Common questions
Before you send it in.
What the workshop takes on, how a repair is done, and how to get one started.
What kind of equipment do you repair?
Drum machines, synthesisers, samplers, keyboards, studio monitors and studio equipment, analog and digital. The roster on the hardware repairs page is a running list of what has come through the workshop: 46 models across 15 makers, including Roland, Yamaha, Korg, Moog, Elektron, Access, Akai, Dave Smith, E-mu Systems, KRK, Casio, Farfisa, Jen, Maestro and Crumar.
Do you repair synthesizers?
Yes, analog and digital, vintage and current. The workshop takes on machines that others have written off, and a fault is traced at component level rather than by swapping boards.
My model is not on your list. Can you still help?
Almost certainly. The list is what has come through the workshop so far, not a limit on what can be repaired. Most of what comes through the door never had a manual.
What does component-level repair actually mean?
The fault is traced to the individual part that failed, and that part is replaced: capacitors, chips, faders, connectors, with matched or upgraded spares. The boards are stripped and cleaned rather than swapped out.
How do you find the fault?
Signal tracing, thermal imaging and 64-channel digital logic capture, plus analog signature analysis and custom short-circuit and in-circuit capacitor testing. The aim is to find the real fault rather than the symptom.
What happens to my machine once it is with you?
Four stages. Diagnose: find the real fault. Strip and clean: components off the board, an ultrasonic bath to lift decades of dust, rust and corrosion, and every fader and pot cleaned by hand. Rebuild: failed parts replaced at component level. Recalibrate and test: back together, recalibrated to spec and run on the bench until it works like it left the factory.
Can you make a part that no longer exists?
Often, yes. Beyond electronics repair the workshop runs CNC and laser cutting, welding, a centre lathe and powder coating, with CAD/CAM for enclosure fabrication and PCB design. A repair can include fabricating a part, or a whole enclosure, when nothing else exists.
Who does the work?
Matthew Cross, an ex-MOD electronic engineer with more than 20 years on the bench.
Where is the workshop, and when are you open?
The workshop is at 78-92 Stamford Road, Tottenham, London N15 4PG. Open Monday to Friday 11:00 to 21:00, Saturday 11:30 to 21:00, closed Sunday.
How do I get a repair started?
Send the make, model and what it is doing, or not doing, through the enquiry form. The more detail the better. The fastest reply is by phone on 07541 020815.
More detail on the service and the full machine roster is on the hardware repairs page, and there is a worked example on a Dave Smith Evolver.