Oberheim Matrix-6 Service Manual

12 MIDI ECHO " '
This parameter permits the MIDI IN commands received by the MATRIX-6 sent from the Master
XTmatoS c? ^™ £W-i£MIDI lnfonrnallon generated by the MATRIX-6 Itself and re-transmitted via
the MATRIX-6's MIDI OUT. This parameter turns the MATRIX-6's MIDI ECHO feature ON or OFF.
I-!^J,?l. recelved by lhe MATRIX*6 when it is being used as a as a slave are always sent
E rSUT normaJ'yKMIDI Notes (NOTES, VELOCITY and RELEASE VELOCITY) information are*the
SS?-U5 commands tnat Wl" be b°th re-transmitted by the MATRIX-6 to its MIDI OUT and passed to its
MIDI THRU normally. Thus, MIDI OUT and MIDI THRU both handle MIDI Notes routinely
The remaining MIDI IN commands - PRESSURE, PATCH CHANGES, LEVER1 and LEVER2 PEDAL1
and PEDAL2 - are not normally transmitted out the MATRIX-6's MIDI OUT when it is slaved Under
^Jm ATD,nv^°n*!;™ ™eoTlr0lS are Slmply pns?ed along t0 otner slave instruments in the system via
the MATRIX-65 MIDI THRU port only. "
When ON, MIDI ECHO makes it possible to enhance the control over the olher slave instruments In
the system by combining what would normally be passed only to MIDI THRU with MATRIX-6
generated MIDI information and sending all of these commands to its MIDI OUT Thus MIDI ECHO
allows for the other slave instruments in the line to be controlled from two "Masters'" in a sense
because ECHO uses MIDI commands from both the MATRIX-6 and its Master controller together. '
When OFF. the MATRIX-6 returns to normal MIDI operation. MIDI THRU simply passes MIDI
commands from the Master controller to the other slaves unaffected by any additional MIDI
!h r/rmv9!"et «ted by the MATRIX"6R- MIDI OUT transmits only those commands coming from
tne MATRIX-6 itself.
Since the design of all of MIDI synthesizers provide for a single MIDI IN port, there is no method other
liS^!?chinfl CableS or Purcnasin9 a "MIDI Merge'device to change from Master control to
MATRIX-6 control over the other slaves. MIDI ECHO makes it possible for the MATRIX-6 and its Master
to have complete .control over the other slave instruments using only one MIDI input on the Slave.
13SP1LLOVER
This feature allows you to play another synthesizer from the MATRIX-6 via MIDI as if the second slave
synthesizer were part of the MATRIX-6's internal voices. Although SPILLOVER was first introduced in
Software Revision 1.05, its implementation has been improved in Rev. 2.13. The following discussion
discribes the current operation of SPILLOVER in the MATRIX-6.
When SPILLOVER is OFF, and you are playing the MATRIX-6 as the Master normally ir ROTATE or
REASON, you know that if you play six notes and hold them down at the same time playing a
seventh note will not sound - there are no more voices left inside the MATRIX-6 to be played. Try it.
When SPILLOVER is ON, the seventh, eighth, ninth, etc. (up to the 16th) notes played on the
MATRIX-6 will be transmitted from its MIDI OUT on the BASIC MIDI Channel + 2 and will be heard on
the Slave synth connected to the MATRIX-6. As an example, if the MATRIX-6's Basic Channel is set
to 1 (MASTER Page Parameter #00), notes will spillover on Channel 3. If the MATRIX-6 is set to
transmit on BASIC CHANNEL 2, notes will spillover on Channel 4, and so forth.
Exceptions
UNISON works the same way but with a slight twist. If six keys are held down on the MATRIX-6's
Keyboard, extra keys played will be spilled to the Basic Channel + 2. But due to the nature of the
UNISON Moda playing style (playing only one key activates all six Voices at once), SPILLOVER has a
somewhat limited use when the MATRIX-6 is in UNISON.
REAROB Mode does not permit SPILLOVER due to its design. Since notes in excess of six being
held on the Masfer controller at any one time are robbed from the MATRIX-6's internal voices.
SPILLOVER simply does not occur in this Mode What actually happens when SPILLOVER occurs is
that "excess" notes played in ROTATE or REASON are transmitted out MIDI from the MATRIX-6 instead
of being ignored as they would be normally.
MATRIX-6 Revision 2.13 Owner's Manual Addendum
ECC/Oberhelm - Los Angeles, CA 90064 Part # 950062 Page 4

Oberheim Matrix-6 Specifications

General

Polyphony	6 voices
Oscillators	2 DCOs per voice
Keyboard	61 keys
Memory	100 patches
MIDI	Yes
Type	Analog
Year Released	1985
Envelopes	3