I’ve let this go now. No Matriarch for me.
Next up on trial, the Sequential OB-6😎
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Okay, what was the dealbreaker?
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Couple of things.
Paraphony is cool. But for chord action and similar, it’s not what I want. Nor is it intended to replace that. So it’s really cool, just not right for me.
No patch memory but lots of patch points isn’t all that beneficial for me. I’m not modular and don’t intend to be. Part of the M’s point is just wasted on me.
It sounds fantastic. But sometimes, you don’t want the Moog sound. It’ll be hard to get away from it then.
I have no synth or keyboard at all. So this choice gotta count. Hence the moving on to new ventures.
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I’ve been pining for an OB-6 for almost a year now. I’ve cooled on it a bit lately, mostly due to avoiding any videos / demos. I also don’t really have the space, and there’s that part of it being really friggin expensive (relatively)! 
Anyway, it’s been fun reading all your comments here, I guess now I’ll enjoy reading your comments on the OB-6!
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Yeah, it costs da bomb, but lately, I’ve sold some stuff and come to a few conclusions which has freed up just enough cash to buy me one, and only one, proper synth. But essentially:
Groove boxes aren’t for me. It took me half a lifetime to figure that one out. But now, I’m done with those.
I’m a keyboard player. I just have to accept that. I love the keys.
I can’t stand workstations, though. The interface mess they are. I am a one knob per feature kind of guy. And I don’t need many knobs. But they need to be the right ones.
I don’t much care for the classic synth sound, actually. It’s just recently I came across a few solid Oberheim demos. They have that dreamy, fizzy sound, broken and nostalgic, which I crave for. I’ve never looked in the Oberheim direction before. Now, I’m looking.
You’d think the Osmose was for me, then. But I don’t know. As cool as it seems, as lovely as I’m sure it is, the world had great music before it. So at least for me, the resolver to get shit done won’t be in new techniques to play a keyboard, cool as it is (and it really is cool). It’s just to find an instrument I click with.
Anyway, there’s a return period of 30 days, so I got time to try it out before I make the final call.
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Honestly, it sounds as though the Novation Summit might be a good fit for you. Maybe worth checking out?
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I considered it, but from what I’m hearing, it sounds too good, you know? 
So clean and modern, I’d had to process it always to get the grain and dust I’m after. I’m looking for something where charmingly filthy is an inherent part of the instrument’s voice, to a reasonable level.
It really doesn’t have to be clean. Between the noise, the multiple points of drive from subtle to bananas, and the unique character of the filter, the Peak/Summit sound can be surprisingly grainy and dusty. If you haven’t checked out Jogging House’s Peak sounds (again, same engine as Summit), I’d at least take a cursory listen:
But in any case, best of luck with your search!
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I have indeed. He’s one of my top favourite artists. The man makes beautiful things out of anything.
But I’ll revisit with fresh ears. Thanks for the advise, it’s much appreciated 
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I gotta say, man, if you’re looking for flexibility in sound design, the Summit would be a better choice than the OB-6. Don’t get me wrong, the OB-6 is one of the best sounding synths I’ve heard in recent years; however, I think you’ll find it just as difficult to get away from the Oberheim sound as you did trying to escape the Moog sound. And, based on what you said a few posts back, the Summit seems to tick those other boxes as well. Just my two cents…
Cheers!
P.S. I also think you need to find a support group for gear-flippers, but I’m sure there’s a separate thread around here for that. 
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But he is right about the arguments against the Matriarch. I also Go back and forth with it, but i dig that Sound, plus i already have a Peak and A4 and a Digitone, also a small modular. I don’t really need a Matriarch, but man that dual Filter…
Not looking so much for flexibility. I’m looking for character. Of which the Moog one, would eventually tire me, I believe.
I used to be quite the gear junkie. Now I’m down to keyboards only (I’ve settled for the rest) and only once a month. Week? Month. Yeah, let’s go for that😎
Essentially, my approach is to extensively get to know an instrument in its natural habitat, my home studio. The store’s just the first pass. Final verdict is always weeks and a couple of tracks away.
But if the OB won’t make it, Summit might be next.
I have been asked to just start a review site of my own😊people seem to enjoy my meanders in the gear realm😊
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Go for a YT Vlog!
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Actually, you know what, @JohntheSavage? The Tempest as a proper poly would be a close fit. Don’t need the sequencer, but that inherent, messy rowdy sound done in a proper poly. You being very familiar with the T, would know what I’m talking about.
Nah, man. I’m better with words. There’s enough embarassing people on the Tube already. The world doesn’t need more of those.
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Do it the loopop way…only hands and his voice…
The Tempest does have a fair bit to offer as a polysynth. In fact, I’ve all but relegated it to those duties, since DSI abandoned the firmware (despite my best efforts) short of it being the drum machine that I needed. There are, however, a few remaining bugs and omissions in the OS worth mentioning, that do affect polysynth operations somewhat negatively…
a) the LFO implementation is missing a dotted 8th time division (you know, only the single most commonly used syncopation in all of modern music—ahem).
b) the arp doesn’t work properly if the sequencer is not running: i.e. it will choke and restart every time you add or release a note, without maintaining steady timing.
c) if you ever do want to use it as a mono—there’s no unison mode, no legato mode, and no way to keep the amp envelope from clicking when notes are choked.
d) with regards to the digital oscillators, some of the VS waveforms were damaged when the voice chip was originally programmed (which can’t be reprogrammed), and as a result they are noisier than they should be, and in some cases produce unwanted aliasing, harmonics, and other artifacts.
I’m sure there are some other gotchas too; but, honestly, I haven’t really thought about the Tempest’s OS in quite a while now, so I can’t recall off the top of my head. I keep it around for sound design and sample fodder mostly, and for the sake of my stubborn pride… Like a trophy head.
Cheers!
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