Sometimes it seems like only yesterday that we shipped our very first order out to our first customer (and that customer is still buying from us today, by the way). Yet when we look around and see all the activity that takes place on a daily basis, it’s pretty obvious that a tremendous amount of time and effort has gone into building Sweetwater into the acknowledged industry leader in music technology over the last decade. That doesn’t happen overnight.

We never cease to be amazed at the dedication of all the members of the Sweetwater team and how well they all work together. If you were to see what happens to your order once you place it, see how quickly and efficiently it moves right through all the departments and finally out into shipping, you’d be amazed. We see it happen every day and we’re still impressed.

Gone are the days when a company could afford to let an order sit on someone’s desk for a few days before getting it processed. Those companies are either out of business already or headed in that direction very rapidly. When our customers pick up the phone and call us, we know they’re serious about getting the items they need, which means we’re serious about getting it to them - fast!

Still, when any company grows as rapidly as Sweetwater has - and we’re talking about true, record-breaking growth that this industry has never seen before - there are always questions: Are we doing everything we can to satisfy our customers? Is there anything we could be doing to make the entire process faster? Are there products that our customers want that we’re not offering?

Along with this phenomenal growth, we also know that there have been a few times where everything hasn’t gone perfectly. Mistakes do happen - we’re not perfect . . . yet. Of course, when mistakes happen, we do whatever it takes to fix the situation, not in a matter of days, but in a matter of hours.

Thinking about all these “growing pains” issues, we always want to remind each and every one of you that nothing is more important to us than our customers. Every single person that works here knows that keeping our customers happy is our most important goal. Over and over again in ads, or here in Sweet Notes, or on our Web site, you see the phrase, “If you’re not happy, we’re not happy.” Those seven words really sum up our attitude because nothing makes us more upset than knowing a customer is unhappy.

As Sweetwater continues to grow, we want each and every one of you to know that our basic philosophy will always be the same. After all, when the very foundation of our company’s unprecedented success is built upon taking care of you, the customer, it sure doesn’t make sense to change that! If you love what we’re doing and are ecstatic about the way you’re being taken care of, by all means let us know. But if you have a problem, or a concern or even think there’s a better way for us to serve your needs, we absolutely want to hear from you!

Now there are probably more than a few of you out there who are brand new customers, or who may have been given this issue of Sweet Notes by a friend. If so, we invite you to give us a call and request a copy of our brand new (and absolutely free) “Welcome to Sweetwater” video. It takes you step-by-step through our facility and explains exactly what is behind “the Sweetwater Difference” that you hear so much about. You’ll also meet many of the people who make up what is unquestionably the music industry’s best sales and service team.

But even if you’ve been a customer for years, you can have your very own copy of the video simply by picking up the phone and giving us a call. We’ll have a copy on its way to you in almost no time.

On another subject entirely, we’re extremely pleased that so many of you have already received your Mackie Digital 8•Bus mixers, Alesis M20s, MOTU 2408s and so on. Manufacturers have really been knocking themselves out to get us product, and our shipping department has been working long hours getting this equipment out the door and into your hands.

We do sincerely appreciate your patience - we know it’s tough waiting for items that have been in such short supply or delayed for a variety of reasons. We understand that you want to be making music right away. But these products are all so incredible, so truly revolutionary, that they’re actually worth the wait. Hey, anyone remember how hard it was to get your hands on the original ADAT?

Of course, there’s a whole bunch of amazing new products headed our way - things that we could barely have imagined even a few short years ago. Just look through this issue of Sweet Notes and check out our exclusive AES Show Report, then start putting together your own personal studio “wish list.”

1998 is coming to a close with a real bang and 1999 promises to be another year of startling developments and unexpected surprises. Hang on, it’s going to be fun!