Oberheim Matrix-12 | Analog Superpowers

The last big analog poly synth of the 80s, the Oberheim Matrix-12.
Incredibly powerful and flexible. It can sound big, full, small, raw, polished and crazy. All at once.
High quality&24 Hours Build Time: www.pcbway.com/
If you want to see a much longer, more in-depth video, where I tutor on the synth engine and give away some of my custom sysex patches as well as samples (both mono and stereo), you should consider signing up for my Patreon here:
/ espenkraft
This is an incredible flexible and powerful synth and if you're looking for a glossy bell patch, fast to make, this is NOT the synth for you. :P
But, if you're willing to dig into the modulation matrix and spend a couple of years honing in on the 10 million possible routings, you'll be amply rewarded.
Find my music here:
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Bandcamp: espenkraft.bandcamp.com/
Google Play: bit.ly/2NrgXD9
Find my patches and sample packs through these links:
thepatchbay.co.uk/product/tal...
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Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own music takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!
Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Erasure, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, The Human League, Propaganda. FGTH, Ultravox, OMD, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha as well as loads of artists doing what is now called Italo Disco. And many more great acts like Nik Kershaw, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Dire Straits ++

[@davetbassbos]

I remember seeing one of those in a store here in Boston, i think it was behind a velvet rope like the Mona Lisa or something, one of the few things you couldn't try, probably because it was about $5,000 in 85 which is about 13,000 today, that is a lot of ham sandwiches!

[@fjfrancois]

Lol

[@benbowland]

And it’s twice as much today!

[@vjrei]

I bought mine for $1600 back in 2002 in New York. The guy had no room for old synths and old tech. I got it because a friend of mine told me so. Good call.

[@dklotz]

In 2018, while shopping for a coffee table and some vintage clothes, I randomly came across a fully working Matrix 12 at the Rose Bowl Flea Market here in Pasadena, CA. Luckiest day of my life !

[@EspenKraft]

That's incredible. Congrats on that! :)

[@amsynths]

Great video! Fantastic synth for so many new sounds…I am building an Xpander from a set of original unpopulated Oberheim PCBs…wish me luck!

[@o.b.v.i.u.s]

Probably my all-time favorite synth... I've owned two, still have one. After 30 years it needs its first service. Thankfully there are now a few techs who can take care of it. It'll soon be back in my system. 😉👍

[@cerebralkaos2385]

Another great presentation Espen!

[@funkmachine6420]

Some of the best synth sounds I've ever heard. Awesome

[@patrikknoerr9777]

That was a great episode. Very informative!

[@pizzagogo6151]

We were all waiting for this since it was spotted in your last upload😁. Thanks Espen! I guess are so rare they don’t get featured much, great a lucky owner was kind enough to supply this...Fantastic piece of gear , amazing sound & absolute monster of a thing, in all senses! ( almost no room for you in there) The interface seems suprisingly straight forward to navigate!. It would be dream of mine to one day see modern clone😍- I doubt it...but we can hope.....

[@midimoog]

It's the perfect description of the Matrix-12: "Big, full, small, raw, polished and crazy. All at once." Matrix-12 amazes you each time; never dissapoints. I'm looking forward to see what sounds have been extracted for the TAL sampler!

[@AndiKravljaca]

My all time favorite synth. Endless possibilities, and amazing sound.

[@NelsonClick]

For synths - almost a Holy Grail. Apex of design and concept.

[@TheWarhammerfreak]

Absolutely incredible synth, I never knew it was so incredibly versatile. The possibilities of a digital synth with the sound of a poly analog synth... amazing, and well reflected in the price ha

[@johnlacey155]

The Ultimate! Fantastic demo of sounds and programming! With the power of this unit you could have kept going forever, but you've given a very impressive and enjoyable taste of it!

[@RayyMusik]

The most ultimatest! I‘d shelve every analog poly synth of mine, including a PolyBrute and an OB-6, for this beast.

[@ThomasDetertC64]

Such a Beauty. Absolutely adoreable , a timeless piece of Hardware ♥️🥰

[@joonglegamer9898]

Now THAT's an Analog synth worth talking about. Super deep bassy Oompfy sound, yet crisp and sharp - and ton's of it.

[@culturedslob]

Massive sound. Great personality and videos too!

[@fjfrancois]

Thanks for the Video. I have a Matrix 6r and I think I'm satisfied with it. 😊

[@dietmarschlichtherle7061]

WOW ! What a synthesizer :-) Thanks for showing ;-)

[@cortical1]

Great demo, Espen.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks man!

[@AnalogX64]

Never mind the awesome sounds, just even the look of the interface is awesome :)

[@adamharris7775]

The Oberheim Matrix-12 brass and Oberheim Xpander brass were heard in the 1986 Kidsongs version of the song "The Bus Song".

[@pufaxx]

What a great machine. And I'm always astouned about the Oberheim choir-sound.

[@Death_By_Media]

One of my dream synths . Massive ... figuratively and literally !

[@LuMaxQFPV]

I professionally repair and restore these. Love, love, love the sound, the spirit, and the capabilities of these beautiful synths. Great video and explanation of the M-12's features.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@chriswareham]

Monster machine! People usually associate Oberheim synths with big pads and brass sounds, but the Xpander was heavily used by Nitzer Ebb for massive bass sounds and bubbling arpeggiatred parts.

[@AndersEngerJensen]

12:20 In the long version you also get Jump… which is mandatory. 🥸 🤷🏼‍♂️ 😁

[@chloedevereaux1801]

does sound better on the proper obxa tho :D

[@neilbradley]

I've heard that, in Norway, you'll get arrested if you play Jump. If only other country's governments had such high standards. ;-)

[@AndersEngerJensen]

@@chloedevereaux1801 I’d say they’re equally fat and you probably wouldn’t hear the difference if you made a blind test-mix with OBXa and Matrix-12.

[@williamtell1477]

Gorgeous. And it is VERY big.

[@DJMacX]

love that choir patch you use in your demo track

[@matrix12x]

great video on a great synth

[@TheAlchemistRecords]

Good Video. I love my Matrix 12 , Matrix 6's and Matrix 1000.

[@kerzwhile]

I used to dream about this synth as a kid when it came out! 8th grade. The one of the few I have never owned! Excellent video!!

[@CorciPorci]

you are creating so much envy with your gear Espen!

[@EspenKraft]

This is not mine, but it sure was fun to make the video. ;-)

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

The King of Vintage Analog Polysynths!

[@Novaheart1998]

A friend has one and yes it is bloody awesome.

[@carriersignal]

This synth is still my dream synth. The one I have been wanting above all others. Had chance to buy one back in the early 90's for about $500. I didn't have $ to blow back then as I was saving for college. Also had the opportunity to buy two JP8's around the same time for about the same price as I recall. I kick myself in the ass all the time in regret for failing to go for it.

[@MRicciardi]

Hey Espen. Hope you're well. What a great video. The Matrix 12 was the holy grail of synths when I was a teenager. Absolutely out of my reach at the time. Only top artists had one. It was released in the US for over 6K. That was the same price as the Ford F100 pick up truck. By the time you imported it to Rio - my hometown - and paid all taxes and duties, it would cost the same as a small house.

[@EspenKraft]

I remember it cost about the same here in Norway as well. ;-) Cheers!

[@benjaminleon178]

I was fortunate to be at the NAMM show when this M12 came out! The guy playing it was awesome and really showed the capabilities of the M12. I wanted one, but it was too expensive, So I was able to purchase an Xpander which I still have to this day. Thanks for this video. Your explanation of some of the controls really cleared up a few things with me. Thx for what you do!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@adamharris7775]

The Oberheim Matrix-12 is the keyboard version/keyboarded version of the Oberheim Xpander.

[@MENTIONED_YOU]

top video. haven't used one for. decades

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@arneapproved]

Hearing your chords at 3m01s directly made me youtube Kajagogo "Too Shy" :-) Great Espen!

[@sinephase]

this thing is amazing!

[@chloedevereaux1801]

that espen, is a thing of beauty............ never had a chance to touch one, but if i had i would never have washed my hand......... stunning. look after her :D

[@samikalastaja]

12:21 yessss! Also, that is a hell of a synth. So big, so fat, so impressive.

[@McN4styFilth]

Probably the last classic on my bucket list.

[@flickeringscreens211]

Sound great

[@rainerminusunfug]

When I left school 1700 years ago, a bunch of 80's/90's hardware happend to fall into my hands. Among them was a Matrix-6R, as far as I understand, (the rack version of ) a downsized little brother of the Matrix 12. No knobs, only buttons, hence a bit tedious to edit the patches. But the presets are already awesome. Still the favourite im my tiny rack...

[@EspenKraft]

There are some fundamental technical differences between the Xpander/Matrix-12 and the 6/6R/1000, but they're definitely very good synths on their own and many patches can sound very similar.

[@SacSynths_Jack_Z]

@@EspenKraft Yes quite different

[@niallmacdonald2710]

I fell in love with the Matrix12 back in the late 80s when my friend had one. I got the Xpander instead for a few reasons though. Yes only half the number of voices but the separate outputs are invaluable. I know there were mod kits for the 12 to get the extra outputs, but the other reasons I prefer the Xpander are the CV and Gate ins for faster triggering from some of my sequencers, and just the size.. I didn't need another huge keyboard in my limited space. Still the best overall analogue synth of all time in my opinion. Nice to see your take on the 12. I have a Matrix6r too. Another great synth, but not in the same league in either abilities or price.

[@carlosserrano3985]

A monster synth, remember when it came out it cost a fortune, not only looks stunning also sounds massive. One of the synths that Mr. Tom Oberheim needs to bring back, YES WHY NOT!

[@andivax]

In your TAL sample library it sounds PHENOMENAL!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@christiand8243]

If you need someone to take care of your synths and studio while you're on vacation, please let me know 😉 great video Espen! 💯💯💯

[@amplifier2]

Ahhh. Beautiful.

[@sasandabirian8768]

Ahhhh the 80s guy are back! Lol As always magnificent job.

[@b-north]

this sounds so good through the ipad speakers it should be studied !!!! this synth is the most powerful i’ve seen and it is crazy good !!!!

[@bluetv6386]

Simply the best.

[@stevewallis661]

That thing is a beast! I think it's the best synth you've ever reviewed on your channel! Where do you find all these amazing synths?

[@EspenKraft]

They just come flying...

[@normalizedaudio2481]

Wow, nice, you got one.

[@g-muni5855]

Might look into this beast or the Xpander next year. This UI design inspired John Bowen' Solaris, and Modal 008

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Hey Espen That Matrix 2 sounds great, I know the Yamaha Motage 7 is not vintage but it can make all those 80s sounds and more and I so tempted to buy it.

[@n8goulet]

I have one basically. The Montage is a great synth and very powerful, but I really doubt you would make all of these 80s sounds. Some of them, probably. The Montage doesn't have an analog engine, but the AWM2 engine is capable of making some, as is the powerful sampling engine. Programming them is the difficult part. With the right programmer, almost any sound is possible, but many of the sounds you'd get from the Matrix 12 are improbable someone would figure them out or offer them available to you. Arturia's Matrix 12 software synth is likely the closest you will come to these sounds. Some say it isn't spot on, but I'd think most would say it's reasonably close.Still, the Arturia model of this synth has had worse feedback than many of their others for sounding authentic. They improve their models every so often, give it a couple more years and it will be better.

[@jamesmeeker6933]

A real high-tech sounding synth. Not as beefy as earlier designs, but an eminently flexible, easy-to-mix machine.

[@retro-dademusic6403]

Jan Hammer recorded and performed with the Xpander in the late 80s. Beautiful sounding synth!!! 😎

[@rm2kmidi]

This demonstration piece almost has a Anders Enger Jensen sound to it :P

[@erictripton]

By far, my favorite synthesizer!! Thanks for sharing these huge sounds, Espen. Need a small loan to purchase one of these in mint condition..

[@6581punk]

TBH, earlier Oberheims are warmer in sound. Personally I'd go for the Behringer ub-xa. At least it will last many years before failing. Vintage synths are like classic sports cars, fine when they're running and expensive when they're not.

[@angelog.spicolaiii8021]

Had Matrix -6 with Xpander that pretty much gave me the equivalent of OBM-12. Sadly the Matrix got burgled and regrettably sold the Xpander used some of those proceeds to finance my first Kurz's sample option SMP-K $499 back then for it and ya only got 2Mb's standard although I never felt limited by that relatively small amount I could do alot with 2mb of RAM with no hindrances pretty efficiently it was not difficult to get 44 usable sampled sounds or so onto one floppy edited, looped & trimmed ready to be played & used thanx dude

[@simonsorensen5405]

I see that Fizmo rack lurking back there!

[@suadcokljat1045]

This is very very nice. Cheers! S

[@krinzologicstudio]

Dammn...it doesn't sound, IT SINGS! Love it so much! 2nd hand rate prices are fool today and all we know what is a maintenance cost for this old lovely T-rex!

[@robwebnoid5763]

I thirsted over the Matrix 12 in the advertisements & reviews in Keyboard Magazine in the 1980's. Of course, as a teen back then, I did not have thousands of dollars (usd), so perusing the pages & its specs on paper was the best I had of it.

[@venomslair137]

A real beast!!!

[@mitchelstephen7536]

I agree, i have an Xpander. Roland also had the JX-10, but to me it is much more polite sounding.

[@derekbaker3279]

Wow! Drool-worthy sounds! 😮 I was particularly impressed with the brass patch. 👍👍 You're doing a sample pack for the Matrix-12 right? 🙏

[@EspenKraft]

Yes I am, for the TAL sampler.

[@gregoryosullivan]

Now this is a synth you don't see every day!

[@DoktorPlay]

IMO the best sounding synth of all times. This warmth is unique! 12:21 HAHA! 3 sec. KZbin strike limit.

[@ytpremium7649]

The first time I heard this thing was inside Sam Ash Music Store, Some rock keyboardist demoed it by playing some incredible sounding horn patch

[@neilbradley]

Love my Matrix 12! But I also have an Xpander and the Arturia plugin, so it feels like the right thing to sell it...

[@timothydahlin5321]

Waiting for TSMC to sponsor you 😂. Dreamed of getting a chance to touch a matrix12 in my younger days. Matrix 1000 was one of my favorite synths... Just a few sem chips....

[@tuberaudio4282]

I am really a big fan of you...from India🙏🙏🙏

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks!

[@H71BCD]

My brother responded to a newspaper ad for an ‘Oberheim Keyboard ‘ and I went along with him. He was hoping it might be an OBX-A but it was actually one of these. It was being sold by some guy who I guess didn’t know what it actually was. The thing is, my brother didn’t like it as he wanted a ‘proper’ 80s poly synth with all the knobs. This was around the mid 90s when I guess they weren’t as sought after as they are now. He could have purchased it for only a couple hundred dollars. He still has regrets.

[@EspenKraft]

A lot of people made mistakes in the mid 90s in regards to both buying and selling. I'm one of them.

[@H71BCD]

I also had a buddy in another band that had the chance to purchase a rare Memorymoog Sanctuary from a church. He didn’t get it because he thought it wasn’t a proper Memorymoog (they were) and that it wasn’t working properly. Again he has regretted that for years.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

I have lately been having a daydream that if I were 17 years old in 1985, my arsenal would include a Rhodes Mark V piano, a Prophet T8, a DX7 and - the Matrix 12’s little sibling, the Xpander. In fact, I was only 5 and wouldn’t even hear the word “synthesizer” until 3 years later. What I have wondered is if the 6-note polyphony versus 12-note polyphony had any impact on the number of matrix modulation routes under its hood. You might’ve addressed that here, but I would need to go back and listen again.

[@mastercylinder1939]

Bringing back disco.

[@learnmusic488]

I always thought the Matrix12 was DCO… guess I was wrong… because it was right in the middle of that whole “pigeon head hairstyle” DCO era (that I hated lol) Everybody was using the DX7, some sort of DCO Korg, and Roland Juno smthing …. ahhh the 80’s. I used to curse them. Now I long for them lol

[@jsaulkane5893]

the greatest of them all..? I've got or had most of the greats.. the xpander/matrix are not that programme friendly. but the tone the size and end results are unbeatable.. not a synth you can just turn on and get killer sounds with but with a bit of synth knowledge and patience and these are unbeatable.. one of those no other synth sounds like.

[@TheJonathanlewis1000]

Hi Espen love the video there are so few Matrix 12 videos ever made. I have one - could we trade sound banks? I have over 100 presets made which are very different from the stock ones. sysex file is very easy to swap. :) Thanks Jonathan.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! Sounds in this video is a combination of many things, they don't exist in one separate bank.

[@puzzzl]

This thing is like the Pimp My Ride of synths

[@imthezongz]

To add to my (seemingly lost) previous comment abt. Matrix-12 & Jupiter-8 where I mentioned Lee Ritenour's track "Soaring ... -> In case you wonder who Pekka Pohjola (the Finnish fusion bassist/composer) was, and how he's related to synths, here's just one track featuring the Roland Jupiter-8 in all it's glory, not played by any sequencer software but by humans, straight to multitrack tape. These guys are Timo Vesajoki and Jussi Liski. You really, really want to listen to this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmeqgGmGnNtlqtU - For all you analog synth, sound and studio lovers. :-)

[@imthezongz]

Earth Run/ Soaring really features the Matrix-12 at its finest. I think the programming was done by Larry Willians, Michael Boddicker, Steve Porcaro, Michael Omartian etc., the usual suspects at the time. Of which Williams has always been THE personal hero of mine. Anyway, listen to these legendary tracks please, and try to imagine how big and great these synths sounded at large, in the studio, on the records, and at live gigs. No laptop can ever top that - it's always a vague assumption.

[@imthezongz]

About playing the OB Xpander et al. live, here's Larry Williams. (Yes, the guy who plays the legendary synth solo on Al Jarreau's studio version of the Chick Corea song "Spain".) This was recorded in 1985 at the Pori Jazz festival in Pori, Finland. It also features other legends like Dave Grusin (p), Jimmy Johnson (b). And last, but not least, the as good a drummer as Jeff Porcaro, the too soon gone Caros Vega. Put your headphones on. This is what the best live music sounded live in the 1980's - the last time live was this good... kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmqzanWJprWUatE

[@imthezongz]

Sigh... It seems that KZbin really hates the Spotify links. One final time the Soaring, this time on YT itself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpzYhaSnnsmVoKs

[@Javelin276]

A couple of huge advantages Espen didn't mention are that the Matrix-12 has 100 patch memory slots (and 100 multi patches). Most of the Modular/Analog Poly synths didn't have any patch memory at all. It also has an extensive midi interface, also pretty unique for an Modular/Analog. There is even a more modern PC Editor which allows you to transfer patch banks in and out using the midi interface, and lets you edit the parameters from a PC. Huge pluses in my opinion! You get none of that with a Yamaha CS-80...

[@1vootman]

I have an Xpander, which I love...but I like my Andromeda a little better than the Xpander sound wise...its bigger/weightier sounding in the low lows.

[@smacloopy4029]

Yes , I have an Andromeda and I think it's the most powerful analog poly..both in sound and flexibility. It can make my Matrix-12 sound a bit thin.

[@tysonboy1980]

I wanted that machine so badly. But 5k…. Wasn’t going to happen. So I just stuck with my used Korg Poly 61. And was happy to have that.

[@silverlight2004db]

Thanks for your great videos and channel! Are there any known issues with buying a matrix 12 nowadays? Or could i reasonably expect to get plenty of trouble-free studio use if i bought a fully serviced unit in very good condition?

[@EspenKraft]

The biggest issue is the price you'd have to pay. Totally not worth it musically, but if you're loaded with cash... Full serviced can mean so much these days. You should at least know who's done it and what reputation they have. Without that knowledge it could get a lot more expensive. Fast.

[@silverlight2004db]

@@EspenKraft yes i understand i would be looking at around 10-12K. I'm viewing it equally as a premium instrument purchase and an investment at the same time.

[@EspenKraft]

Yes, as long as our generation (we that experienced the 70s and 80s when these synths were new) is still alive, there will be inflated- and collector driven prices. These prices will fall drastically once our generation is dead, and that is starting to happen. The generations after us will be very uninterested in these synths. So buy it now, hold on to it for 10 more years, at the max. The sell and cash out. Then spend it on fun quickly before you too are gone. That's my firm attitude on these matters. ;-)

[@XPJV]

This sounds richer then JP-8 or CS-80!

[@smacloopy4029]

I have a Matrix 12 and a CS80. Side by side the CS80 wins hands down in sound quality and tone. JP8 & OBX are close. Where the Matrix 12 is king though is in it´s flexible modulation, which with good programming can provide some very rich and complex sounds.

[@qlyde]

I would buy Espen Kraft Sampled Instrument Packs 100%. Take some of these great synths, and sample them through your S550 or S900 and then some clean samples straight into your DAW and then sell them! I bought all of the samples from Matt Johnson (Jamiroquai) and they're great, something different to use with a real sampled sound. He builds the Kontakt/Logic Sampler patches as well but I'd buy it even if it was just raw audio files lol.

[@EspenKraft]

I do sell sample-packs of a lot of synths. ;)

[@smolarec1]

what a mashine!

[@8BitNaptime]

Looks quite big, I'll gladly hold it for you in my living room.

[@EspenKraft]

It's long gone so more space now.

[@8BitNaptime]

@@EspenKraft Hehehe oh well. Can I ask if you sold it, and if so was the price closer to 1000 dollars or 10000?

[@EspenKraft]

It was never mine to begin with. I had borrowed it.

[@8BitNaptime]

@@EspenKraft Better to have borrowed and returned a Matrix-12 than to never have had a Matrix-12 at all.

[@EspenKraft]

It's a fun synth and totally not worth what the market is demanding for it of course.

[@adrianstein2222]

Yeah Baby , thats the Power of the 80's

[@Marcel1979K]

This thing looks like it was made today, but with retro components.

[@reubennb2859]

These were used all over Sand, by Allan Holdsworth. Wonderful album

[@gordon2402]

A Dream 👍🏻🎹🎶

[@rg2027x]

Behringer! get on the ball with this one 😺

[@sylvainfortin841]

Wow ! 😲

[@lundsweden]

Is this the Matrix 1000's Father?

[@MrQmason]

Xpander's daddy