Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

Worth?

OK - now my rant...

Assuming that music has value, then the instruments that help create
it have value. And music is one of the fundamental expressions of
life. Crickets, birds, wolves - the two leggeds, the four leggeds,
even the inktomi - we all sing.

I suspect that these modules mean different things to different
people, Paul. But for me, it's simple - primarily, these things,
bundled together constitute the equivalent of a Stradivarius.

Not everyone can afford that. Not everyone wants that. But I want it
and so I choose to afford it. Because I sing.

Secondarily - and this is big for Will and me - we can build the
gadgets ourselves. It has made this synth OUR synth.

So, as my dad says "If you have to consider the menu's price, you
probably can't afford to eat there - better find a different
restaurant." Dad, the Bell Labs Guy, studies your circuits and says
"nice - very nice" like he says about a great meal.

We come to your table because we love the food and it has influenced
our lives for the better.

I think that's the leveler, man. Like a great song. Your crazy
gadgets have made the place better for us.

Not bad. <shrug> But we're from Jersey. If the world ended today we
would adjust.

We want the FDNR filter and Dad is amused by it. We wish you'd design
it so we could build it - but do what you will - we'll find a way to
afford it eventually.

Bill (and Will)

--- In motm@yahoogroups. com, "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@...> wrote:
>
>
> > 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.....
>