rwn@iham1.UUCP (Bob Neumann) (05/17/85)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MULTI-PATCH *** I've heard the Oberheim Matrix-12 and it sounds fantastic. I've always been a fan of this company's equipment and was very impressed with the fatness of their new instrument. I'm not going to elaborate about all the things you can do with the Xpander capabilities within the instrument, most everyone out in net.synthland probably has read the Keyboard review from last summer. The instrument does not lose any "Oberheim fatness" and the Xpander voice yields sounds which I defy anyone to say that they have heard before. Playing the Xpander sound "Fuzz Clav" on a Matrix-12 with the touch sensitive keyboard is ecstasy! Yes, it's not a guitar sound, it's not a keyboard sound, WHAT IS IT???? I do not own a Matrix-12 but I do own an Xpander and am still waiting for the remote touch sensitive keyboard for the Xpander. I guess all things come to those who wait... There are some things about the design of the Matrix-12 that are annoying. For instance, there is no arpeggiator on the Matrix-12. Who cares? Well, the Oberheim remote keyboard is supposed to have one, so why didn't they include one in the Matrix-12? (I will bet that it will be included in a future software update.) Also, those who are familiar with the OB-X, OB-Xa and OB-8 left hand panel LFO performance switches will miss these as now the lever routings must be changed by accessing the patches in the main front panel. This means that for live performance, you had better program in your bender stuff or you'll probably have a heartattack trying to change bender data during a wild solo! Another problem with the Matrix-12: it's a new instrument, and the cost is extremely high ( discounts? forget it). But for the person out there who was comparing it with a Voyetra-8, the comparative prices of both instruments (at least in Chicago) would lead me to purchase a Matrix-12.
ins_adjb@jhunix.UUCP (Daniel Jay Barrett) (11/05/85)
Hey, Matrix-12 owners! We've got the ultimate analog/digital hybrid
synth every designed...so let's talk about it! Xpander users should
also feel free to comment.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Matrix, picture a 12-voice analog
synth with 2 VCO's, 15-mode filter (lowpass, highpass, bandpass,
notch, & phase shift modes in various combinations), 15 VCA's,
5 LFO's, 5 DADSR envelopes, frequency modulation, and a pile of
other features on EVERY SINGLE VOICE; each voice can have a completely
different patch. The velocity/release/pressure sensitive keyboard
can have up to 6 overlapping split points ("zones"). Plus, you can
have anything modulating anything; there are at least 10 to the 100th
power different modulation combinations! The MIDI implementation is
the most complete I have seen. All this for about $3800 (Medley Music
in Bryn Mawr, PA is where I got mine).
Anybody out there?
DANIEL BARRETT
3301 ST. PAUL STREET
APARTMENT 211
BALTIMORE, MD 21218
USA