Nekotronics is a small business based in Manchester England, run by Gray “Neko” and started in 2015. Nekotronics focuses on hand built pro audio gear catering to producers/engineers and studios ranging from bedroom level all the way up to large studios and grammy award winning producers. Attention to detail, customisation, affordability and high build quality have always been the name of the game.
A little history about owner and chief solder monkey Gray in his own words (read with Mancunian accent for added authenticity).
I’m a musician, producer and engineer first, so approach things form that angle. Fixing, repairing and building gear was always a means to an end and a bit of a secret for a good while. However at some point it developed into a passion and i find myself taking great pride in the quality of my work.
I come from a modest background with no funds to acquire gear the normal way. I started tinkering with gear around 20 years ago at age 15. I was a keen guitar player and needed pedals to get more than one sound from my guitar along with cables. I started off with a gas powered soldering Iron, yes that is a thing. I soon progressed to synths and outboard gear and acquired a proper soldering iron.
As music work progressed and gear was needed i found broken synths, mixing desks and outboard and learnt to repair it.
It was 15 years of doing this on the side for myself before i was confident enough in my skills to work on any body else’s gear. After a few jobs for close friends it appeared there was a large need for the work locally.
One afternoon in 2015 i casually revealed my secret skill to my local scene, showing off the first compressor i had built. I was flooded with requests to repair gear and orders for the compressor. By the end of the week Nekotronics was formed and my living room was full of synths needing some love.
Nekotronics went on to be quite successful, at least by my terms, with work completed for high end clients, a few bonafide legends aswell as many start up and up and coming studios and producers. The compressors have gone to studios all over the world and a few have toured arenas too.
One of the best things about working as Nekotronics is the people I’ve met around the world. I’m a chatty one and love talking gear and music. I’m always interested and surprised at what the equipment i make ends up and how it’s being used.