I’ve had my Little Phatty for a month now, and I am really impressed. I play it all the time and look for excuses to put it in a mix.
When I bought it, I had never even considered the idea of a Voyager because it was just WAY out of my price range. But I’ve recently come into some money and the Voyager would be within reach without breaking the bank.
So… do I even want to consider the Voyager? I really only have room for one monosynth right now – in fact, I’ll be thinning out my rig his spring – so it would be a question of the Phatty or the Voyager.
Why would I even consider this thing? Opinions are welcomed. I post here because part of me doesn’t want to lose the Phatty… But he Voyager looks – and sounds – so appealing.
I’m thinking of the Performer Edition. I’d want something with patch memory and MIDI, so the OS isn’t in the running, and while I appreciate the aesthetics of the Select series, that part of it really isn’t that important to me… And the extra $300 could go to something else…
… Oh, and there might be a Prophet 08 in the mix, too.
Well what about it…is it the touchpad? Cause you coudl save some ach and get the RME, youd have your patch memory and could keep the phatty AND still have the polyphony.
I have both the Phatty and the Voyager. Without question, for me, the Voyager is the synth to go to first. It has become the main synth in my live playing. Why? There are so many more modulations to create per patch, and the ability to quickly go to a pot or switch on the fly makes the Voyager the most suitable synth for my music.
I think there is a difference in the sound of both synths. They both have the Moog character, but I think the Voyager has a more refined sound. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the Phatty. It’s a great instrument, and there are times that I turn to it over the Voyager. The Phatty has several technological refinements and features over the Voyager: the pots (encoders), filter overdrive, and arp. However, for me, that doesn’t outweigh what the Voyager offers.
Casting aside monetary value, if I could only have one, it would be the Voyager. I think one has to consider the kind of music and the venues the instrument would be used in.
If you can only get one, the Voyager is probably your best choice. However, if you don’t want to bring a $3K synthesizer into a smokey bar you might consider the LP.
I started out with the Voyager (Performer Edition) and had visions of playing it out but could just never bring myself to move it. So, I ultimately picked up the LP to take on the road. The Voyager stays put! For most rock/alternative/electronic/etc bands this works really well. If you’re making really intricate ambient or electronic music where the Moog is a primary element you might rather have the Voyager on stage. There is a place for both of them however and they coexist nicely.
Thank god they got rid of smoking in most public places up here in Ontario… I remember the old days…
I have a Phatty TE, and a Voyager RME. I love the simplicity and sound of the Phatty, as well as the overdrive, but the Voyager to me comes closer to that full, dense sound reminiscant of the Mini. It sounds like all the old records I grew up with more than the LP. Still, I love them both for different reasons. I’d get the RME and then drive it from the Phatty.
