# Hmmm...

- Site: Analog Industries
- Author: Chris Randall
- Date: 2009-08-09
- URL: https://analogindustries.com/2009/08/hmmm/

While a 50-comment thread on how retarded YACHT is warms the cockles of my heart (and if there's one thing that makes me happy, it's warm cockles) it's time to move on. Stopped by the Koblo site today, as a result of several threads popping up on KvR that were intensely negative, and was greeted with [this little gem:](http://koblo.com/)

_Due to the financial plug being pulled on Koblo, development has stopped on this site and Koblo Studio. It's not surprising it happened in this economic climate and Koblo was bleeding money._

It actually _is_ surprising, as the only industry that does better in an economic downturn (aside from, you know, payday loan places) is the entertainment industry, and all the secondary and tertiary industries that are part of same. While there's no mistaking that our industry is in something of a pickle, the folks in the pickle barrel are the massive conglomerations of labels that got the whiz-bang idea to pool their resources in the late 90s, and while they were at it, completely ignore that new-fangled interwebs thing. It really has very little to do with Joe Shit And The Ragmen, a 5-piece band who have a weekly gig at Beer Goggles down the street, and are the cornerstone of the entertainment industry.

I dunno. Audio Damage doesn't take corporate paper, because we don't have production costs to speak of, having no boxed copies that won't be paid for nigh on six months down the road. If a company took paper, I can see how they might have trouble getting paper right about now, and how they might have trouble making hard copies. But in this end of the business, that really isn't much of an issue. So I'm intrigued to know if that's the actual story with Koblo.

Anyone have the inside scoop on this? Or do you work for a company that is _directly_ part of the music industry that is feeling the pinch?

## Comments (10)

**seancostello** (2009-08-09):

Since I haven't followed this story, and since the Koblo website doesn't have any useful information at this point, and since I'm lazy, can someone sum up what Koblo does (did)? Is this a record label, plugin company, ?

**krell** (2009-08-09):

I seem to recall them being one of the first soft synth developers in the late nineties (but my recollection skills being chemically dulled this could all be completely wrong) with a few mac plugins. They pretty much seemed to disappear around then which is kind of odd as the whole vst studio thang was just taking off...

**Dark Jk Lord** (2009-08-09):

according to kvr : they just sell 'BROKEN' version of 'tone2 gladiator'.....

**krell** (2009-08-09):

I think they were called the Vibra or something...

**Mike** (2009-08-09):

The labels aren't the only ones struggling. The studios are struggling too. I work in a large independent recording studio in London and have watched as several of our competitors have closed down (Olympic, Townhouse...). We were struggling ourselves for much of last year, and while this year has been much busier (thanks no doubt to artists now using us where they would have used Olympic) we're not as busy as we ought to be and the artists we're getting in are far less adventurous.
I believe this is a symptom of the struggling labels, since they are no longer willing to spend any money, unless they know they're 100% guaranteed a hit. In turn this must be having an effect on the high end gear producers, because we've hardly bought any new gear in the last 5 years.

**coyoteous** (2009-08-09):

Koblo no mo, I suppose... even the website's down now. I had some of the lesser Vibra plugs and liked them a lot. I also liked the look of Koblo Studio, though I didn't try it. Weren't they selling those ugly, yet functional KeyToSound plug-ins? That site is gone, too... so maybe they were one-in-the-same. Here's a little insight:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/2849373-post7.html

Oh, I think I had this one and/or the 6000:

http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/vib1000.php

I always liked their logo.

- Barry

**Funkish Bass** (2009-08-09):

It's all fun and games until someone gets fat. Most good idea businesses I saw go broke either had the head guy get caught by his wife sleeping with the secretary, or there's a kid on the way, time to get a "real job". It's hardly ever the idea or the money, it's usually personal.
Does anyone know how many people work(ed) there? 1 or 10?

**loops** (2009-08-09):

Koblo just seems to have destroyed itself by being dishonest toward its developers, partners and clients.

You can find some more details here (http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3583835#3583835) (and the rest of the thread)

**33degrees** (2009-08-09):

I'd think pro studios would be getting hit exceptionally hard, because not only are their biggest clients strapped for cash, their services are increasingly less relevant in an age of cheap PCs and plugins.

As for koblo though, it seems their business model was to give away their DAW software, and make money via their community and/or plugin sales; their funding likely came from outside the music industry.

**Chris Randall** (2009-08-09):

I fully agree re: the large studios. I imagine the _largest_ (Ocean Way, Battery, et al) are doing okay, but the mid-sized ones not so much. Forgot about that, but as I surmise, that's more due to the implosion of the music industry through other forces than any sort of economic issue. It's not like any band could ever have payed for a 2-month lock-out without a label's largess anyhow.

-CR