Such a structure would certainly have complicated Adoyo’s access to finance and increased their general admin costs.
It is highly likely that Adoyo’s key issue was their existing business, which in hindsight may not have generated enough cash flow to sustain their development activities. Add (post-) Covid sourcing issues to the equation and here we are today, sadly.
This story reveals something else about the current synth market: despite Korg’s and Yamaha’s visions in the 90s, designing physical modeling synths is still a high-risk endeavour.
Would be interesting to know if Kickstarter actually does any management at this level. My thought is probably not. They do whatever qualifying of the startup before the money gets distributed. After that not sure how much attention gets paid.
The question of commingling gets difficult. Without crowdfunding, you’d generally keep separate books on each project, with employees recording hours on each, and capital costs getting separated, with these funds coming from separate preplanned budgets. If one project costs more and another costs less you just reallocate your budget.
But in the Aodyo case the development of one was part of the other. ( The ribbon was part of the Omega. ) I wondered at the time if the Loom project was funded by the Omega investors, as that technology was already partially developed before Loom was funded. On the other hand the Omega project was to use the technology developed for the Loom project. So they are already commingled as technologies and as developments. Splitting that is more an arbitrary choice made in accounting.
As to whether separate corporations would have isolated this failure is a question we can’t answer. I have seen this sort of tactic used – along with other things.
Regardless, risk mitigation often does not get the proper attention with corporate growth and development.
Bottom line is that a promised 20% saving on supposed planned RRP as a backer probably isn’t worth the risks, particularly given that these aren’t just non-delivery but also ending up with a beta version of a product that eventually ends up in the shops cheaper and better. And a 40% saving is probably a red flag suggesting a reckless creator and promises that won’t be fulfilled. Back in the day Kickstarter seemed exciting and new which sometimes overcame good judgement. It isn’t now and generally just isnt really worth it other than as a spectator sport.
It really depends. The failure rate for successfully funded projects is 9-40% by different estimates. However, that includes obvious scams. If you research the viability of the projects you back, the failure rate will be way lower. Definitely below 10% in my case, and I’ve backed maybe a hundred projects on KS and IGG. It was worth it.
The flip side to this is fewer interesting instruments by small teams. You can also think of the failed Kickstarterers as your tithe to making the synth world more diverse and to the existence of more weird and novel instruments. You can decide if that’s something you value, of course, and when/how much you can afford it. Most of the time, I’m fine with taking the risk on beautiful things I’d like to see in the world.
Made to be playable with sticks, this bar has LEDs that can be configured on both the player’s and the audience side. Can be set up with multiple playing zones it will output both USB and regular MIDI. Would work well as a more portable drum rig.
A chording keyboard with a Fatar keybed with digital oscillator and electric piano sounds, plus effects. I see there is now some things added like a keyboard functional split, and several stretch goals. Good to be able to combine the keyboard chording with strum modes and arp.
Could see this working as a transportable keyboard for performance.
We tried to be pretty thorough with the description of the functionality in the campaign description + include early bird discounts, but off to a bit of a slow start because of the sticker shock. However, I still believe it’s excellent value for money. My idea was that it’s like how Nord has their digital electric piano and synth models, but a hybrid of that.
The top feedback we’re getting is that folks don’t really have cash for a full synth right now, but would buy it as a MIDI controller instead. What price point do you think would work for that part of the market? It’s pretty price sensitive, so I’m not sure a metal enclosure and Fatar keybed + our choice of switches would help too much on the cost side. I could see getting it down to maybe ~$450 USD, but that still might be too expensive.
The other option is to do a desktop version without the keybed and then maybe sell the keybed version on our site at a later date. Something like the Dave Instruments Mopho. Thoughts?
For everyone else here the team working on the Extend-o-matic has decided to withdraw the project from Kickstarter.
My opinion – well done, to be able to evaluate, and quickly make difficult decisions. As a developer myself, i must say it is a challenge, to set aside one’s own personal perspectives and to recognize the realities of a situation, and take decisive action.
My thoughts. There are many complex interlocking factors involved in the creation and marketing of any new product. This isn’t necessarily something where you can simply adjust a few things, but is something to consider and work through over a stretch of time.
I like your approach trying to consider how to take parts of the overall project and to find ways to refashion those into a new product. This can work. At the same time give yourselves the freedom to consider other ideas, and be willing to start from scratch with clean sheet designs.
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It shouldn’t. That is how ideas progress. The slap was the financial failure of the project, and the failure of the bankruptcy process to give anything at all back to the KS backers, and also imo the failure of Kickstarter itself.
If some new company understands how a smart ribbon controller is a good idea and chooses to do their version from scratch, it’s a benefit to us and not an attack.
Dubby points up another type of crowdfunding, that is useful to observe.
Componental has also created an open environment where others can create versions of Dubby with entirely new functions. Whether those new version are offered for fee or for free, they still are both crowdfunded creations.
The two ( or more ) Dubby competitors also have this open contribution model as well.
Yes some Dubby effect algorithms will be free and some will have a fee but the plan is that these will be inexpensive. It’s a good encouragement for developers to create quality effects if they can get rewarded.
I could see getting it down to maybe ~$450 USD, but that still might be too expensive.
