How do you decide what store to buy your modules from?

nectarios · Post by **nectarios** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 6:52 am

We've had capital controls in Greece since last summer.
Which means we cannot send money outside the border, including PayPal.

The only shop we can use a special account and send money to, is Thomann which sells only Doepfer.

PolarIceCaves · Post by **PolarIceCaves** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 7:35 am

Just realized control and control voltage are two different shops!
Nice name overlap there...

PolarIceCaves · Post by **PolarIceCaves** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 7:37 am

reodjectz wrote:control / ctr-mod.com is 100% my first choice.

Right?

slumberjack · Post by **slumberjack** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:18 am

trying to buy as direct as possible.
then as local as.
then availability.
then the shop with as much as different stuff i want - so i have to buy only once.
tried out a couple of shops, schneiders, escapefromnoise, ah, control, ladik, addac, houseofsound and defekt and facebook group.

from two of those i wont buy anymore, because there unreliable communication and arrogance. then i'm trying to avoid shops sending the parcel with the actual invoice. i'm more that 'spare parts for synthesizer guy'.
so after all i most happy to by from the manufacturer. so they get the full commission from the purchase and so a trader.

slumberjack · Post by **slumberjack** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:20 am

ahh houseofsound can be great, you can buy on credit there. but sometimes the stock isn't up2date.

Bob Loblaw · Post by **Bob Loblaw** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:32 am

I just choose AnalogueHaven. Shawn is a stand up guy. Always has everything in stock. Shipping is usually super quick. And ordering from other places around Europe usually isn't cheaper.

Second place goes to Rub A Dub in Glasgow though. If AH for some reason doesn't have stock, I check out these guys. Also tip top service and lightning fast shipping (I once got a module in Oslo less than 24 hours after having ordered).

I do order from the local shop (Syntesaiser) if they have what I want in stock though.

moofi · Post by **moofi** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:59 am

Thomann got a loooooot of Pittsburgh modules aswell.
Besides those there is also Vermona, MFB, Analogue Solutions, Dreadbox, Jomox, DSI, Studio Electronics, Roland, Moog, Endorphine and Marienberg Devices.

Might be not the most versatile palette, still a bit more than just Doepfer :-)

nectarios wrote:We've had capital controls in Greece since last summer.
Which means we cannot send money outside the border, including PayPal.

The only shop we can use a special account and send money to, is Thomann which sells only Doepfer.

tauburn · Post by **tauburn** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:10 am

cheapest, quickest shipping. generally try to only order from east coast stores so that i get it immediately

bc3 · Post by **bc3** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:12 am

Whoever has the fastest and free shipping! I'm on the east coast and one would assume my shop of choice would be Control in Brooklyn, but I have found a few times that I can get a module quicker from Control Voltage in Portland! I will echo others and say that Jason at Control Voltage has awesome customer support

evileye0702 · Post by **evileye0702** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:34 am

I always look for used first, second and third.

After than most of my stuff comes from AH. I have such good experiences with Shawn that I really have no reason to shop anywhere else. If he doesn't have a module in stock, I'll look around elsewhere.

Plus, I like the challenge of opening Shawn's packaging.

nectarios · Post by **nectarios** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:51 am

moofi wrote:Thomann got a loooooot of Pittsburgh modules aswell.
Besides those there is also Vermona, MFB, Analogue Solutions, Dreadbox, Jomox, DSI, Studio Electronics, Roland, Moog, Endorphine and Marienberg Devices.

Might be not the most versatile palette, still a bit more than just Doepfer :-)

nectarios wrote:We've had capital controls in Greece since last summer.
Which means we cannot send money outside the border, including PayPal.

The only shop we can use a special account and send money to, is Thomann which sells only Doepfer.

Fair enough, actually I just noticed the brand options grew a lot...still...no Make Noise, Mutable Instruments, 4ms, QuBit, SSF...you know...more "esoteric" (for lack of a better word) modular manufacturers.

I usually head down to a shop that is in the city I get to play and buy things, or have promoters install advance for gig in my PayPal, but for most people in Greece, Thomann is all we have.

L.C.O. · Post by **L.C.O.** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 12:11 pm

Since this thread popped up again I will ammend my answer.

I still start by checking Foxtone (my local joint), as I try to support the local venue, AND love to be abl eto try things before buying.

BUT

if Foxtone does not have what I am looking for, then recently I have been buying almost exclusively from Control.
They seem to stock things immediately, ship fast AND for free...

which means that AH only gets my business if/when the other two can't. Which is rarely these days.

Filternauts · Post by **Filternauts** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 12:40 pm

I've just recently learned of more stores...

I do have sort of a bias towards AH, Shawn helped me get started and always answers my emails... I do wish they had free shipping. My big orders have always gone to AH.

BUT recently...

-Who ever has what i want + FREE 3 day shipping.
then

-No free shipping? But I still want it, then I buy from them and pay shipping...This is usually the case with AH since they have a WIDE catalog.

The nearest store front, Switched On Austin is about a 5 hour drive... Never bought from them.

Buying out of state, online, saves on taxes.

I've just recently bought 2 modules from Control Voltage... the free shipping on modules saves a bit when I'm impulsively buying, plus they do occasionally throw in useful goodies and Customer Service is Great.

Then I buy my used stuff on muff forums.

I've sniped a few used doepfer modules from ebay at ridiculous prices...

cowatf · Post by **cowatf** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 4:04 pm

I buy from whoever has the modules I want!

cheliosheart · Post by **cheliosheart** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 4:24 pm

Shawn at AH was very helpful when I first started and was local and convenient for me. I bought my first modules there but good lord that California tax adds up! So now I usually check out Control Voltage and Control, good experiences with both.

Perfect Circuit has a nice walk-in brick and mortar store to try stuff out as well.

Jumbuktu · Post by **Jumbuktu** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 4:45 pm

Given that almost always I will have to buy from overseas, the decision is driven by availability, currency equivalence and shipping costs.

My general approach to buying modules is:

- Watch eBay for local sales
- Watch eBay for international sales (less so these days because postage is so high)
- Watch the two local suppliers (Equinoxoz and Rhythm Active) in case they get something i want
- If I really want a particular new module and am prepared to pay the costs, then I normally go straight to Control or AnalogueHaven. They are both reliable and fast in handling overseas orders.

Increasingly, I am concentrating on DIY. I find Thonk UK excellent in terms of quality, price and shipping speed. I have started to move away from full kits and I'm building up a supply of components by buying a few more than I need every time. More and more manufacturers are producing DIY kits or PCBs as an alternative to the full built module. There are enough good DIY options to build a serious system out of DIY alone.

... and I forgot to mention Elby as a local supplier of excellent kits and rack components.

ScubaGeek · Post by **ScubaGeek** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:12 pm

I live in Northeastern Ohio, so I reckoned Detroit Modular would be able to get stuff to me faster than, say, a place out in California or someplace further away. And so far, it's worked out pretty good. If I order something on a Monday, I usually have it by Friday. And their rewards points system is another nice feature.

PompeiiRuler · Post by **PompeiiRuler** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:37 pm

Same boat as you Jumbuktu.

Hit me up with a pm if you are contemplating an order from the states and perhaps we can split the postage. Think I'm right for modules atm but that can change quickly lol.

eboats · Post by **eboats** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:51 pm

Perfect Circuit is my fave, free shipping and fast service

winterhater · Post by **winterhater** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:10 pm

I have had good experiences from every retailer. Since the prices are all the same I usually go with AH because they are most likely to have it in stock and I like their website.

iceeslunk · Post by **iceeslunk** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:28 pm

evileye0702 wrote:Plus, I like the challenge of opening Shawn's packaging.

lolol i know exactly what you mean, AH is certainly keen on tape! but that said ive recently had faster, and free shipping with perfect circuit...and plan to do business in near future with vintage king, but thats only because i secured enough credit there for the MN black & gold system

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:55 pm

Analogue Haven for sure! I've been going there since 2006, when they were in Pomona. Shawn is the man! I didn't really have much of a choice at the time, but they've been so good to me over the years, I rarely consider going anywhere else.

The guys at Perfect Circuit are pretty cool too. They're store is just down the street from my office, so I go down there during my lunch, sometimes. The store is really nice.

I just ordered something from Control for the first time and it was all good... I didn't get a birthday message or anything like that.

And a shout out to the Muffwiggler store, I don't order from them often (they never seem to have what I'm looking for, in stock lol) but Steve is awesome. I'm planning a trip to Portland this summer and I'm hoping to stop by.

ZatsuOn · Post by **ZatsuOn** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:19 pm

I haven't been at this long enough to have a "regular" source...but have had a pretty good vibe from everyone I've bought from so far -- seems like most folks selling modular and DIY are doing it out of passion as much as anything. (I do wish vendors would make it a little easier to tell what's in stock without having to get all the way to the individual item page tho...)

Still, the range of what is available (and what shows up new each week!) is pretty astounding. Too much gear out there, too little time and too little money :-)

DJMaytag · Post by **DJMaytag** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:24 pm

1. Used marketplace. First and foremost.
2. DIY? ModularAddict.com & FB group buys FTW!
3. Is it cheaper for a large order from overseas?
4. If no to 3, does the manufacturer sell direct?
5. If no to 4, US Stores.

I started a topic with a different slant on this thought process, as I am on a smallish budget ($120 max every 2 weeks) so I have to stretch my money as far as possible. Thus far, I've not make it to option #3 yet, as I have a long list of DIY projects to work on. I don't foresee taking that route until my rack starts to fill out with enough second hand utility modules.

slumberjack · Post by **slumberjack** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:52 pm

DJMaytag wrote: ($120 max every 2 weeks)

you're a lucky fella!

MOD WIGGLER

MOD WIGGLER

How do you decide what store to buy your modules from?