Oh, sure, patched-up rigs are great – until you actually want something to change. Enter the Matrix Mixer, a clever desktop patch matrix in a desktop form factor from Erica Synths.
Like a lot of Erica’s product entries, this one feels … necessary. It’s a capable patch bay with 16 inputs x 16 outputs – but plug those into a matrix, and you get some 256 connections. Those also have three different attenuation levels, so you get some rudimentary level storage, too.
And then, since we live in the digital age, you get preset storage and recall. It’s literally preset saving for an analog rig, be that a modular/Eurorack or some other analog gear. (It even works, via adapter, with the sorts of instruments that inspired this idea in the first place – the EMS Synthi and Buchla Music Easel.)
You can also roll the dice, with a randomized pattern mode – that’s the pattern controls you see. You can set the area and density and then let things get indeterminate – SHIFT + PATTERN then makes a random patch based on those settings.
The really important bit to me is putting this in a desktop form factor. It sets the patch points vertically, and pulls the whole rig out away from your hardware cable spaghetti for easy access – which is rather the whole point of using this live.
It’ll cost you 490 EUR to bring this home, shipping in a few days (estimate).
But the advantage is clear, especially readying the manual – push-button save and recall, and even external MIDI control.
Specs:
- All analogue signal path
- 16 buffered, DC coupled inputs
- 16 independent, buffered, DC coupled outputs
- 256 connections, each with 3 attenuation levels
- Random pattern mode with definable randomization area and density
- 254 pattern memory
- Pattern change via MIDI program change messages
- 32 3,5mm jack sockets
- 4 6,3mm jack sockets
https://www.ericasynths.lv/news/matrix-mixer/
https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/standalone-instruments-1/desktop-matrix-mixer/