Xpantastic!

Hello Karl !

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Karl Schmeer schrieb:

Hi,

I have a M12 and believe it or not, there are times I wish I had an Xpander. It would be nice sometimes to have the CV ins and the output per voice. (Currently my M12 does not have the individual outputs.)

Yep,- in multi patch mode and playing different patches via different midi channels, the separate outputs for each voice are a great approvement.

Next,- I have my Minimoog modded w/ keyboards CV and gate outs,- so I can trigger one voice of the Xpander by CV/Gate, doubling the Moog, using the other 5 voices w/ midi,- just an example ...

You would think that 12 voices layered up in mono mode would be a thicker solo sound, but it doesn't work that way. With 12 analog voices droning, phase differences start

canceling out some of the voices. So at the end of the day 6 voices layered up is just as

thick as 12 IMO.

Right, but there´s difference between M12 and Xpander,- layering all the voices (or only 6 maybe) in unison,- the detune page, which the Xpander doesn´t have.
It´s only a detail, but also a small advantage, being able to select the same single patch in every multi-patch slot, setting the voice assignment to unison and easily detune all the voices against each other.

THIS is not possible w/ a Xpander,- instead, you have to copy the same single patch to six single-patch memory locations, edit each of these for different tunings and store, before you´re able to set up a multi-patch-unison-detune sound the way you can do in a M12.
Will say,- you lose 5 more single-patch memory locations in the Xpander to do this, but not in the Matrix-12.

B.t.w.,- I never layer the voices that way w/ my Xpander,- so I don´t care.

Voice cancelations are always happening by layering exactly same sounds and detuneing ´em,- so I prefer layering of slightly different sounds,- best different synths,- even these do similar sounding patches then, - lets say creating a super saw,- together.

According to the keyboard,- I never liked the keyboards/keybeds of the Oberheim synths much,- not in the OBX nor the OBXa or OB-8 and I absolutly don´t like the levers for pitch bending,- I prefer wheels,- best non sprung wheels,- like the Minimoog has.
So,- the Xpander was best choice for me,- also because of size and weight.

In addition, Obies keyboard synths are relatively large beasts.
I never toured w/ a Matrix-12, but I got probs w/ the stiffness of the enclosure of my former OB-8 in the past,- maybe a prob which also happens w/ a Matrix-12.
With the OB-8, this stressed the circuit boards mounted on the bottom of the case.

Oh Yeah, but your Xpander also does this.

b.t.w.

I have played the A6 Andromada and DSI stuff. IMO The keyboards on these synths are just as clunky as the M12.

Karl Schmeer