Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Tips and techniques for Minimoog Analog Synthesizers
IgorCristo
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Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:18 pm

Hey guys,

I just got a Minimoog Voyager Performer Ed. (April 17th, brand new in a closed box!!), and I’ve been enjoying it very much! It was a dream of mine since I got my first Moog, a Little Phatty. Since then, I’ve bought a lot of things before realizing that the only instrument I really needed/wanted was a Voyager. Before that, I simply couldn’t justify spending a lot of money on a monosynth, which now I see as a mistake. I’ll keep a few others, but I’ve sold a lot of stuff in the past month - couldn’t be happier!

Anyway, just wanted to share how happy I am with it. It is really an incredible instrument and I’m pretty sure that I’ll keep it for life.

I also wanted to ask a few questions, although I know that some of them can be found on this forum, I’ve been trying to look for answers for a long time without success (14 years worth of information?). I’ve also read the manual and didn’t find these...

1. Is there a shortcut for current panel settings?
2. Is there a way to save the “show parameters” thing to NO?
3. Does it take some time (secs maybe) to save things to the buffer edited preset (so I can compare it)?
4. Is there a shortcut to compare preset vs edited sound?

Thanks a lot! If you can share any other shortcuts I’d really appreciate it.

Cheers!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

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stiiiiiiive
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by stiiiiiiive » Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:06 am

Uma história de amor :)

I recently felt the same thing buying what is -paradoxally- my first bass. Sometimes, you even try alternatives to just understand that you already have your instrument or effetct of choice. Anyways, congrats on your Voyager, glad to read it suits you perfect!

As far as your questions, I'll let anyone answer since I've only ever played with an Old School Voyager.

EDIT: question... have you part with your Little Phatty since then?...

IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Sat Apr 28, 2018 12:22 pm

stiiiiiiive wrote:Uma história de amor :)

I recently felt the same thing buying what is -paradoxally- my first bass. Sometimes, you even try alternatives to just understand that you already have your instrument or effetct of choice. Anyways, congrats on your Voyager, glad to read it suits you perfect!

As far as your questions, I'll let anyone answer since I've only ever played with an Old School Voyager.

EDIT: question... have you part with your Little Phatty since then?...
Thank you for your comment. Yes, it's a love history! I'm ecstatic that I finally got it.

To be clear on what I've sold, these are the ones that went away in the last year: Nord Electro 4 73, DSI Prophet 08, Volca Sample, Volca Bass, Boutique JU-06, Boutique JP-08, Boutique JX-03, Bass Station 2 and a KC-150 amp. I didn't sell these to fund the Voyager - I could afford it without selling any of these, but I wasn't willing to spend that much on a mono synth (big mistake on my part) and space was kind of a problem.

As for the Little Phatty - I won't ever sell it. It has a very special place in my heart. Not only it is my first analog synth, it has a sound that I simply love and the portability that I consider ideal. I just love my Little Phatty, just as I now do love my Voyager. It's a totally different feeling when compared to other synthesizers I had. There's one synth I regret selling and it's the Roland V-Synth GT - one instrument I also loved but at the time was insanely addicted to the P08 sound and couldn't afford it without letting the V go.
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

Markyboard
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by Markyboard » Sat Apr 28, 2018 1:02 pm

The following assumes you have OS 3.6 loaded but I think many of these functions are also in 3.5 and maybe a few versions earlier:

1. Is there a shortcut for current panel settings?
In the Edit menu find the "Preset Cursor" function. Set it to 3 - Real Panel Values. You'll then have to save this to the patch(es) you want to use it for. Or set it to 0- Global Cursor and again save it to the patch(es) you want to use it for. Then in Master mode go to Cursor Button and set it to Real Panel Values.

2. Is there a way to save the “show parameters” thing to NO?
Yes hit the Panel button (maybe twice) and go to Parameter Display; select No. It should remember this setting on power cycling.

3. Does it take some time (secs maybe) to save things to the buffer edited preset (so I can compare it)?
Hmmm - not on mine as it's fairly instantaneous

4. Is there a shortcut to compare preset vs edited sound?
Same procedure as your first question above - just select 2 - Compare Sound

IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Sat Apr 28, 2018 4:26 pm

Markyboard wrote:2. Is there a way to save the “show parameters” thing to NO?
Yes hit the Panel button (maybe twice) and go to Parameter Display; select No. It should remember this setting on power cycling.
Hmmm... maybe something is wrong with mine. I'm using 3.5 (from factory) and when I power it up I need to do the same routine of going thru the menus. I thought that maybe there's something I need to do in order to save this preference. Now I'm worried.

As for shortcuts, I was able to do it by navigating thru the menu, I just wanted to know if there was a faster way. Nice to know that I can save the "panel mode" per patch. Good.

I'm gonna search more for this panel setting to see if I'm missing something.

Thank you!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

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ummagumma
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by ummagumma » Sun Apr 29, 2018 11:39 am

congrats on the Voyager!!

I asked the same Q a while back, this may be helpful:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26066

IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:27 pm

Markyboard wrote:1. Is there a shortcut for current panel settings?
In the Edit menu find the "Preset Cursor" function. Set it to 3 - Real Panel Values. You'll then have to save this to the patch(es) you want to use it for. Or set it to 0- Global Cursor and again save it to the patch(es) you want to use it for. Then in Master mode go to Cursor Button and set it to Real Panel Values.[/color]

2. Is there a way to save the “show parameters” thing to NO?
Yes hit the Panel button (maybe twice) and go to Parameter Display; select No. It should remember this setting on power cycling.
Everything is working as it should now... just upgraded to latest 3.6 version, with the release date 04-09-2017. It retains my preferences.
ummagumma wrote:congrats on the Voyager!!

I asked the same Q a while back, this may be helpful:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26066
Thank you for this! It lead me to where I needed. Just updated and now it works as I expected!

Cheers!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

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ummagumma
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by ummagumma » Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:58 pm

excellent, glad to help!

ps check out the "knobtweaks" yahoo user group, for lots of other great info & tips etc:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/KnobTweak/info

IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:39 am

ummagumma wrote:excellent, glad to help!

ps check out the "knobtweaks" yahoo user group, for lots of other great info & tips etc:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/KnobTweak/info
Yes! I’ve been following that group for a long time (for Little Phatty related stuff). It’s a great source of information.

Answers to my own questions:
1. In order to use the global cursor function, you have to be on latest versions (3.6 only?). After switching the GLOBAL CURSOR to its functional state, you have to access MASTER > COPYRIGHT > +1 > GLOBAL CURSOR, so you can enable it for the entire bank (and it has to be done for each bank individually).

2. The parameter display preference is saved on the more recent updates (maybe I was using OS 3.0 for some reason). No problems here.

3. It is fairly instantaneous, just as stated by Markyboard.

4. Pretty much the same as question 1, but instead of selecting “real panel parameters”, you’d choose “compare sound”.


Thank you very much guys!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

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Analog Prophet
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by Analog Prophet » Mon Apr 30, 2018 4:10 pm

Congrfulations to a great synth!
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IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Tue May 01, 2018 11:35 am

Analog Prophet wrote:Congrfulations to a great synth!
Thanks man... loving it more and more as time goes by. It's a great synth indeed!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Tue May 01, 2018 9:21 pm

I was searching this forum for some information, and started wondering the points where the oscillators on the Voyager would be closer to the Model D. After some time searching, Greg from KnobTweat (great source for Moog information), pointed to a small document that had all I wanted.

The following information was provided by Greg Kist & Brian Glock on “Vintage, Voyager or Virtual – A Comparison Test”.

Our experience in conducting these tests brought to light some of the basic considerations for translating a Minimoog patch to the Voyager. If you should ever need to do this (such as translating a patch from the Minimoog Patch Book to the Voyager), here are some things to keep in mind if an authentic Minimoog re-creation is the goal:

1. Use a single output taken from the Voyager's RIGHT output only. This output is unaffected by the SPACING control, so that knob setting makes no difference in a patch (helps to keep thing simple).

2. Make sure the Voyager's filter is set to Dual Lowpass (LP/LP) mode.

3. Don't include waveform modulation (the Minimoog has no PWM capabilities).

4. To duplicate the Minimoog oscillator waveforms on the Voyager, use these WAVE settings:
Triangle Wave: 000
Tri-Saw Hybrid Wave (aka 'Sharktooth' wave): 025 Sawtooth Wave: 088
Square Wave: 178
Pulse Wave (35%): 220
Narrow Pulse Wave (15%): 250

5. Filter Keyboard Control: The Minimoog's keyboard control switches 1 & 2 provide 1/3 and 2/3 keyboard scaling control of the filter cutoff, respectively. To duplicate this behavior on the Voyager, use these KEYBOARD CONTROL AMOUNT knob values:
Keyboard control 1: 98 Keyboard control 2: 180

6. The Voyager's AMOUNT TO FILTER control is bipolar, but the Minimoog Filter's AMOUNT OF CONTROL function is positive only. Keep all Voyager AMOUNT TO FILTER adjustments in the positive range.

7. The Minimoog doesn't have a dedicated RELEASE envelope control knob, so set the Voyager's DECAY and RELEASE envelope controls to the same values.


This is not something I’ll be going for frequently, but it’s a nice guideline for conventional sound or when using old Minimoog sounds for reference. Cheers!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

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ummagumma
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by ummagumma » Wed May 02, 2018 4:36 pm

thx for posting that, it is very interesting stuff

IgorCristo
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by IgorCristo » Wed May 02, 2018 9:02 pm

ummagumma wrote:thx for posting that, it is very interesting stuff
You’re welcome. I’m exploring the Minimoog Voyager a bit more before getting it to be the main part of my sound. I’m loving every minute.


I’ve done some conversions on the waveform for those who, like me, don’t like the “display parameter” thing... these values are based on the numbers that go on the knob for each parameter. The decimals are approximations for when the knob isn’t perfectly positioned for the value.

Waveforms
Triangle: 000 - knob at 0
Sharktooth: 025 - knob at 1,2
Sawtooth: 088 - knob at 3
Square: 178 - knob at 7
Pulse: 220 - knob at 8,5
Narrow Pulse: 250 - knob at 9,7

Keyboard control of filter
1/3: 98 - knob at 4
2/3: 180 - knob at 7


Also messed a lot with pot mapping... this is a super nice addition to the Voyager! Key pitch to filter spacing at 25% sounds magical!!
Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition and Little Phatty Stage II | Elektron Analog Four and Analog Rytm | Mutable Instruments Ambika | Korg Minilogue

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GregAE
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Re: Just got a Minimoog Voyager!

Post by GregAE » Thu May 03, 2018 6:46 am

IgorCristo wrote: Also messed a lot with pot mapping... this is a super nice addition to the Voyager! Key pitch to filter spacing at 25% sounds magical!!
In case you missed it on KT:

KnobTweak/Files/Voyager/Pot Mapping.pdf

Greg

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