Interesting. My experience is the complete opposite. I find the Matriarch has such a presence in a mix you can’t use it willy nilly on every sound. Even the pads in paraphonic mode have some serious weight to them.
I’ve not owned an OB-6, but I recall Jexus comparing it with the Nord Leads. A thin ‘lucid’ type of sound that fits into any mix without much work. I like the OB-6 but would never pay 2 grand for a bread and butter synth. I prefer deep dives, which the Matriarch offers in spades.
A perfect example how people’s taste and impressions can differ 
That’s right. While I couldn’t get the OB-6 work for me, I’ve heard some producers use it to great affect. It really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. You must keep that in mind when listening to opinions, including my own.
Weight reduction in the Matriarch’s sound can be done by setting the oscillators to narrow pulse and reducing their levels in the mixer, as levels at noon or higher introduce drive.
The HPF by definition can cut low frequencies:
Series HP/LP - Bandpass filter.
Parallel HP/FP - Notch filter
Spacing knob fine tunes the bandpass or notch filter, by adjusting VCF1 cutoff. VCF2 cutoff is set by the big cutoff knob.
Source: Deep dive: Master the Moog Matriarch - Guide - CDM Create Digital Music
Have you guyz ever heard of mixing? 
This yt-er managed to make a complete track with his ob-6 without problems:
Something about Matriarch’s sound that’s been putting me away, at least watching all those yt videos, is that it always sounds kinda the same and ‘old’, still haven’t heard a single sound coming from it that’s fresh and futuristic, invoking new and beyond just ‘here and now’ and even worse, it’s often just ‘there and then in the past’. But maybe it’s just a user’s ‘fault’ (okokok not a fault but you know what i mean). i know ppl love retro stuff but i just need one person thinking differently for 5 min, nothing more. I haven’t tried a Matriarch but I tried an OB-6 and I could make it sound fresh and futuristic in a minute! …even tho it mostly has that familiar retro sound in all the videos on yt, i know it’s possible! But the melodies are retro too in those yt videos! What’s with the old?! Kylo Ren is turning in his grave! Maybe if someone could at least play some Morton Feldmann from the ‘50 on his Matriarch (or any other retro synth), maybe it’d sound less retro even with the 70 yrs old progressive music.
I certainly can understand some of what you mean: the Matriarch has that characteristic Moog sound, and it’s a subtractive synth, so it’s going to have that “old” sound. I’m not sure there’s a way around that in the sound itself, though like you say, maybe it just requires rethinking the playing. That said, there’s probably no point in paying attention to the Matriarch if you’re not into that particular sound.
Honestly, I think the OB-6 is the furthest thing from fresh and futuristic in its sound, but that’s because the Oberheim sound was on so many songs (both good and corny) from the 1980s. It’s also more brash. But if it’s new and futuristic to you, that’s awesome! You should just go for it.
For me, as someone who heard too much brash synth as a kid, and who has definitely heard too much FM synthesis pop as a kid, the sound of an extremely warm oscillator and filter is fresh and interesting to me. It is a pleasing timbre to my ears. But then that’s just me. I don’t make music of any particular genre I know of, and the Moog sound allows me to craft the soundscapes of my imagination. Unfortunately, the OB-6 didn’t, which is why I sold it; but if it does it for you, you should go for it!
I have no idea what a futuristic sound means today to people. Could you provide some kind of an example what you mean by that?
It wasn’t at first and the sound was instantly familiar but when I tried to push it in that ‘new’ direction I was actually able to get it there.
My expectations from Matriarch was even greater but bc I haven’t tried it yet I don’t know if it’s possible with just watching available yt videos which are probably purposefully retro.
Do you have any examples to show (yours or other’s), with Matriarch sounding more up-to-date or even somewhat new and futuristic? i know it’s not all about the sound palette. Some piano works that are 200 yrs old are still futuristic. And we all know the sound of piano. But some sounds are too ‘lazy’ and kinda glued to a genre. Maybe Matriarch is one of those instruments that more ‘lazy’ then others. I hope not bc i have the money and i like the looks!
the modules within the Matriarch and the Grandmother were partially modeled after modules which are some of Moog’s earliest; nearly 70 years old now. and that’s part of why people love their core sound. I’m not sure what you’re after, but likely that’s not it. maybe something cleaner and more precise? have you tried a virtual analog synth or VST’s?
Of course! I have a lot of VST instruments but I’m after an interesting HW synth atm. All ive left with is HW gear that’s worth having imo like Mnm, OT and Lyra 8.
Thinking about adding a Hydrasynth, OB-6 or Matriarch atm. As far as i can tell those synth are also in that ‘worth having as hw’ category.
For instance that doesn’t invoke the 70ies or 80ies the first you hear it (you = majority of people). That’d be a good start!
It’s obvious that all the people who knew the dark art of mixing Oberheims retired in the '90s, leaving a generation forever wondering how to fit it in a mix. I guess It’s possible that it could also be some peoples mixing skills. We’ll never know for sure.
I agree, the Matriarch and Grandmother both sound kind of ‘old’ to me. A lot of it is the circuits. Many come from the old Moog modular synths, and if you have ever heard those, they do have a specific sound, and they do sound kind of old. Maybe that’s why I like it. You don’t find those sounds in very many places outside of modular.
And I agree with your OB-6 assessment. I get all types of sounds out of it. Utilizing the X-Mod, I even get some wild sounds similar to what I used to get when I was into Eurorack, with the turn of a couple knobs.
Yes! Maybe it’s that! Because I went to a store to try a Hydrasynth and I liked it immediately! I also wanted to try a Matriarch but they didn’t have it at that time. But there was an OB-6 keyboard and i tried it and it was as you said; i was astonished how great it sounded and how much I could pulled off from a seemingly very limited synth. The other day i came i was just playing with the OB-6, Hydrasynth lost some of its appeal BUT Hydrasynth costs more than 3 times less! So, Hydrasynth is still in play! Would still like to try a Matriarch!
Btw, ehm, does anyone have or know of tracks that feature both the Matriarch and OB-6? (Or Prophet 5/6/10 and Matriarch?)
Not many of those on Youtube, which could be due to a number of reasons (it’s a combination worth about 5k, for one).
Here’s one that I think is at least half decent. I like the idea/composition but both of the synths play a very restricted role, which means one doesn’t get an idea what the two together could do together. Beyond the fact that it’s definitely possible to have both in one track.
Edit: The Oberheim character is there in that ethereal string sound for sure but to my ears the bass could come from pretty much any decent bass synth. (Plus the piano sounds like a VST but that’s a whole different story.)
Gotcha. It would be cool to see more wave folders in modern analog synths, especially poly synths. That combined with different types of FM and cross-mod would take things to new directions fast.
You can do far more than oscillator FM on the Matriarch. It also does some things the hydrasynth cant due to its paraphonic and semi-modular nature. I do agree it has a 70s quality to the sound, but that doesn’t have to mean ‘basic’.
I don’t own a matriarch, but about the OB6, a lot of votes go to it being to big for a mix. I don’t agree. It can sound arena big, for sure, but it does so many nice things in the mid and upper register that can be filtered to fit any mix. Not just big brassy chords. It has a very classy and distinct sound that always tend to add wonderful sparkles to a mix. Sorry, not trying to make you spend all that money ;), whether it’s worth it is a personal thing off course. It is a totally different flavor than the Moogs for sure, so complementary I think, but maybe not to everyone’s taste. Personally, I love that nostalgic sound from the OB6.
True. Its no DX7. The FM options can get really unique and cool when you combine it with paraphonic playback. The key is to be super subtle with it. You do run out of attenuators quickly. It’s a lot easier on the Pro 2.