Analogue-sequencer

> Miguel Mendoza wrote:
> > Really sad news! This is the best sequencer I ever met. I'm 
> really worried about how small companies doing great things 
> like this are quiting the bussiness, some other from USA 
> don't ship to Europe due to the ROHS. Will all of we be 
> working with software only in a next future? I hope not.
> 
> Erm, Colin didn't mention anything about quitting - on the contrary! 
> It's about making his time available for the successor of the 
> P3 - I'm 
> definitely looking forward to what the future brings!

Yes, I'm certainly not planning to quit yet.
But RoHS did have an unexpected side-effect - soldering by hand with
lead-free solder is unbearably slow, and made it certain I couldn't carry on
assembling units myself.

Possibly more likely to kill off small-scale electronics manufacture than
RoHS is its friend, WEEE.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive becomes law in the
UK next year.
This directive makes manufacturers responsible for ensuring electronic
equipment is recycled at the end of its life.
While that is not a bad idea, the proposed UK implementation will require
manufacturers to join a 'disposal scheme'.
They will pay into the scheme some amount related to the amount of product
they sell.

Where this may become a problem is if there is a high minimum level of
payment required.
That could make low-volume production uneconomical.

The directive is really aimed at makers of disposable items, like mobile
phones etc.
I can't imagine anyone with a P3 will decide if they no longer wish to use
it that they will just return it for disposal.
Can you imagine anyone sending their TB303 back to Roland ?

So while RoHS is not really a problem, the cost of WEEE will be passed onto
buyers of all electronic equipment, even if they will keep that equipment
for many years, and sell it on to another user when they are finished with
it.
It's sad that so many things have become disposable in this way.
We should really be looking to extend the life of the things we need, rather
than just trying to reduce the enviromental impact of needless
over-consumption.
Rant over ;-)

Best regards,
Colin Fraser
Sequentix Music Systems Ltd
http://www.sequentix.com