Pimp my Voyager

[praxisaxis]

Hi All,
I've owned my Electric Blue Voyager for about 3 years now. It's been wonderful exploring this instrument - just when you think you've exhausted it, you work out another set of "sweet spots."

Anyway, I think I'm ready to open it up a bit. I'm looking for recommendations of hardware additions to spruce up the sound in new ways. I have often used the trick of running a TRS cable from the headphones to the mix or filter input - provides a great, but limited effect. What else can I get to enliven the sound in other ways? I'm a real noob in this regard so any suggestions are welcome.

[MBlom]

VX351 and Moogerfoogers?

[praxisaxis]

Thanks! Yep, I'm aware of these possibilities. I'm also interested in people's testimonials about what they've been able to achieve with this or other gear, and what it sounds like.

[stiiiiiiive]

Ooh it’s been a while since you posted here, right.

First of all, the “headphones output to insert jack” trick can be achieved with a custom soldered cable without using the headphones jack. I think it can sound a bit different as it takes the raw oscillators signal (before the filter) instead of the whole filter, envelope’d signal.

Now, taking into account I play an Old School Voyager, I think the VX-351 is the way to go. It offers CV output, nothing more, but this allows to control external FX (MoogerFoogers or other expression-input-equiped stompboxes). This is cool sine you can use them as part of the since rather than just post processes of the synth sound. Look at the examples presented on the Little Phatty CV out option page.
Obviously I know the “new school” Voyagers have MIDI and pot mapping, which both allow a bunch of other modulation and craziness options. Anyway, CV is fun

[DeckardTrinity]

The only effect I use with either of my Moogs (XL and Sub 37) is a Moogerfooger MF-104M. This one delay alone has opened up so many new sounds for me - and I barely use the LFO feature on it (or sparingly, for now ) That would be my recommendation if you're looking into adding a fooger.

[EricK]

Go modular and get some extra oscillators and other external filters or even a sequencer.

+1 for any type of Moog delay. The 104z (and probably the M) holds its own against some of the best tape delays.

The VX351 won't really do you any good unless you have other CV gear, and this is true also for the CP-251. If the only destinations you have to send them to are the Voyager, that won't be too satisfying.

The MF-102 is also a nice option and with the CP, it can function as an extra oscillator. It is arguably one of the best ringmods on the market.

Now some people have run their Voyagers through the Sherman Filterbank, or EXH has that BiFilter. There are also various reverb units than can be very nice also. You can check out the yahoo users group "knob tweak" for an article about using various distortion pedals in the mixer out/filter in jack to spruce up the sound. That would be a great place to insert a third-party filter or oscs.


It's all up hill from here! Good Luck!

Eric

[GregAE]

Go modular and get some extra oscillators and other external filters or even a sequencer.

+1 on that. Maybe also consider something like a Doepfer Dark Energy if you're inclined to add more synth hardware...

You can check out the yahoo users group "knob tweak" for an article about using various distortion pedals in the mixer out/filter in jack to spruce up the sound. That would be a great place to insert a third-party filter or oscs.

That would be my "Kick It Up A Notch" article, located here:

KnobTweak/files/Voyager/Kicking It Up.zip

It should give you some new ideas on ways to spruce up your sound. Have fun with it!

- Greg