Re: OT -- oberheim matrix 1000 vs. matrix 6 ???

[Catilyne <catilyne@icicle.net>]

De nada!  No trouble at all. (eh, so I'm a synth geek....  ;)

         -c-


At 02:52 AM 10/7/2003 -0400, Fsksync@aol.com wrote:
>THANKS VERY MUCH for this post- very helpful indeed!
>
>Tim F
>
>
>
>In a message dated 10/6/03 10:58:32 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
>catilyne@icicle.net writes:
>
>>At 09:37 PM 10/6/2003 -0700, dylan wrote:
>>
>> >i've heard a matrix 6 before. it sounded so fat and warm,
>> >the horns and basses especially. THAT's the sound i want.
>> >
>> >i have never heard a matrix 1000. would it give me that
>> >same fat, warm sound?? the synth sites online say it's "the
>> >same" as the matrix 6r. but there HAS to be some technology
>> >differences, to fit it all in 1 rack space.
>>
>>Hi Dylan,
>>
>>First of all, get yourself over to the Matrix Synth group at Yahoo
>>(MatrixSynth @yahoogroups.com).  There's been a bunch of discussion
>>regarding this very topic, and a quick scan of the archives will confirm
>>you don't have to take what I'm saying at face value.
>>
>>I have the Matrix1000, and have played with the Matrix6r a few times
>>(although not directly head-to-head).  There are some differences, but 
>not
>>nearly as many as you'd expect.  General consensus is that the 6r sounds 
>a
>>little fatter, but primarily only because of the master clock crystal.  
>The
>>1000 uses a single crystal which is then split across the six DCO's.  The
>>6r has separate crystals for each DCO.  Therefore, each of the 
>oscillators
>>on the 6r is a miniscule amount out of sync with the others, giving it an
>>overall sound that's a little more fat.
>>
>>Also, while both the 1000 and 6r are based on the CEM 3396 voice chips, 
>the
>>6r uses the 'wide-body' version, and the 1000 includes the 'narrow-body'
>>version.  Some chip connoisseurs will argue the difference that the wide
>>version sounds very slightly better.  That said, I can tell you that my
>>1000 sounds pretty f*cking massive.  I've had it for over a decade and 
>I've
>>never once felt shortchanged in the 'analogue' department.
>>
>>To the plus side for the 6r is the fact that it is bi-timbral, allowing 
>you
>>to send a different mono patch to each of its 2 separate outputs.  No, 
>you
>>can't really do stereo, unless you kludge something with two completely
>>different versions of the same patch.  The 1000 is only mono with a 
>single
>>out (OBLoopReference: however you can easily multiply this by layering it
>>using the looping device of your choice <*grin*>).  Both devices are
>>six-voice polyphonic.
>>
>>As far as good things about the 1000, you already mentioned that it takes
>>up less real estate (1u as opposed to the 6r's 4u).  The 1000 is said to 
>be
>>sturdier all around with much better build quality, since evidently
>>Oberheim subbed out the construction of the 6r's to a contracter.  I can
>>say that on the Matrix Synth list I've seen many more reports of 'weird'
>>hardware behavior on the part of the 6r's than I ever have from the 
>1000's
>>(and that after the 1000's were in production at least three times as 
>long
>>as the 6r's -- there have to be far more 1000's out in the
>>field).  Relatedly, it is evidently far easier to obtain replacement 
>chips
>>for the narrow-body version of the CEM 3396 than the wide-body version 
>used
>>by the 6r.  So, the 1000 is less likely to fail, and if it does it's 
>easier
>>to get replacement parts.
>>
>>Finally, in the 1000's favor is the fact that you've got 1000 patches to
>>start with -- 200 of which are user-editable.  And the majority of them 
>are
>>actually pretty darn good (they ought to be: Oberheim took the best
>>submissions from existing Matrix6 owners to make up the patch
>>bank).  That's the one thing I hear 6r owners pining about the most.  
>While
>>you can download the patches in sysex format and load them into the 6r a
>>bank at a time, it's so much nicer just to have them at your fingertips.
>>
>>So, in summary: 6r is a liittle fatter, but not great deal, and 
>bi-timbral
>>across two outs.  1000 is less likely to break and easier to fix, with 1k
>>of patches as your starting point.
>>
>>Hope that helps...
>>
>>      -c-
>>
>>_____
>>"i want to reach my hand into the dark and *feel* what reaches back"
>>                          -recoil
>