13 thoughts on “Future Sound Systems’ FSS MTX-8 An EMS Synthi Style Pin Matrix For Your Studio”

1. why pin matrix are so expensive

   1. I think it’s the active circuitry that’s non-trivial. Not sure that was really covered in this tutorial. If you didn’t need that you could buy a patchbay for a tenth of the price or make a passive one of these for even less.

      Seems to me a slightly niche device. I mean, most people probably wouldn’t really use the active circuitry, and also once you’re on a stereo signal path you’ve only got four devices after which you’re back to repatching (or somehow chaining these together).

      There’s a lot of enthusiasm in the youtube comments. Maybe people didn’t spot the price or maybe there are more people who need active circuitry than I thought.

2. A pin matrix is pretty cool. Why not just get right to the good stuff and use a matrix mixer?

   1. I agree. This thing is cool but one of the big flaws with the pin matrix idea is the lack of attenuation on the inputs and outputs, which isn’t an issue at all with matrix mixers

3. What are the advantages compared to a normal, inexpensive patchbay…?
   On first glance it seems like such an unneeded, elitist product to me.

   1. I’ve long been saying somebody needs to integrate the patchbay concept into a pedalboard.

      Patchbays aren’t super popular anymore, so there’s only a couple brands making them, but they are due for a comeback. Maybe 1/4 in the back for your pedals, but 1/8 in the front like eurorack patching. The concept could certainly be reapproached in a more modern way.

      1. This exists actually, and works well https://www.boredbrainmusic.com/product/patchulator-8000/ It’s got a central 1/8″ patchbay for patching, and combining it with stacking cables you could get really weird with it if you wanted.

   2. – you just need to insert/remove one pin, and the connection is done/gone
      – you can route several inputs to one ouput (or vice versa)
      – you don’t have a ton of cluttered cables hanging around, connections are clear to see

   3. Products can be “elitist” now? Sigh. Maybe watch a different news channel?

4. Pro:
   1. visualization of the connections
   2. Easy to send more then one destination for each source (possible with patchbay but harder to accomplish)
   3. Can sum channel and maintain the output amplitude (since it’s an active device)
   4. No need for extra cables
   5. Desktop instead of the 1u
   6. You can write the names of the inputs and outputs freely with erased pen ,Great idea!
   7. It is more fun 🙂
   8. looks nicer, easier to color coding with the pins.

   Con:
   1. Expensive
   2. Active, So it may introduce noise
   2. Limited number of channels for the size
   3. May be a cable mess on the desktop
   4. You can run out of pins
   5. 2mm banana plugs are a not the most durable
   6. It’s unbalanced

   The ideal Matrix will be digitally controlled but analog with recall/Presets, Preferable with a menu on the machine itself and maybe controllable with MIDI/USB/Plug-in. Buttons instead of pins, one knob to control the send amplitude of each. Preferably with -5-0-+5 (to invert CV’s).
   I hate to say this but something like Arturia did on there matrixbrute.

   1. Nice summary. It doesn’t work with as many hardware inputs/outputs* but the iPad app “ApeMatrix” pretty well nails this in software. You can drag on the connection points to set attenuation. Same developer made the iVCS3 app. https://www.apesoft.it/apematrix/

      * I think it’s limited to 4 hardware I/O ports but don’t quote me on that.

      1. I just use the DAW for this kind of things or RME totalmix

5. awesome

   this would be so much better than a standard patchbay