BENCH NOTES

It’s been a busy start to the year! We’re feeling the energy, and it seems that so are you! 

Last year we talked about “seeing double” - or triple! - in terms of seeing multiple of the same instrument at the same time. DX7’s, Micromoogs, Juno 106’s - Toronto musicians seem to hold a special spot in their hearts for these. This month has been no exception - hello, Wurlitzers! And we’re glad to help.

There are also some cool events happening soon - including a throwback laser show in the east end of Toronto, and our very own Jay Lemak is playing a show this weekend at the Horseshoe Tavern. More details below! 

DID YOU KNOW?

We don’t always talk about all the things we do here, because it’s quite a bit! We finally took the time to outline the variety of music-making technology we repair. 

Some of the instruments listed (Minimoogs, Juno’s, and the like) are obvious inclusions, but we do also repair some keyboards and effects units that generally don’t get classified as “synths”; this page should give both new and returning customers a clearer sense of our breadth.

Also - missed last month’s newsletter? Get our 2024 repair round-up here.

ROLLING AWAY

Synths come in all shapes and sizes, including many that take up a lot of space. Every once in a while, one of these behemoths will be in and out of active repair for months due to their complexity, and it can be a real pain to keep finding a home for it in our very full shelves. This problem can be compounded by any required disassembly, as it can take even more time to arrange boards and keybeds to be safely moved and stored as one piece.

To combat this issue, we reinstated our “rolling bench” initiative. We have six of these bad boys - bench-height rolling tables that act like gurneys to transport and house these complex repairs. Long-term projects can now be wheeled all around the shop with ease, saving everybody’s time and backs.

THE JUNK DRAWER

Some other tidbits from last month worth sharing:

• We got three Wurlitzer 200-series pianos out the door all in the last month

• Through sheer grit and determination, London was 2024’s Employee of the Year! She’s also Employee of the Month again, but that’s hardly newsworthy at this point.

LOCAL EVENTS

Synth and synth-adjacent happenings in the GTA.

Saturday, February 1st | The Interior at The Horseshoe Tavern

Check out our fearless leader, Jay, play organ in his band The Interior this week! You’ll catch a great show in one of Toronto’s best venues, featuring Hastings and the Horsemen, Beef Boys, and Anomalia. See you there!

Friday, February 7th | Laser Jukebox at the Fox Theatre

The team at the Fox Theatre has put together a laser light show with classics from the 70s. They’ll “blend music from some of the greatest artists of all time with old-school laser light visuals projected on our big screen and designed to blow your mind, man!”

Monday, February 10th | 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!

Wednesday, February 13th | Render File

You can often catch our talented tech Sam playing keys at Render File every other Wednesday. This casual event stars a different video game playthrough at each show, with a live band improvising a score to the gameplay. For Valentine’s Day, they’re joining Odd Neighbour at the Tranzac to score a KFC-themed dating simulator!

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