I am the new owner of a voyager os. I love the look of the keyboard and always have been a fan of these Moog hardware (my first LP was ELP pictures at an exhibition.) But man, this keyboard is hard to master or is it just me? I can’t simply re-create any sound that I’d like to play. Being a total newbie at analog programming doesn’t help, but after two weeks of tweaking every control, reading stuff on the web and trying to emulate what I could download from minimoog model d I am a bit disappointed. I drove to Guitar Center and wrote down some settings from Little Phatty, hoping to emulate them but this is getting not even close to the sound of its little brother.
I guess my problem is that I am not really sure if this is my lack of skills or if something is wrong with the unit. For example, detuning the oscillators 2 and 3 makes a… detuned sound. It doesn’t seem right to have 2 oscillators out of tune to generate sounds. I saw that you can open the cover and change the range of the detuning. What is the best range to use? What’s the default to set it up to?
I believe what would be really helpful is a video guide on youtube where someone shows some settings on the OS panel and I can hear the result in the video then try to re-create and compare with my Voyager. I couldn’t find such a video. People are playing their Moog and you can’t see the panel (or it’s not an OS and then it doesn’t matter.) The Moog video walkthru goes to explaining each part (and misses completly the Modulation busses section BTW.)
I played with Arturia patches (based on Model D) but still no luck. I really can’t make my Moog sound anything like the soft moog. I originally thought that it was because of the differences in settings, but even interpolating on the scale should get me near the results?
Finally, I ordered the book from Moog with a list of patches for Voyager OS ($20+$15 SHIPPING!!!), but I am pretty sure when the book arrives, it won’t have any CD with it make any comparison.
What’s next? Should I send the voyager for a checkup to Moog? How can I find out if something is wrong? Things seem to work for the basic stuff, I just can’t make any good sound coming out of it. Should I sell it and give up on analog programming? What is the best way I can figure out how to learn from examples?
Please help. I really appreciate anything to get me out of this frustration. Thanks in advance.
The book of patches you purchased may just be the book that originally shipped with the OS. I received one when I bought my OS a few years back.
It has 54 Patches and some blanks sheets to record your own patches on. And yes, it’s a bit silly to be charging $15 for something that cost~$2 to mail; sorry I can’t help you with that one!
Once you receive the book and start to put it to use you will hopefully find that a) your OS is functioning properly and b) you’ll be amazed that such slight differences and combinations of knobs make such a discernible difference in sound. And from there you will be better suited to learn to make your own.
There’s also the Welsh Synthesizer Cookbook which, while very very good also has a steep learning curve (requires a fair amount of experimentation and for you to know your synth somewhat in application).
Failing all of that, if you are in the U.S., I’d be happy to give you a quick overview via phone. I had a Little Phatty first then bought the Old School. I can’t say I’m the master but I’ve learned alot over the years.
Finally (once you get good at programming this beast), I highly recommend getting your hands on the “Patch Memorizer” program. A Java based, browser accessible app that some kind soul poured all sorts of effort into that lets you visually set knobs then ‘save’ presets on your PC or Mac. It’s just a way to ‘jot down’ settings but is better than using reams of paper. I had grand plans to learn JavaScript (I was an assembly language and C programmer back in the early 80’s) but just haven’t gotten around to it.
PM me if you are interested in a quick chat. If nothing else, I can give you a few quick settings over the phone that should make some really cool sounds to give you a bit of relief that indeed your synth is working properly (that is, if it is!!!)
Its a challenge no doubt. Take a step by step approach to see what each section is capable of. One part at a time.
For example turn off the mod busses, set the filter and envelopes to default, and turn off sync and fm switches. Turn on just one osc in the mixer. Play with the waveforms. Then mix in a second or third and tune them to unison. Play with different combos of octaves and waves. All the same, all different, etc. Then make maybe a major or minor third with the frequency. Detune them slightly. Once you wrap your brain around a section, its easier to know what it will do for you.
Then go back to one osc for a basic sound. Now mess with the filter parameters. Once you get that, turn the filter back to default and start playing with the envelopes. Keep repeating the process until you get each section.
The one section at a time approach worked well for me. Its too difficult to mess with so many variables at once and understand whats happening. Especially if you are a noob to programming. I still have problems when I dial in a patch from the book trying to figure out what about the patch is making it do this or that. It takes time and patience but you will get it. It’s worth it!
Thank you very much for your answers. It gives me a new hope. I like so much the look of the keyboard that I would just keep it as an ornament. But I am really looking forward to use it. Without presets, I’ll need to learn some basic sound design. I will definitely reach out to you to discuss live.
I’ got the Welsh book and as other books on generic synths, it does a good job at describing sounds. The only trouble is in converting a nomenclature from a generic to the Voyager. E.g: what means routing LFO to amplitude on a Voyager. I see lots of variations on DEST (FIlter, pitch, etc…) but nothing about amplitude. On the other hand, what is “wave” destination?
Another thing that I’d like to understand is about this Power up key combination: I get what seems right (a responsive key board feedback even with short sustain) when I depressed upper C + adjacent B. Why isn’t it the default?
One thing I thought I mentioned earlier is the setup on the frequency detuning. What is the best frequency setup to use? The addendum on the manual mentions something about octave or 1/2 steps and some other steps I can’t quite remember off the top of my head. My Voyager seems to have come with the 1/2 step setup. Is that okay? In the Welsh book, the author is talking about +1/-1 octave on Osc 2. I found out that my detuning would give me an octave for 11 marks on the knob. So it won’t get to one full octave on one side only of the knob. I am really puzzled. Should I open the unit and switch to something higher?
Yes, I noticed that a little variation in the knobs can do a bit difference. But that still results in a messy cacophony
Thanks again for your support. I sincerely appreciate your help.
Routing LFO to amplitude means use the LFO to modulate volume. A wave destination means you are routing whatever your modulation source is to the wave knob. Modulation is one of the more complicated (and potentially interesting) parts of programming. I would get into that after you have worked on the oscillators, filter, and envelopes first.
Regarding detuning, there are a few approaches. First note that you dont need an octave out of the frequency knob. Thats what the octave switches are for. Use the frequency knob for very slight detuning (in cents) which can give a beating effect. I think this effect is best when you are just off from unison tuning. Larger adjustments on the frequency knob are good for intervals - major or minor third, fifths, etc. I like my intervals to be as in tune as possible though.
There is a factory mod you can have done that will add a switch for the keyboard power up functionality. Ive been thinking about getting that done but I dont really want to ship my os.
My point is that even as a total newbie, I was able to flag this right away, no wonder there is a mod for it. I won’t probably send my unit back either. Plus the legato knob feels in a totally awkward place. More like an after-thought than anything else.
Routing LFO to amplitude means use the LFO to modulate volume:
Okay. That’s helpful but how do I do that? I am fine approaching modulation techniques at a later stage, but just for the kick of being able to repro some of the Welsh’s book sounds, how do I route LFO to volume?
A wave destination means you are routing whatever your modulation source is to the wave knob.
Which wave knob? I thought that OSC2 and OSC3 were the wave destination. What is this wave knob?
As you can see, I don’t know much and I am trying to wrap my mind about everything I can read. Thanks for your help.
When initially experimenting with the oscillator’s sound, do this: Put your cutoff freq mostly or all the way up; Try one oscillator at a time. The former is because you won’t hear as big a difference between waveforms when the cutoff is rolled down, the latter because it’s easier to work on one at a time. You can mess with the cutoff later.
Adding oscillators in unison thickens the sound. If they are very closely tuned, try having each oscillator set to a different wave form, as this way you’re not going to severely get that wave cancellation; also it adds to the sound’s complexity.
Detuning slightly provides a sort of beating effect, which emulates to some extent the “chorus” of a group of real instruments playing together. The amount of detuning here is in the range of a few cents (a cent is one hundreth of a semitone), ie not very much.
Tuning to thirds and fifths may be good for producing chords, but you can also use 3rd and 5th tuning for unison. How is this possible I hear you ask… well actually it’s very easy. Keep in mind a single tone produced by an acoustic instrument is more than just a single pitch - it is comprised of a heap of overtones which help to characterise its sound. So try tuning your third osc to one octave + a fifth above, but then bring down its level on the mixer, so that it is only just faintly distinguished. In this way you can simulate an overtone. Analogue organs traditionally have this sort of effect - with fifths and 3rds being available on their stops. These sorts of unisons can sound very fat. Just remember if you do a third, put it high enough up in the harmonic series to be realistic, or otherwise you’ll just end up with a chord, not a unison.
This is only a small amount of what is available for you to learn about the instrument. If you have further questions post them here and I (and many others) can help out.
Use the frequency knob for