Oberheim Matrix 1000 vs OB-X8 // A Vintage Gem that deserves a closer look

video upload by Starsky Carr

"The Oberheim OB-X8 is an incredible sounding all-in-one OBX, OBSX, OB8 and OB-Xa but that comes with a considerable price tag. The Matrix 1000 is a true Oberheim (albeit with different innards) that's been a staple in studios for 3 decades. There's an amazingly flexible, warm sounding, fat little synth hiding in this little box. Putting it in a modern context vs the latest release from Oberheim tells an interesting story.

It always was a budget version of that Oberheim sound coming in at lower cost that the Matrix 6 or the Matrix 6R but how does it stack up in 2022. There are plenty of editors, and firmware to help it overcome some of its tweaking shortcomings.

Here's a demo of how it sounds compared to the fabulous OB-X8 and how I've been using it - which editors I found most useful etc.

All-in-all I've very impressed by it, a forgotten gem from the 90s that deserves a closer look!"