Apple Acquires Popular Instrument and Effect Plug-In Maker Camel Audio [Updated]

[mozumder]

I wonder if Logic Pro follows a similar path.

It probably will.

If you look at WWDC from last year, they basically took Aperture, and made the core a part of OS X itself, with APIs that do photo processing. You would think that those APIs were part of Aperture, but they're right in the OS itself. That's in addition to the RAW conversion that the OS already does.

I see a situation where things like Nik filters and maybe even Photoshop itself is basically an OS X plugin, that works on the OS X Photos database. (The Photos app is exactly a plugin that operates on the OS X photos database..)

It basically eliminates the need for Lightroom, when it's built into the OS.

And this same process can happen with the sound side as well. We will know if Apple releases new OS X APIs for sound processing in the next few WWDCs...

 

[petsounds]

It probably will.

If you look at WWDC from last year, they basically took Aperture, and made the core a part of OS X itself, with APIs that do photo processing. You would think that those APIs were part of Aperture, but they're right in the OS itself. That's in addition to the RAW conversion that the OS already does.

I see a situation where things like Nik filters and maybe even Photoshop itself is basically an OS X plugin, that works on the OS X Photos database. (The Photos app is exactly a plugin that operates on the OS X photos database..)

It basically eliminates the need for Lightroom, when it's built into the OS.

And this same process can happen with the sound side as well. We will know if Apple releases new OS X APIs for sound processing in the next few WWDCs...

I disagree. The differences between Logic and GarageBand are huge, and not because of plug-ins. The editing functionality, audio routing, scoring, video syncing, and MIDI capabilities are not things that could be replaced in that way.

 

[mejsric]

Is there a same company for Samsung and Google?

 

[Freeks]

I wonder if Logic Pro follows a similar path.

??

Logic X was great from version 1. Now it's even better. And it looks like it's going even further to be best bang for the buck in DAW world.

 

[rekhyt]

Apple is starting from scratch. There's no way they could release a 1.0 product to match that of an app going on its 6th major iteration. What they could do is create the foundation for a new approach and then aggressively build on top of that like they did with Final Cut Pro X.

I'm a pro photographer and I have to say that while Photos won't fill my needs, I'm very interested in what looks like a scalable foundation for what could become the standard for photo organization and editing.

I'm quite sure they're going to release Photos Pro X soon. They just need to get the consumer version of Photos up and working (and also, to sort out the issues with OS X and iOS) before moving on to working on that.

Abandoning Aperture was not the original intention, but they just don't have enough manpower to dedicate towards Photos Pro X, so discontinuing it was a lot easier than just stalling without a response (like what they did with the Mac Pro. Yes, it was in development, and people kept complaining).

 

[Macist]

You would think they want a product that competes or is better than Lightroom.

Lightroom packs in the features but I've never enjoyed its workflow one bit.

Aperture had a better thought out workflow but was allowed to fall behind - I'd love Photos to become a Lightroom alternative.

----------

Haven't Apple already said that the Photos app is meant as the repository, with other companies being able to make plug-ins via API's into it?

If so, then that makes a lot of sense IMO.

I presume this isn't good enough for pro's though, n'est-ce pas?

Yes, rock solid photo management with various editing plugins that suit your priorities sounds good. Although I've fallen into Lightroom by default there's plenty I find irritating and stodgy about the workflow.

 

[Rufuss Sewell]

Those of you suggesting that Cubase should incorporate AU in order to continue using Alchemy should know that Logic's native plug ins are not AU. They are built into Logic and cannot be used in other DAWs. Even those that support AU. So I'm guessing Alchemy (or it's derivatives) will be Logic only.

 

[jayducharme]

I'm glad to hear this. Logic needs some better plug-ins. Its sampler hasn't been updated in ages and is looking pretty sad compared with the rest of the software. Try to expand its window to see the controls more clearly and the interface becomes all pixelated. For a "pro" app, that's pathetic.

 

[gluckett]

I wonder if Logic Pro follows a similar path.

I was wondering the same thing. I could easily see them doing to Logic Pro / GarageBand what they are doing with Aperature / iPhoto. Would it be good? Doubt it, but still wouldn't surprise me at this point.

 

[OllyW]

I was wondering the same thing. I could easily see them doing to Logic Pro / GarageBand what they are doing with Aperature / iPhoto. Would it be good? Doubt it, but still wouldn't surprise me at this point.

I bloody hope not.

 

[Rufuss Sewell]

I'm glad to hear this. Logic needs some better plug-ins. Its sampler hasn't been updated in ages and is looking pretty sad compared with the rest of the software. Try to expand its window to see the controls more clearly and the interface becomes all pixelated. For a "pro" app, that's pathetic.

I've been using Logic since 2005 and almost all of the synth plug ins are exactly the same. EXS24 hasn't been touched.

 

[davidec]

A shrewd purchase by the kids at Cupertino. No doubt with Redmatica and Camel Audio on board is planning something special. Kontakt is way ahead of the game and I feel a full featured advanced sampler is what is missing from Logic. Hope we get some hints soon.

 

[rhoydotp]

I was wondering the same thing. I could easily see them doing to Logic Pro / GarageBand what they are doing with Aperature / iPhoto. Would it be good? Doubt it, but still wouldn't surprise me at this point.

I'm afraid this will be the direction ... "Sounds" & "Photos" app coming near you

 

[iPadCary]

Maybe Apple's gonna make a wah-wah peddle and coincide with WaWa Hut
that everytime you buy a coffee or a orange juice on a cold, frosty morning
like today here in NYC [5°] you get a free wah-wah peddle
to help take your mind off of the frosty, frigid air by making funny sounding music
with your blue, numb-with-cold fingertips. Fingertips which just might get
fed to the wolverines by John Belushi & Michæl O'Donoghue from a church basement.

On Sundays, they give me milk.

 

[0xyMoron]

HUGE fan of their products, Apple should go for FabFilter now.

 

[jms969]

I think that Photos is a free version. In analogy with Logic Pro and Garageband, Photos will be accompanied by a new paid Pro version. Same is for video, Final Cut and free iMovie.

The Pro version should be the real competitor to Lightroom. Given extensive Apple investment in digital imaging, iPhones as a leading camera worldwide (based on Flickr submissions), iPads (there just was a iPad video ad), there is no way Apple is going to cede the market of digital photo and video imaging to someone like Adobe.
There are also iOS versions of these apps.

Which means that Aperture 2 is coming but it won't be called Aperture and won't be based on Aperture but on Photos. Perhaps Apple found Aperture architechture too limited? Aperture was impossible to port to iOS? Don't know but Photos is already iOS compatible. I tried Aperture and found it unintuitive and cumbersome.

Pro photography is DEAD at

They ceded the market to Adobe 5 years ago...

 

[Skika]

Definitely good news. Looking forward with what they will come up with for Logic.

 

[jayducharme]

I've been using Logic since 2005 and almost all of the synth plug ins are exactly the same. EXS24 hasn't been touched.

I've been using it since then as well. Apple has tweaked many of the instruments, effects and their interfaces, making them similar to what's in Garage Band (both the Mac and iOS versions). They're visually more pleasing and generally sound pretty good. But the EXS24 looks like it was ported from a late 1990s Windows program, really out-of-place with the rest of Logic now. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple has a change in store for it, seeing as how it's one of the most-used tools. Perhaps Apple is taking its time because so many of Logic's built-in instruments are based off of settings in the ESX24. If they screw it up, then most of Logic is screwed up as well.

 

[maflynn]

I find it hard to believe that Apple has dropped professional photographers after so much focus on professional audio and video.

Photography is arguably the largest market of the three. I think Photos is going to surprise in future iterations.

Apple has long focused on audio, and while Aperture a popular app, you can see with apple's apps and direction, its more audio then anything else..

 

[Boomish69]

Well thats good news, be great to see them included in Logic, as longs as they don't make these as slow as the've made Logic Pro X

 

[Calle68]

I wonder if Logic Pro follows a similar path.

Logic Pro followed a similar path.

 

[roadbloc]

I like Camel Audio's products. I hope they don't get discontinued.

 

[crenz]

For those of you not familiar with the company, there is an overview of their products at KVRAudio.

I personally would prefer a more strong separation between the platform (DAW) and plugins. As someone else already mentioned, once the plugins become part of Logic, they are not available anywhere else, which limits your choices for the platform (sometimes, you don't need a full DAW, but you'd like to use an AU host for simple tasks). In addition, Apple seems to be more complacent in continuing development of the plugins compared to independent developers. So for me, I find this news only positive in that it signifies that Apple is still interested in the music making market.

 

[Woochoo]

I'm so disappointed by this news. I've been a big fan of Camel Audio's plugins for over 10 years. I often use their stuff in my music and find it to be highly original and always compliments the sound. I'm a use Cubase which uses the VST plugin format. It cannot run the AU flavour. Therefore, if Apple have bought them, it likely means the VST versions will be dumped. Very uncool and sad.

Your Alchemy won't stop working after Apple has bought it. This, plus Camel Audio closed his doors a few weeks ago (you wouldn't have more versions anyway, neither VST or AU), so the company being bought by Apple instead of disappearing is a really good new despite only satisftying the Logic Pro users part

 

[fuchsdh]

Haven't Apple already said that the Photos app is meant as the repository, with other companies being able to make plug-ins via API's into it?

If so, then that makes a lot of sense IMO.

I presume this isn't good enough for pro's though, n'est-ce pas?

I've always found a really weird tension between what pros want in their software, and what they're willing to do to circumvent that software.

I have a few hundred dollars worth of add-ons for After Effects to make its use more intuitive, make organization easier, and add capabilities like physics simulations and better particle rendering. This is expected and understood—you want to use After Effects you're going to start using scripting and plugins.

The downside is that you're probably buying a product from a company who cannot offer the same level of support and assurances they aren't just going to go belly up—I've got a graveyard of old plugins that stopped working when AE went from version 7 to CS3, and again from CS4 to CS5. So relying on those plugins can have some disastrous results—the same as relying on any piece of software, except perhaps magnified.

To me Apple or someone else making a "Aperture Photos Add On" makes a lot of sense, but if there's not enough of a solid base in regards to the organizational and library side of Photos I'm not sure it would matter, and I know not having that add-on being a standard part of the app means the potential audience is drastically reduced.