I'm sorry for the long post, All.
An idiot's perspective <g>:
"Kistay" - I know you're point is that a filter for $250 is more accessible than the 440 at $389. And that's absolutely true. But let me try out some clarification as I see it, OK? See - I think that even if Paul took a more passive role and didn't try to manufacture the modules, it wouldn't change things much so far as price.
Like this:
Per one of our BOMs, parts for a 440 cost about $289 bucks give or take. This assumes you buy certain things from Paul that turn out to be either really hard to get elsewhere or are really good deals (pots and knobs for instance). IT also assumes that you already have stuff like wire, coax, solder. If you add an allowance for them, it comes out to - oh - maybe $295.
If you used less expensive pots, jacks, and knobs maybe you could knock off $20 bucks... I'm just guessing and it doesn't really matter for sake of my observation.
So my first observation is that even if you built it yourself, the 440 parts are in excess of $250.
Now, Paul is selling an assembled 440 for $389 - that's actually assembly and testing for $100. So - Will and I aren't pros. We could probably build one of these in six hours give or take. I can't remember what it actually took us... we should have kept track of this, but we didn't for any of the modules we built. <sigh>
So let's be optimistic and say it took us 6 hours. Let's imagine a pro like the beloved Shawn could do it in five and that there's no problems so testing is a breeze. That's $20 an hour. That seems pretty reasonable to me.
So look, man, I'm not really taking issue with your statement. But when I think about it, it looks to me like however you end up procuring a 440, it's going to be in a different price-bracket than a $250 filter.
And to your point - equivalent parts for a YUSynth EMS Filter Clone is about $110 not including allowance for matching the transistors. It took us about five hours to build that, as I recall. (again, not including matching the transistors which was a whole other adventure - easily 8 hours worth including building the tester) Adding 5 hours build time at $20 per hour - the EMS filter is maybe $250. Bingo! But it's not a 440.
I just suspect that there's no way around Paul's modules being pricey - more because of their design than their undeniable "NASA" build. And I'd argue that it's their design that makes them unique and desirable even when carefully assembled by idiots.
But you make a good point - and so does Will when he talks about having to afford the time and the money which, again, I suspect there's little way around.
Bill (the older and now smaller, significantly less handsome - but with a bit fatter wallet - I guess we'll both eat our hearts out, Will <g>)
--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, "klstay" <klstay@...> wrote:
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> I have a sizable system (will be moving into 5 72" wide 5U cabinets in the next month which will be full within ~18 months) with .com and moon as the "core", over a dozen bridechamber kits in various states, a few babysealclub builds, and my first krisp1 Oakley on the way to me.
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> I appreciate the "70" regular customers here and have the highest respect for MOTM design and perfectionist build quality. Still, I wish Paul would take a more Thomas Henry type role. Collaborate with potential builders/sellers, but let them use and integrate the designs with their other offerings. The majority of us "90% of modular buyers" would love a lot of MOTM in the rig, but talk is cheap and so are we. Scoff at my .com all you want, meanwhile we continue to get everything we need or want and continue to only wish for MOTM and continue to spend our money somewhere else.
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> I would LOVE to have a 440. Would anyone seriously suggest that a "mainstream" build from someone selling for $250 would somehow ruin Paul? Or that it would preclude the availability of the cost no object model currently sold?
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