Randal and the QFG PCBs.

[elektro80]

I think Jürgen is in here with us as well. Isn´t he? hello?

[elektro80]

I´ll be away for a few hours soon. Feel free t follow this up . I did however post something in the QFG thread already and I expect posts from randal´s customers and from Randal himself.

[elektro80]

Seems like Softfin has paid for 3 different PCBs already. And C has paid for one.

[elektro80]

Softfin messaged me. He has paid Randal 146 USD. And Randal has gone into silent submerged mode since then.

[EdisonRex]

yes, did NOT pay him. Here's the relevant email:

[blue hell]

[elektro80]

I´m guessing that more guys than C and Softfin paid in advance.

[blue hell]

[Scott Stites]

I feel particularly bad for Coriolis - I've always had the feeling he's in a position where he has to weigh his purchases very carefully.

Anyway, to put some perspective on the situation:

[elektro80]

Funky40 has paid as well.

We have over 200 USD here in payments.

[State Machine]

[State Machine]

[blue hell]

[Scott Stites]

I honestly believe this is not a case of intentional fraud. I've seen this happen before, and very, very tragically.

Anybody here familiar with the PSIM-1? Back in the fall of 2003, Brice Hornback founded Synthmodules.com. He had this idea of building a module that could do *anything* - it was driven by a basic stamp, and you could write programs to load into it that would do the most marvelous things. It was an idea he had, and, more than likely, Grant Richter was probably the engine in the design. In fact, the PSIMs had the Wiard logo right on the front.

I had a ringside seat in the whole fiasco. It was a neat idea, but not my cup of tea, because I just hate mixing computers with music, having sat in front of a computer all day at work. But, for some reason, Brice latched onto me, and would call me on an almost daily basis. There were a lot of similarities between his personality and Randals - very long, very rambling. He sent me a PSIM-1. I didn't want it, didn't ask for it, but he sent it anyway. It was an amazing device.

So, he takes preorders. Somewhere around $400 a pop. And there were a lot of them. Hundreds. Rubber hits road, oh my God, this is a lot of work. Motivation just plummets, though you've got the money. Life gets in the way. One year passes, two years pass. Still many people don't have their PSIMs. Through this time, every once in a while he'd call me and say - "I've got these PSIMs I've got to build - can you help me out, I can send them to you....". I avoided that, not by turning him down, but because he just didn't follow through on even those communications. The last time I heard from Brice, he was asking if I could send the PSIM back, because someone was getting.....aggressive. I had no problem doing that. AFAIK, there are still a few out there that never got their PSIMs, and likely never will.

Things turned bad. A lot of acrimony and distancing from Grant, people threatening lawsuits, and so on and so forth. It was a project started with enthusisasm and devolved into a nightmarish mess that I believe is still unresolved. It may qualify as fraud now, but it wasn't started that way.....

[EdisonRex]

I agree. I think Randall is a train wreck. He might have a partner, or might not. He must be old enough to know better.

I hate the part where he let people pay him in advance. Some of the guys here I'd gladly (and have gladly) paid in advance. But they've got good reputations. It certainly does not say positive things for Randall.

You know I do not wish ill of the guy. But I wish he'd suck up and face the group and tell the truth. The BS artist stuff is soooo old.

[blue hell]

[Scott Stites]

[blue hell]

[Scott Stites]

I know of a Yahoo group that was started (see the message posted from Bbob, an electro-music member, posted on March 06, 2006 to the synthmodules group.

I've not heard of any result from this effort. To be frank, I didn't hold much hope for anything coming of it. I could be wrong, but to me this was a classic example of too many cooks. I never joined the group.

[blue hell]

[mosc]

I just read up on this post. I haven't been following it before today for some reason. Randal has used the forum to run a business and his sloppy or fraudulent practices is a bad reflection on all of us, but I think Elektro80, Scott and Bill have kept the forum itself very clean.

I can't believe that Randal hasn't responded to that topic as his reputation is getting tarnished every day. I PM'd him about this.

What to do more than we have done already is not clear to me. If this keeps up, then there is going to be cause to publicly request he refund the money, if he doesn't voluntarily do that himself. I don't think we are quite ready for that yet, but it is getting close.

I hope this doesn't get more serious.

[Scott Stites]

I've attended enough TIA conferences to know there are a zillion ways to do something, but your way is the best and everyone should do it that way.....

It would be a monster if an individual or, at most, two guys in partnership took the idea and ran with it. Bill, Antman or Thomas Henry (not me, unless you don't want it to work). IIRC the thing was just four inputs, four outputs, maybe an additional two gate inputs (?), gate outputs(?) and some LEDs, and an RS-232 connector. Everything else was programmed in that simplest of computer languages - BASIC, which was the truly liberating part of it. Robert Brown and Grant Richter wrote entire libraries of programs you could load into it - exotic function generators, random sources, sample and hold, quadruature functions, sequencers, any type of quantizing...I mean, any control function you could dream or imagine, it could do, and with a very, very high degree of accuracy. It was an elegantly simple looking module that just blew the doors off of anything else you could possibly put into that frac rack space, basically.

Something with a USB stick these days would make Bob your one and only uncle.

But, I digress

[Thomas Henry]

Amazing!

I simply can't believe anyone who really wants repeat customers would act this way. Lack of communication is not a good foundation for future sales.

I remember in Randaleem's first PM to me, he indicated that he was going to be the next PAiA. Well, all I've got to say is that John Simonton never treated his customers like that. Sure, he encountered delays and kits occasionally missing a part over the years, but do you remember what his instruction sheets always said in plain English? "We want you to be satisfied." Someone at PAiA was always available to talk about any screw-ups, usually John himself or his wife Linda.

I remember PAiA for always being there when you needed them. And that's why the company lasted (and lasts) so long.

Also, in that first PM, Randaleem told me that he wanted all of my designs. Can you imagine the outcome had I said yes (in a drunken stupor---not an uncommon state)?

Personally, I think his behavior is beyond belief. A new PAiA? No way. A Nigerian prince whose father's money is tied up in a bank account, easily withdrawn if only you'll help with the transaction fees? Right on.

Thomas Henry

[EdisonRex]

I don't think he's a fraud. I do think he's a putz, or just over his head.

And Thomas, I am very glad you kept your involvement to just the one. If it was your circuit that caused him to be shown up, at least it went to a good cause. I am not being snarky, I am just glad that this community looks out for itself.

[Thomas Henry]