Matriq-Six: a free Matrix 6R that does not apologize for being weird

I have a soft spot for synths that make you work for it, and Matriq-Six is exactly that kind of machine. Full Bucket Music just dropped this one as a free prototype, and it simulates the Oberheim Matrix 6R from 1985, the rack box with the famously fiddly matrix programming system.

Here is the honest pitch. It is a 6 voice polyphonic synth that models the original 6809 CPU and hardware, running ROM version 2.15, and it is written in native C++ so it stays light on your CPU. The interface is resizable, which matters, because you will be staring at that matrix a lot. Patches go in and out over MIDI SysEx, and the developer is upfront that this is a prototypical build for hardcore fans, not a polished preset machine.

That is kind of the charm for me. The Matrix 6R was never a friendly synth. It was a deep, slightly awkward box that rewarded patience with these glassy, strange pads and biting leads, and this free take keeps that spirit intact. If you like your sounds a little cold and a little haunted, this is a great toy to get lost in for an evening. Load it up, pick a patch, and start poking at the matrix until something weird growls back at you.

Price: free.

Grab it from Full Bucket Music: https://www.fullbucket.de/music/matriqsix.html