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Interesting. You probably cant have both on the same synth, ultrapercussive sounds (very short envelopes) and long, evolving sounds (very long envelopes) because analog circuitry seems to have some limits.

You cannot have it w/ THIS synth because much stuff is software generated,- almost any "VCA" out of the 90, the envelopes and LFOs as well as ramp generators ...
And there was the IBM processor the most powerful at that time and the Xpander needed 2 of these ...
In fact they advertised the Xpander being twice as powerfull as a IBM PC.

Now, the Xpander has 2 of these processors and the Matrix-12 also, but twice the voices !
I always wondered if this might have influence on the lameness of the digital emulated components in the Matrix-12 and when all 12 voices are in use simultaneously.
But I never compared and maybe someone else chimes in here on this point.

There were other analog synths/expanders being more punchy and percussive,- Memorymoog and Roland MKS80 (which I sold 1 year ago).

Lately however, I have discovered that adding a tiny, tiny amount of attack time to percussive sounds can add a "whoomp" at the start that really makes wonders with the sound. I have also done some experiments with various envelopes from different brands (easy when you have a modular) controlling the same sound, and hear the differences. It seems the the slope affects the sound just as much as how fast the envelope is (This is only relevant in very short sounds, of course). Through this I have also come to appreciate "slow and inferior" envelope generators, because they can be used to shape sounds that "faster and better" envelopes cant. I too can hear that the Matrix-12 envelopes are not splitting fast as my minimoog, but Oberheim synths have always had this good quality of "whoomp", or force in the envelopes that I appreciate.

You can do "percussive" sounds w/ a Xpander as well as a Matrix-12,- but these arent that snappy and/or punchy compared to some other analogues from that time.

The Moog, Sequential Circuits and Roland envelopes were snappy until Rolands MKS70 came out w/ DCOs and combined VCF/VCA chips and the Oberheim envelopes were snappy in the times there were discrete circuitry and SSM chips in the synths,- or more CEM chips.

Compared to these kohortes of CEM chips you find in a Memorymoog, Prophet 5, Jupiter 8/MKS80, OBXa and OB-8,- in the Xpander and Matrix-12 there isnt much.
The fact, also the multi mode filter is only a signal generator chip driven by software, comes in addition.

And that technique was of course well perfected later on, in those ROM-sample-attack + analog sound instruments that came later.

Yep, but IMO, FM synthesis is much more lifelike than static short samples ...
But youre right some way,- layering Xpander w/ EMU Proteus (FX) worked very well for me toom- but I had the options using FM or (ROMpler) samples.

P.