Electro Acoustic Research

Vicmod, the blog of synthesists Ross Healy and Brett Maddafor, says “DO NOT DEAL WITH PLAN B“, Peter Grenader’s Electro-Acoustic Research:

This information is to protect others.

I wish to advise anyone interested in purchasing modular synth modules to not deal with PLAN B and/or Peter Grenader.

With the time I have spent dealing with modular companies I have never come across a person who abuses his customers and STEALS MONEY from them and/or never replaced faulty stock like Peter has done.

ELBY DESIGN (Once distributor for Plan B)is owed $6k from Peter.

MANY other customers have paid for modules that have never arrived or modules sent for repair that have not been returned.

There are reams more posts from people with complaints about Plan B at the Muff Wiggler forum.

It’s terrible to see so many unhappy customers, when Grenader has some great ideas about modular synths.

Have you dealt with EAR (Plan B)? If so, leave a comment with your thoughts on the experience and the gear you got.

Electro-Acoustic Research and Plan B have announced that they will be returning to the Los Angeles metropolitan area and reopening the PLAN B DIRECT sales portal at www.ear-group.net:

Before and after this launch our products will continue to be available at a number of dealerships both domestically and abroad and a list of those dealers will be updated on our site in the coming days.

I need to stress that this decision had everything to do with business and nothing to do with our successful and strong relationship with Noisebug, a partnership which bore immeasurable growth during it’s tenure and one which I hope will continue in the future. It isn’t about that. It’s about Plan B this month entering it’s fifth year. We’re all grow’d up now…and it’s time to stand on our own.

Look for a PLAN B DIRECT update early next week on the purchase tab at http://www.ear.group.net. Only products currently in our finished goods will be included. For those not listed, links will be provided giving immediate access to dealerships currently stocking products which may not be available at PLAN B DIRECT at any given time.

As always, I look forward to the future, to sharing your experiences with our products and the art created with them. On behalf of Sam Hernandez, Kateri Lirio, Dylan Sang and Brian McKinnon, I thank you for your continued support.

via the awesome Stretta blog of electronic musician Matthew Davidson

Electro-Acoustic Research (EAR) has announced a limited quantity release (10 units each) of five synth modules, in Doepfer Eurorack format.

EAR features the work of two established modular synth designers, Mike Brown of Livewire and Peter Grenader of Plan B. EAR has also announced that it will be the exclusive manufacturer of Tony Allgood’s Oakley Sound Systems designs in MOTM and Deopfer formats.

These modules are now available:

Livewire

• Livewire Cyclotron
• Livewire Frequensteiner Filter

Plan B

• Model 12 State Variable Vactrol Filter
• Model 13 Dual Timbral Gates
• Model 17 Event Timer

These units are currently available for sale and immediate delivery. Current module reservations will be held for 24 hours. More information and purchase details are available at the EAR Group site.