All user reviews of 4/5 for the Oberheim Matrix-1000

I bought the Matrix 1000 in black one week ago as a counterpart for my beloved Juno 60. And this 6 voice polyphonic rack synthesizer sounds really analog and wide , even without FX. I really love the overall warm sound, it is the opposite of some harsh sounding modern synths.

But with adding a bit of delay, reverb or modulation FX turns it into an epic analog pad, brass &string machine. This it what I am mainly using it for.
But nevertheless there are also fantastic bass, leads, FM, FX and all other kind of analog sounds possible.
With the Mod matrix it is easy to make very organic sounds.
And even if attack time and LFO's are a bit slower, for my kinda music they fit.

When I bought it, Firmware was 1.11, so I did an eprom upgrade to 1.20 (Tauntek/Rob Grieb) where a lot of bugfixes have been solved. It is possible to use the Matrix now with a MIDI controller without problems! The eprom also includes the important global detune from Gigli v. 1.6. With this upgrade the Matrix 1000 does not sound static anymore, the DCO's behave more VCO like.

Without an external controller the matrix 1000 is more or less a preset machine because no editing is possible.
With my stereoping controller it is really fun to tweak the synth. Of course you can also use a Software to tweak, but I prefer real knobs.

For me it is the perfect sounding analog poly!
And I am thinking of grabbing a second one for stereo operations or 12 voice polyphony

Very classic, no need to highlight all the characteristics ... The only weak point (and again) might be the only mono output, aisment circumvented by adding various effects.

USE

As bote prsets use could not be simpler, we do dfiler sounds with 2 keys, or you can type directly the issue of The pRSET desire Using the digital pav.
As synth obliged to have recourse against by the computer ... Once tlcharg soft adquat (they are several, aisment findable on the net) is the edition very simple, not more complicated than a plug but also visually ugly.

SONORITS

It comes intresse which we really ...

The sound is of great clarity (the hallmark of Oberheim) with beautiful mdiums well presented without aggressiveness. For COD synth is enough fat (for "fat" I mean that the lower is the mdium. It is the most comfortable in the tablecloths (the presence is remarkable, with a nice sweetness), typical brass funk in which he excels eighties (which alone would justify the purchase of the rack) and false pianos and other realistic but not so touching organ (I have a fondness for this kind of sonority - yes I know to love).

As against this is not what you might call a deep sound with good bass prsentes Moog or others. To be honest even, bass is not really his forte in the absolute. Please note I'm not saying that one can not do good bass lines with Matrix 1000, no. It is you who are making bass lines, not bcane ... but even when there is a lack sitting level. So you will have if you like the soothsayer infra go your way.
For leads, but has spent most be honest it sounds a bit thin and not very powerful. Better a good mono VCO families for a (excuse my snobitude). Furthermore the envelopes do not seem to be the thunders of war.

A final word on the really very good audio quality, with good dynamics and especially almost no breath volume background, which for analog (even COD) is not forcment acquired (- -> Juno 60).

NOTICE GLOBAL

I wanted a cheap analog synth to satisfy my needs polyphonic, mainly for my sheets and my 80's brass. This is exactly what I needed. For this type of sound there is hardly the best quality-price ratio (most of the time cheaper than a plug!).
So I would say that the Matrix 1000 belongs this family of inexpensive synths (between 150 and 350 euros), not forcment more versatile (or best known), but that sound terribly well in their respective fields, the example image of the JX series of Roland, Yamaha CS-5/10, Korg Delta, 700, Crumar Bit One, Waldorf Microwave 1, Pulse, and so on.

Expander analog 6 voice polyphony dco 2 per voice.
Midi in out thru
200 pitches + 800 user sounds rom, only editable via software.
1 rack unit
Internal power supply (that's good!)
Mono (not so annoying that ...)

UTILIZATION

Configuration very simple: the number of steps on his digital wreck, and hop.
or where it gets tough is to control midi.

-I have not yet found a publisher that works on mac or pc or.
ModWheel it's always assigned to vibrato, it would arrange to be able to assign to something more useful without a publisher and without modifying every patch for it.
-Regardless of the mode selected in the set-up, the sustain pedal is not recognized.

I would say that as the box is a breeze.
but even for basic editing, it is hell.
Oberheim relied on clearly that the 800 sounds should cover all needs ... see next chapter ...

SOUNDS

10 banks of sounds. which are the first 2 of BESR, which can theoretically accommodate other sounds, or backups of our own editions.

Bank 0: "Top 100"
Bank 1: "Volume 2" Original factory patch
Bank 2: "Synth 1"
Bank 3: "Synth 2"
Bank 4 "+ horns woodwinds"
Bank 5: "Horns + leads"
bank 6 "strings"
bank 7: "low"
bank 8 "FX & perc"
bank 9 "Keyboards"


there are very new wave analog bass, pads strings detune mals that are not ...
with a spring effect groundwater become really good (whereas with a digital reverb, it just reinforces the impression mediums j, in any case it is less)
I remind everyone that this is an analog synth sounds so realistic it's not his area too.

Do not hesitate to checker the whole range of the keyboard, playing dive, was soliciting aftertouch etc., there are no buttons, but it moves in all directions. J have had confirmation by connecting a controller oxygen above twelve o'clock.
The bank 6 or 7 to a control knob that I think the envelope for the filter, and rotating it makes things really foufou ...

Why I think this knob (which responds to CC 02 I think), is assigned to the envelope for the filter?
becaufe on some sounds, you can clearly hear the resonance be modified, but not all ... To be continued ...

OVERALL OPINION

I have only been a week and my first reaction was to relist presto ...

This is not a definitive opinion. Even so subjective, I'm not very attached ... very annoying some aspects can make my judgment a little unfair.

Overall, I'm still a bit unsatisfied ... it took him that I bough a spring reverb to finally hear slicks "on Oberheim." Without treatment, it sounds a little when dco 80's, we are not stuck against a juno ...

Well it is also frustrated not being able to change the cutoff frequency or resonnance, so it's a little unfair to go ...

It is still endearing, and say that it's worth it to break your head a little to make it sound, after all, it is not dear ... what do you get for that price .. .

Before acquiring j've owned a roland Jx3p, Juno 2, Nordlead, blofeld, moog lp, dave smith Mopho kb to mention that analos or claim to this heritage ... Little we had lent one to OBX few weeks, quite fascinating (at the same time four years revox was also fascinating to me)

What I like least is the implementation noon, rested few resources on the net, slow cpu which manages the afternoon.

The value for money is still not bad so far (300 to 400 euros, in addition, a jx3P or dsi tetra could be more versatile and easy to use)
For quelqun that does not sound source analog polyphonic bufget this, there will be Alpha juno, the JX8P, and it is almost everything ...
But who has not, I think that an alpha juno 1 with a controller noon will be more fulfilling, since we will then have the opportunity to tweak his juno buttons, something much more unlikely in the matrix.

So I keep some time, because it still feels contained and hidden power, and some layers are very melancholy, which is quite rare in a rack.

it remains a good expander, with limitations, faults, but a character.
This is one of the only opportunity to own Oberheim not too expensive ...