It’s been a busy gigging season! I’ve had jobs nearly every weekend (often two or three), so I’ve been compelled to add to the rig.

Although not entirely necessary, two new synths have found their way into my rack. An Oberheim Matrix 1000 (top) and an Alesis QSR (second from top) are now filling out a bigger 8-space rack (an upgrade from the older 6-spacer).

So why the new gear? Honestly, I’m not putting either synth to very good use…..yet. But having a system that relies so heavy on the use of my laptop does make me a bit uneasy. It’s happened more than once where something crashed on the Mac, leaving me high and dry. The dedicated hardware at least gives me some backup.

The Alesis is an old favorite of mine. A friend gave it to me, so it was hard to pass up a deal like that. I’d missed a few of the sounds on it since I’d sold my QS8 several years ago. I use it primarily for a few string pads and synth lead patches. It otherwise sounds a bit thin compared to other things I have. But it’s certainly worth having around.

The Matrix 1000 is not quite as useful to me, largely because I haven’t explored it’s sounds yet. I wasn’t initially impressed with the sound coming right of the box. It sounded exceptionally lifeless when stacked against the MVS-1 (my go-to vintage synth emulator), and actually resembled the presets on my out-of-commission Juno 106, but without the chorus. One trick I’ve found useful has been to route it through a channel on my 828 and give it effects in Mainstage. So far, so good. But until I explore the other sounds, it will unused except for the occasional 80’s brassy synth stab.

One cool thing about the Matrix 1000 is that it does come with a software editor for creating new sounds.

Another new development has been the use of what I call a “rig skirt” to hide the unsightliness of all the cables and keyboard stands. Still not perfect, but better than a rats nest of wire and metal!