Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Tips and techniques for Minimoog Analog Synthesizers
cosmic_artistry
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Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by cosmic_artistry » Wed Sep 12, 2012 8:33 pm

Just got the plug and I am running it in Ableton Live on OSX. The GUI controls the Voyager fine but despite my midi controller triggering the GUI keyboard to depress, no note gets transmitted to the Voyager. Very weird. Anyone else experiencing this? I can create a separate track and arm to send midi notes but the manual discourages midi messaging except through the plug.

Also, since my Voyager is an RME I'm wondering if the plug let's me use it as a touch controller. Mouse clicking over the plugs XY pad doesn't seem to do anything however.

Appreciate any feedback on these two issues...

shurikt
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by shurikt » Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:48 am

You need to first go through the "poll" process. From the awful PDF manual:
In the MIDI In Port and MIDI Out Port select the MIDI interface and the port that the Voyager is connected
to. Once the appropriate input and output ports are selected, click the Poll button. An ON-LINE message will
appear at the top of this window confirming proper connection. Finally, click the THRU button to ON, and
then click the OK button to exit.
I got mine to go on-line once and it worked fine. Nothing since, though -- and I see the GUI keyboard moving, but hear no sound, now too.

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Vsyevolod
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Vsyevolod » Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:02 pm

I posted this in another thread on this site, and thought I'd repost it here as it seems apropos...



Like most other companies, Moog hires SoundTower to build their editor. If you are having a problem with the SoundTower editor as many of us here have (both with Moog editors and other keyboard editors) then the best thing to do is to write to SoundTower. If they do not respond, or do not take responsibility in a way that seems honest and straightforward, then we all owe it to the rest of the world to come on to forums like this and (as politely as possible) call it like it is. If other companies who are looking to hire someone to create an editor for them see enough dissatisfaction (in forums like this) with both the software products AND the lack of support/transparency/responsibility then perhaps they will think twice about hiring such a company. In this way, we all win in the long run.

To SoundTower in particular:

Please respond to the complaints that you've been receiving about how your software products are not working in the way they are advertised to work. Please either fix the products in a timely manner or offer refunds/upgrades to the folks who have trusted you with their money to produce a quality, if not working, product. Lack of communication is the worst way to go about this. Lack of responsiveness to the complaints with actual fixes and/or refunds is the second worst way. Please do what you can to engender our trust in your company.

With respect and hope,

Stephen




.

Mr Shave
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Mr Shave » Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:06 pm

Good luck getting anyone from sound tower to even acknowledge your existence... They are the worst company I have ever tried to deal with... Notice how I didnt say "dealt with"? I cant even get them engaged... Moog cant even get them to talk to me...

sts
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by sts » Mon Sep 24, 2012 2:26 am

---Good luck getting anyone from sound tower to even acknowledge your existence...

With all due respect ...

I am sorry. We cannot attend to all social media that covers our software. If you write to us directly, we shall respond.
We are making the software for last 12 years and providing support for very many manufactures and synths.
Presently, there are hundreds of thousands of our users out there. All updates are always free of charge, every product has a free demo that you can try. So many people have changed computers/platforms over the years and etc. and they are always respected and they get the latest versions for free. I would like to know about any other company that does that and it is still around.

Lately, we came up with yet another innovative product we call PluSE (Plug-in Sound Editor)
The stand-alone editor backs to 2003. Since then computer systems have changed: from Win XP, Vista to Win 7, from Mac OS X 10.1 to 10.8. The Voyager hardware went from a firmware 1.x to 3.5 with many changes and additions. In
a course of all those years we kept up with all the changes by delivering updates and providing support totally free from any charges.

Now back to the problem at hand. There are many different VST/AU hosts and it is hard to address specific issues but the one that sparked this post has a solution thanks to a person from Ableton.

Please click on "Ableton dual chain Device with Voyager & editor contr" topic.

http://www.soundtower.com/plugse/voyager/

Thank you all,

Mark

Soundtower Inc.

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Solum
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Solum » Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:55 am

I have the Plug-In since two days. Most of the things work fine. I am just not sure about some buttons and the XY-Pad.
The buttons below the screen of the Plug-In (Master, Panel, Cursor...) are they supposed to be activated or deactivated
by clicking them with the mouse or are they functionless and just there to give a replicated fiew of the Voyager.

Also is the XY-Pad of the Plug-In functioning? Nothing happens here when clicking with the mouse on it and move the cursor.
I believe somehow the XY-Pad should also be functional from the Plug-In as all parameters can be editted in the advanced
window.

Are the mentioned buttons and the XY-Pad functioning within your setup? Do these have to be activated differently in order
to use them?

The manual does not say much about the various functions and how they need to be used or activated.

n2design
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by n2design » Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:44 am

Never buy software from a company that puts out demo, but has everything disabled. They are hiding all the bugs, and limitations.

Companies with quality offerings will disable "save function" or run a timer, imo.

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Solum
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Solum » Tue Sep 25, 2012 7:18 am

Somehow you are right somehow not, with not buying from a company that does not supply all parts for demo. I bought the Plug SE because it sounds usefull and there is no other product out there that does the same. The things I want to use it for work fine at the moment. I was not sure about the XY-Pad if this can also be dialed by the Plug-In. I received an answer from Soundtower within 24 hours that all parameters can be set for the XY-Pad within the Plug-In but that the touch-surface of the of the Plug-In does not react on mouse clicks yet. But recording Midi from the XY-Pad of the Voyager to the Plug-In into the DAW works.

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Analog Prophet
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Analog Prophet » Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:08 pm

sts wrote:If you write to us directly, we shall respond
Absolutely not true. I have contacted SoundTower several times and opened a service ticket - without any respond except an automatic confirmation that the issue was registered and I would be contacted. After many months and many trials to communication finally instead Moog Music helped me prompt and smooth with the SoundTower software issue - excellent support from Moog Music. It's a lie to state "If you write to us, we shall respond". I am highly disappointed of the costumer support of SoundTower. Actually the worst "support" I ever contacted. Sorry to say, but it's a shame.
_____________________________________________
http://www.soundofmusic.se

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Solum
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Solum » Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:06 am

I have a question about the working file, clolsing it and reopening it. If you close a pure software VST the file is automatically saved and when opening the project again the file is opened with the last setinngs before closing. This VST ist somehow different because it is connected to hardware.

How do you need to close the Plug-In after a session so that these settings are opened the next time when activating the project?
Do you need to safe the file extra and how is this best done?
Do you need to go to send mode then and send it to the Voyager?

Sorry for all these questions but the manual is not of much use as important parts are not mentioned at all.

Mr Shave
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Mr Shave » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:38 pm

Analog Prophet wrote:
sts wrote:If you write to us directly, we shall respond
Absolutely not true. I have contacted SoundTower several times and opened a service ticket - without any respond except an automatic confirmation that the issue was registered and I would be contacted. After many months and many trials to communication finally instead Moog Music helped me prompt and smooth with the SoundTower software issue - excellent support from Moog Music. It's a lie to state "If you write to us, we shall respond". I am highly disappointed of the costumer support of SoundTower. Actually the worst "support" I ever contacted. Sorry to say, but it's a shame.
I am in the EXACT same boat. But it doesnt matter, Sound Tower wont even see this post. The guy only has two posts, and they are only to defend his crappy ass company.

For example, I have submitted a ticket (ticket number 813) back on Jan 9 2012. It is still showing NEW, and assigned to Mark Lanos. I have not received ANY word back from sound tower, there is no updated status to the ticket, no additional information listed on the ticket, nothing. Back in Feb, I asked Moog for help, and got great support, but basically told me "There is a new rev soon, just download that".

DO NOT try to defend the company. The evidence does not support your claims that you will provide customer service, let alone respond to submitted tickets...

shurikt
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by shurikt » Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:56 pm

To be fair, the instructions that Mark sort of linked to (the correct link is here) http://www.soundtower.com/plugse/voyage ... ve_pc.html fixed my issue.

Mark: Yes, you do need to check every "social media" board out there, and answer any and all questions you can find. That's called customer service. Otherwise you end up with a bunch of enthusiasts and potential customers (like us) who will actively discourage others from buying your product. Yes, we know your job is hard. But it won't matter if you offer free updates if nobody buys your products.

Mr Shave
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Mr Shave » Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:50 am

Sorry, i didnt mean to hijack this thread with sound tower hate.

And I agree to an extent about monitoring social media. You wont have to do that if the customer service was good when customers contact you using the correct channels that are offered on the company website. But seeing how those go un-answered, AND there is zero "social media" coverage/monitoring, we who have been burned by the lack of support are actively discouraging people from using your products. Its a simple truth.

Cheers.

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Analog Prophet
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Analog Prophet » Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:57 pm

sts wrote:Presently, there are hundreds of thousands of our users out there
That means that many millions of dollars has been invested to SoundTower from serious customers. With hundred of thousands customers there should be a large customer support department, ready to help the highly valued customers.

I would love to buy the new Voyager edit program, but I'm note sure if that will be the case - not because if the program, but because of there is no costumer support.

Please, please, please Moog Music, cut of the connection with this company and let some serious company make your edit programs for your products instead (that BTW should be free of charge when investing thousands of dollars of an instrument).
_____________________________________________
http://www.soundofmusic.se

Mr Shave
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Re: Soundtower Voyager Plug SE

Post by Mr Shave » Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:46 pm

Analog Prophet wrote:
Please, please, please Moog Music, cut of the connection with this company and let some serious company make your edit programs for your products instead.[/quote]

+1 to that comment there!

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