MXL available in Australia..........but don't get too exited.

  • Thread starter Thread starter ausrock
  • Start date Start date
If it sounds good, it is good.

And, I'm not completely up on importing and exporting laws but Peter Freedmans justification of pricing seemed fair to me.

And...I read that in the Audio Technology mag a year or so ago as well.

Ciao
 
<why do you seem to be so hung up on the origin of some of the parts of some microphones>

Considering that both Rodes' capsules and SP mics are coming from 797 Audio, supposedly to specification and not just "off the shelf" designs, I am curious as to what differences there are. IOW, how much are the perceived differences in the sound of a Rode compared to an SP mic influenced by the capsules, and is there a difference in the build quality between what Rode and SP mics are supplied with.



<If a company tells us or doesn't tell us about their suppliers....so what (if stringent testing is in place)>

There is such a thing as "misrepresentation". Rode, for years would avoid admitting they were sourcing major components from o/seas unless they were pressed to tell the truth. Again, I know that from conversations with Rode staff.

Too many of the new crop of mic "manufacturers" would be quite happy if the consumer believed they were getting a mic with a European pedigree, hence the brand names like MANN (who alledgedly have a facility in Melb) and ADK (Audio DeutschKraft.....owned by a couple of guys in the US).

How easy is it to set up a website, with information, either true or false, or a mix of both, order a batch of mics from an Asian factory with your brand name on them and start marketing them. The average consumer of this level of mic hasn't the background or experience to know what they may be getting, and are frequently too naive to know when they're being bullshitted to by a salesman.



<I don't think components (ie. resistors and capacitors) are even made in Australia anyway. Do you really expect Rode to manufacture these.....>

No, you are correct, these components are not made here and I doubt whether there are any of this type of thing made here at all, but I think you're intelligent enough to have realised that individual electronic components were not alluded to by me in the first place.


Rode have been saying for at least 12 months that they are going to bring ALL major component manufacturing (ie; capsules) to their Aust., factory. They already have their cases machined out around Mudgee I believe. If this is the case, I wonder how manufacturing costs will be affected, and if it will be reflected in the final prices. There could be interesting times ahead.

:cool:
 
Actually, just for your information and to clear up any "industry known and/or assumed" rumours that I constantly see floating around message boards like this one, only the "budget" Rode capsules are made by 797 Audio (NT1, NT3, older versions of the NT2, etc) in Asia.

All the really top end Rode mic capsules (Classic, etc) are manufactured on-site in Oz by Rode.

A.
 
Adzzz,

Would you care to share the source of that information.

:cool:
 
Just for the record, the following is an excerpt taken from an email from RODE, about 11 months ago. It is part of a letter allegedly written by Peter Freedman, RODE's CEO in reply to a question about this very subject.

Quote:.........."The casings and other metal work for our microphones is based on a combination of cast, moulded items and machined parts. Some metal work items are imported; some are made and machined in Australia at our metal work facility located 250Km from Sydney.

The capsules (transducers) are designed and prototyped by RODE in Australia. We have a dedicated production line that was established in China ten years ago. This line is under our strict control for materials and assembly. These ‘raw’ transducers are then shipped to Australia where many stages of quality control testing using the latest B+K analyzers are performed. We have a dedicated capsule research and development lab and a small run line based in Sydney. It is planned that this line will expand to take over all production within the next 12 to 18 months.



Now there is nothing there that I, (and others) haven't already said here in the past, but considering it kind of contradicts Peter Freedman's statement which was in a local publication, it leaves me wondering just what is truth and what is fiction where RODE are concerned.

:cool:
 
It's now 4/27/03... have the Studio Projects prices dropped in Australia yet?
 
Pricing on mics from the States

One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes pricing in the States can be totally different because of the competitive forces going on here. For instance, the MXL V67 Mic generally sold for around $200 or so USD, but then MXL wanted to have a good sounding, well built mic that could compete with some of the inexpensive mics from other companies, so they decided to bring the price on the V67 way down, so that we dealers could offer it for around $99 USD. As far as I know, this was only done in the US, so you can't be mad at dealers in other countries who weren't offered the same type of pricing.

I'm not sure if our Rode prices differ all that much. In the US, there is something called MAP pricing, or minimum advertised price. You will probably notice that a lot of US dealers have similar pricing listed, because they want to not get hasseled for listing lower pricing than MAP. Sometimes, you can get a better deal by requesting one by email.

I can't speak for other companies, but our shipping to Australia is usually around $33 USD depending on weight, and tends to be very fast, but make sure you factor in customs and duties charges to make sure of what you are paying in total.

I hope this information helps. Happy Recording!

Arnie Schachere
MTLC.net Music
House of Samples.com
 
Ok, a few comments here.

1st, all of RODE's capusles are provided by 797 Audio. It is a different capsule than we use. In fact, it is a cloan of a U89 capsule that is edge terminated. This is not a RODE designed capsule, but a 797 design capusule. They did it to get the darker sound that they claim the Asian population likes better. Well, wether they do or not is no matter to me, but all large and small capusles from RODE, are 797.

Now, I received a price sheet from Front End, and the prices have come down on it. I can't post this dealer price sheet on this thread, but according to it, prices have come down.

I guess the key issue here is if Mick sells to other dealers at this new price, do they pass it on? A test could be for you in Oz is to simply call him up and get a price.

So if a couple of you guys will do that, then we can see how much he is selling them for. Call Front End at: +61 8 8278 8506 and ask for price on the C1 to your door....
 
Ok... come on guys, what did Mick say when you called hm for SP mic's as Alan asked you too?

PS... Ask your dealers to call Mick.
 
Last edited:
Alan,

The prices on both FEA's site and the dealer in Melbournes site have come down over night. The curious thing here is that Music Lab in Melbourne were advertising the C1 at what appears to be the new price well before the new pricing became official, as was posted here recently.

While I will probably check out 1 or 2 dealers "new" prices in the next hour or so, I personally, won't be phoning Mick. One reason, I won't post here but the other is fairly straight forward and is an "issue" I have with Mick and his business, particularly in light of some of his posts in this thread. ...........The guy has in the past, and will probably continue selling to ANYONE who calls FEA whether they be a retail store or just some "Joe" who wants a mic for his studio instead of referring them to a dealer and this is one sure way to upset your dealer network.

Tune in later for an update:) .

:cool:
 
i spotted a slight price drop too. something i noted that was quite interesting was that the fea website had some text which said new sp products and price drop coming soon... perhaps this initial price drop is a show of good will and in the near future we will see something a little more substantial... i won't hold my breath, but this is encouraging to say the least
 
One dealer hasn't been notified of any price changes, so that was a waste of time.

Another dealer told me the prices dropped a week ago. He thought he could possibly go down to $450 Aust on a C1. Remember the RRP (List) is now $519 with an advertised "sell" (street) price of $479 Aust.

The B1 has had a reduction of $10 Aust on it's RRP to $249 Aust. I was told unequivocally, that there was no room in the margins to do a better price, UNLESS the dealer contacted the distributor to do a deal.

Let's see if anyone else can get better results.

:cool:
 
I am trying to do what I can for you guys. I am not saying I can work magic, but I do care about you guys in Oz, and I am trying to do something about it.

As for the B1, the dealer is correct. We sell that mic at such a small profit that the margins are bad. The reason for this is simple. I need to get the B1 to be as popular as the SM57 and SM58. The B1 needs to be the SM57 of LD mics. When it gets to that point, then we sell 30,000 mics worldwide each year and the mic then makes some money, but until then, there really is no margin.

Anyway, it looks like some things are happening. I am here to help :)
 
Alan,

Damn, it's after 3am, I just finished some tracking with my son and I'm still here.

I understand what you are saying re the B1, and that would be fine except that FEA are quite happy to go behind their dealers back and sell it for $229 including shipping. How do I know this..............I received a PM earlier from one of the guys here telling me he just bought one that way.

Either FEA want to be a distributor or a retailer.......trying to have it both ways is only doing more damage.

Going to bed as I have to be up again in 3 hours..........so watch for a private comminication shortly :)

:cool:
 
Alan Hyatt, I like the B3 mic's. I hope the B3 becomes the LDC 57/58 type seller... also, thank you for trying to help your friends on the other side of the pond.
 
DJL said:
Alan Hyatt, I like the B3 mic's. I hope the B3 becomes the LDC 57/58 type seller... also, thank you for trying to help your friends on the other side of the pond.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I am trying....:D
 
QUOTE:.........."I am not saying I can work magic, but I do care about you guys in Oz"

Oz? Magic?..........No we don't have a Wizard:D .........And I realise there is only so much you can do within the current distribution structure.

We have seen a drop in pricing ranging from 4% up to 20% depending on which mic you look at. At the same time, looking at the the comparisons between the US and Aust., recommended "List" or "Retail" prices, shows the difference between the two ranges from slightly less than 1% up to 55%.

The C series are now competitive on the abovementioned basis, but it will be "street" or "selling" price that will eventually tell the story. The B series..........well it would appear that it will still be cheaper to import.

If the VTB-1 is $179.99US list, then it too is way out of touch.

:cool:
 
Considering this thread was never intended to be about SP pricing, it sure has come a long way, so just to get it back on track...........

MXL ar now in Australia guys........not as cheap as they should be so still consider importing, but the distributor is pushing them into the stores.



:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top