This is my first post so please be gentle with me.
I have a Voyager and a Moogerfooger MF-104M Delay and have been less than happy with the delay. The problem being that if I put it in the insert loop of the Voyager then, although not bad, it doesn’t operate to its full potential and is cut short once a key is released. Many thanks to all the other contributors who have explained the reason for this in previous postings.
Also, as the delay is mono in and out, then if I put it on the left (mono) audio output from the voyager then my Voyager plays in mono instead of stereo and I noticed that one contributor didn’t want to lose his stereo output.
However, I seem to have found a solution to the issue which makes the delay operate and sound wonderful while still retaining the Voyager as a stereo output keyboard (apologies to anyone who has mentioned this before on the forum but I did a search and couldn’t find anything).
The solution is to use a small, mono audio y splitter device plugged into the Voyager’s left audio output (the following link will show you what I mean: http://www.amazon.co.uk/kenable-6-35mm-Socket-Splitter-Adapter/dp/B003OSTW9U). You need the 1/4 inch (6.35mm) mono version, not the stereo version and I actually bought mine from eBay for 2.75 sterling for a pair! With the device fitted in the Voyager’s left audio output you then run the usual pair of cables from the left and right audio outputs to your mixer (the left cable being plugged into one of the sockets in the splitter) which give you the normal stereo setup for the Voyager. Then connect a cable from the other audio socket on the splitter to the input on the MF-104 and then run a cable from the output of the MF-104 to a mono input on a second, independent channel on your mixer (you need a mixer with at least two separate input channels - one stereo channel for the Voyager and the other for the MF-104). This enables the mixer to blend the MF-104’s mono output into the output mix from the mixer.
I have called Moog Music and they have confirmed that this arrangement will not cause any issues for either the Voyager or the MF-104 or in any way degrade the sound. I have listened to many of the panning/stereo patches on the Voyager and can confirm that they function properly and, when the MF-104 is taken out of bypass, the sound is unbelievable and the pedal has its full functionality (it doesn’t appear to conflict with the operation of the stereo audio output from the Voyager at all - you just get the amazing delay effect added).
I hope that I have explained things clearly. I don’t know how well this method would work for other mono Moogerfoogers, or the Midi MuRF which has a stereo output, but it’s worth a try. And you can always revert to using the Voyager’s insert loop if that gives the sound and functionality that you prefer. This has really made me love the MF-104.
I think another way to do it is to use a custom TRS plug from the mixer send with the tip and EDIT: ring shorted together. This way the connection is still made from the mixer to the filter but you gain an extra output and retain the stereo image unaltered.
Does you mixer have an Aux Send? If so, you can do this without any splitters.
Just use some Aux Send on the two Voyager channels of your mixer, connect the Aux Send out jack to the delay and bring it back either with an Aux Return or (if it doesn’t have one) just use a third channel.
The beauty of this is that you can also send anything else in the mixer to the delay as well.
The most elegant solution, of course is to get a second MF-104
The effect of having two hard-panned, independent delays with slight parameter differences is absolutely psychotropic.
And then, when you start hearing that as “normal”, try cross-polinating the FB INSERTs into each other, put on headphones, and cancel all of your appointments for the rest of the day.
What exactly are you trying to achieve by inserting a delay in the effects send?
With the oscs constantly sending a signal to the delay you really wouldn’t get anything but a slightly thicker or lush sound (largely lost at the filter cutoff point). This could be accomplished on the back end of the signal chain with more control over the sound. Since the oscillators are constantly…oscillating any lush sounding delays are going to get quickly lost in the steady signal.
Ah, my memory is fading as it’s been a long time since I played my Voyager. This trick is a way of doing the “headphone out” overdrive while keeping the stereo signal. Still good though!
Hey, I thought I said be gentle with me as a newby and, what happens, you convince me to buy a new mixer
Seriously though, I think this is a sensible move and gives me a lot more flexibility. My original mixer was a small 4 channel Wharfedale Pro 802 which was ok but had no sends or returns but it did the job (if a bit noisy). I’ve now got a Mackie 1202 VLZ4 and very pleased with it.
Thank you all so much for your responses and thanks for a great forum.
One of the things that I like to do with the Voyager’s stereo outs is send each one to a different effect.
So the left side will go to the RE-301 for chorus (and maybe reverb) and delay. The 301 is stereo, so one of those outs will go to the left channel on the board, and the other out will go to the right channel.
The Voyager’s right output will go to the DC-50 with a little hall echo and sent to the board’s right channel.
So the Voyager takes 3 channels, the left side gets the delay, the middle get’s the chorus/reverb and the right gets a slightly faster delay.
The effect here is that the chorus of the 301 will slightly detune the Voyager in the center channel, but the left and right channels will reinforce the pitch that is supposed to be playing, so it sounds like an old drifty oscillator.
