MOD Insolvency and Reboot

[gianfranco]

@danielrm

Just “twisting” you main message

Makes me feel like a mean person

@danielrm

I’m deeply sorry about this situation, I wish you the best.

Thanks!

[danielrm]

In the case that MOD gets “reborn”, allowing Duo X LE to enjoy the new perks would be great

BTW Wish you the best @falkTX

[James]

@danielrm

In the case that MOD gets “reborn”, allowing Duo X LE to enjoy the new perks would be great

@friedsilence provided an update here about why that, unfortunately, can’t happen due to the hardware

MOD Duo X

Dear @Inkwell and all Duo X LE backers! First of all thanks for supporting the Duo X project early on and being with us here in our community. We appreciate your desire to max out the capabilities of your MOD Device. And we understand it may be frustrating, that the Limited Edition is outperformed by the current Duo X. Be assured we want to resolve this. As said before in the forum the change of the CPU came not out of a demand for more processing power but from other technical necessities. Wh…

[plutek]

hey @danielrm! i’m also a Duo X LE user, and would dearly love to upgrade to a regular Duo X… at this point, i still have faith the company will reboot successfully, and will eventually meet all three things i’m waiting on: Dwarf, Expression Pedal, and regular DuoX!!

…i’m in no rush. i’m patient. i’m optimistic. i believe in the MOD team!..

[Monday]

Just checking, is also the Max Gen~ cloud down at the moment? It was still working two days ago but now I get errors even with the example patches when using the Modwatcher.

[danielrm]

Thanks, TBH I’ve been a time away from the forum and the betas… I didn’t read this post at that time, so as @plutek says let’s hope you guys continue in good terms as company and I would think about this promo to the LE guys (I suppose you have stock right now but operations must be stucked).

As a compromise to the LE users, your promo was great

[plutek]

…pretty sure there is no existing Duo X stock, but i’m sure the MOD folks will correct me…

[jon]

yeah @plutek is totally right

[jetztgradnet]

I am a tier 3 backer of the MOD Dwarf and just signed a commitment for investing into the reboot of the company.

Why? The MOD team has produced some incredible software and all relevant parts are open source. I believe in open source. I also know that continued software maintenance, running the store and pedalboards site, developing new features, providing support, building new release cost a lot of time and dedication that is often best served by people working on that as a full-time job.

The MOD team have shown what they can deliver. There is (or could be) a lot to come, yet. I believe in that. So I decided to be a part in that an provide a bit of funding towards keeping the project afloat.

I understand all frustrations and not being able or willing to provide additional funding, especially without a guaranteed delivery of a device (and even if, whether the store and other related sites will be kept running).

But for me, this project is really great, I trust the MOD team to do their best and I want to play my part in keeping it alive. Maybe there are others as well?

Besides that, I’m also a guitar player and would really like to use the Dwarf as a robust and well-engineered pedal with all its possibilities instead of my iPad.

Being able to tinker with the software (I’m a software developer by profession) is a big bonus for me and a guarantee to being able to keep it working (and possibly improving) in the long run. As long as there is a community like this I have no fear that I will be left with a broken device.

So for the people how can afford it and have some trust both in the MOD team and the community left, let’s get this going! In the ideal case with enough people joining in, we can save the situation for everybody in the long run.

All the best to the MOD team who have also suffered through a lot with that insolvency. And good luck to us all.

[Jarrydactyl]

I’m also committed. I’m a lucky one to have a dwarf. How can I donate?

[jetztgradnet]

Have a look at the very first post by @gianfranco, there is a link with an investment opportunity. This will require providing an email address and accepting some kind of non-disclosure agreement and you will get an email a bit later with details.

[pqs]

This is very sad news.

From an early adopter of a ModDuoX (#12). A few notes:

1. I think you guys diversified products too early. Yes, you had a platform, but the HW dependencies brought by yourself to your supply chain (which I don’t contest. I remember the change in manufacturer early on…) You should’ve focused on ModDuoX and hold Dwarf until way way later. Like, after delivering the Mod Duo Expression pedal (platform? again, too ambitious).
2. I think, from how much you’ve benefited from the Linux and Open Source community, you should ethically release the source code of all the Plugin Store, Pedal Boards, etc… and let the community at least drive it on without the cloudy business decisions.

I understand bankruptcy, but free up the latest baseline of all support code (no fw, I would understand that) and avoid the hate you are gonna get. (rightly, mind you).

Health and Good Luck!
Salud y Suerte!
Pay

[Alberto_Pisani]

So, with some delay the online mod died to?

[Felix_G]

Hey Gianfranco

I have been a backer or a scammer.
I want my money or the product I financed.
You sold the product afterwards, it doesn’t give you much credibility as a brand and company to treat those who supported you by crowfondin like this.

[Felix_G]

You have deceived us
I totally agree.
Forgetting the backers and not delivering the product.
Very bad, very bad.

[Felix_G]

I am a sponsor
I have not received any pedals for my contribution and as far as I can see these devices have been sold by other means.
Are we crazy or what?

I feel ripped off.
No money and no device

[James]

@Felix_G

as far as I can see these devices have been sold by other means.

The idea that the campaign was a scam, deception or a rip off implies that MOD somehow benifited from your misfortune, though seeing that the company is insolvent should show you that its really not the case.

Check my response here for a clearer understanding of why devices were sold in parallel to fullfuling backer rewards and why it is actually a move that benefits backers

MOD Insolvency and Reboot

I don’t want to diminish your frustration because it’s totally valid. I just want to explain that the “cash” that was taken was use to develop and produce the product, the problem is that it turned out later to not be enough cash because everything became more expensive, so the choice had to be made. Does the company spend the remaining cash making a few more devices and go bunkrupt? or does the company start selling to retailers, to make more cash, which can be used to make enough devices for…

[Julien]

Hi @james.
All those bad news are very sad.
I was very surprised by mode devices insolvency as I didn’t suspect it at all.
I think it was a mistake not to communicate on the business difficuties.
But I like to believe in miracles. It has happened in the past when I was a Creamware audio devices customer. This company rose from the ashes, so it is possible and I hope it will happen with Mod Device as it is for me the best devices I have found until now.

That said, I have a quick question for the mod devices team:
I have already send an email to @jon but maybe your email server is not down.
3 or 4 months ago I have send a Mod Devices that should have been repared. It has a bluetooth issue and maybe a issue with input 1.
But given the circumstances I don’t think it has been repared. Also I would like to recover it in the state since it is functional. I bear the delivery costs since the company is insolvent. How to do?
Thanks.

[orange_gorilla]

Hello everyone, very sad news. As a tier 3 waiter and long time supporter( I had a duo) I feel sad, not upset because I don’t think anyone is guilty and this is just a bad scenario for everyone, probably way worst for the mod team than for me so you all have my understanding and support, I hope the reboot will be successful. Any chance to have news about the online portal?I was thinking about buying a dwarf, as I have custom case with the mod footswich waiting for it, but I need to be able to access the plugin on the portal, any workaround for that?

[unbracketed]

@Julien

I think it was a mistake not to communicate on the business difficuties.

To your point, it is probably true that until fairly recently there were no direct / public statements about the financial status of the company. However, the team has communicated all along about their difficulties with supply chain disruptions and significant cost increases for materials and production. When a startup is having to pay employee salaries and operating costs month after month without shipping any units, isn’t it apparent that the company is in deep trouble? In my experience, it’s not uncommon for (Western? Capitalist?) companies to keep a positive spin on even the most dire of situations until the end. Our ship hit the iceberg around the time everyone figured out Covid would be more than a few week ordeal. Everything beyond that has been the MOD team madly bailing out water while trying to keep their smiles on. I was surprised this announcement didn’t come sooner and clearly the team exhausted all possibilities to delay it (deferred salaries, donated labor, investor channels).

Recently in the forums for a popular modeller manufacturer, a staff member confirmed that supply chain issues had affected their production and this may have in turn affected some of their 3rd party resellers. No one has been immune to these problems, but BigAudioCorp can make it through several rough quarters with layoffs, clever accounting, and re-focusing on other channels. Startups don’t have those options.