It’s been a long time since my last post, four years. So I will give you a quick wrap-up.
12 Years Clicks & Clocks
Most important, I am still in business, actually since 12 years. The first order was shipped back in 2012. The procedure is still the same, just ask for the price list, and then request an offer. I have always attached great importance to having direct contact with my customers. Helping and answering your questions around DIY Eurorack cases.
In the beginning I was one of the few sources for all kinds of parts around DIY case building, except for the case. My portfolio more or less stayed the same, except for giving up the power solution. It has always been a side business for me and a welcome change from my regular job. That’s how I want to keep it, and that’s why I always refused to have a webshop, sorry for the inconvenience.
2020 – 2024
Generally it seems that the peak years in Eurorack are behind us, but what do I know. As germans say, you have to “roll the advertising drum”, which I didn’t do at all during the last four years.
As result the orders and revenues declined over time. Not a surprise, but welcome to take a breath. 2020 and 21 have been good years for the business, although Corona has been a hard time for all of us.
In 2022 it started to turn and continued in 2023/24, the prices went up and up. With a good stock keeping I could compensate it for quite some time, but at some point unfortunately I had to react and raise the prices.
Also paper and card boxes went up around 30%, so did the shipping prices.
The Workshop
Beginning of 2024 I had to make a decision to cut the main cost, the workshop.
Sadly for the Berliners and also for me I had to give up my beloved souterrain in Riemannstraße. So much it was needed after the first three years, I had to realize after eight years with the workshop that it was too expensive in relation to the revenue. With a notification period of six month I was processing the move out since summer 2023, and then finally returned the keys end of July 2024 with a sad eye.
Power Supply and Busboards
Actually building my own console case was the trigger for the business back in 2012. Dieter Döpfer was very supportive when I asked for the allowance to build clones of the Doepfer PSU2 for my own case. And he was okay with selling my own version. I also used a similar design for my version of the busboards.
With a few revisions over the years the setup seems to be outdated now. The market situation also changed massively since 2012. There are so many power solutions on the market, that I decided to end my versions. I still have PSU PCBs and most of the parts available, just ask for it.
The new busboard design was in the making, a six layer board with 20 connectors. The prototypes exist but for now I will not continuing. The goal was to source the boards (not the parts) in Germany and get them assembled and soldered in Berlin. I didn’t want to solder them myself anymore. But the investment was/is to big at the moment, and I was wondering if you would pay around 45 EUR for a board. That would have been the price two years back.
I spare you the details about regulations that changed over that past 10 years which makes production and distribution way more complicated, especially for small businesses.
And the DB25 Breakout Panel
There was a small side project which I have worked on since quite some time, nothing Eurorack specific, but for the small studio with outboard equipment. Probably is’t interesting for you. Based on a small PCB which connects 8 XLR connectors with a DB25/DSUB connector on the back. It is DB25/DSUB breakout board. It can be mounted in a 19 inch front panel for two of the boards and 16 connectors in total. I had planned male and female connectors but ended up with inputs/female connectors only for now. Just check out price list or ask for more information.