Eurorack synth maker Hexinverter closing within the next year due to global supply chain issues

The global parts shortage has claimed another victim. Montreal-based Eurorack synth manufacturer Hexinverter announced Monday that it will be shutting down operations “within the next year” as ongoing supply chain problems have made it impossible for them to keep up with demand for their modules.

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“The manufacturing world has been very hard hit as a result. Small scale electronics, especially so,” founder Stacy Gaudreau wrote in a statement posted to the brand’s Facebook page. “It has been incredibly difficult to keep up with demand for our modules, with products falling out of stock for months (and now years) at a time.”

“Unfortunately, the post-pandemic manufacturing climate was the final nail in the coffin for us at Hexinverter.”

Gaudreau also stated that while there isn’t an exact “end date” in mind just yet, the company will likely be closing up shop “sometime in 2023” when supplies are entirely diminished. Meanwhile, Hexinverter will be shipping out its remaining modules to local dealers, including products that have been out of stock for ages.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a patron and believing in our vision! The people we’ve met and relationships we’ve made along the way have been the best part of this entire experience, and I can’t thank you enough for being part of our journey,” he added.

Hexinverter joins a growing list of synth manufacturers that have been forced to discontinue products or shut down completely because they can’t get parts.

Czech developer Bastl Instruments recently announced the discontinuation of its lauded Thyme effects processor as result of “the global chip shortage”, while William Mathewson Devices (WMD) said that it will be closing at the end of 2022 due to the lack of parts to make synth modules.

Those who’ve remained in the business have also been forced to increase prices to cope with inflation and rising costs. In the case of American synth-maker Moog, steep price hikes have been introduced to their line of instruments in the US and Europe markets — A Moog Grandmother will now set you back €1,444 instead of €879, a whopping 64 per cent increase in price.