Arturia Matrixbrute [compiled topic]

I really hope the Matrixbrute stays in production long enough that i can afford one.

Ɖdition Noir

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This feels like the right comment to respond to:)

I just walked past a new music store in my home town, on my way to somewhere else. They actually had quite a few current synths.

I was fairly surprised how I was completely pulled towards the Matrixbrute. I also had some nice tinkering on the Pro3, and there were some big bucks Moogs, but man that Matrixbrute sounded cool and that knob per function hands on Matrix is some fun.

Wonā€™t buy any of them, similar like @dogur pointed out. But thought Iā€™d share some love/light on this synth thatā€™s maybe currently somewhat forgotten a bit?

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(OT: Oh yes? Where?)

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Donā€™t expect too much :slight_smile: Its a Keymusic, across Keilewerf.

But they had multiple synths Iā€™ve never seen; a Moog One (I didnā€™t even bother:), the AFX version of BS2, Pro3, and, amongst only a couple more, back on topic, the Matrixbrute. The kind of synth I guess you really have to see and feel. Even the size was always a bit unclear to me. (As expected though, itā€™s like poly synth big, but mono:) Itā€™s a really beautiful thing. So many knobs that are prerouted, and thĆ©n the matrix.

Those four assignable knobs to the side of the keys (like A4ā€™s performance knobs) also felt really at home at that place immediately next to the keys.

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Ah that s why the Key at Ceintuurbaan disappeared!

Ok, back on topic now ā€¦

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So it seems I might do a trade one of these days, my analog four for someone offering their Matrixbrute in my city. (Iā€™m paying a bit on top)

Any tips on problem areas to check out, when testing a second hand Matrixbrute?

No tips other than i recommend you take the plunge if you can afford it. Update to previous post: I did manage to buy one. Itā€™s my favorite synth. If you like endless sound design options and knob per function, youā€™ll probably love it too. It also looks beautiful in person and weighs as much as a small car.

Here is a good review with some sound examples:

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Amazing that you also got one.

It was such an experience playing it in the shop, and now someone close by had one for sale / swap. It had been already unsold for a couple of weeks - my guess is that in this oversaturated synth market, people find it a bit big and expensive for a mono synth.

Hope itā€™ll work out.

Iā€™ll miss my A4 Mk2 cause I really like it, but it had been boxed up for too long. Looking forward to have one super playable knob per function synth, next to my otherwise Elektron setup (Rytm and OT). I also had started missing having any synth with keys - nice and all, all those Elektron sequencer grids, but looking forward to sound designing and playing keys on this one again.

Yeah, I think the MatrixBrute will ease your feelings about letting the A4 go. Especially if you still will have your Rytm and OT.

For a mono synth, the MatrixBrute has the ability to capture a huge sonic palette. Iā€™m not an expert sound designer by any means, yet when i sit down and noodle with it i always come up with interesting patches that i never planned on, yet inspire me to create a pattern to record into the OT.

The sequencer on the MB is really really good, too.

Congrats!

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For the sake of the greater interest (cough, me), any people like sharing tips and tricks re: Matrixbrute??

The guy who I got it from tipped me to mind gain staging of the oscillators into the filters, gonna mind that.

Myself, what Iā€™m currently trying is using singular modulators (like the mod wheel or after touch) for multiple destinations. That way I can more easily find home back again; as opposed to using all the singular knobs for Osc waveforms, wavefolds, PW, etc etc.

I love the wavefolders on the triangles.

I love how alive it feels, so Iā€™ll always try to throw in some subtle modulations in for every patch I make, especially the aftertouch and stuff.

I donā€™t really understand the sequencer+arp combination yet. Will have to read that manual part again. But i think itā€™s not possible to record the arp into the sequencer, right? So Iā€™ll definitely try to figure the arp+seq function out, see what that offers.

I kinda donā€™t understand why I canā€™t find any great demo of this synth. Itā€™s quite deep but at the same time pretty easy to use, knob per function, great sound, good sequencerā€¦ It invites you to make some complex sound design. Itā€™s not that expensive and I guess itā€™s also sold quite well. For me it has two downsides: AFAIK no audio-rate modulations in the modulation matrix and itā€™s quite bigā€¦ But Iā€™m considering getting it though as Iā€™ve just found a b-stock for about ā‚¬1500ā€¦ I still donā€™t know.

Update: Not buying itā€¦

I wonder if this will shoot up in price like everything else when itā€™s discontinued.

Had a chance to get a new MB from Proaudiostar for $1249.00 but like an idiot, I wanted the Black Noir edition so paid the full $1999.00. Dumb.

BUT, I had one of these a few years back when I was just getting into synthesizers and was very unknowledgeable at the time. Played some presets, tweaked some knobs, decided I didnā€™t like it and sold it.

Knowing a lot more now about synthesis, I am just in love with the thingā€¦so much depth to it. My kid is also in love with it and just sits in front of it staring at it like itā€™s a cockpit or something.

Just wanted to show my love for this cool instrument.

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The Matrixbrute is a future classic. I will never sell mine.

What do you think of the noir finish and knobs? Iā€™m thinking of picking up an MB now that the prices are so lowā€¦just wondering which edition is best for me.

What do people mean when they say future classic?

Well in this case I meant that it seams like an under-appreciated synth that doesnā€™t seem to appear in a lot of folksā€™ setups and doesnā€™t seem get a lot of attention, BUT will at some point get its due, once people realize how deep and well-executed it is as a feature packed mono-synth. By the time it gets its due, it will be discontinued and with so few in the wild prices will be crazy on Reverb. (ha, probably not.)

Personally, I think a lot of people are turned off by the Steiner-Parker filter and think that the MatrixBrute is just a more expensive version of the Mini line. I actually love the MiniBrute, but the Matrixā€™s sound is so refined by comparison, and plus it has the ladder filter in addition to the S-P. The real show is the modulation/sequencer matrix itself. The sequencer is very similar to the Pro 3ā€™s, which is very well-regarded.

People that have actually laid hands on the MatrixBrute for an extended period of time generally seem to rave about it.

Of course, since I have one Iā€™m biased and I see what I want to see. But I have or have had other high end synths (OB-6, Prophet 5) and those are great too.

Question: Does anyone think that the matrix brute is likely to get discontinued or lose (or lost) itā€™s marketability due to the poly brute having six voices for only about $700 more?

Hmmā€¦ I think that arturia likely has room for a flag ship mono still, although maybe the matrix brute is due for an update that adds in a touch strip and morphee like on the poly brute. I believe the matrix on the matrix brute goes a bit deeper than the poly and I think the CV / Audio in and outs on the matrix brute probably give it some features above the polybrute in some ways. I would say probably the biggest thing against the matrixbrute now is there is just more great flag ship mono synths than ever and it is really large in size for a mono, it probably isnā€™t even considered an option to many just due to its size.

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