBP15 with Retina, OSX 10.9.x). So I guess it’s not really dead. Just like I have my full version of Alchemy installed and running as well.

  14. I wish Apple bought something else.. Let’s be honest Camel Audio wasn’t very good. I wouldn’t use any of their plugs in my music even if they were free. I tried them all. More junk for Logic.

    1. To be honest, I agree with this. Camel Audio is like the least exciting audio acquisition I can imagine Apple doing, but who knows, maybe they will do something cool with it. I just hope it doesn’t bloat up the Logic install footprint, since the old Alchemy had something like 5 gigs of presets and crap.

  15. It says something very positive about Camel’s value.

    There COULD be potential for Apple to bring their skill know-how into Logic, GarageBand and Mainstage, and even into other more core level audio handling.

    It’s hard to see an upside for the windows folks, though.

  16. Good news for the camel audio team. Bad news for anyone who doesn’t use logic. I suspect the topic is dead for about 15 months, then logic 11 will have several new instruments in it that derive from split up tech that would have been Alchemy 2.

  17. i wouldn’t hold your breaths apple has bought the copy rights more than the company, expect logic to have some new but familiar sounding plugin in the future.

    1. this was my question, did Apple buy Camel and take on their employees to Apple, or did they just buy the IP and shut down everything?

  18. though happy for camel audio for being bought by apple. this only means one thing: no more support for PC users, which is a damn shame.. and any one who starts a pc vs mac (is better) debate for music production is a knob.

    rolling with the changes i guess…

    1. Its not strange for Apple to buy fully-formed software that only has to be slotted into the OS rather than built from the ground up. Adding Alchemy to Logic’s existing instrument bundle is a sensible move because its already proven its stability and market longevity.

      As to the upheaval:

      1) Andy and the guys possibly wanted to move on to other things
      2) Apple made an offer of merit for the property
      3) The changes in the European VAT laws put a real burden on small businesses in the form of quarterly tax papers required PER COUNTRY (about 75, potentially) when anything was sold to them online. Many smaller businesses are scrambling for a place as clients of companies who do nothing BUT file those papers. Its easy to imagine that was a factor.
      4) Apple already okayed Alchemy for iPads some time ago, so it was a natural move.

      2. There’s isn’t any real evidence that the VAT changes have been a major driver for business changes for electronic music companies.

        We haven’t seen the tidal wave of vendors closing up shop, that some were predicting last year.

        It seems foolish to create FUD about this, when it’s obvious that Camel Audio’s decision came down to one thing: a slice of Apple’s gold pile.

  20. I only purchased alchemy late last year and had only bought 2 soundsets when they shut down. I was planning to purchase the Iceland soundset… and I STILL want to! I will be FUMING if Apple makes it Mac exclusive.. Please Apple, don’t forget there was a legacy established already when you came along, please think of more than your own market this time.. please!

    1. sadly it would a HUGE stretch for Apple to support a Windows based application!!

      the moment apple bought Camel Audio is the moment windows support ceased to exist.

      look at what happened to Logic once eMagic sold to apple.. it became Mac exclusive.

      a damn shame for those of us invested into Camel Audio on the windows platform!!!

    2. I have had Alchemy for a couple of years and I haven’t bought any preset packs. Program your own!!

      As for the size of download, Logic is full of loops I never download but big S&S synths are big downloads- and not just junk you can do without. Unless of course you don’t want big piano samples and I don’t!! Actually Alchemy has a lot of useful sounds and not just hundreds of “blues guitar” loops.

      Will we see it in Logic? I don’t know. Some aquisitions by Apple come to nothing and others appear in a new guise. Having been underwhelmed by the Retro Synth and seeing that Logic doesn’t have a resynthesis plug in, I am hopeful.

  24. I’m so happy to hear this, I’m crapping golden S-triggers. I also feel for Windows users; I felt the same when CA folded. Its not that Alchemy is the end-all/be-all of synths, but IMHO, with that, a comprehensive orchestral plug and M-Tron Pro, I’m so covered. I’m curious as to how the expansion pack contributors end up as well. That’s surely a big part of the intellectual property. I’ll wait semi-eagerly and buy whatever I must to have Alchemy back. I’m not pro-Apple and anti-PC, just anti-Windows! I have a friend who hates both and prefers Linux. You have to feel it out and see which tools aid your ideas the best.

    The thing is, after you’ve played a lot of gear, you develop a higher level of personal “feel” for tone and usefulness. No one has a right to say you’re wrong, because you’re not; music is subjective. In the end, do at least a few people like what you do? Do you? If so, screw the rest, you’re Home.

    I’ve played a *lot* of hardware synths and owned 15 of what I saw as the better ones. I’m still making use of a creaking old Korg 01Wfd (FLOPPIES! NO USB!! GASP!) because I can just fly when running it. Can u say ‘muscle memory?’ Alchemy’s GUI may seem a bit plain, but my hands began to instinctively move to the right controls early on. That’s good industrial design. Also, to my ears, Alchemy blends and enhances like nothing else. The bottom-line character is damned good. Half the time, its almost an effects processor for me, because a smidge of modern Alchemy under a dusty synth sound from 1985 = a lot of fun muscle.

    Maybe I’m doing the right things. I took on Alchemy and Redmatica early on. Now the latter two are going to be options inside my chosen DAW. Time to break out the good Scotch.

  25. Is this about software patents? Camel Audio had a lot of smart stuff going on in the frequency domain, additive synthesis, using a small number of harmonics from FFT analysis, then noise thereafter etc.

  26. I don’t know why so many people are shitting their panties about this. The company went tits up ffs. It was dead and some smart person at Apple realized how great of an opportunity this presented to pick up some killer plugins and talented staff. At least now Alchemy will live on instead of being relegated to the scrap heap. Logic could really use a Swiss Army knife synth like this in it’s arsenal. There are still legions of killer soft synths for Windows users. If you’re a Windows guy, you can always keep an old machine around to run Alchemy.

  30. Some”body” says:
    “I wonder if this means that any future development of Camel Audio applications will be Mac & iPad only.”
    THANKS man.Is good idea to restrict things. (an Alchemy owner and PC user)

  31. Step by step my final destiny is Linux. But I consider use less and less my Apple products and stop play the Eva’s roll.
    In a moment was amusant but comes surface more ad more the monopol character. At least Windows dont cahe this. Less “beautyfull interface?”. I am the artist. not the interface. Its look and feeling is a god thig but more far then secondary in my needs.
    Really sorry for Camel. But I think apple havee all windows/alchemy/apple users on face (yes. many people use two-three plataforms. much more people that are beleaved)

    (edit) Issues like this create new pirate consumers…¿why I risk to pay for a product that does not guarantee a certain comtunuity. How long time have I enjoyed my product?
    Yes. I also understand that pirate problemhave a real roll im Camel’s disappearance.

  32. Thank you Camel Audio Team for this perfidiousness for the sake of money!!!
    Your loyal customer, who was purchasing all your products with confidence.

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