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The Oberheim Matrix-1000 was a direct descendent of the powerful Xpander and Matrix 12 and behind its deceptively simple front panel was a powerhouse 6-voice synth with a spec that was considerably more impressive than any other synth of the time. The Matrix series had a typical voice architecture of two oscillators into a resonant filter into an amplifier and out but at the heart of the entire Matrix series (not surprisingly) was a sophisticated modulation matrix that allowed almost anything to be routed to anything putting them on a par with modular synths of old but whereas the Xpander and Matrix 12 were horribly expensive, the technology worked its way down into the more affordable Matrix 6 keyboard synth and Matrix 6R module. Fantastically powerful but hampered by the somewhat tedious 'parameter access' programming method commonly found in many synths of the era. Then some bright spark at Oberheim must have had the bright idea of condensing all that synthesis power into a simple 1U rack unit with enough sounds that programming wasn't an issue. And so the Matrix-1000 was born. |
Operation couldn't be simpler - select a sound and play it! If it doesn't fit the bill, flick through the presets until you find one that does. It was cheap, sounded amazing and was a resounding success. Unfortunately, it came at a time when analogue synthesis was falling from grace with the domination of FM synths but the Matrix-1000 still managed to score a legion of fans the world over and many are still in regular use today as a source of rich, thick, organic, evolving, 'fat', 'warm', subtle, brash, bright, mellow, mysterious, eerie (insert your own adjective!) sounds! Two models were made. The first was plain black to fit the vogue of the time but they later changed this to Oberheim's original cream livery, presumably to add an air of 'authenticity'. There were no technical differences between the two, however, and they sounded identical. In close collaboration with Dan McCullough, a Matrix-1000 user and long-time fan of Hollow Sun (not to mention a regular contributor of exquisite samples for the free download area), the 'Definitive M-1000' features a broad range of classic and distinctintive genuine analogue synth sounds from Dan's own M-1000 which have been meticulously multi-sampled for absolute accuracy. As with all Hollow Sun products, all samples have been seamlessly looped (where appropriate) and supremely and expertly optimised for maximum impact and minimum resource strain - small footprint; BIG sound!. These are not modelled, virtual analogue sounds - these are the real deal from a genuine analogue classic -- unprocessed -- and are a perfect representation of the original. Whether you are scoring a block-buster Hollywood movie, laying down a wicked bassline, filling out a ballad or creating cutting edge electronica, there will almost certainly be something for you in this broad assortment of sounds. The beauty of the Matrix-1000 is that it can be modest and strident in equal proportions. It can sit in the background filling out a track with a subtle pad or it can dominate with a prominent sound as you prefer. The Hollow Sun 'Definitive M1000' will be available soon. Watch this space! |
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All company, trade and brand names shown, listed or implied above are the property of their respective owners. (*) Given the difference in feature sets and/or user-interface implementation between the different sampler formats, 100% compatibility cannot be absolutely guaranteed and some minimal 'tweaking' of some sounds may be required depending on the chosen destination format. Of course, you will probably want to tweak the sounds to your requirements anyway. |
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