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Synth Repairs in Hertfordshire

If you're looking for synth repairs in Hertfordshire, then you've come to the right place! Being a musician himself, Alex at Plasma Music Limited has over forty years of experience, repairing and servicing electronic musical instrument including studio recording and live performance equipment.

Keyboard and synth repairs in Hertfordshire

As keyboard and synthesiser technology has progressed over the decades, things have become ever increasingly more reliable. Unfortunately nothing will ever be 100% reliable so here's a hot tip for you to keep your keyboard living a little longer...

Roland D-50 with new upside-down assembly
Roland D-50 with new upside-down assembly

The very nature of how a keyboard works, means that over time, contacts will start to deteriorate. Metal spring type contacts are a little more resilient to temperature, humidity and contaminants than rubber contacts and although manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure that their contacts deliver an acceptable period of longevity, I definitely perform keyboard contact changes more than any other repair on keyboards. There are however, a few things you can do to help prolong the life of your keyboard:

  • Don't leave your keyboard in your car over night. While a flight case will provide some protection, temperature and (more so) humidity will take its toll.
  • Avoid spillages of any fluid on to the keyboard (obvious but I need to say it).
  • Cover your keyboard when it's not being used. After the sound check and before the gig, just put a lint-free cloth over the actual keyboard. This particularly good advice if you're performing outside.
Synth repairs in Herts at Plasma Music
Elektron MachineDrum Mk1 with new display. Also pictured is one of my PSU-MDMK1 power supplies.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for a chat or just book in your repair here.


Keyboard Synthesiser electronic drums serviced at Plasma Music


LIVE FOREVER BATTERY MODIFICATION

Leaked battery damaged circuit board
A leaking battery could render your vintage synth beyond repair.

Older synths, modules and effects processors use an on-board battery to ensure that patches and presets were stored. Usually something like a CR2032 would maintain the 'memory' of a machine for several years. The problem is that there's no indication of the status of the battery and if not regularly used, a leaking battery could damage the electronics of your machine. Unfortunately, battery damage renders a machine unfixable 99% of the time.

Live Forever battery mod at Plasma Music
Large capacity CR123A battery mounted off-board.

To prevent this from happening, I offer a 'Live Forever' battery mod'. Of course no battery will literally live forever. My mod' however, will last considerably longer than the factory fitted back-up battery. Replacing the existing battery in your keyboard, synth module or effects processor, a much higher capacity battery is mounted to the inside of the chassis which means that apart from lasting many, many years, if it ever did leak, it wouldn't dribble its hazardous contents all over the precious PCBs in your machine.

I charge a flat £60.00 plus VAT for the Live Forever battery mod', including parts.

IMPORTANT: Although the process includes dumping the memory from your machine prior to performing the mod', I insist that you do the same; better safe than sorry.


As our reliance on technology is only increasing, musicians, engineers and producers need to be confident that the equipment they're using, is 100% reliable. That's where I can help!

Being a recording and performing artist myself, it's not just a case of offering advice on how to best look after your gear, I can also advise on how you can  get the best out out of your equipment.

Solo artists and bands for example, have been using backing tracks for years. When you've got a bunch of real musicians playing real instruments however, things can get a bit err... messy. Live performance backing track sync' is just one of the things I can really help you out with.


VALVE AMPS

EL34 valves at Plasma Music
At the heart of the sound of rock - a pair of EL34 valves

Yes, I service those big heavy boxes that get really hot and have 600 Volts floating around inside of 'em. In fact I positively love valve amps. Of course I also service all types of amplifiers, guitar, bass, P.A., etc. It's just that I have a personal passion for the old valves!

Guitar and Bass amp repairs and service at Plasma Music

Other than fixing problems, I do valve changes which includes a bias check. You'll not just notice a change in sound with a properly biased new set of valves but also a change in sensitivity and responsiveness.

Since 1987, I've exclusively bought my valves from my friend, Derek at Watford Valves. He always offers me premium components and they always come in either matched pairs or quads.

Digital valve tester at Plasma Music
My digital valve tester ensures that you get the best components.

Some things are pretty straight-forward so prices for bog-standard valves changes for 50 Watt and 100 Watt amps are £180 and £260 plus VAT respectively. This includes a full bias set-up. You can purchase / pay for these here.


Guitar amp repairs and service at Plasma Music

GUITAR ELECTRONICS AND TONE

Guitar electronics repairs and service at Plasma Music - Seymour Duncan JBJ
A rare Seymour Duncan JBJ which I renovated prior to fitting into a Gibson Les Paul Custom

Custom screening, especially for single coil guitars, pick-up changes, pot and socket changes are just a few of things I do on guitars and basses.

Without going into detail, everything about guitar electronics makes electric guitars almost perfect aerials! In fact, back in the day, there was a set of conditions I'd be able to create that would nearly always pick up Radio Moscow, LOL. And then we plug 'em into amps an' wack up the gain which amplifies everything. WOW!!!! That's a good idea.

Guitar electronics at Plasma Music
Capacitor mod' on Start

So, screening the electronics cavity and proper earthing of all components is something that goes a long way to ensure that what comes out of your guitar is what you do to the strings.

Being a guitarist myself, I totally relate to the tone chasing thing. Decades of experience has shown me that while the amp is responsible for the majority of your tone, the signal you start off with, what comes out of your guitar, must be a good start, otherwise you’re just wasting your time.

Wolf tones for example are a big part of my own guitar sound. I have twenty-two guitars, most with humbuckers. One is a 1984 Kramer Baretta which still has the factory fitted Seymour Duncan JB pick-up. Using the same technique as always and playing this guitar through my standard Marshall 2555 100W Silver Jubilee stack, I just can’t squeeze those wolf tones out of the instrument. Swap over to my Jackson RR1 which is also fitted with a Seymour Duncan JB, and the wolf tones pour out.

People tell you that you need a compressor for this and an overdrive for that. If only it was that simple. The truth is that every change you make to your set-up will have a contributing factor to your sound. That includes things like plectrums and strings!

I could get together another website just talking about my experiences with guitar tone, suffice to say that if you're a guitarist searching for something specific, then there's a good chance I can help you. I can advise on a whole host of issues from selecting the right third-party pick-up for your sound to tweaking your playing technique and even offering you custom built electronics like for example, my Power Cord which basically has a built-in JFET pre-amp in the plug which attaches to your guitar. With 3dB of gain, it also has a low output impedance which helps maintain signal integrity between your guitar, pedals and amp.

I don't do wood but I have an excellent locally based luthier who I trust implicitly so if for example, you want a pre-amp fitted into your guitar, my friend Gary will cut out the cavity and make it look like it came from the factory!


HAND-MADE CABLES AND LOOMS

Keyboard repairs at Plasma Music - Custom made multi-core looms
I only use Neutrik connectors (the best) on my cables and looms.

Now why on earth do I bother offering this service when you can buy cables and looms much cheaper off the Internet? Well, quite honestly, some cables I've seen (that have been bought off the Internet) are either totally over-priced or they're err... SHIT! On one occasion, a customer had intermittent power problems with his guitar pedals. I took out a dc distribution lead and literally pulled it apart with my hands! Not good.

Look, we spend good money on our instruments, on equipment that goes into our home studios and our live set-ups so why, oh why do some of us then connect it all up with cheap, crappy cables?!?!!? As systems grow, the last thing you want to be worried about is an intermittent connection.... somewhere!

I exclusively use Neutrik jacks and XLR connectors because they last forever and similarly, I only use a couple of high-grade cables. The cable I use for straight-forward unbalanced jacks is doubly screened but is low-mass and is still very flexible.

So, if you've got an amp that's not behaving itself, a keyboard with dodgy notes, a multi-effects processor that's lost its memory or just require general electronic musical instrument repairs and service, please fill in my Service & Repair Form (SRF) here and then just contact me to arrange drop-off or let me know that you're sending me your machine.