What would you rather buy?
Being that there were so many responses regarding the andromeda,I wanted to know what everybody thought about Studio Electronics Omega 8 and how it’s Moog Filter/Sound compares to the real thing.
Hands down the Omega 8. While the voyager is pretty thick and greasy, nothing tops the shear size and beauty of the Omega 8.
omega 8 is an overprice unreliable piece of **** .read the soundonsound reviews and try one for yourself.you will be disappointed. i hardly think that this is a valid poll.how can u compare the voyager which is a monosynth and the omega 8 which is a poly? i dont quite understand the point. its more like a studio electronics V moog poll. moog wins everytime imo. the se-1 was again never properly finished with software issues far beyond any problems the voyager has ever had. its also doesn’t sound as good, has no audio ins etc and has layers and layers of software to negotiate to do the simplest of functions. the polyevolver is a great board on par with the moogs but then dave smith is another legend a la bob. when moog bring out their polysynth we’ll all be wanting one. the omega range is a bit of a non event.
moog wins handsdown. 
goldphinga:
+1
I believe that your post borders on libel.
How is a comparison between a Voyager and an Omega not valid? Both synths use discrete circuitry to generate sounds. One just happens to be polyphonic. Do you really think that, realistically, a polyphonic synth built with the same high standards as the voyager could ever be marketed? Have you ever SEEN the insides of a Voyager? A polyphonic version would literally weigh 100kg and cost as much as a house.
If the current incarnation of Moog Music was to ever make a polyphonic synth, it would most definately follow the model that Studio Electronics has set. Discrete VCO’s and VCF’s, controlled via software. Actually, I wouldnt even be surprised if Moog ended up using IC’s for either the VCO’s, VCF’s, or both.
If you want a polyphonic Voyager, just go out and buy the keyboard version with 7 RME’s. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting forever for an all in one solution. Meanwhile, stop talking nonsense about Studio Electronics, the only current manufacturers of polyphonic AND discrete analog synthesizers.
Hmmm… I am thinking it could be done. It would be difficult in keyboard form, but I could easily envision a 3- to 5-rackspace box containing 6 to 8 Voyager analog boards and a new poly-capable digital board to control them; and a separate remote programmer holding all the knobs and switches. And/or allow it to be programmed entirely from a computer.
However, I can’t see it being particularly affordable, even in the above scenario. I still want to see such a thing happen, really I do.
Well yeah, the Yamaha CS-80 was a fully discrete synth, and it weighed around 100kg for 8 voices. I think that such an endeavor would put Moog Music out of business.
Actually no. A 5u rack would be FAR too small for a polyphonic Voyager.The Voyager keyboard itself is packed to capacity with circuitry, and im sure that the RME is as well.
Just check out these photos (thanks QWave):
http://www.till-kopper.de/voyager.html
In contrast, here is an inside look at the Andromeda, an IC based synth:
Oh well, ya can’t blame a guy for wishful thinking. If Moog’s business expands at the rate it seems to be heading, then maybe there will be enough R&D overhead to investigate the poly-synth concept. However, I’ve been told before that it was the Memorymoog that basically toppled the previous incarnation of Moog Music, and I know Dr. Moog has categorically refused to consider a new polyphonic analog synth in past interviews. I’m convinced though that it must be possible to come up with a (mostly) discrete polyphonic analog, that is up to Moog standards, for less than the cost of a new Harley-Davidson… somehow. I’m going to keep right on wishing and hoping.
re: the 5U enclosure… I was picturing a stack of analog boards one right atop the other, with flow-through cooling if needed. That would significantly reduce the space needed, as would having a separate controller instead of a full control panel on the front surface. It may still be an unworkable concept, but that is how it went together in my mind.
-Amos
I think that a room full of RME’s WOULD look pretty sexy though!
If only $$$ wasnt an issue. 
I’m an EE and have studied power engineering. Central to a good electronic design is heat dissipation. An analog synth board generates heat and if that heat is allowed to accumulate then the VCO tuning and other foibles will put that synth voice out of whack.
If you stack multiple PC boards to build a polyphonic Voyager, you have to arrange them so that the heat does not accumulate. We all know that heat rises. Stacking pc boards sandwich style will accumulate heat between the boards - worst thing to do.
SCI tried this in their first polysynth, the single manual Prophet-10 (not the later dual manual version) which had two five-voice synth PC board sandwiched on each other. Those P10s have serious tuning problems. They made five P10s before they concluded that the heat problem could not be conquered. There was no other way to arrange those huge PC boards inside the enclosure. So they reduced the design to a single five voice PC board, the tuning was better, and it became the Prophet-5.
The correct way is to stand the voice boards on end forcing the heat to rise between layers. That way the heat dissipates evenly and naturally with no accumulation. Octave Plateau got it right - the voice cards in their Voyetra-eight rack polysynth are stacked on end. The Oberheim OBMx did this too.
Thanks for the input, MC!
The Voyager analog board is only about 8" deep, so it might still be possible to enclose a vertical array of these puppies inside a rackable box of reasonable dimensions. Getting Moog to do such a thing, on the other hand…
Maybe it could be done in baby steps… say, a 4-voice “expander” box for Voyager/RME owners… then use that technology (multi-board analog array + new digital architecture to address multi analog boards from one digi board) as a platform for a standalone full polysynth. Farfetched? sure. Attainable? Maybe one day.
Hello,
The Voyetra Eight and OB-MX illustrate that the poly is indeed doable. Cost effective? I’m not sure.
The OB-MX was a bit more sizeable, as it had a full programming interface on it’s panel. Buchla also managed to deploy two voices on each card.
Octave saved a bit of real estate on the Voyetra by scaling back the programming interface and making only the most often used parameters available for edit. In addition though, the instrument was still fully programmable via the one-voice Voyetra One. All of the One’s parameters were available for edit from the panel. The Evolver was not the first synth to utilize this technique.
A similar approach could be used with a poly version Vger, keeping costs down by scaling back the programming interface and allowing the Voyager
monosynth and/or an editor to function as the programming interface.
Roland’s MKS-80 also featured a programming interface as a separate unit.
These are just ideas, but they just illustrate that they have been done before.
Finally, although I’m not crazy about the disassembled Minis, I do give
credit to Studio Electronics for having continued to build programmable analog synths during a time where they were no longer fashionable. In addition, in the case of the Omega 8, its a probuct that they offer in multiple configurations. Not many manufacturers are willing to do that anymore.
Regards,
LWG
array
moog can market and build a polyphonic synth of the voyagers quality,bob moog already stated that in several interviews.
there is no way it would cost as much as a house.
i have seen inside the voyager
i only stated my opinion,whereas you seem determined to enforce yours
So then the only reason for that we dont have said synth is because Dr. Moog is a grumpy old meany and that he likes to deprive musicians of high quality musical instruments? There has to be a good reason why this wondersynth isnt on the market.
Which brings us to the next point…
Not literally, no. It would cost a LOT though. So much, in fact, that it would be prohibitively expensive and impossible to sell. Did you know that the original Moog Modular systems DID cost as much as a house back in the 1960’s ($10,000)? Did you also know that the original MiniMoog used to cost as much as a car ($1,000)? The Moog salesmen actually had to sell loans to go along with the Mini. I dont think that the people who run the current incarnation of Moog Music would be too willing to go back to that business model.
Look again, and look at all of those discrete components. How many voices of polyphony would you want a polyphonic MiniMoog to have? 8? 16? How much do you think is an acceptable weight for a modern electronic keyboard instrument?
Calling Studio Electronics gear “shit”, and dismissing it outright, seems pretty forceful to me. I am just stating facts here.
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!!! 
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.
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?
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.
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/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=882224