ARTURIA – Matrix-12 V – USER MANUAL
7
1
INTRODUCTION
Arturia would like to thank you for purchasing our synthesizer model: the Matrix-12
V. We are confident it will prove to be an extremely valuable addition to your music
production studio. If you’ve purchased our products before, you know we pride
ourselves in faithfully recreating the sound and feel of the original instruments, down
to the smallest detail. Matrix-12 V is no exception to this rule.
And if this is the first of our products you have owned, you are in for a treat! The
synthesizer upon which this model is based was the absolute pinnacle of analog
synthesizer technology at the time, light-years ahead of the competition.
1.1
Oberheim: an overview
1.1.1
Prelude
The 21
st
century is experiencing a Renaissance in the area of analog synthesizers,
with many companies offering models of all colors, shapes and sizes. From towering
modular synthesizers dripping with patch cords to Arturia’s affordable and
innovative MiniBrute series, fans of analog synthesis haven’t had it so good for
decades.
Back in the early ‘70s, however, there were really only two main synthesizer
manufacturers with any notoriety: Bob Moog and his eponym company and ARP.
These two companies rode a crest of technological and musical innovations for
nearly a decade, with a rivalry akin to that of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones:
some liked one, some liked the other, and the serious collectors owned both. And
it seemed the more these companies ‘divided the pie’ of market share, the larger
the pie became.
Then about 1975, riding in like something out of an American Western film, came a
wave of white-faced synthesizers by the name of Oberheim. In addition to their
unique appearance, they offered a different set of features and a fresh sound that
ranged from creamy to brash. Bands around the world began appearing onstage
and in the studio with these instruments, and many a memorable song and solo
were built around them.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. A lot of brainstorming and hard work had to
happen before musicians were able to get their hands on a polyphonic Oberheim
synthesizer like the Matrix 12. Here’s a bit of the background.
1.1.2
Lord of the Ring Modulators
The mid-1960s were a time when all musical boundaries began to be challenged.
Unusual applications for electronic circuitry were at the heart of that, as artists
looked for That Sound, the one that would set them apart from the crowd.
