Synth: Oberheim Matrix 1000 (black face)
Review by: ianktindale@easynet.co.uk (Ian K Tindale)

Summary: A 1U rack containing a 6 note polyphonic fully analogue synthesizer, 
  with rather incredible realtime modulation routing possibilities due to 
  what Oberheim call their 'modulation matrix'. This effectively takes it 
  outside the realm of a normalised synth and, assuming you have a way of 
  programming it via computer, gives it comparable strangeness power to, say, 
  an Arp2600 (well, not quite) or a small modular, but of course, it's MIDI, 
  it's small, and it's polyphonic. Not a synth for those who need hands on 
  twiddling, unless you have a hardware slider thing like a Peavey PC1600. 
  More for setting up fantastic patches that will remain that way for the 
  duration, or will receive all the variations needed as MIDI CC's programmed 
  into the modulation matrix to do the appropriate things to the patch.

Years Made: at least 1988 on, rereleased a couple of years back with white face
Polyphony: 6
Multitimbrality: no
MIDI: 
    Note on/off: Y
    MIDI controllers (aftertouch, CC, etc): 
	Active controllers: 01 - Vibrato amount; 
	02 - Breath cont; 
	04, 06, 07, 31, 64, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101
    Sysex patch dumping: yes
    Sysex parameter control: yes
Other external control: 
    CV/Gate: No (but it's happening inside)
    Clock: No
    Other CV: No
    Audio input: No
    Proprietary (DCB, etc): No
    Programmer: No
Patch storage: 
  Patch dumping (tape, MIDI, etc): MIDI. Contains 800 ROM patches and 
  200 RAM patches, organised into ten banks of hundred, laughably labelled: 
  Top100 (RAM); Volume 2 (RAM); Synth #1; Synth #2; Woodwinds and horns; 
  Horns and leads; Strings; Basses; FX & Percussion; Keyboards. Of course, 
  they ALL sound like synths.

Voice architecture: 
    2*DCO Saw to Tri waveshaping, Pulse, sync, noise on osc2
    VCF
    VCA1 exponential
    VCA2
    LFO1 has various trigger modes, Lag, retrigger point, sampled source 
	select, Waveforms: Triangle; Up Saw; Down Saw; Square; Random;
	Noise; Sampled modulation
    LFO2 same as above
    Env1 LFO triggerable or gated
    Env2 LFO triggerable or gated 
    Env3 LFO triggerable or gated
    Portamento - Lag mode: constant speed, constant time or exponential.
    Tracking Gen; same inputs as Modulation Matrix, 5 tracking points.
    Ramp Gen1, variable rate, triggers: single; multiple; external; ext gated
    Ramp Gen2, variable rate, triggers: single; multiple; external; ext gated
    Modulation Matrix: has ten buses, each with input, amount, and destination:
    Inputs:
	1 = Envelope 1 ; 2 = Envelope 2 ; 3 = Envelope 3 ; 4 = LFO1 ; 
	5 = LFO2 ; 6 = Vibrato ; 7 = Ramp1 ; 8 = Ramp2 ; 9 = Keyboard ; 
	10 = Portamento ; 11 = Tracking Gen ; 12 = Keyboard Gate ; 
	13 = Velocity ; 14 = Release velocity ; 15 = Pressure ; 16 = Pedal1 ; 
	17 = Pedal2 ; 18 = Lever1 ; 19 = Lever2 ; 20 = Lever3.
    Destinations:
	1 = DCO1 freq ; 2 = DCO1 PW ; 3 = DCO1 Waveshape ; 4 = DCO2 freq ; 
	5 = DCO2 PW ; 6 = DCO2 Waveshape ; 7 = mix level ; 8 = VCF FM amount ; 
	9 = VCF Fc ; 10 = VCF Res ; 11 =VCA1 level ; 12 = VCA2 level ; 
	13 = Env1 Delay ; 14 = Env1 Attack ; 15 = Env1 Decay ; 
	16 = Env1 Release ; 17 = Env1 Amplitude ; 18 = Env2 Delay ; 
	19 = Env2 Attack ; 20 = Env2 Decay ; 21 = Env2 Release ; 
	22 = Env2 Amplitude ; 23 = Env3 Delay ; 24 = Env3 Attack ; 
	25 = Env3 Decay ; 26 = Env3 Release ; 27 = Env3 Amplitude ; 
	28 = LFO1 Speed ; 29 = LFO1 Amplitude ; 30 = LFO2 Speed ; 3
	1 = LFO2 Amplitude ; 32 = Portamento time.
Sequencer/Arpeggiator: No
Keyboard/rack: 1U rack
Known problems: Bank change (of ten) message is non-standard.
Accessories: 
Related synths/gear: 
	Matrix 6/6R - very related, will take dumps, and work on their editors.
Price range: economical for what you get (a distrib in the UK here has just 
    dropped the price by about 60% and that's the new white face models 
    (june '95))
Availability: shops new, common secondhand too.
Comments: 
    Strengths: Modulation matrix, guitar mode
    Weaknesses: Not multitimbral, but one 'expects' it should be by the look 
	of it. Can't read the top segments of the display if mounted in a 
	rack that doesn't happen to follow you around remaining perfectly 
	eye-level. This is a serious get-out-of-chair and-lean-over problem, 
	as all the sevens look like ones and vv.
    Overall: Needs a computer based editor to get the best out of it. My 
	favourite 'set and forget' analogue. Sounds powerful, e.g.  bass 
	patches have really got balls. Doesn't cost the earth, does it's job, 
	takes up no room at all.
    Other: One mono output. Has invert volume mode for crossfading with 
	another synth on same channel. Has a guitar synth mode whereby you 
	pick a channel to start with, and it splits the six note polyness 
	across six consecutive MIDI channels - this is essential for proper 
	guitar synthesis as you don't want one intentional note bend to 
	pitchbend the whole chord by the same amount.