Hy4 vs MiniMax M3

Patchbay is a three-person studio in Rotterdam repairing vintage synthesizers and the odd drum machine or piece of studio equipment. We look after instruments that have survived tours, basements, and years of silence in cupboards. Our task is not to make them new, but to make them dependable while keeping the character that made them worth saving.

Every repair starts with listening: to the fault, to the owner, and to the instrument itself. From there we diagnose carefully, solder cleanly, calibrate patiently, and replace parts only when necessary. Between us we bring electronics, restoration, design, and studio experience, which keeps the work practical, unhurried, and attentive to small details. We document what we find, source components with care, and explain the work in plain language. Some jobs take an afternoon; others become long conversations with forty-year-old circuits. In each case, the goal is simple: return the machine to the hands, recordings, and rooms where it belongs.

Patchbay began in a cluttered apartment in Rotterdam, where three friends spent weekends coaxing old synthesizers back to life. What started as a shared obsession quickly outgrew the living room. In 2016, we opened our first proper workshop in a converted warehouse on the south side of the city, and we have been soldering, calibrating, and listening closely ever since.

We are a small team of three. Niels handles the analog work, coaxing warm tones from aging oscillators and reluctant filters. Marijn focuses on digital systems and the occasional stubborn MIDI quirk. Sanna manages restorations, sourcing rare components and keeping long projects on track. Between us, we have decades of experience with the machines that shaped electronic music.

Every synth that passes through our doors carries decades of sound inside it. Our job is to make sure that story continues.