Hi - I appreciate that I am lucky and have mine and that there are others waiting. This is not to crow - rather to tell you a little about the first day's experiences with it
First of all - I LOVE it. But the most important word in that last sentence was "I" and realise that there are so many different kinds of players, programmers, operators that one man's meat may be another ones poison. So here's who is giving you this early "review"
I have been playing synthesisers since 1978 when I bought a Yamaha CS30. Since then I have made over 30 albums with synths and have owned (among others) an original Model D from 72, an Odyssey, an Axxe, an MS20 a CS15 & 30, a Pro 1, a Voyager a Supernova 2 an MS2000b and an SH101. If I still owned all these I would be a potentially rich man and I am not in that position sadly.... I have used the Arturia software VSTis extensively and really rate them and side by side tests I conducted with the Model D and the MinimoogV were to my ears 100 percent convincing. I realise there will be those who don't agree.
Most of you reading this will be aware of the long waiting time we've had for these Matrixbrutes. I paid for mine in FULL 6 months ago and have nearly finished the album it was going to play a central role on. Now fortunately there will still be time for it to speak - just not as much as I'd hoped. This review is going to try to forget that long frustrating wait which would have been made so much easier with more regular and honest information from Arturia. Never mind - let's move on.
Right - i'm a keyboards performer, I play prog rock and ambient stuff - I will not be particularly useful to EDM and Dubstep producers - my use of the sequencer will be occasional but not huge and most of what I do on the machine will be about playing the keyboard rather than anything automated. So if your interest in the instrument is as a device for huge pulsating basslines, syncing to Traktor etc, I'm not your guy. Take no notice of me!
The Keyboard is lightning fast. I adore the speed at which it plays - the fastest and nicest feeling monosynth keyboard I've had to this date - with the slight gripe that the keys are themselves so shallow that occasionally my little finger (which is very small) slides under the next note up the keyboard - something that I have never come across before.
The manual is really great for me - well put together, immediately understandable to anyone who has 30 years in synths - I hope that this translates to newbies too. It's written in excellent English and is clear and concise with a few exceptions.
The presets did not particularly inspire me - however this is not in my interest area anyway - i find 90 percent of the fun in synths is devising ones own sounds and that's what I started to do immediately - didn't even get to play all the presets - couldn't wait to get in. The experience is exactly as I hoped it would be. The Normal procedures that one would use in a Minimoog or CS30 are all present - everything works as normal and the Matrix is where the thing really starts to fly. I owned an Analogue Systems modular setup for many years, and my hopes were that this Matrixbrute would be that elusive equivalent where all those possibilities could be created and individually custom connected yet called back into life onstage in Berlin three nights later exactly the same. In my opinion, yes, it really does this, - it's a real modular synth that remembers where the wires go. Except they don't crackle. Bloody brilliant. I found it logical, really easy to use and inspiring from the off. The variations in the sounds you can create are wonderful, having pwm drifting in and out as the note is held, fm modulations brought in by aftertouch, delay speeds gently rising and falling controlled by velocity - glorious.
A couple of things to try to sort out - first thing is that there is a dull thud as one changes patches - and under the latest firmware patches do not change quickly. I am hoping that this can be addressed. This is by no means as bad as some instruments I have met along the way, but hopefully there will be a fix.
Remember that this is (for osc 1 7 2) an analogue instrument. Therefore - like its forbears - it takes a little while to warm up and tuning is an issue during the first five minutes. There is however a prophet 5 like tuning procedure which gets you going if you really have to have a cold start after some dick in the support band has unplugged your rig to use the socket for a fuzzbox...
oscillators - Really like the way these work - like the way the waveforms can be mixed rather than "either/or - I like the Arturia Metaliser (for the triangle wave - really nice to subtly modulate with the matrix) and the subtle variety and motion that can be created with the Supersawtooth feature provided on both osciallators. I'm not gonna go into one of those pointless dicussions of whether the oscillators are as "fat" as other synths = I find most of these conversations largely boring and in many cases - too based upon factory presets. To me, they sound like sawtooth sqaure and triangle waves - with a lot you can do with them.
Filters are great - I like the sound of both the ladder (of course) and the Steiner (which I think is my first) - I haven't had enough time to be an expert on this. I do like the way these filters can be cross faded by the matrix using either macro controllers (which themselves are brilliant), aftertouch or - well honestly - anything else. What they said in all those videos does look like it's true. One filter can be wide open and hard driven, the other can be closed and clean and using aftertouch you can pan from one to the other - while simultaneously moving from a triangle wave to a screaming saw.
I like the analogue effects - no problems here - all very 1981 and very useful. No complaints, particularly as as usual these can be modulated, made to make more movement and expression in your sound.
Thank the lord that all the knobs are on the left - that's where I want them - that's personal preference of course - but fortunately, for me, they really got this right.
Build quality seems really good - the machine is heavy and large - I have no problems with that, I also have a Hammond Organ... with a leslie. The cheeks and fall board appear to be wooden - they look good to me - but then I am a grandfather to two. This is how a musical instrument should FEEL. It makes me feel special, wanted, catered for - something that has been reserved for guitarists over the past couple of decades as we have been given things like the Studiologic Sledge (I have one and love it) which is made of horrific Yellow plastic, those Roland things which are like a light show with an integrated synth, and a whole slew of synths that seemed to want to look like the Millenium Falcon. This looks like a musical instrument. It's classic, it's lovely and it's MINE.
Mod wheel and pitch bend so important to me feel lovely and solid. They are made of Metal, are smooth and travel well. Layout is generally superb with everything well appointed and exceedingly well thought out.
I connected first time via USB and upgraded the firmware. This was hassle free and the support control centre is up and running and working. Haven't had enough time to report on this to any effect. just that it worked first time.
I intend to report more on this instrument as the days pass. After 24 hours, I can honestly say that this is among the nicest musical instruments I've ever had the pleasure to own. It's inspiring, engaging, hugely variable and the talk was true. The presets will not be a selling point for many who want instant dance bangers - but for someone like me who wants an expressive and creative piece of kit - I can wholeheartedly say that if you have bought one or are waiting for one - this is a great piece of kit. I NEARLY gave up having my money in the Music Shop's till for 6 months - and did seriously consider getting a Sub 37. Today I am seriously thankful I had faith in Arturia. From this user, at least - thankyou to them for making an old synthesist's dream come true. Wonderful
Andy
