User Posts

"Maths will cost you $290 new, Rampage $330. TipTop's prices tend to be lower, and while things can happen with the current shortages and supply-chain issues, I wouldn't doubt their sincerity in trying to achieve that goal."

i'm talking canadian funds, the rampage is $436 plus taxes (incredibly high in quebec, comes to $501 cdn total!) at the local store and maths has dropped to $376 plus taxes. and the U.S. to Cdn funds conversion is awful for us, $200 U.S. today is $256 cdn! but i hope you're right, i just can't see how they can manage it at their prices. i'd have to think that would be the deal of the decade if the quality is there.
-- FatBerg
As an FYI based on your previous post, I often buy modules built by European manufacturers from either Schneidersladen or Thomann and get them shipped to Canada. You will not be charged their VAT and both ship for a reasonable price via UPS (arriving within a couple of days). The Befaco Rampage, for example, currently sells on Thomann for about $374 CAD. Canadian Customs will only collect the federal portion (5%) of the HST and not the provincial portion (8% in Ontario, not sure what it is in Quebec). Eurorack modules manufactured in the EU can be imported duty free. UPS will call you regarding customs clearance and you can authorize them to clear the package on your behalf. The fee for this will be more than offset by not having to pay the provincial portion of sales tax. Customer service is awesome for both. I can’t argue buying from Nightlife as their service is great and I’ve bought from them many times. Cheers.
-- bopodoq

thanks for the tip! just got something from elevatorsound.eu and it wound up being quite expensive. 25 euro shipping and i believe a $40 cdn fee from DHL for taxes and customs clearance. the addac 103 finally costed me $230. my local shop, which didn't have it in stock (or nightlife) were charging $142 cdn, no tax, no shipping.

EDITED Feb 11th 2022, 15:54

... and I certainly plan to get lost in that buchla fog! I was in the middle of trying to make a drum machine out of my neutron with some random gates coming from the rampage comparator when the modules arrived. So nice to realize I didn't have to undo the rampage and use it for envelopes because I now have 4 buchla function generators to work with. I look forward to chaining/modulating the function generators together since I now have so many. The dual oscillator also offers many possibilities, fm/double fm, waveshape modulation etc. It has got to be one of the best value for money oscillators out there right now!? Still not exactly sure what the processing input and cv does? I get the inversion part but not the rest. When in doubt, use it and cv it and see what happens.

Arrived yesterday evening! Now the fun begins ....

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I will let you know when they arrive. I'm looking forward to a Garfield tiptop/buchla report! I don't know about living in Canada, I was in the market for a buchla easel command and the $3000 U.S price became $4700 Cdn after exchange and taxes so i just couldn't justify it! I've been making do with the Arturia software easel and the doepfer LPGs, A-149-1/2, uFold, Springray, Rampage etc for euro so I'm very grateful for this affordable option. I've been watching the Barton videos on youtube demo-ing the new tiptop buchla modules. The next pair of voltage sequence/processing modules look to be very interesting. And as Lugia said, there may yet be plenty more modules to come so my new 6u 168hp case is already running out of space!

Hello, good news. I received a shipping notice from Nightlife Electronics in Canada stating the 2 buchla modules have shipped and are arriving next week. Hurrah ...

Thanks for the reply - that doesn't sound too promising! I will contact my vendor next week for an update. The sequential voltage source, 245t, is already slated for winter/spring 2022!?

and i almost forgot, thanks for your reports!

EDITED Jan 31st 2022, 02:50

Could someone please let me know when they receive their pre-order. I was told around February 1st by a canadian vendor. Thanks.

got the 'now shipping' newsletter. see modulargrid news for further info. yahoo!

and just to add bravo to tiptop for keeping to their prices! i had my doubts but they proved me wrong.

EDITED Jan 19th 2022, 15:41

i hear you, my first case was actually a tiptop happy ending. and i should have said 'save me $250' above - maybe the price of a buchla module!? so that makes a lot of sense and i don't mind giving tiptop some more money if they deliver on these buchla modules.

thanks for the tip! i was hoping to stack my doepfer 9u/84hp on top of the base. i may just have enough width for 104hp and the 9u is presently sitting on an empty neutron box so this may work and save me $150

EDITED Dec 25th 2021, 19:58

ya, that is the beauty of these tiptop buchla modules, standard 3u and will fit in any euro case and i can buy them as my finances permit as opposed to dropping $4000 cdn on a buchla easel command in one shot. i think i calculated around 130hp for 1 of each of the 6 modules so the 6u/84hp case i was thinking of buying might even be a little small with little room for expansion for further 200t modules.

speaking of which, have cases become insanely expensive!? i'd be paying almost $900 cdn (~$700 U.S.) for a new doepfer a-100lcb!!! i need a 'base' case for my space restrictions. are there any other alternatives? that $900 is almost 1/4 the price of a buchla easel and doesn't even make a sound. unless i drop it. i think doepfer can drop the 'LC' from that catalogue number.

EDITED Dec 25th 2021, 16:20

latest tiptop newsletter Dec 24th, 2021;

"A quick holiday update on the Buchla production process

for the 258 & 281 Super Exciting Newsletter Headline

The robots have finished placing the parts on the 258 and 281 circuit boards. Now it is time for humans to start to test, calibrate and hand select the remaining critical parts. The front panels are now in the machine and in the next few days should be ready to get their graphics on.

Release date looks like mid January at this point. Once we are ready we will send another newsletter to let you know and also inform the shops they can open up for pre orders.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Buchla and Tiptop Audio Team"

EDITED Dec 24th 2021, 13:52

"Really looking forward to the Tip Top Buchla modules!"
i'm with you on that! the buchla easel command was always just out of reach for me and now i may get something better on the easy payment plan. c'mon tiptop, make it a jolly x-mas on this covid ravaged planet!

received an email today from mr milstein himself, saying an updated newsletter coming very soon with the first 2 modules to be released in january (no date).

thanks for the info, i.e., 'around the first of the year'. that sounds promising - i hope it's accurate and not just stringing us along!? i suppose i can be patient until mid-january. i also contacted tiptop and i'm still waiting for a reply.

"Maths will cost you $290 new, Rampage $330. TipTop's prices tend to be lower, and while things can happen with the current shortages and supply-chain issues, I wouldn't doubt their sincerity in trying to achieve that goal."

i'm talking canadian funds, the rampage is $436 plus taxes (incredibly high in quebec, comes to $501 cdn total!) at the local store and maths has dropped to $376 plus taxes. and the U.S. to Cdn funds conversion is awful for us, $200 U.S. today is $256 cdn! but i hope you're right, i just can't see how they can manage it at their prices. i'd have to think that would be the deal of the decade if the quality is there.

thanks for the feedback. i think i've seen every tiptop/buchla video out there. i'm making do with the arturia buchla easel software and some euro modules, doepfer LPG x 2, A-149-1/2, rampage, uFold, lifeforms micro sequence, and springray right now to get my fix of buchla. unfortunately, i don't have infinite resources so i'm talking about doing this on a budget, therefore tiptop! i debated buying a buchla easel command but ultimately couldn't justify the price for someone in my pay grade (poor). i estimate a case with all 6 tiptop modules will come in around $3000 cdn and i can acquire them gradually (calculating an average price of $350/module, i still don't believe the $200 U.S. price tags, quad function generator $170-210!? - maths and rampage are dual generators, granted with more functionality going for something like $500/$600). i'm prepared to be pleasantly surprised though and hope to see the first 2 modules released for x-mas 2021. here's hoping ...

hello,
i'm looking to get some feedback on the soon-to-be-released(?) tiptop buchla modules. i'm ready to make a significant investment on these modules, i.e. doepfer LCB100 case, and i'm wondering if they will be released on time - winter 2021 is already upon us, and if you believe the entire group of 6 modules will be released by 2022 at the prices indicated by TipTop? (i can't see some of these modules going for $200 u.s. or less!) i would also like to have some better audio/video/youtube samples to base my decision on. any thoughts would be appreciated before i invest in that doepfer case ($659 cdn these days!) thanks.

EDITED Dec 15th 2021, 04:27