As I discussed in my most recent email newsletter, it is time for me to phase out selling Eurorack modules as my main business. In 2025 I sold roughly the number of modules per month that I would need to sell per day to be able to make a living. I'm surviving on other, more profitable, parts of my business, and using those to subsidize Eurorack module manufacturing as what comes down to an expensive hobby that I can't afford. Even if something like a new product or a new ad campaign could give me a little bump on Eurorack sales, it's clear that the structural issues aren't going to change, and I can't realistically have Eurorack modules be my main business anymore. READ MORE

There's a lot of concern right now about the US "tariff" on shipments from Canada. To briefly summarize: for orders from this Web storefront shipped to customers in the USA, assembled modules should be duty-free, but SDIY kits will probably be subject to a high rate of duty, to be paid by the recipient of the package; and we will ship by courier, not post, at no additional charge. READ MORE

For those in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario area: the Open Ears Festival 2025 is this coming weekend, and I'll be at the free Synth Petting Zoo with a rack featuring North Coast Synthesis modules. Stop by if you'd like to try them out. READ MORE

This online shop offers multi-currency payment. In most cases the Web site will automatically guess the most convenient payment currency for you by default based on your IP address; but you can also select others. At the moment we select Canadian dollars, Euros, British pounds, Japanese yen, US dollars, Bitcoin, and Ethereum. Here are some notes on currencies and how to use them. READ MORE

I've made some changes to the way the Web storefront handles credit card payments to make checking out a little easier. Now, after filling out the order form, you'll be taken directly to the credit card processor's site and you can pay immediately, instead of needing to wait for an email message with a payment link. READ MORE

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The industry has lost several important modular manufacturers in the last year or two, and there's been some talk about why. I obviously don't know all the details of what happened in any company except my own, and at least one of the biggest examples on everybody's mind is pretty clearly an exceptional case, with the founder making a career change for personal reasons not directly related to the general business climate. But I recently heard a claim made that it doesn't matter to the health of the industry whether individuals buy Eurorack modules this year because the "real" problem killing manufacturers is supply-chain disruption. I want to speak against that. READ MORE

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Moving the North Coast Synthesis Web storefront to the new checkout system has been a lot slower and more difficult than I planned or expected. There are still some major issues to resolve. But I have some significant progress, and especially with the Gracious Host release held up waiting for a usable checkout, I can't afford to delay rolling out the parts that do work, even though there's still a critical part missing. READ MORE

On October 26 I tried to log into the administrative interface of this storefront to process an order, and I just got a blank screen. After some research and testing of my own, and a conversation with BigCommerce technical support, it is apparent that they have changed their systems - suddenly, without warning - to be incompatible with my usual Web browser. They will not be changing back, and they offer no solution for me to be able to log onto the system except telling me I ought to switch to a different version of the browser. That is a dealbreaker for my continued use of BigCommerce and I am moving the North Coast Synthesis Ltd. Web storefront off of BigCommerce as soon as I can. READ MORE

I'm looking forward to a little bit of relaxation in December. I won't be going on vacation this year as I usually would, and that means I can fill orders throughout December. However, my local post offices have become unsafely crowded on weekends through a combination of increased demand, closures and reduced hours, failure to enforce safety rules, and the general emergency conditions that prevail in Toronto at the moment. So until further notice, I will only be shipping out orders on weekdays (Monday to Friday). READ MORE

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The Toronto Sound Festival starts tomorrow, November 22, 2019, at "Beverley Halls" (aka the Polish Combatants Association).  I'll be there as a vendor, with demos and sales of all my modules and kits.  There will also be a lot of other interesting stuff, with other vendors, talks and panel discussions, a "synthesizer petting zoo," a DIY workshop, and a big concert.  There'll be a lot of modular there, but the focus is broader, on all aspects of the art of sound. READ MORE

The Tokyo Festival of Modular is coming up this weekend, November 16 and 17, 2019, and North Coast Synthesis is a sponsor.  I won't be attending in person this year but attendees will receive North Coast stickers and cards with an exclusive discount code.  If you're in Japan, this is an event worth visiting. READ MORE

I'll be exhibiting at the Toronto Pedal and Synth Expo on November 9 and 10, 2019.  Drop by to try out North Coast modules in person and pick up a sticker and a discount code. READ MORE