Congrats on all of your successes, Paul! And thanks for weathering the
storms and providing the majority of the modules in my lovely dream synth,
which is almost done! Just a few more modules left to get, and a couple I'm
waiting on you to build . . and those DIY projects I've got to build . . and
. . oh yeah, a few repairs and a few mods . . and some patch cables to build
. . .and the internal back lighting and external gooseneck lamps . . and
John L Rice
PS: The 4-section cascaded S&H in the MOTM-102 sounds like it will be
awesome!
PPS: Any more details on the 1U wide bandpass VCF? Thanks for making it 1U,
I think I can fit it in . . somewhere.
PPPS: MOTM-600! 'nuff said!
PPPPS: sorry for all the PS BS! ;-)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: motm@yahoogroups.com [mailto:motm@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> Paul Schreiber
> Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 10:22 PM
> To: MOTM List
> Subject: [motm] Update/semi-rant
>
> I will have time this week to work on the backlog, I have a stack of 14
> orders that will ship this week and probably 1 or 2 more. This is 2.0,
> kits
> and some assembled.
>
> This weekend I did repairs & mods at have been accumulating the last
> couple
> of months (BTW: did someone send me a Frac 1485 with white knobs?).
>
> The first 3 weeks of May I will have limited MOTM time (not zero, just
> limited) but the last week of May will have more time on the schedule.
> The
> summer is a LOT better because I get every other Friday off from Jun-
> Sept
> and that's usually 100% MOTM time.
>
> Assuming no orders come in this week that I can't do a "turn" (ship out
> the
> same week it is entered), there will be 65 orders that need to be
> shipped
> and 18 partial orders to be shipped. This is from a total of 1611
> orders
> received in that same period. So I have ~ 5% backlog. Which sucks if it
> is
> YOUR order.
>
> But my point is: the backlog is shrinking fairly fast, as ironically
> the
> main reason is new orders coming in for assembled modules is pretty
> low.
> Which is probably due to them taking so long to ship (a sort of Catch-
> 22).
>
> If you lump all the orders to 83 outstanding, I expect that number to
> be ~
> 50 by July 1st and < 20 by Aug. 1st.
>
> If you do not want to wait, ∗just tell me∗. If you want a refund for a
> prior
> purchase ∗just ask me∗. I cannot "speed things up", it is what it is
> (shrug).
>
> When the backlog is < 20 ∗and not until then∗, I will have 2 new
> modules to
> sell: the MOTM-102 digital noise & 4-section cascaded S&H (the MOTM-101
> will
> be retired) and a new 1U wide bandpass VCF. These will be tooled up so
> that
> the day they are in the cart, there will be 30 of each boxed up and
> sitting
> on the shelf for < 1 week delivery.
>
> But I will say this: if these modules, for whatever reason, do not sell
> in
> sufficient numbers then I will most likely stop 5U R&D and concentrate
> elsewhere. And, I'm ∗NOT∗, repeat not "blaming" anyone reading this: if
> anything ∗I'M TO BLAME∗ but that does not change the fact that with
> over 30
> other modular vendors to choose from, and many MOTM people preferring
> DIY
> over assembled coupled with Euro taking off so that higher ESP
> (expected
> selling price) is the norm, it just doesn't make economic sense to
> spend the
> time and $$ only to sell 12 modules in 6 months.
>
> When I started MOTM, my goal was to sell 500 modules ∗in 3 years∗ and
> buy a
> nice stereo. I had several people laugh at that and say I'd be lucking
> to
> sell 1/2 that ever. Well, 12 years later, almost 8900 modules in 3
> formats
> later, I'm still puttering along. I've had ∗3∗ job changes (including a
> 14-month layoff when MOTM lost over $54,000), the death of a close
> friend
> and MOTM evangelist (Larry H.) the near-fatal stroke of my business
> partner
> in the kit business (Paul H.) and Vishay taking 14 MONTHS to deliver
> log
> pots (then jacking the price from $2.80ea to over $7 each) and lastly
> the
> whole RoHS nightmare. Hasn't been a picnic exactly.
>
> But I'm ∗still trying∗ as best as I can. Please understand that I don't
> "favor" anyone in terms of orders (ask the Chemical Brothers if you
> don't
> believe me), I abuse everyone equally.
>
> I have the best customers of anyone. I truly believe that. And I
> promise
> that everyone WILL get their stuff as soon as I can get it made.
>
> Paul S.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
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