Matrix Mixer from Erica Synths

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

This is the 16 inputs x 16 outputs matrix that is in the Syntrx made stand-alone. Thats like the electronic equivalent to a pin grid array. It allows you to route one to one, one to many, or many to one. The LED display shows the connections. The connections can be stored and recalled, think storable patch networks.

One obvious use would be connecting audio signal sources through various filters and effects, and configuring audio processing networks and then reconfiguring those networks. Another use could be in routing combining and rerouting modulation signals. There are many other uses.

The connections have three levels of attenuation, so this is not a complete digital mixer. Think more a summing mixer, with some limited ability to mix. You can certainly place VCAs external for more control. There is MIDI for selection of patches.

More details in this article:

Erica Synths home page, with limited info so far:

Note: Iā€™ve tried to give some detail, and be accurate, but please correct me if i got something wrong, itā€™s early.

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Erica Synths SYNTRX
#2

Interesting. I love matrix mixers and weird signal routers and this seems to fall somewhere in between.
I might have missed something (admittedly I just skimmed the links) but without full attenuation at every intersection you loose a lot of what a matrix mixer is. It seems more like a super bad ass patch matrix with a tiny amount of attenuation tacked on. I might be being a bit pedantic but they did choose that term. Iā€™m not dissing the product either, it seems amazing and I want it.
Iā€™ll read more about this when I have a minute, I could be off base here.

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#3

Thatā€™s my read on it too. I considered putting quotes around the mixer part of the name. It mixes signals, but not like a MIXER from Mackie or something. It still fills lots of roles, but that distinction needs to be understood.

Placing VCAs before or after would allow those sorts of uses, just not as nicely as if they were included internally with the patch.

Another product for that.

#4

Damn glad to see them making this part standalone, it is way too good to be trapped on one synth forever. Pretty insane what you can do with routing with one of these. Even just as a patch bay it could be insanely useful in pretty much any studio.

All I can say is having it in the syntrx makes getting this standalone matrix all the more tempting.

#5

Erica Synths had teased a 8 x 10 Matrix Mixer Eurorack system seven years ago.

To my knowledge they never sold it.

ADDED: They did, iā€™ve been corrected, see below.

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#6

Not nearly as nicely. That distinction is what makes this a somewhat coarse tool like a patchbay. Not that thereā€™s anything wrong with that.
The more channels (points? Rows and columns? Not sure of the nomenclature for matrix mixers) the more it matters and this one has a lot. If it were 2x2 it would hardly matter whether you had to attenuate outboard but even in a 4x4 it starts being a problem. At least thatā€™s been my experience having used and built a lot of them. I guess it depends on use case though. If, for example, it was just being used as a splitting/ summing/ switching box then itā€™s probably fine. I donā€™t think it would be great as a mixer or for feedback loops. Maybe I just demand an unreasonable amount of control. Iā€™m a little mixer obsessed, Iā€™m currently using four (including a matrix mixer) and three patchbays and Iā€™m out of channels, mostly due to splitting and rerouting rather than signal sources.

#7

On the syntrx Iā€™ve been really liking it for feed back loops, I mostly do it with the rough attenuation yeah I think using it might make you find general volume sweet spots that work well at the 3 different levels and then make fine adjustments occasionally. Really never was as big a deal as I thought it might be after spending time with it.

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#8

Absolutely ! Again things depend on your use, and how much detail you need. Once you go many to many internal control is the only way to get complete level control.

So this product has specific kinds of usages and we need to think that through carefully.

As i said, ā€œAnother product for that.ā€ ā€“ (those other sorts of uses)

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#9

Thinking about it a bit more I think if you designed a little eurorack system around using this you would probably be super happy with it, while adding it to a bigger already in use system might lead to some frustrations.

I think I will drop in a preorder, might just end up being a fancy patchbay for my DJ mixer or I might just pair it with the pico system 3 for the quick patch ability of anything can go to anything type results.

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#10

Well, my first thoughts, I see it as a patch bay with fixed cabling, but with tons of combinations possible. This could bring in my way (too many) effect pedals back in the game.

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#11

Just for a point of reference you can also look at this thread, for a digital patch bay product discussion (a different but related sort of product):

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#12

Lol!

I had this thing marked in my modulargrid for ages, hoping for one to appear second hand. Now I understand the wait :smiley:

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#13

Brilliant

#14

They did i own onešŸ˜†

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#15

20210722_200619
20210722_200619522Ɨ773 121 KB

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#16

wow excellent idea

mixersā€™ outputs a,b,c and d goes to OTā€™s inputs a,b,c and d to route all my synths and efx pedals back and forth; then OTā€™s and Mnmā€™s outs back to the mixer ā€¦

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#17

I brought 2 second hand last year, there great

#18

:drooling_face:

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#19

I think the CV in for changing presets is missedā€¦

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#20

The DC coupling is great, just a Volca + an SQ-1 + a couple of effects pedals would yield terrific results.