Omega 8 vs Voyager

Tips and techniques for Minimoog Analog Synthesizers

What would you rather buy?

Poll ended at Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:45 pm

Omega 8
4
57%
Voyager Rack
3
43%
 
Total votes: 7

Smokey5100
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Post by Smokey5100 » Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:24 am

Damn that was one helluva discussion-Back to question at hand.How would you compare the sound of the omega 8's moog filter compared to the real thing?I'm not talking about the obvious (mono/poly),Press only ONE key on the omega now tell me what you think of it's sound/filter/capabilities compared to the mini.This excludes all of you "computer experts" who have a opinion yet have never heard BOTH synths.p.s. wouldn't a polyphonic voyager be the size of a memorymoog-retail 4999.99 Release Date Summer 2006-Memorymoog Voyager-Only 1000 will be made!!!! :evil:

suthnear
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Post by suthnear » Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:22 am

Smokey5100,

Given the fact that internet forums _tend to be_ populated by enthusiasts rather than working professionals and given that enthusiasts (and even professionals other than the wealthy elite) usually have trouble justifying such large expenses, I think you are going to struggle to find too many people (here or elsewhere) who have both. Also, given the relativity scarcity of SE stuff and the huge price of the omega8, you will find far fewer people who own them (or have even tested them extensively) anyway. I also think your question: "press only ONE key on the omega now tell me what you think of it's sound/filter/capabilities compared to the mini" is essentially meaningless as its an entirely subjective thing as to which of two synths sounds better.

FWIW, years ago I spent an afternoon messing around with the o2 and atc and I thought they both sounded great. Ultimately, for me anyway, there would be no choice, though: there is no other (non modular) synth on the market that offers both the voyager's sound *and* its control capabilities (both in terms of its hardware and its cv and midi possibilities). The main disappointments for me regarding all of SE's synths are their rather limited modulation options and the fact that all their synths conform to the single filter architecture. Still very nice synths though.

Array
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Post by Array » Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:41 am

Smokey5100 wrote: wouldn't a polyphonic voyager be the size of a memorymoog-retail 4999.99 Release Date Summer 2006-Memorymoog Voyager-Only 1000 will be made!!!!
No...a polyphonic voyager would NOT be the size of a memorymoog. The only discrete component inside the MemoryMoog is the filter. The oscillators are IC.

As far as "only 1000 will be made"...I would fathom that 1000 units is a pretty good number for any small synth manufacturer to sell and produce. I mean...how many of the original MiniMoogs were sold during its 10 year+ production run? 3000 at most?

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MC
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Post by MC » Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:00 pm

As far as "only 1000 will be made"...I would fathom that 1000 units is a pretty good number for any small synth manufacturer to sell and produce.
About 2500 Memorymoog were built. Moog serials start at #1001. I have one of the last ones from the factory (bought it from the factory in 1985 when they shut down synth manufacture) and its serial is #36xx.
I mean...how many of the original MiniMoogs were sold during its 10 year+ production run? 3000 at most?
Over 12,000 actually.
There has to be a good reason why this wondersynth isnt on the market.


There is. It's called market potential. The Omega-8 is a perfect example of this.

Here is a rack box real analog synth with no controllers whatsoever, just knobs and buttons. And it is expensive. Is it a big seller? Judging by the recoil from the price, not likely. I'm on a few lists and forums and have heard from precious few Omega-8 owners.

Why so few? Price is a factor, sure. Its only competitor is the Alesis Andromeda, and while those are selling better they aren't exactly flying off the shelves.

The problem is market saturation and limited market. There are a lot of used analog polysynths, and those are competition. Also factor in the VAs and softsynths. More competition. The first feature that musicians compare is the PRICE, and despite being a RA the Omega-8 has a tough battle. The market has all kinds of cheaper alternatives.

Limited market - an analog polysynth has a narrow market - keyboardists with deep pockets. Guitar players don't blow that kind of money on keyboards. You won't sell them next to pianos and church organs either. The market for an analog polysynth is way too narrow, even if it had the Moog name on it.

The moogerfooger pedals do well because they appeal to guitarists, bassists, recording enthusiasts as well as keyboardists. The Voyager was a success because customers have been screaming for a 21st century Minimoog for years. There hadn't been a monosynth that could topple the Minimoog from its throne for years, not even a VA or a softsynth. Customers wanted that Minimoog sound with 21st century features, and the Voyager delivered.

The Moog Modular market reached its saturation point in the late 1960s. Then as the prepackaged monosynths glutted the market, the modular found its market extremely narrow.

When the Memorymoog was released the market already had its established contenders. The market was narrowing and all of the polysynths makers were struggling by this time - too much competition. The DX-7 killed them all. The proliferation of cheaper asian keyboards and the advance of features changed the polysynth market forever.

Alesis sells more Andromedas than SE does its Omega-8 because the Andromeda has a hell of a lot more features - deeper modulation routing, dual flexible filters, multitimbrality, etc. These are features that musician expect today. The bar gets raised higher and higher with each new model. It would take a LOT of R&D and beta testing to get a Moog polysynth to market, and with the limited market potential they wouldn't even sell enough to recoup expenses.

If Bob doesn't intend to build a polysynth, it ain't because of his grumpy disposition it's because of business sense.

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MC
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Post by MC » Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:38 pm

So, instead of addressing my facts, Array goes running off to the Harmony Central forums for empathy.

How girlie-man of him.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/for ... did=882224

Array
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Post by Array » Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:52 pm

Wow, calling me a girlie man is so uber-mature of you. How old are you again?

I'll get back to your posts when my fever subsides (been sick for 8 weeks now, in and out of the oncologists office).

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MC
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Post by MC » Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:35 pm

I'll get back to your posts when my fever subsides (been sick for 8 weeks now, in and out of the oncologists office)
Obviously not sick enough to confront everybody else over the last three days and then come running over to HC looking for empathy.
Wow, calling me a girlie man is so uber-mature of you. How old are you again?
Who cares how old I am. Wisdom is what counts, and I'm wise to your tricks. I was the victim of a master manipulator. I learned all their tricks.

You are no different. You dodge my rebuttal like the coward you are by running over to HC seeking empathy. Hopping from group to group until you find somebody who says what you want to hear is not a method of resolution, it is denial of the facts I confronted you with in an attempt to lend integrity to your flawed argument. Typical manipulative tactic, my ex did that all the time. It is a popular tactic of the effeminate, so if it hurts to wear the "girlie-man" badge then too bad.

You even tried to dismiss goldphinga's counter argument as "libel" - that is an old trick. Take your barratry and shove it, I'm tired of your dodging tactics.
Last edited by MC on Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

thebedroom
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Post by thebedroom » Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:15 pm

Totally off topic, but MC your posts kick ass. Whether it is well thought out humor, awesome technical advice (I always hope you will answer my posts), or brutal honesty we at the Moog forum can always count on something thought provoking from you. I admire you because you actually take the time to read posts and craft an appropriate message. Sometimes that message is harsh but the receiver usually deserves it. Thanks for being part of this forum and making it great. I am sure most others around here would agree.

I just thought you should hear something nice about you since you seem to take the brunt of bullshit people dish on these things because you refuse to take it. Kudos to you there should be more like you.

The rest of you guys rule too....(goldfinga, qwave, demokid, etc insert your name here)

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MC
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Post by MC » Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:38 pm

Thanks...

monads
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Post by monads » Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:37 pm

MC wrote:my ex did that all the time.
I'm curious to hear that story :lol: And why it's so popular with the ladies.

Array
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Post by Array » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:14 pm

MC wrote:So, instead of addressing my facts, Array goes running off to the Harmony Central forums for empathy.

How girlie-man of him.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/for ... did=882224
Wait, which facts are you talking about here? Basically you wrote a long winded statement which actually AGREES with everything you I have been saying, that a polyphonic MiniMoog could not be built because it would be too big and too expensive. What exactly am I not adressing here?

As far as me "running off" to gain "empathy", I made that post to get the opinions of people with whom I converse with on a regular basis. I got such a negative response here, that I was wondering what their perspective wouldve been on all of this. Is that soooo wrong to do? It had absolutely NOTHING to do with you. You obviously have to have some sort of superiority complex if your logic is twisted enough to deduce that my post on HC was a direct attack on you. "Array posted a thread on HC which points to the Moog forum thread....wait, I POSTED in that thread...this must all be about ME! ME ME MEEE!". You got riled up over nothing. Is it the fact that some other forum members quoted you? I certainly didnt.

And as far as calling me a girlie-man, wow. Just wow. You are quite the keyboard warrior arent you? Do you get off on talking down to people you have never met? I am indeed quite comfortable with my situation regarding the male condition, are you? Doesnt sound like it to me if you are resorting so low, and seemingly so casually, to get someone to respond to your inflamatory post (isnt this called trolling?). I bet you are quite timid in real life.

Anyways, no girlie men here:

Image

Array
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Post by Array » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:19 pm

MC wrote:
I'll get back to your posts when my fever subsides (been sick for 8 weeks now, in and out of the oncologists office)
Obviously not sick enough to confront everybody else over the last three days and then come running over to HC looking for empathy.
Wow, calling me a girlie man is so uber-mature of you. How old are you again?
Who cares how old I am. Wisdom is what counts, and I'm wise to your tricks. I was the victim of a master manipulator. I learned all their tricks.

You are no different. You dodge my rebuttal like the coward you are by running over to HC seeking empathy. Hopping from group to group until you find somebody who says what you want to hear is not a method of resolution, it is denial of the facts I confronted you with in an attempt to lend integrity to your flawed argument. Typical manipulative tactic, my ex did that all the time. It is a popular tactic of the effeminate, so if it hurts to wear the "girlie-man" badge then too bad.

You even tried to dismiss goldphinga's counter argument as "libel" - that is an old trick. Take your barratry and shove it, I'm tired of your dodging tactics.
Again, the keyboard warrior shines right through here! Just by partaking in ONE round of communications with me, you can automatically place me comfortably within your gamut of online persona archetypes. Wow. Not only are you an EE, but also an astonishingly observant psychologist! Gee mister, you must be sooo smart (I bet you get a hardon every time you hear that)!

What exactly am I dodging here? Again, you just posted a longwinded response that pretty much agreed with what I have been saying this whole time regarding the marketability of a polyphonic Voyager.

As far as dismissing goldfinga's assesment of the Omega 8 as libel, Dictionary.com affords us this definition:
A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation.
I believe that calling a synth "Sh*t" would fit the bill.

Array
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Post by Array » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:23 pm

thebedroom wrote:Totally off topic, but MC your posts kick ass. Whether it is well thought out humor, awesome technical advice (I always hope you will answer my posts), or brutal honesty we at the Moog forum can always count on something thought provoking from you. I admire you because you actually take the time to read posts and craft an appropriate message. Sometimes that message is harsh but the receiver usually deserves it. Thanks for being part of this forum and making it great. I am sure most others around here would agree.

I just thought you should hear something nice about you since you seem to take the brunt of bullshit people dish on these things because you refuse to take it. Kudos to you there should be more like you.

The rest of you guys rule too....(goldfinga, qwave, demokid, etc insert your name here)
Oh man, this is just gold. Lets paraphrase....

"OMG M1k3! j00 are t3h r0x0r k3yb04rd warrior! I hope to one day be as couragious as you to mount an assault against someone from 2000 mile away! Let me kiss your ass some more! muah! muah!"

And then of course you go on to say "Everyone that agrees with my ideology and fights to preserve my bubble, no matter how twisted the mothods employed, is t3h r0x0r!!"

Of course, Mike replies with "Kthx lowley pe0n! I have indeed thwarted the vile ideology of Array. Rawr! I am brave keyboard warrior! Please tell me again how smart I am! Thats my favorite story!"

:roll:

suitandtieguy
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Post by suitandtieguy » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:36 pm

look at the pretty choo choo:

Image
me and my music - http://suitandtieguy.com
my modules - http://stgsoundlabs.com

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Lengai
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Post by Lengai » Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:56 pm

suitandtieguy,

That's pretty freakin' hilarious. I haven't had a laugh like that in a while. Array, you didn't do much service to your girlie-man defense with that photo. Just an opinion, chew my head off if you want.

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