Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

All -

In 2005, (when I was 13) we began the process of trying to replace the Synthi-A my Dad had reluctantly sold years prior. At the time, EMS wasn't really producing the Synthi-A - I don't think it is now, right? We fully expected that it would take a year and a half to build 2 Synthis worth of modules from Paul's kits. We chose Paul's kits because we thought it would be a very cool adventure. It has been.

Several things stretched that year and a half into three and a half years because we really didn't start building 'till 2007. Those delaying things were my Dad's availability to do the project and to some degree Synth Tech backlog delays. But we're not complaining about that.

We're not complaining because the SynthTech delays are part of what gave us the time to get to know this entire group of incredible people. We've made fast friends that have helped us. The site we built for our own reference (that I originally started - yes, the food was my idea) has become a behemoth. That it's useful to others is a joyous boon.

We got turned onto other engineers' modules. We have ended up with a much more complete synth that we ever dreamed. It'll be making real music this summer in time for us to start on the three of my Dad's albums we've got planned that need it. We'll finish the outlying modules by next summer.

I'm coming the long way 'round here. Sorry.

For us, the long time has worked out fine. For any working musician without Dad's luxury of time, we couldn't have afforded it. Not the money. The time.

We would have quickly settled for what we could get to make near enough the sounds we needed so we could meet some deadline or other. For such musicians, off-the-shelf is important. And format may not even be. Frac, euro, whatever. "Just get me the sound 'cause my record needs to go out so I can (imagine I might when hell freezes over) make money on it somehow."

In our case, we own - well, Dad owns - a studio (small) as well as makes his own recordings. The studio is a long-term game. He knows that this instrument will benefit us for decades. Indeed, I hope to inherit it (much later than sooner, of course).

Who has that luxury? Only ridiculous, no-compromise, rather wealthy musicians, engineers, etc. I say ridiculous here in a good way, OK? I mean, owning a MOTM synth is kind-of like owning an Excalibur - or, better, the original Mercedes SS. There's nothing else like it. But you've got to be a little crazy.

Like - my Dad's friend ordered a guitar from a particular luthier. Took ten grand and a year and a half to get it. Crazy - but there's nothing else exactly like this guitar in the world. For most people, a Martin will be plenty good enough.

I doubt my Dad could have afforded this Synth twenty seven years ago when he was younger and poorer and between bands. I couldn't dream of affording it.

So I suspect that the Euro-whatever customers are a different customer base, right? Like the Martin guitar market. A step up from Yamaha but not a hand-built one-at-a-time instrument.

MOTM appeals to a very very particular (peculiar?) customer - so that narrows the field off the bat. Then among them some may be daunted by the prospect of waiting for an instrument for a year and a half (not a dig at Mr. Schreiber; I'm referring back to the fancy guitar). Then there's the expense. The remaining pool of customers is very small and will always be.

Maybe assembled MOTM modules are no-win. Maybe the assembled module market is in other formats and that's just the way it is. Maybe the the way for Synth Tech to capitalize on the MOTM market is for Mr. Schreiber to invent the modules, alter them for Euro to build for the off-the-shelf market, and offer the MOTM PCBs for others to make as they will or for people to special-order from Synth Tech which will also help keep Shawn employed :-).

As for us; we don't need more Oscillators at this juncture. We've got all that. We need cool stuff that nobody else makes.

Yeah, like the CG and MT - which we wouldn't attempt to build ourselves anyway, for instance. The MOTM-130 we would certainly build ourselves; maybe our first SMT foray?

Just Saying.

Will (yes, the younger, taller, more handsome - when you wake up, eat your heart out, Dad)