Old Voyager OS sysex files, anyone

[slirak]

Sorry to ask for this twice! But since not everyone might be watching the topic where I originally asked for it, I thought I'd create a separate topic.

I'm having some issues with my early Voyager and I've been told it can be because I'm using a new OS with an old digital board.
The new board is available to order from Moog, but I'd like to verify that this is indeed the issue first.

I think OS 2.6 is old enough.

So I'd be very grateful if anyone happens to have the sysex files for 2.6 (or older) and is willing to share them.

Thanks!
/Jonas

[till]

The old board is just missing the selection of several storage banks. No other feature is different. And all the newer 3.xx software should work without a single other difference on the old boards.

So what is your exact problem?

I am not sure if downgrading from 3.xx to s.6 might not get you in some new problems. The sound got some additional parameters, so that these might not work as intended, once you downgraded to 2.6.

[slirak]

The old board is just missing the selection of several storage banks. No other feature is different. And all the newer 3.xx software should work without a single other difference on the old boards.

So what is your exact problem?

I am not sure if downgrading from 3.xx to s.6 might not get you in some new problems. The sound got some additional parameters, so that these might not work as intended, once you downgraded to 2.6.

I'm having an issue with a 'crackling noise', almost like a vinyl crackle. Mostly audible on low frequency sounds, with few overtones.
It's there all the time, but gets masked to an acceptable level if the overtone content is higher. It's not the normal background noise, that you'll always find in analogue synths, this is quite different and very annoying. Keeps me from using sub-bassy sounds.

The Voyager is an early SE, from 2002, with OS 3.5. The synth had the issue when I bought it used. It was on 3.4 already then.

I've had a tech look at it and he suspected the output section of the analogue board, but couldn't find anything wrong with it. He was told however - and I think this was by Moog's support - that this issue can occur, if you have an early digital board and run a newer OS on it. The quote said specifically that I had to get a new digi board to fix it.

I've mailed Moog's support, asking if this is correct and for old OS files, just for testing purposes. If downgrading indeed fixes the issue, I'm gonna order the new digi board.

Haven't got any reply yet though and in my experience, they can be very slow. That's why I'm posting here.

[till]

Strange thing, indeed.

[slirak]

Strange thing, indeed.

Indeed. Wouldn't have guessed that myself.

But another synth tech who heard the noise immediately said that it sounded like interference from the digi board. And when I first posted about the issue here, one forum member replied that he had just upgraded the OS on his equally early SE and that he now experienced the exact same issue.

At that point, I was still convinced that the problem was in the output section, so I was a bit confused why the OS or the digital board would matter.

And maybe it doesn't. I just wish I could figure this out.

[CZ Rider]

Here is Voyager OS2.5 I downloaded some time ago from the Moog website. Haven't bothered with every upgrade for my Voyagers so I'm not sure what the PE is running right now, mine is a 2005 PE. Running ver 3.3 on the RME's.
Here is the Moog file for OS2.5:
Voyager 2.5 op sys download zip file

With all the talk of opamp replacement, there seems to be a way to damage the Voyagers final output by shorting out the headphone socket. Quite a few have lost sound or have distortion when these have been damaged. And it is easy to short out by using a standard tip/sleeve 1/4" plug in the headphone socket. I guess if it is shorted out for a long enough period of time, the opamp gets damaged?

[RL]

When removing C9 and the two diodes the digital board should be pretty actual.

[GregAE]

With all the talk of opamp replacement, there seems to be a way to damage the Voyagers final output by shorting out the headphone socket. Quite a few have lost sound or have distortion when these have been damaged. And it is easy to short out by using a standard tip/sleeve 1/4" plug in the headphone socket. I guess if it is shorted out for a long enough period of time, the opamp gets damaged?

Yep! That's exactly what can happen, and is the principle reason for not doing it. Too many will simply insert a 1/4" Tip/Sleeve jack into the headphone output, which shorts one channel to ground. From there, it's just a matter of time until the output stops working.

For anyone interested, there are alternate (and safer) ways to experiment with the Minimoog feedback trick on a Voyager. Read about it here:

KnobTweak > Files >Voyager > Kicking It Up.zip

- Greg

[slirak]

When removing C9 and the two diodes the digital board should be pretty actual.

Thanks Rudi! Are you saying that my issue could actually be because of the digital board and that this simple mod would fix it?

[till]

Trust Rudi, he is the only person doing the Voyager firmware.

And he is very well into the electronics of the Voyager too. He is THE Moog synth guru here in Germany and way beyond. Maybe you heard about his Lintronic modified Memory Moogs. And he designed, programmed and built the only MIDIfication to the Minimoog that Bob Moog approved and installed.

So get your tool ready and just do it.
And then use Rudi's latest Voyager firmware version with additional features.

[slirak]

Trust Rudi, he is the only person doing the Voyager firmware.

And he is very well into the electronics of the Voyager too. He is THE Moog synth guru here in Germany and way beyond. Maybe you heard about his Lintronic modified Memory Moogs. And he designed, programmed and built the only MIDIfication to the Minimoog that Bob Moog approved and installed.

So get your tool ready and just do it.
And then use Rudi's latest Voyager firmware version with additional features.

Oh, I'm well aware of that Rudi is the guy!

I just wanted to clarify if he meant that this was the only difference between old and new boards (except for the additional bank memory) - or if he was saying that this mod should fix my issue.

[RL]

I just wanted to clarify if he meant that this was the only difference between old and new boards (except for the additional bank memory) - or if he was saying that this mod should fix my issue.

That's the difference. Maybe it helps but I guess there's a hardware problem on the analog board.

Trust Rudi, he is the only person doing the Voyager firmware.

Hi Till, I'm missing a smily with red chubby cheeks

[linearnorth]

Could someone please reupload the final OS and preset banks for V2 Voyagers? I have an SE that's acting buggy. Hoping that will help. Thanks a lot!

[stsystem]

Hi

My Voyager serial 1249 have the same noise on the audio and headphone output i want to know if its really because of the old digital board with the 3.5 OS?

And if the solution is removing the 3 elements from the board. I also reed on other threads here on the forum that can be cause of the VCA or the output board or even the analog board.... if you guys have already fix the problem please help me cause i love my Voyager and im tired of that old vynil noise!


Thanks in advance
Pedro