Synth Repair Services

We repair a wide variety of analog and digital synthesizers, as well as drum machines, electric pianos, samplers, tape echoes, solid-state organs, and some rackmount effect units. 

Instruments manufactured before 1994 tend to be easier to repair due to increased availability for parts and service manuals. That said, we also work on more modern instruments and have partnerships in place with some modern manufacturers, so don’t be afraid to get in touch.

Instruments we repair

Minimoog

Analogue Synthesizers

Whether they be mono or poly, voltage controlled synthesizers make up the backbone of electronic music. We service brands like Moog, Roland, Korg, Sequential, Oberheim, and know the tricks to get these beauties playing their best.

Yamaha DX7s

Digital Synthesizers

From FM synths like the Yamaha DX series to vintage samplers like the Emulator series, digital synths cover a wide range of technologies. We also service some modern, sample-based keyboards (ex. Nord, Roland, Yamaha stage pianos) depending on the issue at hand.

Fender Rhodes Silvertop

Electric Pianos

Classics of a bygone era, Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos are veritable icons of the music gear industry. We’ll service any model of these pianos, as well as Hohner Clavinets, Pianets, and more.

TR-808

Drum Machines

What’s a bassline without a beat? We’ll work on any drum machines from the classic Roland, Linn, and Korg lineups, and so many others.

Ekosonic organ

Solid State Organs

We’re able to fix most issues found in classic combo organs seen from Farfisa, Vox, and Acetone, as well as clonewheels like the Korg CX-3, Roland VK-1, and many more. We are not servicing Hammond tonewheel organs at this time.

Roland Space Echo

Effects Units

Effects, especially delays and reverbs, are paramount for giving synths a sense of depth and space! We won’t repair most guitar pedals, but Roland Space Echoes, Eventide H3000’s, and other vintage rarities like the Maestro USS-1 are all fair game.

Tubbutec Juno 66 kit

Mods & Kits

Whether it’s a CPU upgrade from KiwiTechnics or MIDI kit from Tubbutec or Kenton, we’re experienced with many aftermarket mods on your vintage units. We can also take a look at any DIY kits from manufacturers like Thonk, Erica Synths, and more.

These guys are the experts when it comes to vintage electronics. They specialize in moog and other keyboards. They have repaired three of mine so far, and were friendly, fast and detailed about their work. When I had an issue with one of units post repair, they took it back in free of charge, and fixed it. Highly recommend.

–Reese B., Ensoniq EPS

Partners

We have formal partnerships with multiple synth manufacturers to help out Canadian customers.

How it works

You can contact us in a couple different ways, but if you're looking for a repair, submit the form and our shop manager will get back to you with more details.

Once we receive your request, we'll assign the right tech to the job and share initial details with you, whether that's around pricing, availability, potential parts, or other information.

Then we'll bring you in, perform the repairs, and reunite you with your synth.

You can find more details on our FAQ about what to expect before, during, and after repairs, including common pricing.

The team is a pleasure to work with! I'm a professional keyboardist (session work, touring, events, etc.) and am very protective of my gear. Transparency and communication is important to me.

Jeremy, Jay and everybody else I met at the shop were easy to work with and made me feel comfortable as I felt my gear was in safe hands. They were clear and provided concise options for my repairs. They came recommended to me and I am happy to recommend them too 🙂

–Anthony B., Nord Stage EX 76

Our Process

While every case may present unique qualities and challenges, every repair runs through some variation of these distinct stages

Diagram showing the common repair workflow from triage through repair and QC

Triage: We run every instrument through a triage process to get the baseline of its health. This helps us scope out the extent of initial repair quickly and set the right expectations.

Repair: Once all of the issues have been located, solving them can follow any number of paths. Some problems require research, trial and error, or just hours of manual labor.

Set Aside: Whether it's to order parts or because we need to pause the repair to give the customer an update, we will often set an instrument aside until we have the next steps to move forward on the repair. We track this status to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Escalation: If an issue proves to be more complex and not resolved through common procedures such as cleaning, the repair can escalate to our head tech's bench for a deeper investigation. This allows us to formulate a plan for repair and provide a more accurate estimate for the customer.

Next Phase: Whether it's because a part has arrived or a customer has approved the next steps, we use this status to track set-aside repairs that are ready to be returned to the bench.

Quality Control: After an instrument has been repaired and reassembled, it goes through a quality control check to verify that the customer’s original issue has been remedied. Alongside this, we test keys for ideal playability; check tuning, I/O, and controls; and do the ever-necessary shake test.

Complete: Once an instrument has passed QC, the repair is officially marked “complete”, and we’ll email the customer to arrange a pickup!

Our Experience

Successfully repairing vintage synths requires a combination of four very different skill sets.

  • Electronics: All vintage synths have some electronic basis to them. A key skill in repairing these instruments is understanding electronics, the tolerances of different components, and how those components work together to power and run the synth.
  • Mechanical: Many issues we see in vintage synths come down to simple mechanical issues such as wear and tear. A scratchy fader might just need some lube. Adjusting escapement on a Rhodes can turn a dampened tone into a bright bell.
  • Digital: Synths and other instruments built past a certain year incorporate digital programming in some way, shape, or form. Understanding logic, programming languages, how sysex works, and other things are key to solving problems.
  • Musical: This one is probably a no-brainer, but it’s also probably the most important skill: it’s hard to fix something if you don’t know what it should sound like. 

While our head tech built the shop on the strength of all four of these skills, we find that most techs are skilled in two, maybe three. We’ve made a point of building a team that complements each others’ strengths so that we can divide incoming synths into each tech’s specialty and bring a variety of ideas and perspectives to the table when tackling new problems.

Venn diagram of the four synth repair skills

Trusted in Toronto (and beyond)

We do our best to make sure our customers leave happy and stay happy, so we're always thrilled when they leave a review. Check them out and see what it's like to work with us.

Only place I'd go.

-Kyle C.

Our shop

Our current shop (circa 2021) has allowed us room to expand our capabilities with more benches and storage. We have rolling benches that allow us to move some of our synth patients around when they need to be set aside, and we stock a wide assortment of parts both new and old, reducing the number of times an instrument needs to be set aside throughout a repair.

And with a dedicated shop manager organizing each tech’s daily workload and handling all customer communications, our techs get more dedicated bench time for repairs and research.

Synths When shop interior

Get in touch

If you'd like to get an estimate, find out if we can service your unit, or anything else, just get in touch and we’ll be happy to help!