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Re: Xpander vs. M12


Mark Morton
 

Having owned a M12 for over a decade and a polyevolver for 3 years, I disagree with the statement that the polyevolver keyboard is "just as clunky". Can't speak to the A6. Specifically, keydepth on the polyevolver is noticeably deeper and more satisfactory. In all cases the SOUND of the M12 is superior however but it is the worst keyboard depth I have experienced. Although some of ?the arp synths, like the Quadra were close. YMMV.

On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 5:06 AM, PeWe <ha-pewe@...> wrote:
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Hello Karl !

>>>

Karl Schmeer schrieb:

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Hi,
I have a M12 and believe it or not, there are times I wish I had an Xpander. It would be nice sometimes to have the CV ins and the output per voice. (Currently my M12 does not have the individual outputs.)?

Yep,- in multi patch mode and playing different patches via different midi channels, the separate outputs for each voice are a great approvement.

Next,- I have my Minimoog modded w/ keyboards CV and gate outs,- so I can trigger one voice of the Xpander by CV/Gate, doubling the Moog, using the other 5 voices? w/ midi,- just an example ...

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You would think that 12 voices layered up in mono mode would be a thicker solo sound, but it doesn't work that way. With 12 analog voices droning,?phase differences start
canceling out some of the voices. So at the end of the day 6 voices layered up is just?as
thick as 12 IMO.

Right, but there?s difference between M12 and Xpander,-? layering all the voices (or only 6 maybe) in unison,- the detune page, which the Xpander doesn?t have.
It?s only a detail, but also a small advantage, being able to select the same single patch in every multi-patch slot, setting the voice assignment to unison and easily detune all the voices against each other.

THIS is not possible w/ a Xpander,- instead, you have to copy the same single patch to six single-patch memory locations, edit each of these for different tunings and store, before you?re able to set up a multi-patch-unison-detune sound the way you can do in a M12.
Will say,- you lose 5 more single-patch memory locations in the Xpander to do this, but not in the Matrix-12.

B.t.w.,- I never layer the voices that way w/ my Xpander,- so I don?t care.

Voice cancelations are always happening by layering exactly same sounds and detuneing ?em,- so I prefer layering of slightly different sounds,- best different synths,- even these do similar sounding patches then, - lets say creating a super saw,- together.

According to the keyboard,- I never liked the keyboards/keybeds of the Oberheim synths much,- not in the OBX nor the OBXa or OB-8 and I absolutly don?t like the levers for pitch bending,- I prefer wheels,- best non sprung wheels,- like the Minimoog has.
So,- the Xpander was best choice for me,- also because of size and weight.

In addition, Obies keyboard synths are relatively large beasts.
I never toured w/ a Matrix-12, but I got probs w/ the stiffness of the enclosure of my former OB-8 in the past,- maybe a prob which also happens w/ a Matrix-12.
With the OB-8, this stressed the circuit boards mounted on the bottom of the case.



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Oh Yeah, but your Xpander also does this.
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b.t.w.
I have played the A6 Andromada and DSI stuff. IMO The keyboards on these synths are just as clunky as the M12.??
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Karl Schmeer
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