CoolAudio Chips

[Mellotron Man]

Do CoolAudio have a distributor in the U.K? I'm after 5 or 6 V3205s (4096-stage Bucket Brigades) for an experimental Reverb/Echo unit. I could order direct from CoolAudio, but there are numerous additional expenses that I'd like to avoid, such as Transport costs from U.S.A. the cost of converting GBP to USD, and Import Duty. I usually get clobbered badly by the latter. I've looked at some U.K. distributors, but none of them have the V3205 as a product.

[bluebunny]

I ordered some BBDs from Cabintech in the US a while back.  My order was pretty small, so it just snuck under the duty radar.  Five or six would be just shy of $30, so would hit the threshold.  I can't remember if they offered a DDP (delivery duty-paid) service via FedEx, but it should be easy enough to work out the duty + VAT that would be payable (plus their brokerage fee, of course).  Tom (ElectricDruid) stocks some CoolAudio BBDs, but not the 3205.  He might have some advice for you.

[garcho]

I suppose this kind of thing will pop up more and more now. Is it as expensive to order things from the Continent as the US/Canada? I imagine there are a couple German suppliers who stock it or can order it. I believe the Druid's habit is in Portugal.

[bluebunny]

Yep, true that, Gary.  What gets me is that some people (not here) moan about trade between the UK and the rest of the world like it didn't exist before Brexit.  Tariffs and duty have always existed.  I've been happy to buy from US/Canada/elsewhere-not-EU vendors in the knowledge that duty is a thing.  I'll continue to get stuff from Tom (who is indeed in Portugal), but mindful of whatever tariffs apply, just like anywhere else on the planet.

[bluebunny]

Just to clarify:

Tom (ElectricDruid) stocks some CoolAudio BBDs, but not the 3205.  He might have some advice for you.

...regarding UK distributors.