Hey guys, im looking at getting my very first hardware synth in the for of a Voyager OS!!!
Was just wondering about a couple of things
in a sound on sound review the reviewer said : “Driven by the SH101 or by my Kenton Pro 2000 MIDI-to-CV converter, the Old School did not track accurately at all. Moog inform me they decided to omit CV input calibration from the design, and I am advised that the best solution is to use an attenuator from either a VX351 or a Moogerfooger CP251 Control Processor (or a similar module, if you have a modular synth) to tweak the incoming voltage until the Old School plays in tune.”
Has anyone else had issues like these?? I plan on using Motu’s new Volta software to controll this little beast… In one of voltas videos they show the software is able to tune the Normal Voyager osclitors…so would this now not work in the old school because it has no “CV input callibration”?
Im planning on getting the Vx 351 with the OS but since im new to the whole CV thing i was unsure if this whole thing was gonna work out…and i really wanna have some fun making sequences and stuff with volta or even eventually some hardware sequencers…
If there is a calibration feature in Volta, then you won’t need to use an attenuator.
The Voyagers are calibrated to approximately 0.93 V/8va, which is why they wouldn’t track correctly with an SH-101 or pretty much any other synth (most use one Volt per octave).
Or you could spend a little more and get a regular Voyager with full-blown MIDI capabilities…
Yeh i was gonna get the regular voyager but i dunno, there is something about the old school that really appeals to me…ehehe…im a bit scared with no midi and no patch saving but i reckon ill be happier in the end…
plus with volta coming up who needs midi?
Well what you quoted seemed to lead us in the direction that the OS is flawed or not as functional as what people might want. If you got yourself a Voyager it would remove all doubt.
The Voyager should track without the Vx351, I might consider a different Fooger to replace the Vx351 if you don’t have any other voltage controlled gear. You might enjoy the Ring Modulator or you might even get more usage out of a cp251.
Since you don’t have another hardware synth Id reconsider the Vx351. WIth just a Voyager yous only be able to route the voltage outputs right back into itself…which might not be pleasing a few months from now persay.
Id look at novamusik.com and see what kind of deal you can get there. If you talk to them…THEY WILL WORK WITH YOU ON THE PRICES.
Consider a cp251, Ring Mod, Phaser, or cp251. Once you get a couple of Foogers to go with it, then youll want to be able to control them with the Voyagers voltages. If you had enough money for 2 Foogers Id get a Fooger and the CP.
Not only that, but the keyboard CV goes below 0 volt into the negative also!
That being said, a friend of mine is able to control accurately his OS pitch with a Paia MIDI-to-CV converter, despite the non-standard design of the OS. That interface has a trim pot to adjust the volt/octave. The only drawback is that the Paia (like most other MIDI-to-CV box) does not generate negative voltages, so you cannot go as low as a certain pitch (which is the lowest C on the Voyagers keyboard if I remember correctly). But that does not affect the octave switches for each oscillator.
I have an OS and wish to interface it with Cubase 5 - so that midi tracks within my sequencer play back notes on the OS (doh!). Question is, what is the best way of doing this?
I want all notes on the OS to be played back at the correct pitches. Do I need to use a CP251 + Kenton Pro-Solo? By the sounds of it…a ProSolo hooked directly into the back of the OS is not going to achieve the desired result.
I would really appreciate it if somebody could just clarify this point for me. What unit do I need to use (CP251? VX351? + a Pro Solo?). What connections need to be made? If I had modular synth experience I wouldnt necessarily be asking this question
^^Wait for Volta by the looks of things…Ive seen some pretty crazy videos on youtube of volta controlling all sorts of modular CV gear with ease. U just need a sound card with DC coupled outputs(MOTU, RME stuff ) It has not only built in midi cv conversion but also LFOs, Sequencers envelopes etc etc…
The main reason i dont wanna go for the standard voyager is cos i really dont like the look of that lcd and menus n stuff…plus i dont want software glitching out in me in like 10 years time…
Because if the sending unit is not 100% right on 1 V/ocz, there would be no way of driving a 100% 1 V/oct unit by it.
But it is very easy to get a higher voltage/octave ratio in a lower one by using a resistor and maybe an offset voltage.
So it is very common for all vintage analog equipment to be calibrated for a little less then 1 V/oct tracking. And putting on their outputs a little more.
Welcome to the analog world where nothing is 100% fixed.
