Oberheim Matrix-12 Xpander Synthesizer Video Tutorial #1

This is the first tutorial in a series dedicated to editing sounds on the Oberheim Matrix-12 and Xpander synthesizers. In this video I will cover the basics of creating and saving a SINGLE-mode patch. If you already know how to get around in the programming interface you might want to skip this video. Having a basic knowledge of editing synthesizers, oscillators, filters, LFOs, and envelopes will help get the most out of programing this beast.
0:12 Introduction
0:58 The Programmer
1:47 Primary Pages
1:55 VCO1 Page
2:47 VCO2 Page
3:17 FM/LAG Page - LAG
4:06 FM/Lag Page - FM
5:30 Tracking Generator
6:27 VCF/VCA Page - Filter
7:44 VCF/VCA Page - The Amplifiers
8:21 Envelopes Page
8:39 LFO Page
8:58 RAMP Page
9:48 Name Page
My next video will show how to use the Modulation Source Pages to program a variety of sounds. Thanks for watching!
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[@FireSonix]

The only one tutorial in the internets and it's great. Thank you!

[@H4NDCRAFTED]

Wow what a great video. I can't believe I passed on an Expander. This thing seems so intuative. I thought it looked too overwhelming.

[@lilskullymane4057]

super helpful, thank you!

[@gstormelectro]

You're welcome!

[@WearySisyphus]

Incredibly useful. Thank you

[@Jazztifier]

Great stuff! Thanks

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Certain parts of this tutorial help me better understand the patches on my Matrix 1000, which is a direct offspring of this model.

[@ronnicyborg]

thanks for uploading this video i've recently bought a matrix12 & need a quick start guide :)

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Have you still got it in 2019? Still using it?

[@BreakBoy45]

thank you for the helpful videos

[@gstormelectro]

You're welcome. Planning some M12 tips/tricks videos soon.

[@BreakBoy45]

cool!

[@Scorefusion]

Fantastic Idea! real turtorial videos are rar. good video job. till now, i never seen a synth with a better menu architekture. it's complex but easy to use and not so tiny to handle like todays stuff.

[@denzilstudios7072]

Nice tutorial, but have to mention that im getting bombarded with ads and drop out because of it.

[@gstormelectro]

Sorry about that

[@chandeleerjet5637]

Thanks so much for this! Video is 10 years old but still relevant. I just bought an Xpander and it’s super confusing since I don’t know anything about synthesis. Currently trying to figure out why all the voice jump from left to right in the Xpander stereo filed. Sounds like multiple people playing which is kind of cool but I wish I could make it mode in the middle as one.

[@gstormelectro]

Congratulations :D You could use the mono out jack instead of the left + right jacks. As well, you can change the panning back to MID in the Master pages.

[@chandeleerjet5637]

@@gstormelectro thanks! I realized that it was a setting but I kind of like if and got used to having some voice go left and right

[@FireSonix]

"Sync forces VCO2 to have the same pitch as VCO1" -- this some kind of inaccuracy I suppose. Sync button actually slave the waveform of VCO2 to that of VCO1 what add harmonic changes from VCO2 Freq (from the manual), but they frequencies are still different.

[@gstormelectro]

oops :D, *brainfart* ahem....sync resets VCO2 cycles to match VCO1. Even though VCO2 may or may not have the same frequency, possibly resulting in a timbral change. Now how about those tracking generators? Love 'em!

[@explodingPSYCH]

Could you explain how "reset" works for the envelopes. In the manual is says that when reset is off, the envelope will start at it's current value. I would expect that to mean that if I were using a envelop to modulate the filter (making it darker over time) that my new notes wouldn't start at the higher value that the first note started at, but rather start wherever the filter is at. However, when I test this (with only one voice active, init patch) the filter envelope seems to always start at the high value (always resetting). I can't seem to illustrate a difference between reset being on or off!

[@gstormelectro]

The manual goes on to say with respect to where the Env Amp Level is set at. If Attack is set to 0, and the Env Amp level is 61 - the envelope should appear to restart at 61. Because it is actually an instantaneous jump from the last Env level to 61. However if you increase Attack time to 30, it should be starting at the last level (not zero) and proceed up toward 61, then decay back to the sustain level normally.

[@explodingPSYCH]

@@gstormelectro Attack is a great variable to bring into this. I think what was happening is that I was expecting "zero" from the end of the envelope to stay low (zero attack, short decay, zero sustain), but what may be happening to cause confusion is that at that zero sustain value it's restarting my envelope from zero on the next gate, thus sounding like reset is active. When I use higher attack (or sustain/release) values, the reset and not reset values act as I would expect. Thanks for clearing up the mystery! One more question: Does your unit lose volume in the fundamental when use one oscillator with square and saw activated together? (I suspect they might have flipped the phase of the square wave to allow for more notes to be played with more waveforms active without running out of headroom.)

[@gstormelectro]

I've never scoped the oscillator. That is, until now - and the results are very surprising! Saw by itself, and square by itself are as you would expect. The square is not flat sided, but warped-looking. But when I selected both saw and square for one oscillator...it becomes what I call a blade wave = a saw with an additional sawtooth. PW changes the phase of the extra sawtooth in relation to the original saw. And it has no remnants of the square/pulse altogether. I'll need to investigate the schematic to suss this one out.

[@explodingPSYCH]

@@gstormelectro I'd be very interested in your discoveries. I personally really like the unique response. I find that triangle mixed with either saw or square on it's own creates a increased fundamental tone (As you would expect) but things get interesting when mixing square and saw. On VCO1 the mix of Square and Saw create a thinner sounding saw with an extra (smaller) crest. On VCO2 I find that it almost creates a square wave an octave higher! This happens across all voices I've tried so far, so I don't think it's calibration. A very interesting and unique design choice!? With VCO 1 and 2 responding differently, it creates even more combinations!

[@joachim595]

I’m trying to get a regular LFO vibrato going with some delay. I get how to use an envelope for the attack delay, but I can’t really get the LFO working on my Xpander.

[@gstormelectro]

On either/both VCO page(s) assign an LFO to control Frequency. On the LFO page 2, activate LAG (delayed onset). On the LAG page adjust the lag rate to desired delayed onset. Oh and you can opt out of using LAG, if you set the LFO initial amount to zero and assign a Ramp to modulate it (introduce/increase LFO amount over time).

[@gstormelectro]

Also, did you know there is a SIXTH LFO made expressly for Lever-controlled Vibrato? In the master page, select VIB - the parameters are for the special Vibrato LFO. While in the Master pages, make sure the Lever control says + and not off. But the Program VCO parameters for VIB also need to be activated from each VCO page individually.

[@joachim595]

gstormelectro Thanks for the thorough explanation! I didn’t see that you had written. I’ll look into it this weekend ☺️

[@joachim595]

gstormelectro So now I’ve tried what you wrote in the first comment. I get vibrato, but the LAG function doesn’t seem to work for delaying when the vibrato starts. For demonstration’s sake I put the LAG RATE at 63. What should I have as LAG IN? It says keyboard now.

[@gstormelectro]

Maybe use Ramp instead, for a fade in that abides the ramp speed. Or use one of the Envelopes, those can be delayed.

[@supravista]

I with youtube existed back when I had an expander 20 years ago. I was pretty dumb with it...

[@joachim595]

Are these reliable? I’m thinking of buying one very soon but I get a lot of mixed messages online concerning this. Some say they are very sturdy and way better than other stuff from this era. Some say the absolute opposite.

[@gstormelectro]

The M12 is generally well built. But it is bulky and not recommended for the road - rather, the studio where it never has to move anywhere. Like all similar digitally-controlled, patch memory analogs from the period require a new backup battery cell to operate correctly. If this battery is starting to drop, then all sorts of strangeness ensues - corrupt patches, OS lockup, erroneous reports of bad voices. Other owners have reported the M12 to be prone to display failure, mine are originals and still going strong...there is a calibration pot inside to dial in the brightness. I dialed mine down a bit to be less taxing on the 55v display driver. My encoders are original and still going strong as well.

[@joachim595]

gstormelectro Sorry. I was not being very specific. I was referring to the Xpander, not the M12 ☺️

[@gstormelectro]

It's ok, all the same stuff applies to the Xpander. Except the part about being bulky.

[@joachim595]

gstormelectro Great! And what are your thoughts on the US vs Japanese built reliability stuff?

[@gstormelectro]

I had a MIJ Xpander first, then sold it for the USA M12. I could not discern any difference in the build quality or sound.

[@sjstudiotv2011]

A question. Matrix 12 Do you have this sound on this link? themselves beginning in the duration of 0:00 to 00:16 kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5_EZHRtgbqqZ5o

[@frankschneider7190]

boring