GForce releases an official Oberheim Matrix-12 plug-in
GForce Software has released a software Matrix-12 that Gearnews calls the only official software version of Oberheim's hardware synth. One of the original designers helped build it, and it is on sale now.
Price, trial and formats
Until December 5, 2026, the introductory price is £69.00, $83.99 or €83.99. That is a 30% discount. After that date the price rises to £99.99, $119.99 or €119.99. A 14-day free trial is also available.
The Matrix-12 runs on Windows and macOS. It comes as a standalone app and in VST2, VST3 and AAX plug-in formats. The AU version is Mac-only.
Making a hard-to-read synth readable
GForce modelled the oscillators, filters, envelope generators and VCAs. The stated aim was to sound exactly like a Matrix-12. On top of that, the plug-in supports full MPE. MPE is the MIDI extension that lets each note carry its own expression, such as pitch bend or pressure, instead of sharing it across a whole chord.
The bigger change is the interface. Modulation routing is set by drag and drop. Every module has a visualisation, and everything is visible on screen at once. The source calls the original patching system complex and often indecipherable, and says it is now easy to understand.
The hardware it is based on
The original is a big instrument with a large front panel, vacuum fluorescent displays, with the routing map drawn right on the panel. Patching a modular synth normally means plugging cables between modules. Here the routing was done from the panel itself, so the synth acted like a modular with no physical cables.
Each voice has two VCOs, which are the voltage-controlled oscillators that make the raw tone. That adds up to 24 VCOs. The multi-mode filters offer fifteen individual modes.
It dates from 1985, when the DX7 was pulling the synth world toward digital sound and players wanted cleaner sounds and interfaces. Oberheim stayed with analogue. The year before, it had released the Xpander, a six-voice analogue polysynth that sat on a desk. The Matrix-12 came from putting two of them together.
Who worked on the software
GForce has a close working relationship with both Tom Oberheim and Marcus Ryle. Ryle was involved in developing this version. Other interpretations of the Matrix-12 exist, but only this one was built with input from an original designer.
The package adds an extensive FX section and a large preset library. The library includes nearly 200 original Matrix-12 and Xpander patches. GForce's OB-E instrument is named as its companion among software versions of Oberheim designs.
Source: Gearnews.com