[sdiy] making 2 or 3 dollars an hour on synth building?

[Robert Lorentz]

I agree completely with what Barry said - I myself learned a huge
amount by reading all those threads.  I've been watching SDIY for
coming up on a year now, and while I got a little sick of the
troubleshooting threads, I learned a significant amount through many
other threads

To Dan -

I find some people's negative comments a bit misguided -- I only read
maybe 1/2 of your emails and it was VERY clear to me that you were
building something for profit, and you made that clear time and time
again.  I can say with certainty that you were up front and clear
about what you were up to, and you should have no regret

Furthermore I disagree completely with the concept that, even if you
sold your synth for $20k, you should pay anything to the people that
helped you.  Any assistance, explanation, troubleshooting, or ideas
passed around on an open forum such as the SDIY list should be
considered as free information.  That is, free of charge, and free to
use as you see fit.  I would hate to discouarge people to offer help,
but on the same token if I have an idea for a really special product I
am not going to post it on the internet.  If I do, and someone runs
with it, they owe me nothing -- if anyone is in the wrong it's myself.

Finally, don't be discouraged or feel regret based on using other
people's boards.  They SELL those PCB's, and you purchased them.  If
you build a synth from it and sell it, that's your own business
(unless they specifically prohibit that as a term of sale, which I'm
not even sure they can).  This is what "systems integrators" do all
the time.  I build flight simulators as my real work - if we needed an
audio range LPF for a sim and happened to buy SDIY Designer X's board
(built or PCB) and put it in our product, we would certainly be in the
right.  It's done with every electronics product out there, not sure
why it would be any different.  Did Roland pay Moog (or even credit
him) when they used his ladders?  Do most people today?  Unless you
are selling a design for WHAT IT IS (a filter, vco, etc; not as part
of a system), I don't see you being under any ethical pressure to give
credit - and CERTAINLY not financial consideration.  Note to
designers, if you have an issue with that, then raise the price of
your boards to what you actually feel they are worth to let go.


I don't intend to irritate people with these thoughts, but I really
got a bad taste in my mouth from the tone people took with Dan, and I
think it is beneficial to the situation to have an objective party
(not him) note these thoughts.  My opinions may be considered wrong in
the SDIY community, I'm just a musician and synth electronics
enthusiast.

Robert


> I found your emails refreshing in that you were asking questions that all
> beginners wonder about but are afraid to ask.  Others besides you learned
> the answers by reading SDIY...  I think the value of your exercise is the
> knowledge you and others gained.  You'll likely regret selling the beast and
> someday build another.
>
> Barry
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Synth-diy mailing list
> Synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> http://dropmix.xs4all.nl/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy
>