Moog Matriarch Announced

SteeVtheRipper · Post by **SteeVtheRipper** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:29 am

Wow this was not on my radar at all! Glad I haven’t pulled the trigger on the Grandmother yet.

I think I’m ok with the features for the price. I haven’t seen the full spec list but given what the Gma has and what I can see from the panels I think it’s well featured. Sure for 2k you can get a Rev2 or other poly synths but I don’t think the value here is in the polyphony. I can’t think of any other all analog patchable 4 note paraphonic synths. I have a Dominion 1, that all said and done was about $1600 for a 3 note paraphonic synth. I love it. What it has in dedicated panel features the Matriarch makes up for in patch ability. And while the Dominion 1 has presets, I find I spend more time just exploring, so the lack of them on the Matriarch doesn’t bother me. And I will happily take the Matriarch’s 49 keys over the 37 on the Dom 1. I like the immediacy and fleeting nature of the limitations of a synth without patch memory. I don’t compare this to a Rev 2 I compare this more to a Voyager, or even a Model D. It’s a really interesting choice and a fabulous center piece for a modular rig. I personally LOVE all the colors, there’s enough black synths out there, and my home is very colorful (with lots of plants) and it will fit right in.

Now the only problem is this will take $2k away from my Moog One fund!

pre55ure · Post by **pre55ure** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:39 am

beedogs wrote:this is like a moog mono/poly, people should be extremely excited about this

Except I don't think it really is?
The appealing thing about the mono/poly (to me) is the ability to set up 4 different sounding parts and then cycle through them, and I don't think the Matriarch will really be able to do that.

I like it. And I fall into the crowd that actually likes how it looks. I'd be tempted to get one if I had the space.

And BTW, whats wrong with house plants and cats? I like those too.

gringostar · Post by **gringostar** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:45 am

I was really interested in this when I saw that you can use the dual HP/LP filters in either parallel, stereo, or series which means all kinds of MS-20 goodness but with Moog filters & oscillators... then looked at the filter section and noticed that they don't have cutoff frequency control for each filter.

mush · Post by **mush** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:51 am

gringostar wrote:I was really interested in this when I saw that you can use the dual HP/LP filters in either parallel, stereo, or series which means all kinds of MS-20 goodness but with Moog filters & oscillators... then looked at the filter section and noticed that they don't have cutoff frequency control for each filter.

They have spacing. That's controlling how far one filter is from the other, basically a separate cutoff for one of the filters...

mamsk · Post by **mamsk** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:55 am

i mean, i think this looks wonderful and i can't wait to use it alongside my GM. just gotta sell some lame guitar shit first

Jruss993 · Post by **Jruss993** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:55 am

I really don’t need one... but I really want one! Pretty expensive but I’m sure there are reasons behind it. It would be a great addition for someone who has a small euro system. Would really open up a small 84hp system.

swannodette · Post by **swannodette** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:02 pm

gringostar wrote:I was really interested in this when I saw that you can use the dual HP/LP filters in either parallel, stereo, or series which means all kinds of MS-20 goodness but with Moog filters & oscillators... then looked at the filter section and noticed that they don't have cutoff frequency control for each filter.

There are two cutoff in patch points. I would assume you could patch an attenuverter into the second one so you can have two independent knobs.

SweetNuthin · Post by **SweetNuthin** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:26 pm

Is this a limited edition release or not? i really hope not because it's really interesting

SteeVtheRipper · Post by **SteeVtheRipper** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:30 pm

I really like what Moog has been doing the last few years. It seems like not that long ago they had only the Voyager, the Taurus, the Lil Phatty, and a slew of pedals. I was scratching my head wondering what the heck they were doing over there. Perhaps they were a little slow to catch on, but in just a few years they have reissued all of the classic modulars, the Model D, greatly expanded the Phatty line, put out a new monster poly, and dove head first into the semi modular/euro community in a very fun and engaging way. Talk about a turn around. Love it! While I’m no Moog fan boy (I consider them a great option among many) I feel like this revival of theirs is fostering a love that I imagine they fostered for those who experienced their initial hay day. So many of their past synths are special to people because they were the synths they grew up on and loved. I feel like we are getting to fall in love with them all over again, a generation later.

booger · Post by **booger** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:40 pm

beedogs wrote:this is like a moog mono/poly, people should be extremely excited about this

Will the Matriarch cycle through its oscillators in arp mode (like a MonoPoly)?

calaveras · Post by **calaveras** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:45 pm

What are they smoking in NC?
This name is just kinda dumb. Names like Taurus, Prodigy Jupiter and Juno. Those make you want to buy them. Names like Matriarch remind me of America's bizarre obsession with the British royal family.

The Place / Time / Memory stuff has to be the most pretentious synth launch ever.

maxwellravitz · Post by **maxwellravitz** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:49 pm

pre55ure wrote:
beedogs wrote:this is like a moog mono/poly, people should be extremely excited about this
Except I don't think it really is?
The appealing thing about the mono/poly (to me) is the ability to set up 4 different sounding parts and then cycle through them, and I don't think the Matriarch will really be able to do that.

As someone who has already worked with it a bunch, I know for a fact it can do the round robin style movement that the mono/poly does. It goes beyond the monopoly too, in that you have two filters to move around in the stereo field while cycling through the different oscillators. Plus the patch points really open things up.

Also I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but there definitely is not an all black version planned...

SteeVtheRipper · Post by **SteeVtheRipper** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:51 pm

Wait a second. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is really a 5 oscillator synth if you have the Modultion LFO track the keyboard. Maybe 6 if the simple LFO can too. Maybe 7 if you include the Filter self oscillation.

Rex Coil 7 · Post by **Rex Coil 7** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:40 pm

I hope "NuMoog" equipped this synth with a better power connector setup than the Grandmother uses.

Rex Coil 7 · Post by **Rex Coil 7** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:43 pm

SteeVtheRipper wrote:Wait a second. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is really a 5 oscillator synth if you have the Modultion LFO track the keyboard. Maybe 6 if the simple LFO can too. Maybe 7 if you include the Filter self oscillation.

Maybe 58 if you patch 51 VCOs from a modular cab to it.

Or perhaps take on "Look Mum No Computer" and patch 100 VCOs to it!!!

Rex Coil 7 · Post by **Rex Coil 7** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:03 pm

Kent wrote: ... FFS, Worriers; there are people ON LINES that call themselves the houseplant crowd. What some people will waste time fretting about...

No shit. How to ride the tall horse ... the Defenders of one and all!!

Sermon over. Back to what matters .... Moog's new synth.

Meh ... a 4 note semi-mod para ... I'm sure it will fit nicely in many folks' rigs. Do I need one? Not in a day. If I did need something like it, would I buy one? Hmm .. well, I would certainly shop the hell out of the archetype among the other $2K poly/paras out there, that's certain. I think a better question might be "If I were to have only one keyboard equipped synth would I buy one?" The FATAR TP/9 keybed is worth about $450.00 all by itself, which for me is a big deal. So "YES" ... I suppose. Added up, it's a pretty nice package for the one keyboard synth system.

To put a bit of context on it all, my 5oct Dot Com kybd (with dual 20 inch ribbons, sprung joystick, pair of wheels, walnut sides and top) was about $2,500 all said and done.

gringostar · Post by **gringostar** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:26 pm

swannodette wrote:
gringostar wrote:I was really interested in this when I saw that you can use the dual HP/LP filters in either parallel, stereo, or series which means all kinds of MS-20 goodness but with Moog filters & oscillators... then looked at the filter section and noticed that they don't have cutoff frequency control for each filter.
There are two cutoff in patch points. I would assume you could patch an attenuverter into the second one so you can have two independent knobs.

I couldn't see the labels of the patch points clearly so hopefully that's true. The spacing control is interesting since you can setup both filters like a notch or bandpass filter, but dedicated independent control of cutoff frequencies is what I would want and having to use an attenuverter for it wouldn't be ideal is better than nothing.

It having a round robin mono/poly voice allocation though makes it much more tempting to pickup.

EPTC · Post by **EPTC** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:36 pm

Jruss993 wrote:I really want one!
Pretty expensive but I’m sure there are reasons behind it.

Ha, if those two sentences are separate parts of a math equation, I think Moog anticipates one sentence equating justification of the other.

plogbidman · Post by **plogbidman** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:17 pm

The GrandMother didn't quite do it for me.
But that Matriach is exactly what i was waiting for, a great semi-modular synth from Moog with paraphony (4 independent vco in that synth !!!) and a delay at a good price.
Now, i am just waiting the day i can buy it.

Muse FTW · Post by **Muse FTW** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:28 pm

maxwellravitz wrote:
As someone who has already worked with it a bunch, I know for a fact it can do the round robin style movement that the mono/poly does. It goes beyond the monopoly too, in that you have two filters to move around in the stereo field while cycling through the different oscillators. Plus the patch points really open things up.

Also I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but there definitely is not an all black version planned...

Wow, that's awesome to hear. I just got a Mono/Poly but would never consider taking it out to shows. Something like this though, most definitely.

Moog$FooL$ · Post by **Moog$FooL$** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:17 pm

beefed up granny mother with the same shitty colour scheme???

rowsbywoof · Post by **rowsbywoof** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 5:46 pm

Logical release after the success of the Grandmother, but I still can't help but feel it's priced a bit on the high end. $2,000 isn't completely nuts, here, but I think the level of competition at that price is pretty steep. I know if I was in the market for a new poly, and I had $2,000 to throw at my problem... The Matriarch would have to really blow me away at that configuration.

Then again, I'm not a modular user, so the patch points are a nice bit of extra, but not something I'd integrate into a larger system currently. For someone who is heavy in the modular category, this might be irresistible.

umma gumma · Post by **umma gumma** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:53 pm

I think it is pretty cool, and is a logical progression from the GM

assumed they might call it "great grandmother", but maybe that's in the works too?

The graphics and marketing are very smart, IMO: I have had several girls comment favourably on the GM, and in such a ( perceived? maybe it isn't, but it sure seems to be...) male dominated hobby, appealing to that segment is a wise move

I can just imagine the marketing meeting: "ok folks: how can we appeal to a wider market than old, eccentric, bearded dudes? "

I just wish it had dedicated octave buttons, above the keyboard. But maybe it doesn't need them, since it's longer than the GM

JohnLRice · Post by **JohnLRice** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 7:22 pm

mome rath wrote:lordy that sounds good

anybody know who that is playing the second song?

edit: guess I skipped the first part where they introduce all the players by name

Sarah Schachner! I wasn't familiar with her at all but what she did in the demo really stood out for me so I looked her up and found her stuff on SoundCloud. She's done some very impressive video game soundtracks as well as TV and movie soundtracks:
https://soundcloud.com/sarahschachner

The way she combines synths with symphonic strings, brass, and percussion is fantastic IMHO!

Her Call Of Duty video game soundtrack would be at home and perfect for any big budget Hollywood sci-fi or action movie. She's now easily in my top 10 favorite soundtrack composers and I've only known about here for a day!

I need to stop listening to her stuff . . . I have a show tomorrow I need to get ready for!

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/289370526
https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/291570594

JohnLRice · Post by **JohnLRice** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 7:25 pm

maxwellravitz wrote:Also I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but there definitely is not an all black version planned...

Just for fun though, here's a photo-shopped grey scale version I made since I was curious as to how it would look

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Moog Matriarch Announced