A3
Oberheim Matrix 12
Year of manufacture
1985
Production period
4(1985 - 88)
Polyphony
12
Oscillators
2(VCO)
Waveforms
3+2(Saw, Pulse, Triangle + PWM + Noise)
Modulation
6(LFO)
Filters
4(4x low-pass -6dB/octave + 15 filter modes)
Keys
61
Features
13(Modulationmatrix, 3 Voice Assignment Modes, Unison, Vibrato, Portamento, FM, Pitch-, Mod-Lever, Ramp, Sample & Hold, Tracking-Generators, MIDI, Expandable to 12 single outputs)
Sound-Memory
100
The Oberheim Matrix 12
The Oberheim Matrix-12 is one of the fattest and most pleasant sounding synthesizers to this day. What set it apart from its competition in 1985 was mostly the Modulation Matrix, as Oberheim’s Matrix series were the first ever synths to have it. That made it so incredibly flexible in terms of modulation possibilities, that it can be considered somewhat semi-modular.
Apart from those capabilities, the Matrix-12 is already an incredibly powerful synth, with 12 voices, 2 VCOs per voice, 12-part multitimbrality and a keyboard with velocity and aftertouch. This synth is definitely no beginners’ device, but its virtual patching possibilities produced an unlimited range of never before heard sounds. It has been famously used by Vangelis, Depeche Mode, The Orb and Technotronic.