Matrix mixers

IOSISdrone · 2024-05-30T14:55:28.173Z

bereenondo:

I think I first saw Pathways mentioned in this topic and then ended up buying it last year.

Pathways owner here, I really love mine and there’s still so much that I haven’t tapped into with it.

I’m not sure if you’ve thought about it yet, but after I got some color-coded Davis knobs the Pathways just became so much easier and clearer for me to use from a quick glance in contrast to those tiny black pots, and it also is just so much better from a tactile standpoint IMO.

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bereenondo · 2024-05-30T15:06:48.806Z

Ah yes, I was just considering purchasing larger pots for my unit as well, that color coding idea is very smart.

Musictubes · 2024-05-30T19:38:36.171Z

I was initially excited by this mixer but have been put off by people complaining about noisy pots. Is there any consensus around if that was an actual problem and/or was it fixed?

eblomquist · 2024-05-30T20:01:25.074Z

Does anyone have any experience with this yet?

Thanks!

IOSISdrone · 2024-05-30T20:10:49.984Z

Musictubes:

I was initially excited by this mixer but have been put off by people complaining about noisy pots. Is there any consensus around if that was an actual problem and/or was it fixed?

I’ve got the original wood-paneled Pathways and I’ve never had any issue at all with noisy pots. I’ve never had any isseus with it period, outside of perhaps my personal distaste for those tiny black trim pots.

Obr · 2024-05-31T10:06:41.257Z

I do and have mostly used it for feedback patching and for that it works just fine!
It’s really clean sounding and it would’ve been nice to have some extra gain on tap and maybe options for phase inversion etc, but that can of course be done with a few supporting actors.

My next experiment will be to use it in my no input mixing setup and get even more feedback routing options

Has anyone here tried using a matrix mixer with a no input mixer?

mateo · 2024-05-31T14:04:43.974Z

So it looks like the FineGear modmix is finally available:

Finegear

Modmix | Finegear

Shipping now! Final assembly of units is currently under way. Thank you all for your support and patience! Modmix is a CV-controlled 4-channel, 4-sends mixing console with stereo returns and send-to-channel switchable routing options for no-input...

Est. reading time: 1 minute

I had my eye on a Pathways but this seems a lot more ergonomic and powerful.

Net · 2024-05-31T16:29:06.710Z

mateo:

I had my eye on a Pathways but this seems a lot more ergonomic and powerful.

I should hope so at over thrice the price! Looks beautiful.

clwilla · 2024-06-01T02:26:08.887Z

I have 2 matrix mixers in my synth, one stereo and one mono.

The stereo one (AI Synthesis 018 Stereo Matrix Mixer) is used in quite literally every patch.

The mono one (Atomosynth Transmon), is a powerhouse. 4 channels switchable bipolar, 4 channels bipolar with individual outputs, 12 channels of VCA AND individual outputs. Has great gain for feedback patching. It’s absolutely awesome.

There’s a decent chance I’ll try and find a way to shoehorn the new SetonixSynth Shaka8 and a couple of Shaka4s to replace the AI Synthesis stereo matrix mixer once it’s available.

bellyfullofstars · 2024-06-01T05:12:12.991Z

Yes! I use mine mainly for audio routing, like a multi aux send to/from my stereo modules, and I love it! It sounds very clean, and allows me to do so much more than I would be able to otherwise with my (relatively modest) 168hp system.

loopBack · 2024-06-02T00:22:36.278Z

I’ve been really curious about the Transmon, but I haven’t seen too much feedback about it, so I’m very interested to see your post. I’ve tried a lot of the euro matrix mixers: Bear, Doepfer, Bragi/Nodular, 4ms, Instruo Lion, and I strangely found myself using the Bear the most, despite the mini pots. I really like the apparent flexibility of the Transmon, with the different approaches to each output row.

The Shaka8 look interesting. I also really have my eyes on the Ritual Electronics Aranea. Diagonal mix!

clwilla · 2024-06-02T01:18:25.800Z

The gain takes a bit of getting used to. There’s a good amount, particularly on the VCA rows. You can really drive with it. Sounds great.

One really nice aspect is that it’s 8 fully functional VCAs with individual outs.

I would heartily recommend it.

110 · 2024-06-02T22:47:44.506Z

5x5 and biphase is a really good format. is the center position locked?

clwilla · 2024-06-03T02:36:26.272Z

From what read, they paid special attention to that. Yes, and not only is it dead at center, but center is detented on the knob.

sns · 2024-06-04T21:45:23.327Z

The pots are indeed center detented, they had some special potentiometers custom made for this one. IIIRC they have 1 or 2 more “pins” than the usual potentiometers (I had never seen this kind of pots before) with some added circuitry allowing zeroing the signal easily and consistently, as classic center detent potentiometers were not precise enough to do so reliably. I’d ask them directly if you want more details though, but that’s the main thing I enjoyed (with the fifth channel) while testing it vs. the A-138M (the only other eurorack matrix mixers I’ve had/used, can’t compare with any others).

I think they plan on releasing a video explaining this and demonstrating various uses soon.

pelang · 2024-07-11T10:40:39.876Z

…I am dreaming of a simple 3x3 stereo matrix mixer with the in/outs on an expander and with the possibilities of chaining into a 3x6 or 6x6 etc…grid (which means using two raws in Eurorack)
Would that take to much space ?

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desolationjones · 2024-07-11T13:20:02.497Z

Setonix has a new, stereo, 4x2 matrix VC mixer which is chainable. Expanders each add one extra output. No option for more inputs, but that would be easy enough to accomplish using external unity mixers.

pelang · 2024-07-11T13:36:44.188Z

they look nice. I can imagine a 4x8 system. Not sure if I need VCA’s… Matrix mixing alone can get supercomplex

clwilla · 2024-07-13T18:50:20.206Z

CV matrix mixers are awesome. A stereo cv matrix mixer seems ultra useful. Bring audio in and out of mixes and fx sends? Count me in.

Edit:
Since I wrote this post a VC stereo matrix mixer has indeed been released. Because of the exponential VCA topology it uses it doesn’t work well for my application, but it is otherwise a very nicely built and considered module.

pelang · 2024-11-01T18:41:12.475Z

pelang:

Would that take to much space ?

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