Moog Matriarch: A first pass demo
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- I picked up a Moog Matriarch today, trading my Yamaha AN1x + cash. It was an hour and 15 minute drive through Wisconsin. Many of the trees were red and orange against a dark sky. It was really beautiful. Talked to the previous owner for a while as it rained on us. Got the Matriarch home and then let it sit while I had dinner and watched a movie.
The Matriarch was still packed in its original box with all of its accessories. My first impression is that I'm pretty damn confused. I'm not very knowledgeable about semi-modular synths, and as you can see, I didn't do any patching. I'll figure it out, and I do understand the concept, but just wanted to see what the raw device does. The oscillators and the filter sound great. I especially love the stereo delay. The paraphonic mode is also very fun to use.
A few things:
1) The sync enable button seems to 'catch' on something if I hit it on the bottom corner. I'm guessing this is really a factory thing, but if my unit were new, I'd consider exchanging it - but it's fine being used.
2) I'm not quite as fond of it as I am my Korg Polysix - which is simple and just has a character and charm that I dig. I still am in love with that synth.
3) The keybed is really nice. It's got a hefty feel to it.
4) I don't understand why sometimes an oscillator will just stop playing when I let go of the note - it seems like it should carry on with the rest of the amplitude EG, but it doesn't. Ends in weird transitions. Might be a hidden setting I haven't found yet.
5) The hidden global items on the keyboard are sort of hard to understand.
6) It really is a beautiful synth. I don't understand why Moog made the all-black version, and I don't understand why people would prefer it. I love the harlequin colors.
7) I'm excited to dig in more - I feel this demo was quite underwhelming, but it took up the first hour of playing and messing around with it.
Oh my goodness, i feel like im being cradled. This is so beautiful thank you for sharing this. The sounds are out of this world
Hey thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it :)
@@MIDERA Thanks for sharing! :D
One of the best demos that I’ve seen for this synth
Thanks!
I agree.... I keep coming back for inspiration! My Matriarch should be here next week.
Oh yes the Matriarch and your demo of it shows exactly why it is the next thing on my shopping list. Might be a while but one day. Thank you for the share fellow Moogster.
It's a wonderful synth. It's one of my favorites. Good luck - I managed to find this used (oh... it's in my description). I think you could wait till someone dumped the fruity pebble version for the boring dark one - and make out ok on that :)
Best demo I've heard yet. I love how you took your time. actually a real inspiration the way you let things ring, like at 6:20 - 6:45. wheew!
Hey thank Evan. It's been a lot of fun exploring the Matriarch. I've never had a paraphonic synth, so it's got some advantages and disadvantages that have been interesting to learn about. Definitely worth it, but I'm glad I didn't spend $2000 on it.
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@Remy Miller Instablaster ;)
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Well you created some great music here despite the problems you encounter. And this sounds so much better than any virtual analog synth.
Thanks! Yeah, definitely sounds better, although I suppose in a mix its magic could be lost? I dunno, haven't done anything like that yet!
@@MIDERA base the mix off the magic amd and it works everytime! Great sounds you have created here!
@@mackmccord3743This.
I’m Mesmerized by the sounds and your creations!
Hey thanks!
Great demo! Love the sound of this synth. By the way to address your 4th point in the description, this is the natural behavior of paraphonic synths. All 4 oscillators are going through a single VCA and envelope, so if you release a note while holding others down, the note will end immediately and will not go through the release stage of the envelope, unlike a truly polyphonic synth that has separate amps and envelopes per voice. But of course with a regular polysynth you can’t have separate waveforms and pitches per note! So both have their advantages and disadvantages :) Hope this clears things up!
Thanks for the comment - I had mistakenly believed there were 4 individual amp envelope generators on this synth, with just 1 shared filter envelope, hence my confusion, but it makes sense if there's only one filter and one amp envelope generator.
On a regular polysynth, you can have separate waveforms and pitches per note - the Analog Keys does this, you could also likely do this with the Chroma Polaris, but it would be a huge challenge.
Yeah I can completely understand that you would’ve thought that - a lot of paraphonic synths now are getting separate amp envelopes per oscillator (Pro 2, Dreadbox Medusa, etc.)
I didn’t know that about the Analog Keys! That’s pretty cool. Probably should have said *most* polysynths lol
Cheers mate!
@@emiliorivera1045 FYI - the addition of the 'hold' button, fixes that issue for me. The notes now continue to ring until the filter / amp EG ends.
Oh cool man! Thanks for the info :)
Beautiful! I ordered mine yesterday and cannot wait!
Nice! How are you liking it!
@@MIDERA I am loving it! I was uploading videos pretty consistent to my UA-cam channel until I got my matriarch. Lol. I just got so lost with it in a good way. I'm so happy to say that I own one and love it. Keep the awesome videos come in my friend I love watching your videos.
Some beautiful moods, melodies and playing. You should some more longer vids like this. 😊
Thanks - I made a couple of other sounds but it was late and I just deleted them so I could upload at a reasonable time, lol. Also my keyboard skills are pretty bad, so it takes a long time to come up with something nice!
Excited to see what you do with this!
I agree about the colour. I prefer the aesthetics of the colourful version to the all black as well. The Matriarch sure is a beautiful sounding and looking instrument.
Other than the price my main hesitation with this synth is the hidden parameters. I have a Moog Sub Phatty and I hate the hidden functions on that synth.
Yeah, I got this at a very great price, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have gone for it.
The hidden parameters are weird and almost certainly way more obtuse than even my Polaris. I get the need though, I would rather they put them in here than left them out entirely. I immediately switched to round Robin so that each oscillator activates even if it’s silent, adds some cool randomness to the sound. It seems really like a set it and forget it. Didnt know Moog did this all the time. Now that I have it, I feel like I ought to say it correctly. I stop and have to think how to say it, usually in my head I go “MOOg... wait, no, it’s the opposite of a cow sound... MOEg. It’s MOEg.” It literally takes me that long to say it out loud. Sadly - I like the name MOOg better but it’s not my name, so....
The new black version just looks so boring to me. But I have a mellow yellow beetle convertible, so, you know, it’s obvious what I was going to like 🤣
MIDERA Glad you got it for a good price!
Yeah, the panel probably would have been too crowded with all the other parameters. That doesn’t sound too bad if you can set it and forget it for most of them. The trouble with the sub Phatty is that because it can store presets those hidden functions get saved per patch. So if you go into active panel mode where the synth otherwise is set to the current knob positions, the hidden functions are where the last patch you used left them rather than a default init value. You can open up an editor on your computer to see these hidden parameters but it seems kind of silly to need a computer to fully program an analog synth(or any hardware synth for that matter). There are also strange button combos for programming these parameters but I find that gets confusing quickly as some of the parameters require using the panel knobs. Some of these parameters are fairly significant too like looping envelopes and filter slope.
I struggle with the name too. I’ve been saying it the cow way too long. Lol
I just think the colourful version looks so fun and inspiring. The new black version is sleek and subdued but definitely not as interesting. It would be a good colour for Darth Vader to do some imperial sound design on with those red accents though. It looks very “empire” Star Wars to me.
I love Beetles! They definitely have a similar aesthetic to the colourful Matriarch. My moms first car was a lime green love bug. Such a cute car!
Scott Jones Electronica, it’s so funny that you say that because Darth Vader was literally the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the new Dark models 😂😂😂
Emilio Rivera Haha, I’m glad I’m not the only one 😂
Very nice. I returned my Grandmother. I really wanted this synth, and shouldn't have compromised.
Thanks. I’ve actually considered selling mine. I have a lot of stuff and the hidden menu system is confusing and I always have to consult the manual. It’s a wonderful sounding instrument though.
Really enjoy checking out your music. Beautiful playing and sound design. My my Matriarch is arriving tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration 😊🙏🎹
Oh yay! Awesome... Which version are you getting?
I recently dropped a camera battery on mine, so I've been really sad about it. It made a veeeeeeery tiny and insignificant dent in my synth, but it makes me sad all the same.
@@MIDERA Ah man... I saw your post in the fb group that I just joined. I didn’t realize it was you. I totally understand and feel your pain. Physical connection with an instrument is a real thing, especially one as lovely as the Matriarch. I wound up getting the boring dark series LOL. Honestly I think they’re both super nice. I’ve been searching for a deal on one for a while because in Canada where I am they’re super expensive $2800 + 15% sales tax. I was able to get an amazing deal on a demo unit from a shop in the US and even with shipping, exchange rate and duty I was able to save 700$ so I’m just happy to have one arriving. I just had the idea that maybe you could cover that little mark on your Matriarch with a sticker that says Midera? My company does contract printing so sometimes we make wraps that serve to cover things up. Just a thought. Cheers 😊
Wonderful!
Thanks!!
damn it sounds so good :O
Yeah, definitely! Only scratching the surface here.
Sounds amazing 😉 makes me want to grab one
Thanks! I really like it, it's been a ton of fun and it's very well built!
Beautiful demo!!
Thanks Matt!
Some lovely sounds from your Matriarch. If I were to get a Moog this would probably be it (other than Moog One... but costs arm and leg). It really sounds lush, especially with the stereo delays. Congrats!
After getting the matriarch (and now the awesome update that makes it act as expected), it is extremely nice. I started thinking maybe I should get a moog one, but agreed, spending $6000+ on a synth just seems hard to swallow. Both of us could theoretically sell a lot of gear to grab it though, but I’ve always felt I’d rather have a lot of smaller synths so that I’d they break it’s not a huge loss, but the moog one breaks, you’re out a TON of money.
And thanks!
@@MIDERA It is a big financial investment but for those that can afford it, it is a luxury. At this time however I am focusing on other areas and have enough analog polys. :)
@@synth4ever Yeah - I agree. I have TOO many polysynths myself lol... Probably should cut down. I think you'd enjoy the Matriarch though. It's been a lot of fun to use.
This is really amazing
Hey thanks!
Congrats on the new synth. I’d say a great trade up from the AN1X. It sounds massive and so lush, can’t wait to hear what you come up with on it, so far sounding really good on the first test ! Fits in really nicely for ambient stuff. Once you get patching, this will end seriously sweet.
Still wanting to hear more from the beautiful PolySix !
Hey thanks! Yeah, it was a total upgrade. The AN1x is a nice synth for sure, but it literally sat unused since I bought it back in May/June... I should look back and see when I bought it. Just didn’t have the same magic, especially after I bought the Access virus kb which is such a wonderfully built VA.
The matriarch is sort of hard to understand, the filter especially. I turned the polarity to full negative which I think turned it into just an LP filter (it is a series HP/LP filter). Then it made more sense to me. It does seem brilliant. Hope I can really dig in and have fun with it. That onboard delay sounds really good too.
Really, my biggest beef is not understanding why notes just have zero release when the amp envelope is set to a long release... I thought the four oscillators would have their own amp envelopes? Maybe not.
Anyway, thanks for listening!
@@MIDERA it’s paraphonic
Nice upgrade from AN1x. Such an obvious choice.
This is true. It was a great synth though!
@@MIDERA I had FS1R with same filters as AN1x. Sold it for Model D reissue:)
@@Heavy_Distortion That was a good upgrade. FS1R is great, but... Model D is a a lot more immediate.
Awesome programming. 💪🏾
Thanks :)
Beautiful
Thanks :)
Great video!
Thanks!!
sounds nice
Thanks!
I Like this Sounds , great
Thanks!
I just got one of these it's the dark version. To be honest it just looks like a classic moog.
I love the colors personally, but then again, I have a yellow convertible beetle, so... I guess that explains some of that.
It sounds like a classic Moog too, I think!
Grats, you play nicely. You should check out the patch book the Matriarch comes with, or download it if you didn’t get one, also Moog published another book of patch ideas, available to download, which I’ve yet to get into, but soon.
I will check out the patch book over time. I’ve reviewed it a bit. Also did buy the other patch book, excited to dig in to it.
Nice playing. Just picked one up as well. Not a fan of the all black either. Once you start patching you’ll fall more in love with it. It’s a beautiful synth.
Thanks! Very cool - glad I’m not the only one who loves the look of this version more. I’ll be digging into the patching soon - but I wanted to just get the basics on day 1 :D
Dude you should do a studio tour. Thinking of getting this synth. I have a grandmother and love it.
Heheh, I suppose I could. The problem is that my studio Is always in disarray. I have a website where I review my current and past gear, if you’re interested in reading it. Haven’t gotten to the matriarch yet…
I just got a matriarch. One came up for a good price so I scooped it up 👍so cool it has the delay built in.
Oh nice! Glad you got one. You gonna sell the grandmother?
I'll keep the grand mother and put them side by side.
Nice! I’d love to hear your thoughts on a comparison between them sometime!
Nice trade.
I'm eager to hear what you'll do with it when you're well acquainted and start patching.
Same here. I’ve used my SH-101 a TON in my rock music. Thought maybe this would fit in that too, but I don’t know.
this is gorgeous. great synth (obviously) - but well played too.
Thanks Vincent :)
there is an editor called chonky for the matriarch and the grandmother from fuzzycat software. Look it up.
Thanks for the suggestion! I know there is also an online editor I’ve used before which is really nice.
Hello,
Sorry for my bad English I’m French....
Beautiful demo,
Is to possible to explain how you create your sound with the matriarch, i have a subsequent 37 But I look to the matriarch....
Thanks a lot,
Best regards,
Hi Harold, there’s not a whole lot to say - I didn’t add any patch points so I basically just fiddled with the knobs to make the sounds. I would have no idea what I did to create these specific sounds unfortunately.
Nice playing and sounds. I also love my matriarch but the resistance of some keys are different. Has anyone else also experience the same?
Thanks. I’d reach out directly to support. I don’t have that particular issue, but I’ve had others and they were very quick and helpful.
@@MIDERA thanks - I'll check it out
When I do this on my Matriarch, she says I am making noise. She has concept about music, but yeah...I call it making noise too. I can do it for hours...it is fun!
Who is “she”?
@@MIDERA oh sorry..my wife.
Ah - I feel like you were responding to something I said elsewhere, but I looked around and couldn’t see what I might have said, so I just had to ask, Hah.
My wife’s concept of music is Icelandic death metal.
What are the settings on the first sound? And the one at 1:46
I'm not really sure, I just randomly set things. I know that during my first recording I was setting the filter envelope to max, spacing to 100% negative (to only really have the LP filter on). I think that's part of the sound I was going for... but I don't know much else since I was just messing around. Sorry :/
beautiful playing! of course, this isn't a fair comparison, but which synth have you enjoyed playing more, the an1x or matriarch?
Well - I think the Matriarch is by far the more interesting synth. I like both, and they’re very different, but the Matriarch is incredible.
It's MOOG, to be good!
Yes indeed!
AN1x is a wonderful synthesizer, it has nothing to do with the Matriarch, just be honest, you like to make videos about different musical synthesizers, so the Matriarch is temporarily at your place, which you will change to another synthesizer in a week and shoot another video for UA-cam. That's all. :-)
I'm not sure I understand this comment... What am I being honest about? I bought the Matriarch in 2020, I still have it in 2022 and still use it.
I like making music. Sometimes I demo the gear I own, but if there's one thing that doesn't happen, it's cycling through gear constantly.
@@MIDERA I was also confused by the text about AN1x and Matriarch. :-) Otherwise, everything is fine, one thing has gone, another has come. Everything is cyclical...I changed all the op-amps in AN1x to super ones and now they have analogues (partially cramped) in my setup. In addition, he has presets, and analogues without them are a constant mess to turn the knobs and not be able to save the result. All analogues without presets are a great sadness for me.
@@js-sound It's strange that my statement about trading one synth for another would be confusing, or rather, interpreted as something it's not (i.e., that I'm here solely to demo gear, as I'm not a gear-demo channel). It was an explanation of the events that transpired as to the reason I have the Matriarch, a synth I had been interested in for years. I eventually picked up another AN1x, because I missed it.
Nice demo. Too bad you’re clipping.
I think you’re hearing the delay saturating.
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