…since ur asking for hard proof numbers, i wonder how u define ur statement of “healthy demand” and “not filling warehouses but flying off the shelves”…as mentioned, 201872019 the overall demand already started to saturate while still new manufactureres tried their luck with great concepts and the hope of claiming their own little piece of the “big” pie…
while coming up with great concepts, create and assemble them is one thing…
proper marketing and provide proper math in accountancy is another…
i also don’t think, any chip shortage is such a big problem for the no matter how big but still and never the less niche market of modular hardware…
let’s never forget, all this is nothing but a little bubble in the global market where any kind of essential demand remains way bigger than our small and nerdish dream and whishlists for new sonic tools and toys…even at it’s peak, it was just an intresting playfield for some specialists…a great market, but never the less in the bigger picture, nothing but a little bubble…
I’m just talking purely from personal experience - as a Euroack user myself I see new modules being released every month, new stores opening and new manufacturers entering the scene - and most of the stores I buy from have back-orders on popular modules. They don’t struggle to move them. All I can do is draw assumptions from that.
As you’ll have seen this has impacted other synth makers too - but smaller companies working in more niche spaces (like Eurorack) are especially hit hard by supply problems as they won’t have the cash reserves to weather that kind of storm.
Of course being a non-essential item for most people (although certainly not professional musicians) any of these things are first to be cut - but Eurorack is no more susceptable to that than any other format is it? Maybe I’m missing something there.
Either way Euro modules likely aren’t bought heavily by those on the bread-line. More expensive fuel is certainly not welcome, but it hasn’t quite meant I need to sell off all my assets to get to McDonalds just yet.
I suspect most of the people buying expensive synth gear are probably still buying expensive synth gear - they probably just feel more guilty about it
I think we can all agree that it’s been a weird couple of years on Earth for just about everyone. There has been a great reshuffling of many people’s lives, their professions – and the resources we rely on in our modern world to get things built. The manufacturing world has been very hard hit as a result. Small scale electronics, especially so. It has been incredibly difficult to keep up with demand for our modules, with products falling out of stock for months (and now years) at a time.
Unfortunately, the post-pandemic manufacturing climate was the final nail in the coffin for us at Hexinverter. Today we are announcing our intent to close down operations within the next year. I do not have an exact “end date” to share just yet, but I can tell you that it will probably be sometime in 2023.
We are now shipping out a number of modules that have been out of stock for ages, including the Mutant Brain! Be sure to hit up your local dealer or the direct shop if you’ve been waiting on some fresh Mutants for your rack, as these are the final runs of these products that will be built. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! We will begin the long process of closing up shop sometime in the new year once supplies are entirely diminished.
this is sad news as WMD was working hard on making a comeback and return to the eurorack market. I wish them the best of luck. WMD has made my favorite eurorack mixer and drum modules.
