Wiardgroup

By pricing such a quality product where its at you have created 
this "problem".  In order to get a comparable Serge system with the 
functionality of a 6 unit Wiard panel one would need to spend on the 
order of 8000.  The Wiard would be almost half that.  

Your margins are so low you are really like Santa Claus gifting Wiard 
to musicians around the world.  This is a noble approach but there 
are more efficient ways to make charitable contributions to the 
struggling musicians of the world.

Honestly Grant the solution to your stress is raise your prices.   
Raise them high enough that demand drops to a level you can 
personally handle and/or you can use the additional revenue to hire 
outside help to stuff the boards for you.  You would still be able to 
put out your lovingly handcrafted instruments.  People would still be 
thrilled to use them.  They wouldn't turn into museam pieces. This 
doesn't turn you into Roland churning out plastic XoX replica 
boxes.   

It is often the case that artists are so happy that people appreciate 
the beautiful creations that they don't price their time enough in a 
misguided effort to get their works out into the world.  Grant, the 
musical community loves your stuff.  Let them compensate you 
appropriately for putting so much of yourself into your instruments.

You are worth it.

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Dennis Verschoor" <modular@...> 
wrote:
>
> IMHO it is apples vs peaches.
> The Wiard modular is a great modular so is the Serge.
>

 True,  Comparing them as musical instruments is not appropriate but 
comparing the amount of materials, circuitry, and hours to build them 
I think is fair.  Obviously I haven't had any hand in building either 
system but from building some diy projects I think guestimating 6 
wiard modules to 2 serge panels are about similar in build time and 
component costs.  And people are still buying serge despite their 
much higher prices now from what they were 10 years ago.  

Anyway I'd be very happy if Grant could continue building at his 
current price level but it seems from his post that he's unhappy with 
the current state of the wiard.  

I think its sad that he's unable to handle all the orders and feels 
like he's throwing his life at this stuff with little reward.  
Furthermore it sounds like he can't put the time in to finishing the 
envelooper/walkabout oscillator modules as he's committed to 
completing orders for folks.  He just doesn't seem to be as excited 
about wiard anymore.

If he were to raise prices so he could hire outside help to handle 
production and allow him time to do the fun artistic side of wiard 
with more crazy module development I think the synth community would 
be willing to pay more.