MOTM

(Paul Schreiber) writes:
>>Currently around customer #77, and after next week module #600. I am 
betting (with zero data to back me, just gut feel) that this is about what 
Polyfusion or Aries shipped in their lifetime.<<

I myself have always wondered how much Polyfusion or Aries (and others) 
modular equipment sold.  But looking at the Polyfusion and Aries pricelists I 
have, and doing a little math, they had to have shipped more that 600 modules 
each.

Average Polyfusion module price ~$300 x 600 = $180,000
Average Aries module price ~$150 x 600 = $90,000
The actual profit would be lower than the above figures of course. But you 
could add to that some additional income from cases and keyboards, say 
another 30%.  All in all, gross sales of between $117,000 and $234,000 for 
several years in business, doesn't sound like enough sales to generate enough 
profit/income to pay a couple of employees for a year.  That would also mean 
that the picture of this Polyfusion (http://www.synthfool.com/jbpoly6.jpg) 
has about 1/5 of the world's Polyfusion modules.  Not too likely.  I wonder 
if the current incarnation of Polyfusion would even reveal how many they sold 
back then.

>>Other non-MOTM commitments will delay the mixer....to early 1st quarter 
next year<<

argh.. The much needed Mixer delayed !

>>The next milestone is customer #100/module #1000
(curious to see which one gets there first).<<

Expect another instant order for at least 10 more modules as soon as the 
Mixer gets here.  Eventual long term goal is an MOTM system close to the size 
of the above pictured Polyfusion (Maybe some Modcan thrown in too).

1 thing: in 1977-78, at their peak, the average EE salary was $15,500/yr.
Both of these
companies had only 3-4 employees, the the tech/assemblers were making about
$8,000/yr.

I know of 4 "big" Polyfusion modulars. I don't think they sold that many
small ones/individual
modules. I heard that Aries sold most of theirs in the first 10 months, but
the circuitry was pretty
lame (my friend and I bought their kits in about 1977). Lots of DC offsets
(pops/clicks), the filter
was so-so (basically a ARP clone). Little repeat business. The "buzz" on the
street was so-so.

Like I said, I wonder if there is ever a way to ever know. I *do* know
(straight from the horse's mouth)
the Moog sold "just over" 10,000 modules in a 11 year span.

Paul S.
will try like hell to squeeze the mixer in


-----Original Message-----
From: Elhardt@... <Elhardt@...>
To: motm@onelist.com <motm@onelist.com>
Date: Friday, October 29, 1999 1:41 AM
Subject: Re: [motm] Quick update (Numbers Shipped)


>From: Elhardt@...
>
>
>(Paul Schreiber) writes:
>>>Currently around customer #77, and after next week module #600. I am
>betting (with zero data to back me, just gut feel) that this is about what
>Polyfusion or Aries shipped in their lifetime.<<
>
>I myself have always wondered how much Polyfusion or Aries (and others)
>modular equipment sold.  But looking at the Polyfusion and Aries pricelists
I
>have, and doing a little math, they had to have shipped more that 600
modules
>each.
>
>Average Polyfusion module price ~$300 x 600 = $180,000
>Average Aries module price ~$150 x 600 = $90,000
>The actual profit would be lower than the above figures of course. But you
>could add to that some additional income from cases and keyboards, say
>another 30%.  All in all, gross sales of between $117,000 and $234,000 for
>several years in business, doesn't sound like enough sales to generate
enough
>profit/income to pay a couple of employees for a year.  That would also
mean
>that the picture of this Polyfusion (http://www.synthfool.com/jbpoly6.jpg)
>has about 1/5 of the world's Polyfusion modules.  Not too likely.  I wonder
>if the current incarnation of Polyfusion would even reveal how many they
sold
>back then.
>
>>>Other non-MOTM commitments will delay the mixer....to early 1st quarter
>next year<<
>
>argh.. The much needed Mixer delayed !
>
>>>The next milestone is customer #100/module #1000
>(curious to see which one gets there first).<<
>
>Expect another instant order for at least 10 more modules as soon as the
>Mixer gets here.  Eventual long term goal is an MOTM system close to the
size

>of the above pictured Polyfusion (Maybe some Modcan thrown in too).
>
>>