Vintage Synth Repair

Can anyone make a relative statement about the synth engine in the
Matrix 6 versus the Matrix 1000? I own the 1000, and am thinking about
picking up a used 6 as a replacement. Is this an improvement, or more
of the same (and with less memory to boot!)?


Ben

Hi Ben!

The Matrix-6 & 6R share the same voice architechture; that is, they
both use DCOS, two per each of their six voices, but unlike the M1000,
they have TWO master clocks controlling the frequency of each set of
six DCOs.  The result?  Usually described as a more "analog" sound,
there is no oscillator lock, making it easier to slightly detune the
pair of DCOs against one another, for that fatter analog sound.  The
Matrix 1000, while providing a cost-effective alternative to its older
siblings, has been described as more "digital" sounding, "dry-er",
"colder", etc.

True, you give up a bit of memory, but you gain the ability to
*program* the M1000 from the Matrix-6, you get 50 Split keyboard
configurations, and one helluva' MIDI Master keyboard, with control
over LOTS of parameters, both transmitting and receiving.  Plus, as
mentioned above, it sound more "analog" to many people.

Nothing against the Matrix 1000, believe me - I was considering one for
a time, but opted for a -6R.  But of course, as Your Mileage May Vary,
I'd suggest Try Before You Buy - Let your own ears be the judge. 

As far as rumored quality problems, I've never had any with my M-6. 
Bought it new in '86 and have played it ever since.  It even survived
the '94 Northridge earthquake with only a few small chips on the
bottoms of the keys!  And, there was a compilation of over 1,000
patches for the M-6/-6R released, and still available on the Web.  Many
of these patches wound up in the M-1000, so you'd be on familiar turf.

Things to watch out for...  No it's not been reported to leak evil
battery juices all over, like the Korg Polysix.  But, you still might
want to replace the memory backup battery at this point (3V Lithium -
CR3045, I think).  And, the Pitch Bend/Modulation levers have taken
some flak as well, for being touchy/finicky.  I've found that by doing
a Calibration routine (MASTER Menu, Parameter 52 - Calibrate), the
levers are zeroed out.  Let the synth warm & stabilize about 10 min.,
and move the levers, letting them "fall" into their zero position
before pushing the Calibration button.  

Also, you may eventually find that one or more voices doesn't respond
like the rest, i.e., the VCF doesn't open quite as much, some
parameters are a bit erratic, etc.  The cure for this is to: 1.) GROUND
yourself, taking CMOS IC handling precautions; 2.) Going over the Voice
board, firmly Press Down on all the ICs, making sure that they're
firmly ensconsed in their respective sockets.  If you do find a loose
one, you may want to press on it a second time to insure that it's
seated.  Careful not to bend the PC board too much while doing this -
Don't want to crack any traces!  3.) Try it out again.  The errant
voice *should* (I hope! ;-> ) work.

The cause behind the ICs loosening in their sockets over the years is
just simple heating/cooling-expanding/contracting, that causes them to
loosen.  Also, in severe cases, tarnish can build up between the
now-loose IC pins and their respective socket contacts, further
upsetting the delicate balance.

OK, probably enough prattle for now.  Here's to you making the best
decision for you/your music!  HTH - Hope This Helps / Happy To Help.

   Best Wishes,
   Dave Garfield, happy M-6/-6R owner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- chromal <chromal.dragon@...> wrote:
> Can anyone make a relative statement about the synth engine in the
> Matrix 6 versus the Matrix 1000? I own the 1000, and am thinking
> about picking up a used 6 as a replacement. Is this an improvement,
or more of the same (and with less memory to boot!)?
> 
> Ben


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