> Alas! I have succumbed to the dreaded
> "everyone's-getting-their-orders-filled-but-me!" syndrome.
Because your wife pays me a hefty sum to prevent modular happiness :)
In reality ,I am in fact running around trying to be as fair as possible, to as many different
people as possible. And, I know that there are some of you that feel ∗totally ignored∗ on several
levels, and I AGREE 100% with you. The question is: what am I doing about it??!?
Since I have 6 major tasks to decide on ∗each day∗ (kitting, filling orders, building assembled
modules, R&D on new stuff, buying parts, or taking a nap), and with about 300 modules on backlog,
the first impulse is to take a nap. However, what I do is on Sunday evenings, plan out what is
going to happen (hopefully) that week. If I mainly kit, then assembled folks suffer. If I do R&D,
nobody gets a happy email. And so on.
I also can't predict influx of orders. In Feb. traditionally the S L O W E S T month of the year,
I received a flurry of new orders all ∗assembled∗. This was completely unexpected and not planned
for. I didn't have the front panels or the Stooge brackets in inventory, and had to order 2500
more jacks as well. I'm still building some modules for assembled modules placed last year. Not
that I'm complaining, but it does effect the overall timetables. 2 of these new order have urgent
delivery dates and that has to be allotted.
BTW: the last time I was 100% backlog free ("caught up", as we say) was June of 2000. Ever since
then, at least 1 module has been owed to someone, somewhere. Which is both a testimony to the
MOTM modular and my slowness.
There are many of you that offer to help in some way, and I am grateful for the offer. In fact,
on the "sly", some of you ARE helping in several areas and I have a 'summer intern' here that I
can trust well enough to assemble jacks, pots and the like. There is a HUGE amount of ∗time∗
needed to prepare the parts for kitting, and I have to do this in order that you are not shorted
1 metric threaded nut on a switch. The resistors and caps are NOT bagged by me (except for some
in the VCOs), and neither is the solder. This saves a HUGE block of mindless solder bagging on
my end.
Also, I am ∗extremely picky∗ about the soldering in the assembled modules, and only Stooge Larry
goes slower than me. I figure if you are paying not one, but TWO premiums ($$$ and wait time) you
deserve only the absolute best and that's what you in fact get IMHO.
Having blathered all of that for your amusement, and if you are still reading at this point, here
how things stand as of today (pre-nap):
a) kits: out of '700, '300 and '800. Low on '101 and '420s. Everything else I have plenty of. I
ran out of '830 manuals, but started shipping '830 kits yesterday. Starting tomorrow on 30 kits
of '300, which is still not enough to cover but I have to order even more jacks to cover the ones
set aside for '910s which are at the assemblers. I have been informed I am Switchcraft's 8th
largest US customer, jack-wise.
b) 500/600 series. Sadly, pushed WAY out due to shipping down the backlog. The 'WaveWarper and
uSeq are the ones closest to shipping. The '950 supplies WILL be shipping in late April/early
May, just waiting for the new cable sets and for me to write the manual. Dave Fulton will put the
uSeq through a quick beta test, while Adam the programmer wanders around Europe this week. When
Adam gets back, I'll have newer code, and will send it out again for another beta test.
The others are not ready for beta test yet.
c) modules talked about for years but never seen the light of day: MOTM-130 Dual VCA with
Pan/Fade and the MOTM-480 filter and the long forgotten MOTM-890 uMixer. All of these are in fact
not forgotten, just waiting for me to get the uSeq and WaveWarper ∗shipping∗. I have to order
more log pots from Spectrol this week, and that's a 14 WEEK leadtime. I should have enough to
last the 14 weeks until replacements arrive. The log pots are for the uMixer and general stock. I
have enough to kit up maybe 35 uMixers.
Do not be shy in sending me nasty-grams about orders falling into the Grand Canyon. I don't have
any sort of 'A-hole List' or somesuch. Generally, ∗I'm∗ the one to blame, the downside of not
having a large number of employees to blame in my place.
I do actually ship modules, 43 just this week in fact. After I do my taxes tomorrow, I will do a
"Master Inventory" cycle (takes about 3 hours) where I go through every single order, count each
module, and compare to existing inventory. I then check panels and place orders for missing
parts.
I completely understand that other companies are cheaper, have stock for immediate shipment, and
are run like a well-oiled machine. However, I think my ∗end product∗ is better. I wish I could
wave a magic Radio Baton and poof! everything is shipped and I'm all caught up. You have my word
that every day, I am working and working to try to please everyone.
Paul S.