It does… my main worry was the size, and whether it might already cover some similar ground to my Minilogue XD. I’ve been impressed by most of the demos I’ve heard of it though.
I’ve not seen as much in terms of interactions with other gear though, I guess it’s plenty capable on its own.
And yet, you can start with the Erica Synths EDU System if you’re not afraid of some soldering. It’s a complete modular system that will come with a deep understanding of each module.
Also don’t discount the Dreadbox options, the Erebus V3 seems to be sweet. I’m thinking of pairing one with my DFAM.
Not at the moment sadly - I’m in the UK and was hoping to get up to Machina Bristronica today, but got screwed over by train strikes.
I’m in no rush to spend any money though, so might well wait until I can find somewhere to try one.
I’m quite happy soldering - that looks like a fantastic gateway piece of kit, I appreciate the education aspect of it. I’ll do some more reading on this for sure.
Pico system 3 is tiny and fiddly but also is quite a good learning tool, has more of a raw approach as far as attenuation is concerned and you need to make a lot of decisions of how you use your mixers for CV and audio. Really wish they would make a full size of it.
What @bwo said about Pico 3. Basically a modular bootcamp. Also extraordinarily useful if/when you decide to expand. Same with Ocoast.
Don’t have one but the Bastl Soft Pop 2 looks and sounds decent. I’m planning on getting one at some point.
2 or 3 well specced semi mods and a 3 u skiff of fancy VCOs, FX and filters and niche bits can get you a long, long way.
You could investigate the Korg Arp 2600M. Great sounding synth, awesome for experimentation. It’s a classic for a reason.
Both the Cascadia & the Taiga look & sound very good too. Taiga has a few grumbles on ModWiggler, Cascadia seems to have only positive feedback so far. Only thing with Cascadia is no effects, but it does have a send/return patch loop. If I didn’t have a fair sized modular, I’d be very, very tempted by the Cascadia. Intellijel gear is top notch & their support is really good & helpful too.
The size of the Matriarch can be a plus, if you can fit the instrument in your space. The knobs and jacks aren’t crammed close together. You do need longer patchcords sometimes. But it’s a really comfortable instrument to patch and play, it’s inviting. If I could save the patches, I would program it every day.
I never know how anyone else hears, but fwiw the Matriarch doesn’t sound much like any Minilogue sound I’ve ever heard. The Matri’s oscs, mixer, and filters are very distinctive-sounding. That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your personal taste.
So I am going to be that guy, and say that an analog 4 will give you 4 voices, CV outs if you really want to pair with modular one day, sequencers for life , FX and deep synthesis options. Not semi modular, but I started with semi modular Gear ( dfam and microvolt which are both awesome ) and the A4 has a modular feel.