Foleytronics LLC is a vintage digital FX, vintage pro audio and vintage synthesizer repair shop based in Cincinnati, OH. We offer custom, component-level repairs, maintenance and restorations for musicians, producers and collectors all over the United States. Our focus is strictly vintage equipment, and for us, “vintage” refers to items made prior to 1990. We DO NOT service guitar amps, hifi systems, pedals, or mixers.
We treat each repair as a custom project because there are literally thousands of possible faults that can occur in these complex devices. This means that each piece of gear needs personal attention to determine what is wrong and, more importantly, why. Our troubleshooting methods aim to find the reason for the defect at a component level — you will not find us shot-gunning a circuit in hopes it fixes the issue. Though replacing all of a certain component can be recommended as a preventative measure, it is not a viable troubleshooting technique. Real troubleshooting takes competency, and that only comes with time and experience.
Many people with faulty modern gear approach us for repairs, and nine times out of ten we have to say no. The primary reason is that newer equipment does not come with a service manual, a volume containing schematics, block diagrams and theory of operation, all of which can be the difference between resuscitating your old synthesizer and not. Most vintage equipment did indeed have those materials readily available, and many of these documents can be found online.
Modern electronic components are mounted directly to the surface of the printed circuit board, (called surface mount devices, or SMD) and are incredibly small (tinier than the tip of a pencil in many cases). Though there is nothing inherently wrong with this method or these components, we are simply not set up to rework them (we are not ants with ant-sized soldering stations). Vintage equipment lends itself to repair because the components are larger, easier to handle and are mounted through the printed circuit board (called through-hole devices), a more traditional type of mounting and soldering method.
As a result, a typical modern manufacturer would prefer that the user return the faulty item to the factory, where they will routinely replace an entire circuit board rather than find the defective component. This is cheaper for them and cheaper for you, but not what we do at Foleytronics.
Our ability to repair your equipment lies not only in our experience with that particular make and model, but also in our troubleshooting skills. From a Juno-106 found in a dumpster to a precious Binson-7 Echorec mixer to a Lexicon 224XL with battery damage, we are happily willing to help get your gear back in action.
Our repairs and restorations span most vintage, high-end professional audio equipment, including:-
Digital effects
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Drum machines
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Outboard gear
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Synthesizers
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Tape Machines
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Tape Echoes
Items we typically do not accept for repairs, restoration or service:-
Any type of cassette anything
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Amps of any kind – this includes hifi systems, power amps, guitar amps, or any other two-word item where the first word is irrelevant and the second word is “amp”
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Guitar pedals, unless it is a Mu-tron or Synthi and worth 120/hr to repair
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Most microphones
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Combo organs
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Your Boss DD-3 delay pedal
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Speakers — we do not re-cone speakers or re-attach magnets
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Powered PA speakers
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Consumer home stereo equipment
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Mixers
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Anything with the word “Behringer” on it
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Anything with the words “Line6” on it
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Brands We Work With:
AMS, ARP, EMS, EMT, Eventide, Marshall Time Modulator, Lexicon, MCI, Mellotron, Moog, Oberheim, PPG, Publison, Roland, Sequential Circuits, Tascam, Universal Audio, Ursa Major
Explore Our Work
Check out videos and examples showcasing our repair skills and vintage gear transformation.
Our Techs, etc.
Alex was the third and final tech to come into the fold in 2022, and was the missing falsetto for the daily shop harmonies. Alex’s proficiency in tech work has fueled his skills and taste as a mixing engineer, allowing him to exploit the limitations of vintage reverbs and delays to their max capabilities in a modern mix.
Peter started Foleytronics full-time in 2020 after years of serving the local music community with electronics repair work. He has since found his home in repairing vintage digital outboard gear and enjoys challenging projects. His most memorable repair is Martin Hannet’s original AMS 15-80s and Marshall Time Modulator. He loves to play guitar, synth, sing and get lost in the studio with the boys.
Michael is the photographer/videographer for Foleytronics, and was the catalyst that helped take Foleytronics global. A friend and bandmate of the rest of the guys, he had a vision to start documenting the history that was coming in and out the door everyday. Along with documenting every repair Foleytronics does via YouTube demonstrations, Michael’s work has expanded into creating interesting, educational, and comedic content revolving around vintage digital studio effects. These videos have fulfilled an unexplored niche in the audio community, helping to reach nerds like us from all corners of the world.
Charlie was the first tech to join Peter in 2021 after bringing his own Tascam 388 for repair. He finds repairing old gear to be rewarding and therapeutic, and is proud to have brought some historic relics back to life, such as Eddie Van Halen’s custom Eventide H949. His experience servicing a wide range of vintage gear has helped him develop his own taste in vintage effects, allowing him to nail down an aesthetic for his home studio.
Alex was the third and final tech to come into the fold in 2022, and was the missing falsetto for the daily shop harmonies. Alex’s proficiency in tech work has fueled his skills and taste as a mixing engineer, allowing him to exploit the limitations of vintage reverbs and delays to their max capabilities in a modern mix.
Peter started Foleytronics full-time in 2020 after years of serving the local music community with electronics repair work. He has since found his home in repairing vintage digital outboard gear and enjoys challenging projects. His most memorable repair is Martin Hannet’s original AMS 15-80s and Marshall Time Modulator. He loves to play guitar, synth, sing and get lost in the studio with the boys.
Michael is the photographer/videographer for Foleytronics, and was the catalyst that helped take Foleytronics global. A friend and bandmate of the rest of the guys, he had a vision to start documenting the history that was coming in and out the door everyday. Along with documenting every repair Foleytronics does via YouTube demonstrations, Michael’s work has expanded into creating interesting, educational, and comedic content revolving around vintage digital studio effects. These videos have fulfilled an unexplored niche in the audio community, helping to reach nerds like us from all corners of the world.
Charlie was the first tech to join Peter in 2021 after bringing his own Tascam 388 for repair. He finds repairing old gear to be rewarding and therapeutic, and is proud to have brought some historic relics back to life, such as Eddie Van Halen’s custom Eventide H949. His experience servicing a wide range of vintage gear has helped him develop his own taste in vintage effects, allowing him to nail down an aesthetic for his home studio.
Our Techs, etc.
Why Vintage?
What we do
Foleytronics LLC is a vintage digital FX, vintage pro audio and vintage synthesizer repair shop based in Cincinnati, OH. We offer custom, component-level repairs, maintenance and restorations for musicians, producers and collectors all over the United States. Our focus is strictly vintage equipment, and for us, “vintage” refers to items made prior to 1990. We DO NOT service guitar amps, hifi systems, pedals, or mixers.
We treat each repair as a custom project because there are literally thousands of possible faults that can occur in these complex devices. This means that each piece of gear needs personal attention to determine what is wrong and, more importantly, why. Our troubleshooting methods aim to find the reason for the defect at a component level — you will not find us shot-gunning a circuit in hopes it fixes the issue. Though replacing all of a certain component can be recommended as a preventative measure, it is not a viable troubleshooting technique. Real troubleshooting takes competency, and that only comes with time and experience.
What Our Clients Say
Get in Touch
Reach out to us for your vintage audio repair needs or inquiries.
513-620-6848 (call or text)