MATRIXSYNTH: MATRIXSYNTH Turns 8!


Saturday, July 20, 2013

MATRIXSYNTH Turns 8!

Today marks the eight year anniversary of MATRIXSYNTH!

I usually go a bit in depth on what it takes to run the site, but this year I thought I'd keep things relatively short and just focus on what the site means to me and why it exists in the grand scheme of things. I'd also like to ask you what MATRIXSYNTH means to you. Please share in the comments below.

For me the site is a daily log of everything synth from the perspective of us, the users of synths, with the focus on the individual synths. With a few exceptions, each post showcases and features individual synths that you can clearly identify and get a feel for. It's a day in the life of synths. It's what was put out there each and every day and in time we'll be able to look back and see what was shared by the community every single day since July 20, 2005 (minus Aug 6, 2005). You might notice I don't interject much in posts. There is a reason for that. I believe things should be presented as they were meant to be presented by the creator of the content. It's my job to share what is out there unbiased. It's up to you to take whatever you want from it. MATRIXSYNTH in essence is a weblog in its truest sense.

The original non-weblog MATRIXSYNTH launched in October of 1997 and was a simple site with links to various synth portals on the web. If you take a look, you can see what sites were out there before the current format of MATRIXSYNTH launched. Before MATRIXSYNTH, print magazines and online synth portals primarily focused on full articles - press releases, professional reviews, interviews and tutorials. What was missing was what us the users of synths were doing with our gear on a daily basis. Most publications would likely turn you away if you had something to share unless you were a known artist, manufacturer or other influential. The DIY and circuit bending scene? Not covered. Botique manufacturers? Not covered. MATRIXSYNTH was the first to bring it all to you. Back then if you wanted to share anything you had to host your own website. YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, SoundCloud, Twitter, and so on were not out yet. I created MATRIXSYNTH in its current format in 2005 to capture and share what I came across. The site gained in popularity and soon people were sending in things they found or created on their own to share with others. The site has remained true to this since day one.

MATRIXSYNTH is a site that celebrates and showcases what we, the people passionate about synthesizers, are doing with our synths on a daily basis. It is a site that celebrates the synthesizers we love, all synths, old and new, simple and complex. All synths have character, all synths are special, all synths can be explored and discovered. It's about the exploration of sound, and not just traditional tonal music. Like an artist discovering palates of color, we discover palates of sound. Synthesizers are our gateway to the exploration of unheard timbres. MATRIXSYNTH celebrates that.

THANK YOU for helping make this a great site!!!

For those interested in numbers, this post marks number 96,509 published to date.  Every single post on the site has gone up by hand, and since the site's launch on July 20, 2005, there has been only one day missed, August 6, 2005.   Back then I had no idea there would be something to post every single day of the year.  Little did I know.   The site currently averages about fifty posts a day, seven days a week, 364 days a year (Christmas is the one day I take it easy).   What goes up is a combination of what you the readers send in and what I come across out there.   According to Google Analytics the site has had 37,074,619 pageviews from 16,976,707 visits since the site launched, while Site Meter shows 39,630,44 pageviews from 18,469,084 visits.

20 comments:

  1. Congratulations and thanks alot for the time and effort you put into this blog!

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  2. Happy Matrix-day! What matrixsynth means to me is losing half an hour or more each day to a black and green screen :)

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  3. HUGE Happy Birthday. Best synth site on the web hands down.

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  4. The internet wouldn't be complete without Matrixsynth. Happy Birthday!!

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  5. Congratulations & a BIG THANK YOU for this fantastic page !!!

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  6. Thank you for everything Matrix - Happy Birthday! I dont think I have been visiting for 8 years, perhaps 5 or 6 but I do know that my daily visit to Matrixsynth informs, inspires and often challenges me to find out/work more. Thank you!

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  7. Happy Birthday, MATRIXSYNTH!

    Your daily commitment is a source of awe to me. That is real dedication and passion. I know every morning there is going to be a lot waiting for me when I come over here, without fail!

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  8. Happy Birthday and thanks for making this such a great blog, Im here almost every day

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  9. Thanks for keeping THE source of synth related news running in such a good way.

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  10. Matrixsynth is a cs80 in a very dx7 world.

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  11. I come here every day, maybe twice a day.
    Matrixsynth is a really unique blog, and the best of all about synthesizers.
    thank you very much, hope you will keep doing the good job !

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  12. Thank you everyone! I sincerely appreciate it more than you know. The site is a labor of love and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't enjoy it. A big part of that is knowing that other people enjoy it too. Thank you!

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  13. Still the first, last and best website I visit every day, happy birthday!

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  14. Happy birthday, Matrixsynth! Thanks for providing endlessly interesting synth-related content for eight years. It's truly a terrific part of the World Wide Web that helps make music and related information more available to everyone; builds community among both established and aspiring musicians, inventors, and enthusiasts; and inspires readers with ever-expanding possibilities. Celebrate with a birthday synth cake (one of my favorite recurring "labels" on the site). Best wishes!

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  15. Happy Birthday indeed! Awesome commitment and selfless service! It is a digest, a creative hub, a nexus of inspiration full of info, knowledge and wisdom. Thank you Matrix!!

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  16. I love this place! Happy Birthday!!!

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  17. Rumor has it that Google Reader was dropped because they couldn't keep up with the posts 8-) I look forward to the next 96,000 posts !!!

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  18. A belated congratulations on eight years! The stats and the constant hard work behind them are always impressive. Here's to many more. And as always, thanks for the warm wishes on CatSynth's nearly simultaneous anniversary :)

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To reduce spam, comments for posts older than one week are not displayed until approved, usually same day. Do not insult people. For items for sale, do not ask if it is still available. Check the auction link and search for the item. Auctions are from various sellers and expire over time. Posts remain for the pics and historical purposes. This site is meant to be a daily snapshot of some of what was out there in the world of synths.

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