BENCH NOTES

The first step in every synth repair process? Find out what’s wrong - and why. It’s truly the only way to reliably solve the problem, and for good. Believe us - refreshing all caps doesn’t help if the issue is with a faulty logic chip. 

In this month’s Bench Notes, we get into probably the most important step of our repair process - Triage. Learn about why we perform it on every instrument, regardless of issue, and how it helps ensure your instrument’s health. 

But first, check out a fun - and much less tricky - problem we fixed on a crooked Model D keybed last month.

MODEL D DENTISTRY

A few weeks ago, we had a Minimoog Model D come in needing a full restoration in all departments, including a crooked keybed that featured a single very yellow "A" key. On top of our standard Moog spa treatment, we set the yellowed key out for a couple of days to bask in the sun with some un-tanning lotion. 

This plastic-whitening process is a fairly new one for us, but it turned out to be very successful! This Moog now looks as brilliant as it plays, with excellent tone and tuning thanks to a full electronic restoration. Let us know if your synth’s teeth are due for a dentist appointment!

TRIAGE

If repair is the act of solving problems, the first step is knowing what the problems are. And after a few decades of performing repairs on these specialized instruments, we know that not every key contact issue is a key contact issue.  

Regardless of how minor a problem might seem, 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.

Basic triage can include (but is not limited to):

• Checking the AC jack or cable for damage

• Testing the keybed for proper contact and velocity response

• Testing all audio, MIDI, and control input and output jacks for full functionality

• Testing buttons and switches for reliable actuation

• Testing knobs and faders for smooth travel

• Performing a general playtest to get a sense of the unit’s overall sonic health

Once this initial triage is performed, we will open the unit to:

• Assess the health of the power supply

• Measure the battery’s voltage (if applicable)

• Check for any visually obvious problems like broken connections, spills, and corrosion.

Getting this list of initial findings is vital to the overall repair process, since synths are a lot like living organisms - each system plays a part in the healthy functioning of the instrument. So next time you’re dropping off an instrument, you can feel confident knowing it’s getting the full check up, not “just” a key change.

LOCAL EVENTS

Synth and synth-adjacent happenings in the GTA.

Wednesday, May 8th | Render File

You can often catch our talented tech Sam playing keys at Render File on Wednesdays. This casual event stars a different video game playthrough each week with a live band improvising a score to the gameplay.

This week will be the 1982 “The Hobbit” text adventure game, featuring a live dialogue reader and an all-acoustic setup. Check it out at Wenona Craft Beer Lodge at 8pm!

Saturday, May 11th | Frequency Freaks

Frequency Freaks Synthesizer Workshops are free educational synth events that encourage sharing gear info and sound-design techniques in the Toronto synth community. They’re held in association with Arraymusic at 155 Walnut Avenue.

Monday, May 13th | Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic

On the second Monday of each month, our friends at TEMOM hold an electronic music open mic night at Handlebar. 15 minute sets. All live. All musical styles. Drop by at 8pm and enjoy!

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Got any suggestions for local events we can add here? We’d love to hear about them! Just reach out and let us know.

If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading Bench Notes! Feel free to let us know what you think, share it with a friend, or suggest new topics you’re curious about.

—The Team at Synths When