GPT-6 Luna vs MiniMax M3

Patchbay is a three-person studio in Rotterdam devoted to repairing vintage synthesizers. We work with instruments that have been played, carried, opened up, and passed from one owner to the next. Each arrives with its own history and its own set of quirks, so we begin by listening carefully and tracing the problem before reaching for a fix.

Our work ranges from straightforward maintenance to deeper electronic repairs. We clean, test, diagnose, and restore with the aim of making a synthesizer reliable again while respecting the design that gives it its voice. When a repair calls for a replacement part, we look for a solution that fits the instrument rather than treating it as disposable.

Patchbay is run by three people who share a curiosity about how these machines work and a respect for the sounds they make. We believe a well-cared-for synthesizer has plenty more music in it, and we’re here to help it find its way back into someone’s hands.

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.