In Use
My first impression of the Matriarch — even before I plugged it in — was that someone has really cared about its design and presentation. Based around a full-sized 49-note velocity- and pressure-sensitive keybed, it's definitely not designed for use in a Japanese sleeping capsule, but it's not particular large either. And, while it weighs a relatively hefty 13.6kg, it's not going to break your back. To be honest, I found the size and weight reassuring; a flagship synth should allow you to play solos, should feel solid and should boast a steel chassis, wobble-free knobs and large, friendly controls. Whether you like the colour scheme or not, the Matriarch looks like a serious synthesizer and deserves to be taken seriously.
Having first read the manual (no, I'm not sad, I'm informed) I put the synth on its stand and then connected its Velocity output to the filters' cutoff frequencies and the VCAs' gains. Next, I directed its Aftertouch output via Attenuators to the oscillator pitch and filter cutoff frequency, and used it to control the level of an LFO signal directed to various destinations. (This was when I discovered what a mess of spaghetti the Matriarch can become; something that was always a problem with modular synths that used cables until someone had the bright idea of placing all of the patch points out of the way of the physical controls.) But, notwithstanding the need to navigate my fingers through the wires, I quickly obtained results that I can only describe as gorgeous. I can't say that the sound was identical with that of a $50,000 Moog modular — largely because I didn't have one to hand, he blatantly hinted — but I doubt that it was far off.
Next, I used the arpeggiator in Random mode to create fake backing tracks and realised that, back in 1977, there were artists who would have made whole albums by widdling on top of these. Turning to the sequencer, I then experimented with creating modulation lanes rather than note sequences. This gave me two conventional LFOs, two loopable contour generators, two complex modulation generators and up to three ring modulators simultaneously, all of which could be used to produce some wonderfully complex, evolving sounds. It was at this point that I realised that the Matriarch would benefit from yet more mixers, multiples and VCAs!
I could carry on by telling you about the myriad monosynth sounds that I created on the Matriarch, including powerful basses and some wonderfully smooth or aggressive leads. (Try patching the output from the mixer via a bipolar Attenuator into one of the Mixer inputs; depending upon other settings, the results can be remarkable.) I also obtained some amazing effects, plus some of the best brass that I've ever obtained from a Moog... and much more. Alternatively, I could tell you how I obtained some surprisingly useful 4-voice paraphonic sounds on the Matriarch. Sure, you're never going to obtain lush polyphonic sounds from it but, when programmed carefully, it can create many interesting quasi-polyphonic sounds including polybrass, other simple sounds where the lack of individual filters and VCAs is not a problem, and yet more where paraphonic retriggering can be used as a benefit rather than seen as a shortcoming. Or I could tell you how good the Matriarch can be at processing external sounds. But I won't. It would take a small book to discuss all of these, so you'll just have to discover them for yourself.
Despite the spaghetti problem, I found that patching and playing the Matriarch was a pleasure. The control panel is well laid out and, while Moog's claim that it offers single-function knobs, switches and buttons is not entirely true, it nearly is. Furthermore, I rarely felt that I had to dive into the Global Settings when creating sounds, which was not the case with some other recent Moogs such as the Minitaur and the Sub Phatty. Nonetheless, there are a handful of things that deserve further attention. Primary among these is the velocity response, which works fine when directed to external instruments and soft synths over MIDI, but goes from a little to a lot far too quickly when patched on the Matriarch itself. Hopefully this is something that can be tweaked in firmware because it will be a pain if it needs component changes to modify the curve. And, while talking of patching, let's have the rear panel sockets annotated on the top panel; I found myself picking the synth up and flipping it over on numerous occasions while working on sounds so, if I were to use a Matriarch, my label maker would soon find itself pressed into action. These things aside, I discovered just one genuine fault during the test period. This occurred when playing paraphonically; occasionally, when three or four notes were played, the filter cutoff frequency jumped to a much higher value than it should. I believe that Moog are aware of this and are working to fix it.
Final Thoughts
Don't be fooled by its colour scheme; despite their visual similarities, the Matriarch is far more than just an expanded Grandmother. Indeed, Moog describe it as the pinnacle of their semi-modular analogue synthesizers, and I wouldn't argue with this. While the Voyager XL will always be special, I think that the immediacy and the sound of the Matriarch transcend it, with a more Moog-y character that can take you back to the 1970s or propel you forward into the 2020s as you choose. And not only is it a great stand-alone synth, it's well suited for use as the centrepiece of a Eurorack system. Inevitably, there are a few things I would have done differently; for example, I would have loved to have seen the Grandmother's spring reverb retained, and a larger version (the Grand Matriarch, perhaps?) with quarter-inch patching for traditional modular setups would be great. In fact, why not go the whole hog and design a five-octave version with a spring reverb, quarter-inch sockets, plus lots of additional mixers, multiples and VCAs? No? Oh well, one can dream.
But for now, this is a serious synth that will seduce you or, when provoked, bite your fingers off, or maybe even both at the same time. Sure, it isn't cheap and, while you could buy a lot of miniature copies of vintage monosynths for the cost of one Matriarch, I'm not sure that they would inspire you quite as much. Likewise, some might be tempted to try to recreate the sound generation of the Matriarch for a fraction of the cost using Eurorack cases and modules. But this would miss the point. The Matriarch feels like a musical instrument, and it's one that I would be happy to use in the studio and on stage. It's fun, it can inspire, and it sounds great. Moog are on a roll.
The Rear Panel
The rear panel of the Matriarch is much more crowded than that of comparable monosynths. It starts to the left with a fine-tuning knob and a Kensington security slot (the kind that you'll find on laptop computers) to stop someone absconding with your pride and joy. Mind you, I can't see anyone slipping a Matriarch out of the studio in the inside pocket of an overcoat!
Rear panel of the Matriarch.
Next come the quarter-inch connectors: balanced and unbalanced audio outputs, a headphone output with an independent volume control, and an external audio input. Alongside these, a pair of 3.5mm audio outputs duplicate the main outputs to maximise compatibility with Eurorack equipment. The next panel is dedicated to the delay units, with audio outputs, a CV input to control the amount of feedback in Delay 2, and an external clock input. The next contains performance-related CV inputs and outputs. There are two inputs — quarter-inch sockets for a TS sustain pedal and for a +5V TRS expression pedal — and these are complemented by six 3.5mm outputs with pitch, velocity, aftertouch and Gate alongside a modulation wheel output and a CV output that echoes the expression pedal input. The final analogue panel is dedicated to the arpeggiator and sequencer, with a clock input, a clock output, an On/Off input to arm (but not start) playback, and a 'Reset to Step 1' input. Digital I/O is provided by 5-pin MIDI In/Out/Thru sockets and USB that carries MIDI in and out as well as allowing you to perform firmware upgrades.
To the far right there's the input for 12V DC power supplied by an external, universal power supply. I'm not going to be as critical of this as usual because the plug in the back of the Matriarch is secured using a threaded ring. Unfortunately, the cable remains a little flimsy, and it's a shame that Moog didn't use something more robust as they did on the Model D and One.
MIDI
In addition to its extensive analogue connectivity, the Matriarch has a comprehensive MIDI specification covering pitch-bend, tuning, velocity and channel aftertouch. It also accepts Program Changes but, since it has no patch memories, values 1 to 12 select the appropriate sequences. Timing is taken care of by MIDI Clock, Start, Stop and Continue messages, the last of which is received but not transmitted. In addition, 36 MIDI CCs are recognised, with the most important having 14-bit rather than 7-bit resolution. Some of these don't follow the MIDI 2.0 specification, but it's unlikely that the differences will cause the synth to do anything unexpected. However, you may occasionally have to check which MIDI CCs are doing what at the other end of the cable to make sure that everything works as it should.
Arpeggiator & Sequencer
To the far left of the top panel you'll find the ARP/SEQ section. This works together with the Play, Hold and Tap buttons in the performance panel and the four ARP/SEQ inputs and outputs on the rear panel.
The arpeggiator offers three note orders: as played (forward), as played (forward/backward with the first and last notes repeated at the changes of direction), and random. The lack of conventional up, down and up/down modes makes this rather different from conventional arpeggiators, although you can emulate these by playing the notes in the right order. Arpeggios can be played over one, two or three octaves within a tempo range of 20‑280 bpm or, with an external clock selected, at the usual ratios of the incoming clock rate.
The sequencer offers 256 steps, each of which can contain up to four notes for paraphonic use, and offers the same timing options as the arpeggiator. You program it by selecting the desired location from the 12 available and then entering Record mode to enter notes, rests, ties and up to eight repeats (ratchets) per step. Having done so, you can select SEQ mode to replay the sequence (which you can transpose by playing notes on the keyboard) again choosing between the two 'as played' modes and the random mode. The last of these can create happy accidents (sometimes musical, sometimes not) because ties, rests and ratchets are included in the randomisation, so I would definitely have an audio recorder running while experimenting because you never know what gems might be generated, never to be repeated. Limited editing is also possible by switching to Record mode while the sequence is running, and then replacing unwanted steps in real time as they pass. The sequences in the 12 slots are retained while the synth is switched off, but I can't see a mechanism for backing them up, so treat them with care. However, arpeggios and sequences are output over MIDI so there's nothing to stop you recording them in this fashion and later replaying them from a suitable MIDI recorder or DAW.
The notes in arpeggios and sequences are played (or entered and replayed) with their velocity information intact, and you can access these velocities as a CV from the output in the ARP/SEQ panel. In addition, the pitch CVs of the notes generated by the arpeggiator and the sequencer can be obtained from their CV OUT. Since you can disconnect the arpeggiator and sequencer from the oscillators, this means that you can use pitch and velocity as two controller 'lanes', which suggests many interesting possibilities. Furthermore, you can affect the playback rate using a CV, which means that you can even modulate these complex modulations. This is all fascinating stuff.
Pros
- It sounds fabulous.
- Its panel is clear and friendly.
- It's fun to use and most things fall to hand very quickly.
- It has a wide, velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard.
- There's no menu diving.
Cons
- There's a bug in the paraphonic frequency response.
- The velocity response needs tweaking.
- There should be legends for the rear panel sockets on the top panel.
- It's not cheap.
Summary
Whether you use it as a conventional monosynth or place it at the core of a modular setup (or both), the Matriarch is a very fine synthesizer with many interesting facilities and a superb sound courtesy of some weighty oscillators, a mixer that distorts euphonically, and a pair of powerful and flexible filters. You can probably obtain more bangs for the buck elsewhere, but this is a real Moog and it sounds like it.
information
$1999