MOTM

::  Fret no longer, the owner picks it up shortly and I'll
::  probably never see another system like that again.


...and besides, you *did* have some fun while you were at it too, didn't
you?

I have seen several statements to the effect: why are you worrying about a Buchla Series when you
are so far behind?

The answer is the same as planting trees: you starting thinking now about modules to ship 8, 10
even 12 months later.

Also: the LPG is pretty simple, on the order of say a MOTM-420 filter, to design/breadboard/test.
It's not like a uSeq.

As the "bread and butter" modules mature, and the inventory begins to idle (this is a concern on
my end), it's new products that keep the MOTM system going. In a down economy, there is a great
percentage of existing customers adding modules then brand new ones showing up out of the blue
ordering 22 at once.

Then there is the 'X' factor of the unknown percentage of "fence sitters" just waiting for "that
special 1 module" to show up, even if they themselves don't *know* what it is.

For last 20 years I keep hearing how "unique" Buchla is/was. Now I have first hand experience
from a circuit/design point (not and audio point, however). The 292 LPG is a good jumping off
point because it is a simple circuit that can produce complex sounds not in the "normal" Moog
setting.

Fret no longer, the owner picks it up shortly and I'll probably never see another system like
that again. And it's not like everything here went to a standstill :)

Paul S.

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Schreiber" <synth1@a...> wrote:

> it's new products that keep the MOTM system going.

This is true, but it's also clear that the growth of your business is 
limited by your capacity to ship kits and modules.

It's frustrating to have to wait 4 or 5 months to get kits. I have to 
guess -  "What kits will I want in six months? How much money will I 
have available when they ship?"

Would it make sense to offer bare-bones kits as a new option? Just a 
board, panel, l-bracket, hard-to-get parts, & instructions? No free 
support.

This might be a way to be your own competition. People that are 
anxious to build now could get a bare-bones kit. They would take 
minimal time to put together and you'd miss out on fewer new sales 
opportunities because you were busy making kits.

In all honesty, in the DIY kits that I've done, by the time I compile
all the needed parts, place the order, then backfill the parts I forgot
and reorder, well, Paul is probably faster. :-)

John Loffink
jloffink@... 

The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com/

The Wavemakers Modular and Integrated Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com/

> >
> > It's frustrating to have to wait 4 or 5 months to get kits. I have
to
> > guess -  "What kits will I want in six months? How much money will I
> > have available when they ship?"
> 
> I don't disagree. However, I'm still on plan to have ZERO kit backlog
by

> July 4th.
> And, I'll have "surplus" kits after that, enough to last until Oct.
> 
> Then I'll address the assembled backlog/new stuff.
> 
> Paul S.
> 
>

> 
> This is true, but it's also clear that the growth of your business is 
> limited by your capacity to ship kits and modules.

Not seen that to date, however. 

> 
> It's frustrating to have to wait 4 or 5 months to get kits. I have to 
> guess -  "What kits will I want in six months? How much money will I 
> have available when they ship?"

I don't disagree. However, I'm still on plan to have ZERO kit backlog by July 4th. 
And, I'll have "surplus" kits after that, enough to last until Oct. 

Then I'll address the assembled backlog/new stuff. 

Paul S.

On Tue, 10 Jun 2003, Paul Schreiber wrote:

>
> The answer is the same as planting trees: you starting thinking now about modules to ship 8, 10
> even 12 months later.
>

I would also guess that it is not simply "planting trees."  I doubt if I
am wrong (but Paul can correct me if I am), but like those of us that have
'creative components" to our 'job' I suspect that for Paul the
anticipation of designing and working out a new module is part of the
spark that keeps him interested in this motm thing.
>
> For last 20 years I keep hearing how "unique" Buchla is/was. Now I have first hand experience
> from a circuit/design point (not and audio point, however). The 292 LPG is a good jumping off
> point because it is a simple circuit that can produce complex sounds not in the "normal" Moog
> setting.
>
IMO I think this is a good direction to expand the motm line-up.  Motm has
a good line of current and publically anticipated modules (I'm including,
for example, the pan/vca), and adding module diversity, I would think,
will keep many of us still coming back for more.

Jeff

> In all honesty, in the DIY kits that I've done, by the time I compile
> all the needed parts, place the order, then backfill the parts I forgot
> and reorder, well, Paul is probably faster. :-)

I'd have to agree with that. I just finished my first semi-DIY project,
which was nothing more ambitious than a MOTM conversion of the MiniWave. It
took me almost exactly one year. Of course, part of the problem was that I
was distracted by other demands, but I think that I'm mostly content to
continue to wait for (and pay) Paul and John to send me complete kits with
all of the parts in little bags. Your mileage may vary.

--Adam