MOTM

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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