Arturia MatrixBrute User Manual
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Arturia MatrixBrute User Manual

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  • Page 1 USER MANUAL...

  • Page 2: Special Thanks

    DesignBox Bruno Pillet Daniel Vester Frederic Brun © ARTURIA SA – 2016 – All rights reserved. 11 Chemin de la Dhuy 38240 Meylan FRANCE http://www.arturia.com Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non- disclosure agreement.
  • Page 3 MatrixBrute online. • One IEC AC power cord. Be sure to register your MatrixBrute as soon as possible! There is a sticker on the bottom panel that contains the serial number of your unit. This is required during the online registration process. You may want to record these elsewhere or take a photo of the sticker in case it becomes damaged.

  • Page 4: Special Message Section

    The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased.
  • Page 5 11. Do not expose the instrument to hot sunlight. 12. Do not use the instrument when there is a gas leak nearby. 13. Arturia is not responsible for any damage or data loss caused by improper operation of the instrument.
  • Page 6 Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the Arturia MatrixBrute! The MatrixBrute is designed to be a supremely powerful, modern analog classic synthesizer. The roots of this product stem from the greatest synthesizers of all time, all enhanced with Arturia’s own modern touch and character. The now famous ‘Brute’...

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    Table Of Content Connections ............................3 Getting Started with MatrixBrute .................... 5 Guided Tour............................9 3.1. Subtractive synthesis overview ..................... 9 3.2. Initializing a Preset ..........................10 3.3. Hands On ..............................10 3.3.1. VCO 1....................................... 11 3.3.2. VCF 1......................................12 3.3.3.

  • Page 9: Connections

    8. Gate In/Out - Receives/sends a voltage trigger, usually to/from another analog synthesizer. Use it to trigger the MatrixBrute from another source, such as an analog drum machine. 9. Sync In/Out - Interfaces MatrixBrute with pre-MIDI instruments that were capable of synchronization, such as early Korg and Roland drum machines.
  • Page 10 12. MIDI In/Out/Thru - Standard 5-pin DIN jacks. Connect to MIDI interfaces and other equipment. 13. USB - USB B jack for connecting MatrixBrute to a Mac or PC (which normally have USB A connections; the cable is often called a "printer cable.") This lets you use Arturia's MIDI Control Center software (available from www.arturia.com),...

  • Page 11: Getting Started With Matrixbrute

    (or just leave it flat if that works better). Take care when lifting on the Matrixbrute panel as it could cause the support to fall.
  • Page 12 MIDI Control Center software for Mac and PC. Arturia is constantly improving our instruments, so we ask that you update to the latest firmware (which you do through this program). MIDI Control Center is a librarian for presets and sequences, and it's used to configure the instrument's MIDI settings.
  • Page 13 Part of the beauty of analog synths like the MatrixBrute is that the voltage running through their circuitry drifts a small amount, giving them a slightly random character. It also takes a while for the voltage to stabilize when you first turn the synth on;...
  • Page 14 ( Be sure the Panel button mentioned above isn't lit, or you won't be listening to the Preset .) MatrixBrute stores 16 banks of 16 Presets (total 256). The banks are rows A - P on the left, Presets within each bank are in columns 1-16. To select, say, patch B3, go two rows down and three columns across;...

  • Page 15: Guided Tour

    MatrixBrute is an analog subtractive synthesizer. Subtractive synthesis starts by generating basic waveforms, and then you remove what you don't want to sculpt the timbre you're after. MatrixBrute can also use external sounds as basic waveforms, and then process them through its engines.

  • Page 16: Initializing A Preset

    Throughout an analog synthesizer, frequencies are controlled by voltage. MatrixBrute uses 1V per octave, so for example from C3 to C4 is a 1V increase, and from C3 to F#3 is a 0.5V increase.

  • Page 17: Vco 1

    VCO Keep pressing VCO 1's Filter button until it's only routed to the red one, the Steiner filter. Oscillators must be routed to a filter to be audible. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Guided Tour...

  • Page 18: Vcf 1

    You'd think the VCO, the sound waveform generator, would be what turn the sound on and off - and it does - but sounds can also be controlled by opening up a filter. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Guided Tour...

  • Page 19: Env 2

    Envelopes shape voltage levels over time while you're triggering a note on the keyboard. While it can be routed to additional places in the MOD Matrix (see below), ENV 2 is always hardwired to control the MatrixBrute's VCAs. VCA stands for voltage-controlled amplifiers, which means all the sound sources that appear in the Mixer, i.e.

  • Page 20: Lfo/Aftertouch/Matrix

    See whether you like three quarters of the way up. The MatrixBrute has two other Envelopes. ENV 1 is hardwired to the two filters' Cutoffs. It works the same way, so you can experiment with its effect.
  • Page 21 LFO 1 still won't modulate the pitch until you dial in a MOD Amount. Try + or -13, a fairly radical pitch modulation, so you can hear the effect. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Guided Tour...
  • Page 22 Increase the MOD Amount to + or - 64, and it'll sound sci-fi. This is a good setting to experiment with the Wave buttons to understand what they do. MatrixBrute's LFOs have a choice of seven LFO waveforms, and you may be surprised to see that they sound just like they look. Some of the same waveforms are available in the VCOs, where they go by much faster, so this is a good way to get a handle on how they sound.

  • Page 23: Analog Effects Section

    "finish" the sound and bring this module to your attention, turn the Wet/Dry knob up a little to add some space. Use the Mode button to try other effects. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Guided Tour...

  • Page 24: Operation

    • Panel + Kbd Track - Auto-tunes the instrument. Because voltages drift over time - which is part of the character of analog synths - it's necessary to tune the instrument occasionally, more frequently while it's first warming up. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 25: Vcos

    0. 4.3. VCOs Unless you bring in external instruments for processing, the raw soundwaves for the MatrixBrute are generated by its three Voltage-Controlled Oscillators (VCOs). A fourth oscillator produces random noise waveforms. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 26: Vcos 1 And 2

    Sub adjusts the level. The waveform selection knob above it sweeps the sub wavefom between a pure sinewave to the left and a clipped one, which sounds buzzier, to the right. 4.3.3. Mixable waveforms Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 27: Vco 3 - Lfo 3

    This determines the LFO speed. • Kbd Track , an on/off toggle, raises the output level of the oscillator with successively higher notes. This simulates what happens with, for example, woodwind and brass instruments. 4.3.5. Noise Generator Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 28: Audio Mod

    The definition of noise is a random waveform, so it's unpitched. The MatrixBrute offers four noise types, and the difference is in their frequency spectrum. As a practical description, blue noise has the most energy in the high frequencies and least in the low ones, then white sounds a little lower, followed by pink, and finally red sounds the lowest.

  • Page 29: Vco Sync

    VCO 1’s Coarse knob will allow you to hear the classic harmonic sync sweep sound. 4.6. Voice Mode There are 3 VOICE modes that are available on the MatrixBrute. These modes allow you to play the synth in ways beyond the standard monophonic way. 4.6.1. Monophonic Monophonic is the standard voice mode.

  • Page 30: Wheels

    Set the octave of the lower part by pressing MODE button and use the Octave <- -> buttons to transpose it. 4.7. Wheels • Wheels As on most keyboards, the MatrixBrute's pitch wheel springs back to the center position (no pitch shift), while the mod wheel is continuous.

  • Page 31: Keyboard Performance Controls

    The ON/OFF button enables and disables the glide function. • Glide - This knob sets the glide time from barely perceptible all the way to over two seconds when it's all the way up. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 32: Play Control

    It does not affect the envelopes so sounds with no sustain will not actually sound beyond the decay time. This is also used to hold an arpeggiation on. 4.9. Macro Knobs Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...
  • Page 33 ) on rows M, N, O, and P. They're designed to be convenient performance controls. Each MACRO knob can modulate multiple MatrixBrute parameters, and they all send MIDI Continuous Controllers (CC#11, 2, 3, 4 in order). Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 34: Mixer

    Press Panel + [M1 - M4] to reset the MACRO knob to 0. 4.10. Mixer The levels of the MatrixBrute's five potential sound sources - the VCOs, Noise generator, and External input - are set here. Sources must be sent to either or both filters to be heard.

  • Page 35: Lfos 1 And 2

    4.11. LFOs 1 and 2 The two LFOs (low frequency oscillators) are modulators that can be routed to add movement to pretty much any parameter on the MatrixBrute. LFO waveforms are near or below the bottom threshold of our hearing, ranging from about one cycle every 18 seconds up to 100Hz.

  • Page 36: Filters

    This is useful for creating an interesting note attack, among other applications. ◦ Multi - The LFO starts its cycle over every time you trigger a note. 4.12. Filters Steiner Filter (VCF 1) and Ladder Filter (VCF 2) Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...
  • Page 37 Mixer Section [p.28], and they are a primary component in the subtractive synthesis technique used by the MatrixBrute and all analog synths. Modulating them varies the timbre of the sound over time. With very high Resonance levels they can self-oscillate, becoming another sound source.
  • Page 38 • Drive adjusts how hard the signal hits the filter. The higher you set it, the more pleasant distortion you get. • Brute Factor™ is Arturia secret sauce. It ranges from warming up the low end to creating a monstrous growl when turned up. The exact effect depends on how it's interacting with other settings.

  • Page 39: Envelopes

    4.13. Envelopes Envelopes are adjustable modulators that shape the voltage over time. MatrixBrute has two 4-stage, ADSR (Attack Decay Sustain Release) envelopes, plus a third one (ENV 3) which adds a Delay phase before the ADSR (this is all explained below). Each envelope has a "gate" LED that show when a gate is receive and will fade out to show when the release stage is still active.
  • Page 40 • ENV 3 is slightly different in two ways. First, it doesn't do anything until it's assigned in the Matrix. Second, it runs through its stages independently of keyboard velocity (although you can modulate its stages in the Matrix). Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 41: Analog Effects

    2mSec to over 10 Seconds. 4.14. Analog Effects MatrixBrute features Analog Effects with 5 different modes on the output. The Analog Effects are all based on classic Bucket Brigade Devices (BBD’s). The technical differences between them are a function of the delay times and how or whether they're modulated.
  • Page 42 Chorus and Flanger modes. • Width/Depth specifies the amount of stereo field in the stereo delay/ reverberator, and the modulation depth of the LFO in the chorus and flanger. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - Operation...

  • Page 43: The Matrix

    (rows A - P) of 16 patches each (columns 1-16). The patches can also include sequences. • SEQ, a 64-step sequencer that also functions as an arpeggiator. • MOD, an electronic patching matrix (hence the name "MatrixBrute") that routes 16 modulation sources (rows A-P) to 16 destinations (columns 1 - 16).

  • Page 44: Panel

    5.1.3. Saving a preset To save the Panel or edited Preset in an internal location: Press Save + [desired bank/channel location, using the Matrix buttons or < and > buttons]. 5.2. MOD mode Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...

  • Page 45: Create A Modulation Path

    The MODulation Matrix is an electronic patchbay that routes all the MatrixBrute's modulation sources to any or all possible destinations. Think of this as a grid of patch cords, each with an attenuator that allows for positive or negative modulation. Every parameter that it would make sense to modulate - pretty much anything with a knob or fader - can be a destination.

  • Page 46: User Assignable Destinations

    [13 for example] button and the F4 button. Now you would choose MOD Wheel to F4 by pressing the H13 button and using the encoder to turn up this value. List of MOD sources: Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...

  • Page 47: Sequencer Mode

    Expression pedal plugged into the rear panel, and Exp 2/M4 Macro knob M4. Note that both the Expression pedal and the M 3 or 4 are summed before being routed to the matrix 5.3. SEQUENCER Mode Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...
  • Page 48 MatrixBrute's 64-step sequencer has two modes: Sequencer and Arpeggiator. In Sequencer mode, you can record/program and play Patterns in real time or in "step" time, meaning one note at a time. Patterns can be Linked to a corresponding preset so that they are stored with Presets, or stored and recalled on their own.
  • Page 49 • Step indicates a trigger on that step (when it's lit red). See the Record button below for instructions on how to program patterns, but you can push the button to turn a programmed/recorded note off. To tie several Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...
  • Page 50 You can record over any note(s) in a sequence, and you can turn off individual notes simply by pushing their buttons. • Play from beginning - (Lights up white.) This works under any condition - transport moving or stopped, Record active, etc. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...
  • Page 51 NOTE: These apply to both Sequencer and Arpeggiator modes. MIDI Sync ignores the internal tempo and locks the Sequencer and Arpeggiator to incoming MIDI clock. Use this if you're using the MatrixBrute with a MIDI sequencer or other MIDI equipment. External Sync may come from three sources: MIDI In, MIDI over USB and Sync port.
  • Page 52 (see the following topic), so if you're set to quarter notes, each tap is a quarter note. If you're set to 1/8th note triplets, each tap is one of those, and do on. Note value buttons Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...

  • Page 53: Arpeggiator Mode

    These playback settings determine what note value each step is, relative to the playback tempo. If you're using the MatrixBrute on its own, this will simply change the playback speed in a predictable way. But if you're locking the tempo to MIDI clock, it will change the musical value of each step in the sequencer or arpeggiator.

  • Page 54: Matrix Arpeggiator Mode

    • Lower approach note: If you hold the < transport control while pressing a button in the octave section, the note sent is one half step below, and the button turns red instead of blue Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...
  • Page 55 • Upper approach note: If you hold the > transport control while pressing a button in the octave section, the note sent is one half step above, and the button turns purple instead of blue Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - The Matrix...

  • Page 56: Midi

    6. MIDI In addition to the keyboard, almost all MatrixBrute's knobs, sliders, and wheels send and respond to MIDI, so you can record and edit their movements in a DAW running on a computer. That makes the instrument useful as a hands-on controller for external instruments, not just a master keyboard.

  • Page 57: Midi Control Center Settings

    Also note that if you save a DAW project that used the USB connection, then load it again later, the DAW may get upset if the MatrixBrute isn't connected and turned on; it'll be looking for a MIDI interface it doesn't see.
  • Page 58 DAW tracks assigned to other instruments are selected. You can then play other instruments from the MatrixBrute without it playing along. Also, the MatrixBrute can be playing back MIDI you've recorded while you play other instruments from its keyboard and controls.
  • Page 59 Tip = Pot center tap ; Ring = 3.3V ; Sleeve = Gnd Sustain Normal open Pedal Connections Expression Tip = Pot center tap ; Ring = 3.3V ; Sleeve = Gnd Sustain Normal open Control Voltages I/O Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - MIDI...
  • Page 60 0 – 5V Audio I/O Label Jack Level Note Master Mono TS +4dBu Out L/R Line = 0-20dB Inst 68kΩ Audio In Mono TS = 0-40dB 1.1MΩ Tip=Send; Ring Insert +4dBu Return; Sleeve = Gnd Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - MIDI...

  • Page 61: Software License Agreement

    The License is not a sale of the original SOFTWARE. 2. Grant of License Arturia grants you a non-exclusive license for the use of the software according to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. You may not lease, loan or sub-license the software.
  • Page 62 Support is provided only for the current version and for the previous version during one year after publication of the new version. Arturia can modify and partly or completely adjust the nature of the support (hotline, forum on the website etc.), upgrades and updates at any time.
  • Page 63 Arturia's option either (a) return of the purchase price or (b) replacement of the disk that does not meet the Limited Warranty and which is returned to Arturia with a copy of your receipt. This limited Warranty is void if failure of the software has resulted from accident, abuse, modification, or misapplication.

  • Page 64: Fcc Information

    This product, when installed as indicate in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirement. Modifications not expressly approved by Arturia may avoid your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product, use only high quality shielded cables.
  • Page 65 EUROPE This product complies with the requirements of European Directive 89/336/EEC This product may not work correctly by the influence of electro-static discharge; if it happens, simply restart the product. Arturia - MatrixBrute Manual - FCC Information...

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