Correction: I'm *not* making TR-808 Voice Boards...

jaidee · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 4:52 am Post subject:

Just to note, for the benefit of those who have lost the will to check, that Doug has recently updated the eight-oh-eight website - with his latest round of personal mishaps (arthroscopic knee surgery and a flood in his workshop), but also with some rather more MB808-relevant info (he is substituting an LCD in the kit for the 4558 op amps).

Since the demise of the MB808 forum (hard to forgive Doug for this - it was an active, friendly forum with a mass of knowledge and expertise available to builders), and Doug's deparure from the MidiBox and Muffwiggler forums, this seems to be the only remaining thread where at least a handful of prospective builders are still actively posting. Hopefully the thread can be maintained as some sort of focal point for MB808 activity if/when the kits finally come out...

infindebula · Joined: Sep 29, 2011 Posts: 29 Location: Canada

I agree there should be a place where those of us building the thing can share info and support each other. Unless Doug puts up some kind of forum, I would actually suggest we ask the mods at the MIDIbox board to add a forum for MB-808. I seem to remember that somebody has already volunteered to do that.

The forum could also make be a nice place for other builders of the MIDIbox sequencer that powers this project (which is also awesome as a standalone drum sequencer, complete with MIDI and analog trigger outputs)

jojjelito · Joined: Jun 27, 2007 Posts: 50 Location: Stockholm, Sweden

-minus- · Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 787 Audio files: 13

It's a shame such a worthy project has been handled with such incompetency and disrespect towards the many who supported it. I'm not sure what the answer is. Legal action? He needs to be made accountable for his actions or lack of them. I do believe he has sought refuge in the electro-music chat room. Maybe hitting him up there is an option. You'll probably only get a long list of excuses.

No Doug. I'm not on your list, but I'm sure you are on other peoples lists. Laughing

How about pulling your finger out and facing up to responsibility for once? Wink

bubzy · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:38 am Post subject:

-minus- · Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 787 Audio files: 13

Infantile? Seems to describe Doug's behaviour. Perhaps you can elucidate? I'm sure there are some fragments of 'the whole story' we haven't heard yet.

elmegil · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:29 am Post subject:

Doug already made it clear he's tired of the abuse (deserved or not) and is not going to be reading your comments.

I'm not going to take a side on this one, but I do agree with bubzy insofar as there is no point in trash talking here. If people want to use it as a build forum or to ask each other if there's any news, that's great, but the trash talk is tired and done. I think everyone has made up their mind whether or not Doug is acting in good faith or not, and there's no point to rehash the grievances yet again.

effegee · Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 5:08 pm Post subject:

Message removed.

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

It's interesting to find this thread here. I've been having an issue with Doug for years now, not regarding the MB808 boards but about a Waldorf microwave he said he'd fix for me and a x0xb0x that we would assemble.

He seemed legit and a nice guy, had good cred on the forums and I just shipped them both units he said he'd take care of them in a couple of weeks. He actually told me that he had fixed the Waldorf by replacing the psu and was just waiting to finish the x0xb0x to send it back...

To make a long story short my best guess right now is that Doug is a compulsive liar. I've lost count of the amount of times he told me he'd ship things next "Monday".

At a certain point I told him that if he had had problems and couldn't send things back at all I'd be ok with it if he actually told me the truth. In the beginning I actually believed his stories about his misfortunes, but tbh after all this time I think it's all BS. I keep the faith he'll prove me wrong at some point but I'm probably just being naive.

Thought you guys should know about this. it's not just about the 808 project. There a behavioral pattern here...

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:56 am Post subject:

It does make me wonder why some people manage to get themselves in such a situation, and yet the majority of people don't. Sad

EdisonRex · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:00 am Post subject:

elmegil · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:53 am Post subject:

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

well, I apologize for bringing my laundry here but I think this is something that people should be aware of. I also had Doug in very high regard some years ago (this all started 6 years ago).

I don't want to get into details but Doug currently has a waldorf microwave and a x0xb0x kit that belong to me. Throughout the years I've lost count of how many times he said he'd ship them back to me. Every time there was some sort of huge drama going on in his life, either health or family related. He'd always say that he had everything in a box and would ship next Monday... then he'd go out of radar for months.

As I said I always regarded Doug as a nice guy so in the beginning I actually believed his stories. Shit happens to everyone and I can totally understand that. However, we're talking years here. Man, if I was owing something like this to someone I'd take a day off to get it done. How much time does it take to package a synth and drop it at USPS on a Saturday morning? I mean...come on!

Now what really pissed me off was finding a post from Doug here on this same forum saying that he has 3 unassembled x0xb0x kits in his "backlog". Check it for yourself.

http://www.electro-music.com/forum/topic-20783-100.html

I mean, did he forget that one of these is mine? how can someone behave like this is beyond me. Of course I sent Doug a PM here but I'm still waiting for his reply.

again, I'm not going to post anymore about this but I think it's useful for folks here to know that there is more sketchy stuff going on besides the 808 project.

Dougster · Joined: Sep 20, 2005 Posts: 272 Location: Tucson, AZ, USA

There are two sides to every story...

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

hi Doug,

I'm really glad to see you here. No, I have never received an invoice from you and you never told me anything about problems with the CEM chips. You actually told me that all it took was replacing the PSU, but this was back in 2007 so my memory may be a bit rusty here. What exactly is the problem with the chips?

Regarding the x0xb0x anything will do at this point. If you want to send me an unassembled kit I'm good with that as well.

One thing for certain is that I'll pay for any parts/labor costs, but I'll only do this after I receive things back - I hope you understand this.

I'll email you my address, can you please PM me your current email address?

Rui

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

well, just for the record, "next Monday" was yesterday and I haven't heard back from Doug again...no PMs, no emails, zip.

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

Another week has gone by and still no Doug...surreal

andrewF · Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:14 pm Post subject:

pix · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 32

yeah, I don't know what to think anymore. Still no word from Doug...it's almost unbelievable.

This is the exact same pattern as before. Comes out with great excuses and sounding legit, and then disappears for months.

I thought this time he'd make things right because of what's going on with the 808 project, but apparently I have to wait another year to get another email/msg from him.

Doug, if you're reading this... wtf?

MK · Joined: Dec 28, 2012 Posts: 3 Location: netherlands

For me, the only logical explanation for this behavior is that we all have been scammed by Doug.To prove the opposite Doug better start to give some insights on how he has spend our $ 10,000. Hint: show some pictures of the new PCB's and components that are waiting to be delivered. Give a realistic schedule of what to expect this year and don't collect another $ 10,000 before there is a working proto build and tested by an independant builder.

In case this this is all too much for Doug I think it's better that Doug ships whatever parts/pcb's he has collected and outsources the remaining effort to the people that he owns $ 10,000.

elmegil · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 1:55 pm Post subject:

We're in a loop here.

I've seen him post photos of some portion of the stuff; I wouldn't say it was definitively $10,000 worth, but there's that.

The solution of just shipping what you have has also been proposed in this thread and elsewhere repeatedly. One more time seems unlikely to shift Doug's behavior.

It sucks. I can't help but agree that your proposition, that y'all have been scammed in some fashion, seems to be the best fit for the facts.

But rehashing and re-re-hashing isn't going to resolve anything. Only Doug can, and all that can be done is wait and see, or give up and assume it's done (with whatever action comes along with that, be it write off or legal action).

LFLab · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:43 am Post subject:

Not sure about purposely scammed, but Doug certainly bit off more than he can chew, and is unfortunately too hardheaded to admit/ resolve the situation.
"Unfavourable combination of character traits", I guess scratch

Good luck all.

Rarrison · Joined: Apr 04, 2013 Posts: 2 Location: River Falls, WI

Certainly a lot here that doesn't add up.

I've requested refunds via email three or four times with no reply. I'm concerned at this point about sending any more money even if he says things are ready to ship.

It seems Doug is self employed, so I don't get the "work obligations" he's used for excuses over the years.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougwellington

He's listed a phone number here from one of his businesses too if anyone feels like trying that route:

http://www.synthpanels.com/about.html

Doug Wellington
PO Box 36022
Tucson, AZ 85740
USA

(520) 977-4628