Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

previous by date index next by date
previous in topic topic list next in topic

Subject: Re: [motm] Update/semi-rant

From: eric f <ach_gott@...>
Date: 2010-04-26

I once had a professor tell me that I was verbose and therefore no one would read my missives, but to hell with him, we hacked his office server and found horse porn.  With that in mind...

Firstly, as one of your, erm, major share holders I think this is an appropriate business decision and a courageous one at that.  I say that with an immensely heavy heart, of course.  I am that DIY customer of whom you write and a sometimes critical one to boot.  But I'm still a booster for your vision.

Second, a bit of that criticism.  I'm all on board for the MOTM-102 but I think billing it as a 101 replacement is sort of dooming it to fail.  This is an awesome ASR, a cascadable one, iirc, at that.  Knowing you, it will be the best one on the market so it deserves its own salvo.

Third, I don't know anything about this new bandpass, but it sounds somewhat utilitarian.  Nothing wrong with that (4U for a bandpass using 2x 420s is kind of a waste of space), but the Synth Tech filters all have individual colors that make the product line unique.  Having its own color is going to be the breaking point.

Fourth, as you've posted, the biggest bread winners are the sound sources.  As a cheerleader, I'd rather shake my pom poms for the cloud or the terrarium and I'm 100% certain the list will back me up on this.

Fifth, can your boosters count on a consolation?  Namely 15V or 15/5V power connectors with potless PCBs on them?  I pledge to commission panel runs from Bridechamber or The Beast if you'll commit.

your customer always,
eric w f


--- On Mon, 4/26/10, Paul Schreiber <synth1@...> wrote:

From: Paul Schreiber <synth1@...>
Subject: [motm] Update/semi-rant
To: "MOTM List" <motm@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 12:22 AM

 

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.