Would a Moogertron be sonically comparable to a Voyager?

[MBlom]

By that I don´t mean that they would sound the same, but if a Moogertron would have sonic sound qualities comparable to a Voyager. The reason why I ask is that I´m thinking about assembling a Moogertron, I´m sure no one here have been able to avoid my post terror concerning this.

I would so love a Voyager, I think it´s a beautiful instrument totally comparable to a well built bass or guitar. But, since I love to play my bass and guitar, the possibilities of processing audio with a Moogertron is too compelling to resist (can´t afford both for the next century). And a Moogertron wouldn´t even be restricted to handling just one sound at a time, with just a 6-foog ´tron (not counting the two cp´s that I plan to include) I could have a synth (MF-107, MF-102, MF-105M), a bass synth (electric bass through MF-107 and MF-101) and a MF-103 to deal with whatever. Together with the cp´s there could be some serious modular interaction!

So. What I´m after is: Would a Moogertron sound great compared to other synths (a Voyager for example), with its own sonic flavors, or would it just be a "fun thing to do"? My Moogertron enthusiasm needs a reality check.

[EricK]

I think someone got bit by the bug.

Welcome to the world of not having enough money to facilitate your dreams of what will eventually turn out to be infinite expansion.

[MBlom]

he he. You're right. I'm bit all over. And I really enjoy these kind of open, neverending projects. Just made myself a purchase plan and if I follow through I'll have an eight 'foog 'tron by this time next year. And that's a time frame that'll keep me on my toes planning the next fooger and still being busy exploring and playing with what I've got at the moment.

But what do you think about my question? A Voyager is, as all synths, a couple of oscillators, a filter and modulation capabilities. A Moogertron will excel in the latter, but I'm not that sure about the sound it 'starts' with. So what I'm wondering is, basically, are the FreqBox-oscillators as good sounding as the ones on a Voyager and an LP? I know they're not as stabile, but that might just be what gives a 'tron its own sound. And are there any other factors shaping a synths sound that I'm missing?

[seank]

envelopes, dude. envelopes.

[MBlom]

Yes, I know. That's something to really weigh in. And there are ways to get envelopes with the cp-251 even though it's not as direct and controllable as a standard envelope. But that may just turn the Moogertron into something different than the usual synth. I do a good work convincing myself to pursue the building of a 'tron, no?

My main question is whether it will sound good and not just ok. I want a monster!

[EricK]

I don't know about the architecture of the filters in the Voyager, 101, or phatty, but I want to say that the Osc in the 107 is a descendant of Voyager osc with no temp stabilization.

While having a bank of 8 foogers, or even 16 foogers...it will sound like IT sounds. What makes the Voyager so nice is its dualing filters that are changable down to 1 pole and can run bandpass mode and have their cutoff freqs offset and sent to a stereo output. Then there is the fliter glide, FM synthesis, dualling envelopes, complex modulation routings, etc. This makes the Voyager unique. People have even gone so far as to compare the Voyager's osc 3 to osc 1.

A bank of foogers alone won't get all that, and the Foogers have limits also and certain things that leave a lot to be desired as opposed to what they could offer in MU format as modules rather than stompboxes.

I think what you are dreaming about is both a subjective and highly romantisized version of "the sound" as well as a quantifiable set of unique features that make its variety very sought after. And theres the knob-per-function interface that completes the package and will spoil you to no end.

Anything is sonically comparable to anything, provided they both make sounds, right?


But I totally understand. I was in your shoes several years ago.


THe way you are thinking now, you might as well add to your list a synth cabinet for the modules you don't know you want yet hahahah.


Eric

[EricK]

And I think that you can get AR envelopes with the CP251.

[Sir Nose]

The MP-201 has envelopes. Upto 4 at a time.

[EMwhite]

Indeed, and they (MP-201's envs) are HADSR to boot (H=hold) plus they can retrigger/cycle.

[MBlom]

EricK: I get your point. I know it´s not what you intended but I feel a little embarrased, being a touch too naive. But hey, I know that´s the way I work. Highly enthusiastic one week, and the next it´s something else. That´s way the Moogertron project is good for me since I won´t buy all foogers at once but instead get one at a time and choose the ones I´ll use to play bass/guitar through and not because they´re needed to build a ´tron. So we´ll see what it turns out to be. A Moogertron, and nothing else. I still believe it could be a monster, and if being unruly and hard to tame then bring it on!

Sir Nose & EMwhite: Totally forgot that the MP-201 can do I fine job with envelopes. Guess I´ll have to put one of those into the purchase plan as well. Too bad, I really didn´t feel the need for more foogers...

[EMwhite]

(text removed)
Sir Nose & EMwhite: Totally forgot that the MP-201 can do I fine job with envelopes. Guess I´ll have to put one of those into the purchase plan as well. Too bad, I really didn´t feel the need for more foogers...

Yeah, if you are building a rocket ship, may as well add two MP-201s at the bottom. Most organ and synth players (old school that is) like to get their feet into the mix, heck even some drummers (like Tempustry) play Taurus while playing with hands. And while costly, MP-201's are insanely flexible. Provided you are playing from a Midi master keyboard with CV'out, you'll be able to trigger the ENVs in the pedals.

Most unfortunately, the MP does not have an analog trigger in; the closest thing it has is a footswitch that can be tied to envelope trigger therefore, you'll need to do (as I did), play a kbd that does Midi + CV out (in my case, the LP Tribute with CV-mod), send the CV Pitch out to the Freqbox, and setup your MP-201 based envelope to Trigger on Midi note coming from the LP. It worked well, however as written here, there is no VCA available from Moog so you are bound to an MF-101 which likely will need to be attenuated in order to completely reduce sound to nil at the end of the ENV.

If you don't mind mixing some Synth.com gear or some home made components, you should be able to assemble a setup with VCA capability. Then again, if you want, you can depend on Synth.com to fill in the gaps for non-Audio portion of your *tron. So things like ASDR modules, triggers, etc. can certainly be combined to make and ALL analog and CV based setup.

MP-201 is expensive but filled with functionality which is not available elsewhere.

[MBlom]

Thanks for the info! Have been checking .com out, will keep ´em in mind. Use the MonoMachine as sequencer with a Kenton Pro Solo, so it would work just fine sending pitch-cv to a FreqBox and midi note on/off to the MP-201. Tempting to be able to have presets, switching sound with just a push of a button. Damn it, this project won´t stop until I´m broke! But could there be a better way of getting broke?

[EricK]

I surely didn't mean to insult you in any way. I myself have dont plenty of pontification of Bob and Moog for years and I totally understand how connected we are to these particular instruments.

Eric

[MBlom]

No worries. Been playing my bass a lot lately and I will be totally pleased just to mess around with that through FreqBox, RingMod, Phaser and Murfs. So if a ´tron would turn out to sound the least interesting as a synth, I would be satisfied. To be continued...