MOTM

When I first researched my modular I went with MOTM simply because hands
downs there was no equal in quality! I'm really grateful for all the hard
work Paul has put into his "little hobby" to make it the best it could be!

 

In my case my reason for not purchases any modules lately has little do
with the economy.  As an early customer I've quite simply achieved my goal.
Actually my MOTM exceeds my original goal by about 20 modules (funny how
that works!)! The new modules for my uses are more "specialty" then my
current needs. That's not to say I haven't drooled over them! I'm now
focusing on other areas of my rig. Will I buy some of the new modules such
as the 730 or 600? Maybe but I just don't have a need for them right now. On
the other hand being a self confessed filter junkie  I DO have a use for the
450 Fixed Filter bank!!!

 

Al

 

 

From: motm@yahoogroups.com [mailto:motm@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul
Schreiber
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 3:19 PM
To: motm@yahoogroups.com; Girts R
Subject: [motm] [RANT] MOTM value?

 


> 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.....