> Sure, everyone needs a MOTM 730... but the days when MOTM was cheapest
> modular synth is over :) 21%VAT; 3,5% import tax; shipping overseas...
> not for everyone.
>
a) You will find that the VAT declared value for MOTM modules is quite a bit
less than 'retail'.
b) I can't help the postage costs, but shipping 1 MOTM-730 to the EU is
about $30. That's an issue?
I've never really considered MOTM 'inexpensive' at all. Rather,
∗innovative∗ . Does anyone else
even have anything close to this? Nope, everyone else has $3 of CMOS
counters behind a panel
to count in powers of 2. Big deal, the MOTM-120 has that and more.
I am just now at the ∗break even∗ point for the '730. And I can break even
just sitting here looking out
the window.
It is VERY expensive to tool up a new module, over $4,000. And truthfully,
right now I'm starting to wonder
what to do looking forward. 95% of all new orders are MOTM 2.0 stuff. There
are over 15 modular
providers at last count. I still feel that myself & my fellow MOTM designers
have yet to be out-designed in
any facet. But the bad economic times, the drop in the Euro/Pound and other
factors is making me second-guess
all the 100s of hours (and yes, it really is 100s of hours) of design time
put into each module versus return
on investment. Those of you that have a '730, just look at how those 5 pc
boards interconnect, the tightness of
the CPU card (4 layers, 3 ground planes, 3 power planes) and you can see
where the time was spent. Before this
version, I spent time & $$$ on 2 other versions so that the HW & SW could be
tested over and over again as not to
have any issues down the road.
I've got the MOTM-520/521 still to finish up. A lot of the R&D is done, and
so are many of the part purchases (over $7,500, BTW).
But will it also be a 'break even' sort of deal? And that $7,500 is ∗just∗
for the '520, not for the '521. Quick math shows
that I need to sell about 25 to break even.
And to date, I have sold less than 25 MOTM-730s. Maybe I will sell 50-60
'520s right away. But then I thought I would get at least 40 orders for
MOTM-730s right away.
So, maybe the issue is even "deeper", that I'm trying to sell something that
has little interest ∗now∗ (because it did have lots of interest before).
If so, then what exactly IS of interest?
Paul S.
/excuse rant, daughter's tuition due tomorrow.... sigh.....