Creamware and his mysterious marketing...

[erminardi]

This past week I went to London at Strongroom studios ( http://www.strongroom.com ) where a friend of mine is sound engineer. (I've tried a lot of pro gear like Neve, API, SSL, Manley, Drawmer, Universal Audio, Tube Tech... Sony Playstation 2... etc. Wow! )
Well, they don't know almost nothing about creamware... Scope, ASB, Klangbox: nothing.
A lot of people inside the studios know only that Creamw. was a good & promising little company but actual in bankrupt (!).
Very few people has listened something from Scope board, but no info about new ASB!!!
I was shoked by this "ignorance" about my beloved audio system, so we (me and a little delegation from Strongroom) went to Turnkey, Soundcontrol, and many other proaudio shops around Denmark street, to try out some ASB (expecially Minimax because they are interested to a new synth like Minimoog or Voyager): nothing!!!
At Turnkey I've found a lot of keyboards in exposition for a demo: Clavia, Korg, Roland, Access, etc. but nothing from Creamware.
The customer operator says that they don't have available any product from Creamware!!!
This for all other shops!
What f****g marketing adopt Creamware????!!!
Only few MP3 in the net, no demo online, only few review in some magazine...
I really can't understand this.

Anyway, I've tried another time the Moog Voyager (with good earphone) and I can assure that the sound this is very very (repeat, very) close to Minimax.
So, spending 2000 pounds for a monophonic "status symbol" seems to me not so clever if for less of the half U can obtain a sort of Memorymoog!!!
Expecially for live use.

[Audiographe]

It is the major problem of Creamware, not of pub (marketing).
Creamware is unknown almost everywhere.

@+°

[astroman]

not just that - it's also the internet sales that literally killed their traditional supplier base...

cheers, Tom

[Counterparts]

Even the Wiki knows not of Creamware, check:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamware

Fecking pottery?!

Perhaps PZ should put together a Creamware/Scope Wiki?

[Audiographe]

In the review specialized, Creamware misses in the comparative ones.
The last comparative in France is the ASBMinimax, in 2 years.
Look at this WebSite: (With 69097 registered members and 209625 posts)
http://en.440forums.com/forums/?site440 ... =Creamware
Creamware is put at the trash and they is 69097 member who read it.
(????)

@+°

[Gordon Gekko]

Fecking pottery?!

yep. kind of annoying when searching ebay..

[Shroomz~>]

...ED

[braincell]

In the Washington DC there are only 2 large musician's stores. One of them is the Guitar Center and the other one is Washington Music Center. Both of them suck. The Washington Music Center used to have Creamware cards but they said they stopped dealing with Creamware because of problems with the distributer. I didn't see an ABS when I was in there last week. There were never any Creamware representatives visiting the stores to give lectures the way other companies do. I haven't seen any ads for Creamware in any magazine ever. A couple of small reviews here and there. It doesn't seem like anyone ever pushed them.

[Shroomz~>]

...ED

[kensuguro]

well, I doubt it has anything to do with strategy.. the problem is probably the LACK of strategy. And probably resources. Not sure. From what I can see, CW has enough power to barely stay afloat.. and while their business operations continue, scope is probably not their top product. Also the ASB, for that matter. That's the only reason I can think of, that would justify their spending of resources to make the ASB and klangboxes, and not market them. Why market if they're not profitable? Maybe they're focusing their resources on something else that's more profitable?

I think the fact is, they've fallen off the face of the earth, as far as recognition is concerned. It's a nitch item, a novelty. If you had the money, you probably wouldn't think twice about RME stuff in terms of quality, but someone who doesn't know CW would be freaked out a bit if they were to consider CW.. Believe me, if I saw a product from a company that went bankrupt, I'd stay well away from it. My question wouldn't be "does it sound good", it'll be "what sort of store keeps obsolete products lying around". I think they've fallen through a vital threshold, and would struggle to come back since that would require a new line of products, a new strategy, a new brand, a new image. They'd have to come back as something other than "scope.. I heard they got good stuff, but they went bankrupt right" or, "scope.. what in the world is that?"

Maybe they are going to come back with something new, who knows. Noah totaly sank, ASB and klangbox will crash almost for sure (repeat: people can't buy stuff that's not in stores)... maybe they'll combe back with new scope cards that won't be available what so ever. No advertisement, not even a press release.. not available in stores, not available online. It'll surely be the most sought after, most rare, secretive, piece of music gear in digital music history. Maybe it's already out, and we just don't know about it.

[Shroomz~>]

...ED

[petal]

This is actually one of the things I like about Creamware, almost nobody else out there have a Scope system, which makes it easier for me to create a sound thats "different" than what people usually hear.

[kensuguro]

petal> you're right, sometimes it's cool to have stuff that no one else has

shrooms>> hehe, I was being pretty mean. It really bugs me esp since they've messed up a series of products, consecutively. I really do wonder if they have a pot of gold.. I mean, that's what I was getting at too. They have the audi thing, and also some business in broadcasting right? So perhaps that's what's bringing in the good stuff, and so they're concentrating on those fields for now... and maybe storing up to make a new series of sharc based boards.

Another interesting thing is, since sharc chips are all over the place now, maybe more people know about Sharc chips than there are that know of Scope boards. So, in the end, "based on the acclaimed Sharc chip" could become an effective sales blurb..

[Nestor]

I don’t think they are not willing to make advertisements; the problem is neatly money, nothing else, because advertisements are very expensive if you want something truly well done, in the other hand, if you have a good product and a good marketing of it, it will work for sure, it always does.

As long as marketing is honest about what they offer, it is a good tool.

[Shroomz~>]

...ED

[braincell]

I wish Creamware would be sold to a company with deep pockets; yes it is risky but something needs to be done.

[garyb]

who could sing those songs better?
i don't have to prove that i am creative.
you can't see it till it's finished.

[braincell]

I'm not going to say any more about how I feel about particular so called singers because it will offend too many people.

It is too bad that words distract people from music. It seems that singing in tune is the only criteria for some.

Timbre, melody, rhythm (including phrasing), pitch bends, modulation and dynamics are what is musical. Not so for far too many,
so don't even call it music if you don't have that. It is something else; ideology or fashion maybe poetry sometimes?
but read the lyric and in most cases you will have a good laugh.

[wayne]

Nah, just played better guitar

I do like to hear folks sing their own tunes - adds something.

[garyb]

it just depends on what things are all about.