# ETC Console Order Issues



## thelatinist (May 17, 2022)

*Edited to Add:* After doing more research and communicating directly with ETC, I now think that my issues are not with them at all, but with B&H Photo Video and whatever ETC dealer they ordered the drop shipment through. I wanted to edit this to reflect that, because I’m now getting really good communication directly from ETC.

Anyone know what's going on over at ETC? We ordered a new console (IonXE 20) on December 15, and the initial shipping estimate was 8-10 weeks. That date has since slipped three times. Our last date was supposed to be April 28 and I've been hounding the folks at B&H that sold us the console, but I just received an E-mail saying the date has changed to August 8! I understand that there are global supply issues, but this is getting ridiculous.

Not only that, but they sent B&H a tracking number back in March saying it had been shipped (it was actually for a completely different item shipped to a completely different address) so B&H presumably paid ETC already. And because our business office failed to look into the delivery confirmation B&H sent them back in March, we've already paid.

The situation is getting pretty frustrating.


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## TheaterEd (May 17, 2022)

Chip shortages are what they are. ETC can't just magic into existence the parts they need. Feel free to give them a call to make sure you are still in line, but until supply catches up with demand we are all stuck waiting for our ship to come in.

The sound equipment I ordered last year which would normally be a 2 week turn around took over 8 months to come in.


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## TimMc (May 17, 2022)

When a manufacturer gets 10 pieces of an SKU that normally ships as 500 pieces, there will be delays.

edit ps: be glad it's bought and paid for, ordering now would certainly be at a higher price.


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## thelatinist (May 17, 2022)

TheaterEd said:


> Chip shortages are what they are. ETC can't just magic into existence the parts they need. Feel free to give them a call to make sure you are still in line, but until supply catches up with demand we are all stuck waiting for our ship to come in.
> 
> The sound equipment I ordered last year which would normally be a 2 week turn around took over 8 months to come in.


I understand the chip shortage. I, too, ordered sound equipment that took months to arrive. It's the repeatedly changing deadlines obvious shipping errors, and premature billing that have me frustrated.

And, yes, indeed, the price has increased significantly since we ordered.


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## TimMc (May 17, 2022)

thelatinist said:


> I understand the chip shortage. I, too, ordered sound equipment that took months to arrive. It's the repeatedly changing deadlines obvious shipping errors, and premature billing that have me frustrated.
> 
> And, yes, indeed, the price has increased significantly since we ordered.


The Deadly Phlegm came about the time my shop was going to buy new audio consoles. No market, so we held off. We now wish we'd ordered before the chip foundry fires because critical components are made of 100% Unobtanium. 

Yeah, the sloppy followups are disappointing. Hopefully your console is in queue to be shipped soon.


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## MNicolai (May 17, 2022)

I'd just say that whatever is going on is not unique to ETC. A loudspeaker manufacturer sent a notice today that most orders they receive right now cannot be filled until Q1 2023 at the _earliest. _I think that's why some manufacturers are making a smaller splash at tradeshows right now than they normally would -- they run the risk of selling more product than they already are, and there's simply no way to clear that backlog and no way to shore up the supply chains. Fabbing chips and components from raw materials isn't exactly the kind of process anyone can ramp up quickly. That's a years-long process for the companies who already have the experience of having already done it for decades, and the supply of the tooling and raw materials for that process is a problem in and of itself.


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## SteveB (May 17, 2022)

Just curious. B&H is (started) as a photo supply company. Last I checked they were not an authorized ETC dealer. I think I refused a bid once for this,


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## Lowell Olcott (May 17, 2022)

thelatinist said:


> The situation is getting pretty frustrating.



That statement pretty much sums everything up. First off our sincere apologies for the delays. We're just as frustrated as you are. We provide dates based on when we are expecting components to arrive. Sadly the state of the global supply market means that shipment dates and quantities are no where near as reliable as they used to be. In most cases the updates you receive about shipping dates changing are because we receive similar updates about component changes. There are some extremes on products that are actually causing us to have to redesign away from exceedingly long lead times. Which unfortunately just leads to more delays. I'm not sure about the tracking number issue you mention but we try to keep all of our dealers well informed about current situations, no matter how often the change.
Your trust in us and your business mean everything to us and we are committed to solving theses issue. We're all frustrated beyond belief but continue to work hard to get you the products you need.

-Lowell Olcott
Product Manger - Integrative Technologies ETC


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## n1ist (May 17, 2022)

Unfortunately, the chip vendors are now clawing back orders as well. I had an order placed (with a 50 week lead time) for 200k parts. They now told me that they will only be able to send me 3000 as they are prioritizing shipments to the auto industry. What can I do with 3000 parts when I need 200000? I too have been redesigning products (some as much as 4 times) to use a different processor due to availability; unfortunately that means the software guys now have to port that code to these new processors in a lot less time they would like. I can't wait for things to get closer to "normal"
/mike


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## jtweigandt (May 17, 2022)

ETC.. maybe a nomad license and dongle for the hardware cost for those in line might make the pain somewhat less. Can run it nicely on a 200 buck refurb i5 touchscreen all in one and an extra monitor.. At least a facility that wants to move into the eos line could do the learning and do events/shows while waiting. I just bought a really nice 2 universe artnet to dmx unit for about 200 bucks. A goodwill gesture on the ETC side and maybe a 4 to 600 buck outlay on the customer side for some hardware might make a nice bridge until "normal" occurs. Just thinking literally outside your box.. since it's unavailable.


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## josh88 (May 18, 2022)

thelatinist said:


> I understand the chip shortage. I, too, ordered sound equipment that took months to arrive. It's the repeatedly changing deadlines obvious shipping errors, and premature billing that have me frustrated.
> 
> And, yes, indeed, the price has increased significantly since we ordered.


The supply chain being what it is, be glad that you're getting updates it means that their suppliers are actually updating them on when to expect things. Yamaha isn't shipping consoles for year. so it could be worse. 

jtweigandt said:


> ETC.. maybe a nomad license and dongle for the hardware cost for those in line might make the pain somewhat less. Can run it nicely on a 200 buck refurb i5 touchscreen all in one and an extra monitor.. At least a facility that wants to move into the eos line could do the learning and do events/shows while waiting. I just bought a really nice 2 universe artnet to dmx unit for about 200 bucks. A goodwill gesture on the ETC side and maybe a 4 to 600 buck outlay on the customer side for some hardware might make a nice bridge until "normal" occurs. Just thinking literally outside your box.. since it's unavailable.


even the nomad was on hold from october of last year, though they've finally started filling some of those orders. There's no guarantee these days other than planning for a long wait.


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## jtweigandt (May 18, 2022)

josh88 said:


> The supply chain being what it is, be glad that you're getting updates it means that their suppliers are actually updating them on when to expect things. Yamaha isn't shipping consoles for year. so it could be worse.
> 
> even the nomad was on hold from october of last year, though they've finally started filling some of those orders. There's no guarantee these days other than planning for a long wait.


I knew the "gadget" was unavailable.. I thought they would still ship the key if you wanted to use artnet. I was laying down the pieces for me to do that as a backup unit for our ion. Still have to pull the trigger. All in all it is an interesting time we live in. Found out somewhere the final filter used in the UV chip etching machines is a chamber of Neon. And half the worlds supply came from... wait for it... the Ukraine..


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## Darin (May 18, 2022)

ETC is redesigning their consoles for available parts. I've had an ION XE on order since August. Lustr3 fixtures have a 35 week lead time. It's rough out there.


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## almorton (May 18, 2022)

We must have been very lucky to find stuff actually in stock - we took delivery of about 40 fixtures (colorsource spots and spot jrs) and an arc system and controller last summer and the total lead time was about 6 weeks for the entire delivery.


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## Darin (May 18, 2022)

almorton said:


> We must have been very lucky to find stuff actually in stock - we took delivery of about 40 fixtures (colorsource spots and spot jrs) and an arc system and controller last summer and the total lead time was about 6 weeks for the entire delivery.



You might have squeezed in before inventory ran out.

I was just told (by Vincent Stage Lighting) that Color Source's are 12-16 weeks out, while Lustr's are 16-35 weeks


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## thelatinist (May 18, 2022)

I had a very nice E-mail exchange with someone from ETC, and I think that my communications issues were actually the fault of the dealer. We ordered through B&H because we have an existing relationship with them and it was part of a larger order associated with a grant. Turns out B&H is not an authorized dealer; they placed the order through an authorized dealer, so there’s an added layer between us, and B&H isn’t getting their info directly from ETC. the shipping/tracking issue was also probably the fault of whoever B&H ordered from.

The upshot of the E-mail exchange was that the Ion XE 20 currently has a 30-week lead time. They expect a shipment of processors in July, so sometime in August is a good guess at availability, at least for now. But things could change. They located our order, we’re in the queue, and they will ship on a first-in-first-out basis regardless of how they were ordered.

I’ll be editing my initial post because I now think it was unfair and that my issues are primarily with B&H.


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## Lextech (May 18, 2022)

I talked to my ETC rep today and the 30 week delay for Series 3 fixtures was 45 weeks last month so maybe things are getting better. He says the delay currently is based on back orders not supply chain problems at this point.


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## thelatinist (May 18, 2022)

Lextech said:


> I talked to my ETC rep today and the 30 week delay for Series 3 fixtures was 45 weeks last month so maybe things are getting better. He says the delay currently is based on back orders not supply chain problems at this point.



For the consoles, the guy I corresponded with said that the issue is still getting the chips they need.

At this point, I won’t be able to use it until next school year, and our first major production is not until November. But I do need to train my tech crew up on the new equipment. We went through the Level 1 video course this spring, but until we get the desk under their hands they’re not going to really understand it.


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## jtweigandt (May 18, 2022)

thelatinist said:


> For the consoles, the guy I corresponded with said that the issue is still getting the chips they need.
> 
> At this point, I won’t be able to use it until next school year, and our first major production is not until November. But I do need to train my tech crew up on the new equipment. We went through the Level 1 video course this spring, but until we get the desk under their hands they’re not going to really understand it.


That's where the free version of nomad will help you.. even without output to the real rig. It will mirror your console almost exactly .. has onscreen replica of the console's keyboard as well. You can run dual screen etc. I even onboarded a young guy on the basics via phone and teamviewer.. then he just took off and pounded on it, like I suspect most of us have.. to reach a comfort level. .. transition to the real console was easy then.


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## thelatinist (May 18, 2022)

jtweigandt said:


> That's where the free version of nomad will help you.. even without output to the real rig. It will mirror your console almost exactly .. has onscreen replica of the console's keyboard as well. You can run dual screen etc. I even onboarded a young guy on the basics via phone and teamviewer.. then he just took off and pounded on it, like I suspect most of us have.. to reach a comfort level. .. transition to the real console was easy then.


Yeah, we’ve been using it. It’s been pretty helpful.


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## Van (May 19, 2022)

Don't feel bad. We are one of the regions largest ETC dealers and I'm waiting for stuff I put on hold last October. 
If folks don't know but, as it was explained to me, ETC is having to redesign some of their Mobos to accommodate what chips they CAN get now. The result has been massive delays all over the product lines. They also ran into issues with Cable suppliers, Raw materials for things like all those aluminum parts (racks, back-boxes, cases, switch plates...) 
Things are getting a ton better though, stuff is moving again and The folks I deal with in Middleton have been open and honest and informative as possible.


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## Darin (May 19, 2022)

I just ordered a dozen ColorSource Jr.'s. Here's hoping I get them before November


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## MNicolai (May 19, 2022)

Darin said:


> I just ordered a dozen ColorSource Jr.'s. Here's hoping I get them before November


ETC just gave me a 16 week ETA on these. Anything can happen between now and then, but at the moment looks like you could have them in time.


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## Van (May 20, 2022)

MNicolai said:


> ETC just gave me a 16 week ETA on these. Anything can happen between now and then, but at the moment looks like you could have them in time.


16-20 is average right now. <leaning towards 20>


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## rsmentele (May 20, 2022)

I will say some manufacturers are not experiencing long lead times like these. Backorders, yes, but these super extended and continually lengthening ETA's are not being experienced by everyone. ETC and Robe are the two I've heard have had the hardest time with this. Anyone else have issues with others?


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## Joe Voorhees (May 21, 2022)

thelatinist said:


> *Edited to Add:* After doing more research and communicating directly with ETC, I now think that my issues are not with them at all, but with B&H Photo Video and whatever ETC dealer they ordered the drop shipment through. I wanted to edit this to reflect that, because I’m now getting really good communication directly from ETC.
> 
> Anyone know what's going on over at ETC? We ordered a new console (IonXE 20) on December 15, and the initial shipping estimate was 8-10 weeks. That date has since slipped three times. Our last date was supposed to be April 28 and I've been hounding the folks at B&H that sold us the console, but I just received an E-mail saying the date has changed to August 8! I understand that there are global supply issues, but this is getting ridiculous.
> 
> ...


I am in the same exact boat. I ordered an Element 2 the first week of December though B&H and was expecting it the first week of April. It has now been pushed to some time in July. You are not the only one...


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## dvsDave (May 23, 2022)

Gonna wade into here a bit. I am an authorized ETC dealer as my day job at Vincent Lighting Systems; I run their boxed goods site, Proadv.com.

When you are soliciting bids, I strongly recommend you check with the manufacturers to see that you are dealing with an authorized dealer. Most manufacturers have a list of dealers or a dealer finder on their site. I'll work on putting together a page in our wiki for where to look up authorized dealers for brands. 

ESTA is a good place to start to find a local theatrical supply dealer: https://my.esta.org/directory

Manufacturers with dealer locators: (NOT an exhaustive list, I will work on a wiki page for that later)

https://www.etcconnect.com/Find-A-Dealer.aspx
https://www.altmanlighting.com/dealer-locator/
https://www.apollodesign.net/storelocator

And to echo @Lowell Olcott and @rsmentele , every dealer in this industry is dealing with supply chain issues in one form or another to one degree or another. The best thing you can do is order as early as humanly possible and warn those above you who make the purchasing decisions you need as many months as possible of lead time.


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## Preston33154 (May 23, 2022)

SteveB said:


> Just curious. B&H is (started) as a photo supply company. Last I checked they were not an authorized ETC dealer. I think I refused a bid once for this,


They're usually the most expensive as well!


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## TimMc (May 24, 2022)

Preston33154 said:


> They're usually the most expensive as well!


B & H's model is not based solely on lowest price. Their customer service is top notch, their inventory is fresh, and tech support pre/post sale is very, very good. That said, buying theatrical LX consoles from "grey source" dealers seems a bit silly. The purchasing department at your theater or institution probably needs a "charismatic slap" across the head for insisting on a single source vendor, though. These things wouldn't happen without *buyers* insisting on it.


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## coolsvens (May 26, 2022)

TimMc said:


> B & H's model is not based solely on lowest price. Their customer service is top notch, their inventory is fresh, and tech support pre/post sale is very, very good. That said, buying theatrical LX consoles from "grey source" dealers seems a bit silly. The purchasing department at your theater or institution probably needs a "charismatic slap" across the head for insisting on a single source vendor, though. These things wouldn't happen without *buyers* insisting on it.



This summarizes the issue with B&H, you can tell what they acquire through 3rd party sources by looking at the clues on the product pages.
IF you see SPECIAL ORDER or NOT RETURNABLE OR CANCELABLE you should really think if it's worth the hassle in case there is a mistake or issue with the order. No actual ETC dealer would ever say an item can't be returned.


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## Jay Ashworth (May 31, 2022)

Lowell Olcott said:


> That statement pretty much sums everything up. First off our sincere apologies for the delays. We're just as frustrated as you are. We provide dates based on when we are expecting components to arrive. Sadly the state of the global supply market means that shipment dates and quantities are no where near as reliable as they used to be. In most cases the updates you receive about shipping dates changing are because we receive similar updates about component changes. There are some extremes on products that are actually causing us to have to redesign away from exceedingly long lead times. Which unfortunately just leads to more delays. I'm not sure about the tracking number issue you mention but we try to keep all of our dealers well informed about current situations, no matter how often the change.
> Your trust in us and your business mean everything to us and we are committed to solving theses issue. We're all frustrated beyond belief but continue to work hard to get you the products you need.
> 
> -Lowell Olcott
> Product Manger - Integrative Technologies ETC


It's been my perception that a lot of these supply chain issues are the direct result of manufacturing slipping more and more to JIT fulfillment instead of the manufacturing tradition of carrying inventory.

What has ETCs policy traditionally been about carrying inventory in house in advance of manufacturing, and it that policy slated to change as supplies again become available from the manufacturing chain?

[ And yes, I realize that policy decision probably comes from a step or three above you in the TOE, but I figure you probably know it, even if you didn't make it. ]


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## STEVETERRY (May 31, 2022)

Jay Ashworth said:


> It's been my perception that a lot of these supply chain issues are the direct result of manufacturing slipping more and more to JIT fulfillment instead of the manufacturing tradition of carrying inventory.
> 
> What has ETCs policy traditionally been about carrying inventory in house in advance of manufacturing, and it that policy slated to change as supplies again become available from the manufacturing chain?
> 
> [ And yes, I realize that policy decision probably comes from a step or three above you in the TOE, but I figure you probably know it, even if you didn't make it. ]


Jay--

ETC carries levels of inventory that "financial professionals" deem unsustainable. In the past, it has served us well in being able to respond quickly to order demands. JIT is not in our vocabulary.

Even with that very high level of inventory, we are challenged in the current supply chain shortage.

An example: Let's say a product has 1759 different parts. 1758 parts are on the shelf. One part is missing. Result=we cannot ship a product.

High inventory is a way of life at ETC, and I don't expect that to change in my lifetime.

ST


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## Jay Ashworth (May 31, 2022)

STEVETERRY said:


> Jay--
> 
> ETC carries levels of inventory that "financial professionals" deem unsustainable. In the past, it has served us well in being able to respond quickly to order demands. JIT is not in our vocabulary.
> 
> ...



"We already do it right". Gotcha.

Good to hear. 

For the record, I *already* knew why ETC consoles cost more; I had to call for support on one at 7pm on a Saturday night.


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## SteveB (May 31, 2022)

TimMc said:


> B & H's model is not based solely on lowest price. Their customer service is top notch, their inventory is fresh, and tech support pre/post sale is very, very good. That said, buying theatrical LX consoles from "grey source" dealers seems a bit silly. The purchasing department at your theater or institution probably needs a "charismatic slap" across the head for insisting on a single source vendor, though. These things wouldn't happen without *buyers* insisting on it.



In our case, there were multiple bidders, B&H was lowest, but I objected as they were not an actual authorized dealer of ETC gear, they were obviously getting from another vendor. I pointed out the issue to our purchasing dept., especially the warranty issue. That was against the purchasing rules so they disqualified the bid.

Im glad you've had positive results with them. I have my own personal issues after learning in a NY Times article that they staff their Bronx warehouse with somewhat low paid foreign workers (legal though), then will only promote into any management positions , people of a different ethnic background and religion. There were many questions about discrimination at the time. I don't know if they ever changed their promotion practices and as there were alternative vendors similarly priced, I just took my personal business elsewhere. I never saw a bid from then again.

I did see this online





B&H Foto Resolves Allegations of Discrimination, Bias, and Harassment | U.S. Department of Labor





www.dol.gov


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## Darin (Aug 8, 2022)

My fulfillment date just got pushed out AGAIN, this time until 10/24. 14+ months from order to fulfillment (assuming we get it in October). We won't have it for our fall production, but hope to work it in for the fall dance concert.

As such, if/when my ColorSource fixtures arrive, they will be some expensive doorstops until the Ion arrives (my current console doesn't have the channel capacity to add 60 channels of control into my current array).


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## almorton (Aug 8, 2022)

If you were desperate to use them you could put them in 3 channel mode and address some of them to the same address so they all react together, or even use in single channel mode, perhaps?


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## Darin (Aug 8, 2022)

I don't _need_ them right away, just saying that one sorta requires the other in my situation.


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## thelatinist (Aug 8, 2022)

Yeah, I talked to them about two weeks ago. They didn’t get the July shipment of chips they had anticipated. They’re redesigning the console around a new chipset, but that requires time. They said they won’t be able to start shipping consoles with those new chips until October.

I don’t have a Fall production, and I can muddle through with my old console for now. It’s got to be awful for the company to be unable to ship one of their flagship products for months. This kind of issue could put a lot of companies under.


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## thelatinist (Aug 8, 2022)

Sorry, double-post.


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## Jay Ashworth (Aug 8, 2022)

And here is why the CHIPS Act will be funding the redevelopment of on-shore semiconductor fabrication.

Here's what the US trade association has to say:








CHIPS for America Act & FABS Act





www.semiconductors.org


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## dvsDave (Aug 8, 2022)

Jay Ashworth said:


> And here is why the CHIPS Act will be funding the redevelopment of on-shore semiconductor fabrication.
> 
> Here's what the US trade association has to say:
> 
> ...


That's not gonna help in the short to mid-term. The crunch in chip demand isn't in raw materials, it's the fact that there is only so much capacity from the manufacturers of chip foundries. We can't make chip foundries fast enough for the growing demand.


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## Darin (Aug 8, 2022)

They are supposed to build a chip plant here in Ohio, but Intel is playing games with the government around subsidies


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## Jay Ashworth (Aug 8, 2022)

dvsDave said:


> That's not gonna help in the short to mid-term. The crunch in chip demand isn't in raw materials, it's the fact that there is only so much capacity from the manufacturers of chip foundries. We can't make chip foundries fast enough for the growing demand.


Yes, fearless leader, I understand the difference between 'tactical' and 'strategic'. Even if it doesn't fix *this* shortage, that doesn't mean you don't have to do it.


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## dvsDave (Aug 8, 2022)

Jay Ashworth said:


> Yes, fearless leader, I understand the difference between 'tactical' and 'strategic'. Even if it doesn't fix *this* shortage, that doesn't mean you don't have to do it.


Yeah, we, collectively, still have to make the investment in US chip foundries, even if we have to heavily subsidize them to make them competitive on the global stage. My problem is that we need to invest in basic chip foundries as well as high end foundries. We need Texas Instruments be turning out chips that automotive manufacturers need at a price that's competitive, as well as creating high end sub-10nm chips. We need to have the capacity to run the gamut from basic I/O chips to dsp chips to ESP SoC chips to FGPA chips, to high end CPUs and GPUs.


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## Jay Ashworth (Aug 8, 2022)

dvsDave said:


> Yeah, we, collectively, still have to make the investment in US chip foundries, even if we have to heavily subsidize them to make them competitive on the global stage. My problem is that we need to invest in basic chip foundries as well as high end foundries. We need Texas Instruments be turning out chips that automotive manufacturers need at a price that's competitive, as well as creating high end sub-10nm chips. We need to have the capacity to run the gamut from basic I/O chips to dsp chips to ESP SoC chips to FGPA chips, to high end CPUs and GPUs.


Oh, absolutely. Devil is in the details. 

I haven't heard anything yet with enough detail to suggest that the people at the pointy end of the stick don't know this; have you?


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## dvsDave (Aug 8, 2022)

Jay Ashworth said:


> Oh, absolutely. Devil is in the details.
> 
> I haven't heard anything yet with enough detail to suggest that the people at the pointy end of the stick don't know this; have you?


With Intel poised to get the bulk of the CHIPS money, it seems like a reasonable thing to be concerned about.


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## Jay Ashworth (Aug 8, 2022)

dvsDave said:


> With Intel poised to get the bulk of the CHIPS money, it seems like a reasonable thing to be concerned about.


Fair enough, though I hadn't heard "the bulk" as yet.


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## Darin (Aug 10, 2022)

Looks like my fixtures will be in mid-September. Probably won't un-box them until early November (if the console comes in 10/24, that's too late for our 10/27 opening show, but in time for our mid-Nov dance concert). 

I'll hopefully have enough time to get the system up and going so that I can demo the new gear in my design and stagecraft courses.


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## JChenault (Aug 10, 2022)

Darin said:


> Looks like my fixtures will be in mid-September. Probably won't un-box them until early November (if the console comes in 10/24, that's too late for our 10/27 opening show, but in time for our mid-Nov dance concert).
> 
> I'll hopefully have enough time to get the system up and going so that I can demo the new gear in my design and stagecraft courses.


If these are to be part of a rep rig, you might want to hang them when they come in. In my experience hanging LED fixtures, running power connbetween fixtures, stringing DMX. Etc takes a ton of extra time and work. If you have time now, and will be tight later, you might want to get started.


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## Darin (Aug 10, 2022)

JChenault said:


> If these are to be part of a rep rig, you might want to hang them when they come in. In my experience hanging LED fixtures, running power connbetween fixtures, stringing DMX. Etc takes a ton of extra time and work. If you have time now, and will be tight later, you might want to get started.



No rep plot in our space. We move from plays to dance and back each semester, so these will be moved around quite a bit. I will be using some of them on booms come dance concert time.


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## Darin (Sep 22, 2022)

Our ColorSource Jr's were supposed to arrive today.

*crickets*


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## Joe Voorhees (Sep 22, 2022)

Darin said:


> Our ColorSource Jr's were supposed to arrive today.
> 
> *crickets*


The Element 2 we ordered in December finally came in last week! Our shipment date was changed 3 times.


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## Darin (Sep 23, 2022)

Joe Voorhees said:


> The Element 2 we ordered in December finally came in last week! Our shipment date was changed 3 times.



They sent the C-clamps and safety cables a month ago. The rest of the gear (fixtures, power, DMX) is a no-show. I have zero faith that my Ion XE will arrive when they promised


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## Darin (Oct 19, 2022)

Found out today that I'll be getting the console a week too late to use in my fall play, and the ColorSource fixtures a week too late to use in the fall dance concert (ugh)


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## dvsDave (Oct 19, 2022)

Darin said:


> Found out today that I'll be getting the console a week too late to use in my fall play, and the ColorSource fixtures a week too late to use in the fall dance concert (ugh)


You are not alone. I have many customers waiting for consoles and other gear from multiple manufacturers. Delivery dates are still very fluid as a single missed deadline for a component can setback the schedule and pushes back everything. I know it sucks, but you are in good company! Cheers!


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## Lextech (Oct 19, 2022)

I feel your pain, I am waiting on CS Spots and R20 relays. I feel sorry for my dealer, we don't pay POs until complete and one expensive project is waiting on 1 R20 module, everything else is here.


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## RonHebbard (Oct 19, 2022)

dvsDave said:


> You are not alone. I have many customers waiting for consoles and other gear from multiple manufacturers. Delivery dates are still very fluid as a single missed deadline for a component can setback the schedule and pushes back everything. I know it sucks, but you are in good company! Cheers!


It's better to be p'd off than p'd on. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## Dlincecum1 (Oct 22, 2022)

thelatinist said:


> *Edited to Add:* After doing more research and communicating directly with ETC, I now think that my issues are not with them at all, but with B&H Photo Video and whatever ETC dealer they ordered the drop shipment through. I wanted to edit this to reflect that, because I’m now getting really good communication directly from ETC.
> 
> Anyone know what's going on over at ETC? We ordered a new console (IonXE 20) on December 15, and the initial shipping estimate was 8-10 weeks. That date has since slipped three times. Our last date was supposed to be April 28 and I've been hounding the folks at B&H that sold us the console, but I just received an E-mail saying the date has changed to August 8! I understand that there are global supply issues, but this is getting ridiculous.
> 
> ...


Hi folx. David Lincecum from ETC. Always hate to insert myself but I wanted to give a view from inside ETC. 
The chip shortage has been pretty hellish. In many many cases we have had to redesign circuit boards multiple times and also design them to accept multiple alternative chips. This has also required many reworks to software and firmware. It’s been a whole lot of busy-work to get production going again in all areas of our product lines. It’s still happening weekly! 

That said, we hope to ship 200 Ion this month! We shipped over 300 Elements in the past 60 days. It’s hard to explain the mass of interconnected work that had to be completed to break the log jam. People have been working nights and weekends to restore order. On behalf of all ETC employee/owners I apologize for the difficulties it’s caused in the lighting world. We would much rather have avoided all this! Attached photos of Ion production on Friday. 

I’m happy to discuss the state of the chip shortage and how we are overcoming it. 
My email is firstname dot lastname at etcconnect.com

David


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## TheaterEd (Oct 24, 2022)

Dlincecum1 said:


> Always hate to insert myself but I wanted to give a view from inside ETC.


You are always welcome to chime in! I personally love to hear insights into the companies that many of us know and love. It's easy to sit out here on the internet and forget about all of the people working to make what we do possible. Please thank everyone for their hard work, We appreciate it!


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## Jay Ashworth (Oct 24, 2022)

It is also easy, when you're the insider in a scrum of outsiders, to take our bitching too personally, and we're glad that you don't.


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## JimmyM (Oct 25, 2022)

Dlincecum1 said:


> Hi folx. David Lincecum from ETC. Always hate to insert myself but I wanted to give a view from inside ETC.
> The chip shortage has been pretty hellish. In many many cases we have had to redesign circuit boards multiple times and also design them to accept multiple alternative chips. This has also required many reworks to software and firmware. It’s been a whole lot of busy-work to get production going again in all areas of our product lines. It’s still happening weekly!
> 
> That said, we hope to ship 200 Ion this month! We shipped over 300 Elements in the past 60 days. It’s hard to explain the mass of interconnected work that had to be completed to break the log jam. People have been working nights and weekends to restore order. On behalf of all ETC employee/owners I apologize for the difficulties it’s caused in the lighting world. We would much rather have avoided all this! Attached photos of Ion production on Friday.
> ...


That a whole lot more consoles than there were when I visited the factory in August! Definitely a good thing.


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## Darin (Oct 26, 2022)

We got our Ion on Friday! Too late for our play, but I'll try to work it in for dance concert in a few weeks.


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## thelatinist (Nov 29, 2022)

Received our Ion Xe 20 yesterday, just 50 weeks after our order. Perfect timing, as we’re starting our table read today. Had a little scare when the Enter button stuck, but I was able to remove the keycap and unstick it. Thanks to Gary Duerkop for always having a friendly reply to my requests for status updates and giving me the best info he could during the wait.


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