Is there any way to switch off the Voyager’s keyboard pitch voltage to the Oscillators, but still have the kbd output voltage? To be clearer: in making microtonal music (in this case, 24 notes/octave), you’d put the keyboard control voltage through an attenuator that would cut the CV in half. Then, use that CV for the Osc pitch. I have no problem doing this with the breakout box to external oscillators. However, using the internal oscillators, the CV is added to the regular CV that’s being sent internally, rendering everything out of tune (although it IS an interesting effect). I have external oscillators, so this really isn’t a problem, but it would be nice to be able to do it all “inside the box”, so to speak. Any suggestions?
I’m pretty sure it can’t be done, Andrew. AFAIK, there’s no way to ‘switch off’ the Voyager’s Pitch CV to the oscillators. As you’ve already observed, plugging a CV into the Voyager’s PITCH jack doesn’t override the internal pitch CV - if it did I would invert the Pitch CV externally and play the keyboard inverted, ala Joe Zawinul (he did it with an ARP 2600).
I’ve been meaning to try this for ages so thanks for posting this question. Greg is right that there is no way to internally disconnect the pitch CV to the oscillators. But if you can’t disconnect a CV, you can mix it with external CV sources. It turns out you can get quarter tones pretty darn easily it turns out, if you have the VX-351 and the CP-251…
Simply take the KB CV out of the VX-351 - patch it to input 1 of the CP-251 Mixer. Set Mixer offset to 12:00, Master level full. Start with Mixer 1 level Full CW.
In this scenario you should get notes triggered from the keyboard - but little or no change in pitch as you play up and down the keyboard. You’re mixing the KB voltage inverted @ unity gain w/ itself in this scenario - which means the Internal KB CV and the externally inverted KB CV basically null each other out.
Now turn the Mixer 1 level pot to ~12:00 - you’ll be close to quartertones.
To tune in quarter tones, play the lowest e on the keyboard, then two octaves up on the keyboard and tune Mixer 1 level until the pitch is a single octave up. Voila - you’re in Charles Ives territory.
If you want to get into Joe Zawinul territory - it requires a few more patch cords - connect KB CV to the mult, connect two cables from the mult to mixer 1, and mixer 2, set the levels full cw - the rest is the same as above, but you’ve now doubled the KB CV and inverted it, then mixed it with the internal KB CV. This way you can actually get reverse keyboard action.