Arturia MatrixBrute Reviews

A synth for the pros

Very high quality and very powerfull sounds.

Very heavy and difficult to master.

The best analog-mono synth..with modulation power..very flexible and

gives you the path for synthesis for easy..

Great synthesizer

It's a brilliant, comprehensive monsynth (or Paraphonic).

Pros - the sound is great, the options to edit and create are endless, the mod matrix is quite easy to use with a bit of practice and tuition. The sequencer is very easy to use, the CV options and outputs/inputs on the rear panel make it very expandable into and out of Eurorack. It's beautifully made and exudes quality.

Cons - the options are endless and sometimes endless choice makes creativity difficult. Limitation in its own way may be a more potent creative force. The Paraphonic mode is so far a little underwhelming but that could easily be me rather than the capability of the synth. I'm not entirely sold on the in-built BBD effects and they can't be used simultaneously. I use an external board with HoF2, Nux Tapecore, Tailspin, etc. instead.

When I decided upon an analogue hardware synth for my studio rig, the features and flexibility of the Arturia MatrixBrute blew the competitors straight out of the water. It is a sturdy, big instrument with a quality built that will last for years of intensive use without any foreseeable issues. The central matrix is a hybrid delight, enabling you to store your patches, route your vast modulation options, compose your sequences, all with an ease that promotes the workflow. Upload and download patches to and from Arturia's MIDI Control Center, and you are off to build your own library of sounds.

Not the most punchy paraphonic monosynth on the planet, but its three VCO's still deliver tremendous dynamics and color, while the Steiner-Parker and ladder filters can be driven hard if needed, especially with the Brute Factor knob at play. Three LFO's with plenty of modulation options, three envelopes, one hard-wired to VCF and another to VCA, user-defineable macro knobs, bucket-brigade analogue effects, arpeggiator, different voice and play modes, audio input to process your external signal...this machine is so complete that you will need time and dedication to fully appreciate its possibilities. Connectivity with the modular world is also fully covered, although I haven't gone there yet. Weaker points? Since it is digitally controlled analogue, the knob positions do not correspond when loading a stored patch. only when manipulating them they "jump" to the corresponding setting. This requires a bit of handiness and experience. there is a multitude of instructive videos on the web, and the manual will get you going initially. It has been quite an investment, but one that has proven worth it...this ain't no toy.

Beautiful synth but for real enthusiasts only

The matrix brute is text book design on user friendly synths. However, after a few moths

I sold the synth for the following reasons:

- Too overwelling number of options (albeit very accessible)

- Analogue oscillators which require to be to tuned too often to my taste

- I prefer (with hindsight) a polysynth for the price

A great blend of analogue and digital technology.

The build quality is very high and gives a sense that this is an instrument that will last for many years. The sound creation possibilities are vast and tones have that fat analogue quality we love from the classic synths of the past.

The one drawback that I have experienced in the 3 months I have used the synth is that the knobs will not represent their settings when you change patches. This means you can't easily see the settings of the knobs and sliders once you change patches since they will not be in their real positions for the new patch until you move the knob. If you are an expert in sound design you will know which parameter to adjust if you want to tweak the sound and so this is not too much of a drawback. For most people though it would be a real bonus to be able to see the settings. In order to do this the front panel would need to be redesigned to have LED's to represent the knob positions. Not all of the knobs have a fixed range though (some will turn more than 360 degrees) so this is not a full solution.

That being said this synth is super fun, well made and is destined to be one of the great classic synths. Excellent work Arturias!

Amazing synth with poor quality effects

Arturia MatrixBrute is one of those synths you need to try yourself in the studio to fully realise the potential of the instrument which in a way is limitless. It's very solid synth with amazing design and sound but unfortunately I can't say the same when it comes to its effects section. All the effects sound very cheap and pure as for my taste and sometimes they even tend to spoil the initial sound you've got. It's of course not that big problem if you like using external effects but for musicians who like to have all-in instrument it might be an issue. Nevertheless for its price I think it's one of the best synths on the market right now.

The best synth of its era

She's a heavy girl and oozes quality. Ignore the preset, you'll be doing your own sounds/sequences/routings in no time.