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Museum : Oberheim Room : Matrix-12
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Matrix-12

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. Manufacturer:
Oberheim

Model:
Matrix-12

Production period:
1985-90

Quantity produced:


Famous Fingers
Who played this instrument?

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Oberheim Matrix-12

image courtesy of Benjamin Ward

The Matrix-12, truly one of the "Monsters" of programmable analog synthesizers. It is basically two complete Oberheim Xpanders hooked up to a velocity-sensitive (including release velocity), pressure-sensitive (there were some early Matrix-12s that did not have pressure-sensitivity), 5-octave, 61-note (C-C) keyboard. With 24 oscillators (two VCOs per voice) it can be set up as a 12-part monophonic or a 6-part polyphonic multi-timbral synth. The front panel is exactly like the Xpander, except for one button that switches between voices 1-6 and 7-12.

Like the Xpander, each voice consists of 2 VCOs (triangle, saw, pulse, or noise, VCO2 could be synced to VCO1), a multimode VCF (low-pass, band-pass, notch-pass, high-pass and four "combination" filter modes), and 4 VCA's (in line one after each oscillator and two after the VCF). FM of VCO1 and the VCF is possible via VCO1. The filters can also be set as 1-pole (6dB/octave), 2-pole (12dB/octave), 3-pole (18dB/octave), or 4-pole (24dB/octave). All oscillators and filters can be tuned by a handy auto-tuned routine. In addition to this basic synth engine, the Matrix-12 has a number of separate modules that can be inserted in any modulation path. These include (10) LFO's with basic waves plus sample-and-hold and random functions, 6 tracking generators, 6 ramp generators, two lag processors (they do not necessarily have to be used for portamento), and 1 additional global LFO to be used with the Mod Wheel.

Unlike the Xpander, the Matrix-12 does not have individual outputs (although they were available as an option, which involved replacing a side panel to make room for the connectors) or CV/gate inputs.

[from The A-Z of Analogue Synthesizers , by Peter Forrest, published by Susurreal Publishing, Devon, England, copyright 1994 Peter Forrest]



Famous Fingers
Who Played This Instrument?

Boris Blank, Michael Boddicker, Harold Budd, Dreadzone, Electronic Dream Planet, ELP, Douglas Firley of Gravity Kills, Paul Fishman, Green Gartside, Brain Gascoigne, Andy Gray, Herbie Hancock, Alan Holdsworth, Micheal Hoenig, Jens Johansson with Yngwie Malsteen and Stratovarius, Steve Lipson, Jason Miles, The Orb, The Other Two, Steve Porcaro, Propaganda, Scritti Politti, Sky, Ian Underwood, Vangelis, Van Halen

[Let us know if you have any further additions to this list.]

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