Doepfer

In a message dated 2/23/2002 1:29:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com writes:


> o Never had a jack issue ever 
> 



haven`t had any jack troubles myself. system is used regularly but carefully, 
doesn`t travel too much or get hard use.
best,
dave




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I've been avoiding the new module polls, because I've strongly felt 
the Doepfer should stop developing new modules at the expense of 
supporting and upgrading their current products. I said so over on the 
EZBoard forum, and I'm saying the same thing here.

The only quibble I have with the upgrade polls is the focus on "bugs". 
This is missing the point somewhat, and leads to the defensive posture 
of "the product conforms to its prospectus" or whatever similar 
defensive words Dieter was using. Just because a product conforms to 
its spec doesn't mean that it meets its customer's needs. I'm in the 
IT business, and over a few decades I've seen numerous cases where 
this overly-legalistic adherence to the "spec" has caused programs to 
go down in flames. Balance between short-term and long-term 
objectives, judgement, and sensitivity to customer needs are called 
for.

Here's a prime example: the A120 should have been redesigned long ago. 
A ladder filter should be the heart and soul of a retro-modular system 
like the A100, that's why it was the standard VCF that Doepfer 
produced in the first place.

The problem with the A120 isn't that it has bugs. The problem with the 
A120 is that it's incredibly mediocre. Most of us recognize this fact, 
and it affects the general impression that everyone has of the A100. 
My view is that a killer, redesigned VCF1 would boost overall sales of 
the A100 system, and also generate revenue on its own. After all, I 
spent good money on external filtering to overcome the weakness of the 
A100 filtering. Even if I had to toss my current A120 in the trash, a 
redesigned VCF1 would have probably cost me less, and my money would 
have gone to Doepfer instead of to someone else.

Instead, we get Wasp filters and multi-slope filters and whatever the 
next "filter of the month club" selection will be. As far as I know, 
the only A100 modules that have ever been redesigned (A111 and 
A130/131) were because of production problems, not to improve them.

I'll back off my position that Doepfer should stop new product 
development, but I think the practice of "orphaning" every product as 
soon as it goes into production isn't good business.

I wish the A100 and the Regelwerk were better, but I continue to use 
them and enjoy them.

Joe

hi joe, thanks for your thoughts and input. you are absolutley right 
on that issue, it should not be related software bugs only.the reason 
i never posted on this group before, was the indifference that 
doepfer has shown to its already existing user's, namely in with 
their hardware sequencers. i felt cheated. 

so i went the route of the magus. i simply disappeared and have never 
given them another cent of mine. i started buying modules from other 
companies to mix and match. i am actually thinking of reducing my 
system to a fully loaded voice forgetting about polyphony and dumping 
the rest of it. 

now, the reason i have been on a mission with this issue, was a 
friendly reply from Florian to andreas' post #724. here are a couple 
of sentences from Florian's post.
>>
>> It is great that a manufacturer listens and responds to users as 
>>good as Doepfer does. Always liked that.Sorry to say, but Dieter 
>>does not whatch the list all the time, and he cannot answer 
>>individual mails from the list, since he would have then not
>>time to develope his gear...
>>
sorry Florian, i feel you are partially right in what you are 
saying.he does take notice about suggestions for new modules to come. 
he does not take notice about bugs and features that paid customers 
want and need to have upgraded, so their machines can function 
properly. now add to the fact they are producing these new versions 
with blue led's.the "is the memory 98% used up or 85% used up" issue. 
well my head gasket just popped. i just couldn't sit through these 
shenanigans much longer. i had to put $1800.00 us dollars in.

with Doepfer sitting on the fence the way they are. i am simply led 
to believe that nothing will ever get done. notice how nobody at 
doepfer has replied since Bakkis sent the initial reply from mr. 
Doepfer himself. the more people speak up about it, maybe something 
will get done. once again, i love my machines, i just want to see 
their destiny fulfilled. peace out.

regards,
rm


--- In Doepfer_a100@y..., "buechlerjoe" <buechlerjoe@t...> wrote:
> I've been avoiding the new module polls, because I've strongly felt 
> the Doepfer should stop developing new modules at the expense of 
> supporting and upgrading their current products. I said so over on 
the 
> EZBoard forum, and I'm saying the same thing here.
> 
> The only quibble I have with the upgrade polls is the focus 
on "bugs". 
> This is missing the point somewhat, and leads to the defensive 
posture 
> of "the product conforms to its prospectus" or whatever similar 
> defensive words Dieter was using. Just because a product conforms 
to 
> its spec doesn't mean that it meets its customer's needs. I'm in 
the 
> IT business, and over a few decades I've seen numerous cases where 
> this overly-legalistic adherence to the "spec" has caused programs 
to 
> go down in flames. Balance between short-term and long-term 
> objectives, judgement, and sensitivity to customer needs are called 
> for.
> 
> Here's a prime example: the A120 should have been redesigned long 
ago. 
> A ladder filter should be the heart and soul of a retro-modular 
system 
> like the A100, that's why it was the standard VCF that Doepfer 
> produced in the first place.
> 
> The problem with the A120 isn't that it has bugs. The problem with 
the 
> A120 is that it's incredibly mediocre. Most of us recognize this 
fact, 
> and it affects the general impression that everyone has of the 
A100. 
> My view is that a killer, redesigned VCF1 would boost overall sales 
of 
> the A100 system, and also generate revenue on its own. After all, I 
> spent good money on external filtering to overcome the weakness of 
the 
> A100 filtering. Even if I had to toss my current A120 in the trash, 
a 
> redesigned VCF1 would have probably cost me less, and my money 
would 
> have gone to Doepfer instead of to someone else.
> 
> Instead, we get Wasp filters and multi-slope filters and whatever 
the 
> next "filter of the month club" selection will be. As far as I 
know, 
> the only A100 modules that have ever been redesigned (A111 and 
> A130/131) were because of production problems, not to improve them.
> 
> I'll back off my position that Doepfer should stop new product 
> development, but I think the practice of "orphaning" every product 
as 
> soon as it goes into production isn't good business.
> 
> I wish the A100 and the Regelwerk were better, but I continue to 
use 

> them and enjoy them.
> 
> Joe