Buying advice: Matriarch vs. Subsequent 37

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moosejaw
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Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 12:11 am

Buying advice: Matriarch vs. Subsequent 37

Post by moosejaw » Wed May 12, 2021 12:15 am

I am hoping to make my first Moog synth purchase in the not too distant future. I have narrowed my choices to either the Matriarch or the Subsequent 37. I'm interested in any advice on which one to buy, from those who have experience playing/owning one or both of them. I realize they are quite different instruments with different capabilities and feature sets, and it would be lovely to have both, but I'm in a position to buy at most one of them.

The Matriarch looks like it is clearly the more capable and versatile of the two. In a way, my question here boils down to: how well can the Matriarch imitate the Subsequent 37, in terms of overall sound and playability? (It seems clear that the Subsequent 37 cannot replicate/imitate many of the things the Matriarch can do.)

My main interest is in playing the synth as a self-contained keyboard instrument at home. Many of the Matriarch demos available online emphasize its patchability and its connection to the modular world, but I get the sense that it also excels as a more traditional keyboard synth for basses and leads. In other words, that it would be an excellent option for getting the classic Moog sound (alongside its many other possibilities).

From what I can tell, these are the principal features of the Subsequent 37 that the Matriarch lacks. Anything major I am missing here?
- multidrive circuit
- continuously variable waveshapes
- selectable filter slope
- patch memory

So: if I can afford the Matriarch, should I just get the Matriarch? Are there things in the Subsequent 37 that you would really miss in the Matriarch? Should I get a Grandmother and a Subsequent 25 instead, for roughly the same price? Thanks in advance for any thoughts and advice!

MaxFerency
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Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
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Re: Buying advice: Matriarch vs. Subsequent 37

Post by MaxFerency » Wed May 12, 2021 1:30 pm

I own a Sub 37 (pre-cursor to the Subsequent but very similar) and a Matriarch. As for the Multidrive, Matriarch doesn't have a multidrive but it you move each osc volume on the mixer past 12 o'clock they start to drive. The other feature differences you mention are correct. Matriarch also has the stereo filter and stereo delay that the Subsequent does not have.

For tone character, I'd say the Sub can get a little more edge and Matriarch can get a little more creamy although both can do creamy and edge beautifully.

To me, the biggest differences are:

1. Immediacy vs Memory: The Sub 37 is great for perfecting a sound and saving it memory and recalling it later. Matriarch can of course not do that but what it does offer is more immediacy of tweaking sounds as you play. You can tweak sounds as you play on the Sub 37 but when you select a new patch, the knobs do not move to the position that they are in for the patch. I really re-create the exact same sound on the Matriarch but that's part of the fun of it.

2. 2 vs 4 Osc: If you like pads, get the Matriarch because you can do some beautiful 4-note chords on it. The Sub 37 in Duo mode is also great but more limited.

3. Patching/Modulation: On the Sub 37 anything can oscillate anything. On the Matriarch almost anything can oscillate almost anything. For example, you can't oscillate the volume of individual osc on the Matriarch like you can on the Sub 37. That said, you can do some pretty interesting things by mixing oscillation sources using the Utilities section on the Matriarch that you can't do on the Sub 37.

My personal recommendation: Matriarch because it gives you the most possibility of what you can do with it: bass, leads, pads, ambient stuff, etc with the immediacy of not having patch memory.

If you really watch to design and recall perfect sounds: Subsequent 37 (I like never sounding exactly the same twice but you may be opposite.)

I wouldn't recommend a Grandmother + Subsequent 25 because two half instruments don't quite get to the same as getting one fully featured instrument.
Max Ferency | http://maxferency.org | max [at] maxferency [dot] org
SYSTEM: macOS & Logic X Pro
GEAR: Matriarch, Sub 37, Korg SV-2, DFAM, MF Drive, MF Delay, MF Boost, Roland RC-202

moosejaw
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Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 12:11 am

Re: Buying advice: Matriarch vs. Subsequent 37

Post by moosejaw » Thu May 13, 2021 12:29 am

Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed reply! This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Much appreciated!

MaxFerency
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Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2015 12:16 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
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Re: Buying advice: Matriarch vs. Subsequent 37

Post by MaxFerency » Sun May 16, 2021 10:58 pm

Glad to help. One clarification I was thinking about afterward: on a Matriarch, you can easily reproduce patches if you notate it on the sheets they give you (images of the Matriarch) or take a cell phone picture of it. So if you take the time to be detailed its possible. If you want to do it by your own brain memory and you won't get the same thing again but you will certainly get something new any interesting. That's also part of learning the instrument though, being able to modify patches in performance.
Max Ferency | http://maxferency.org | max [at] maxferency [dot] org
SYSTEM: macOS & Logic X Pro
GEAR: Matriarch, Sub 37, Korg SV-2, DFAM, MF Drive, MF Delay, MF Boost, Roland RC-202

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