Touchpad finish blemish- is this common? Send it back?

[cookaburra]

constant, quiet note problem:
I had previously only been hooking in the left output to the amp since it mixes both channels together when only the left's plugged in.

I tried the right this time in addition to the left, and found that 90% of the volume of the constantly playing note was being sent over the right channel. It's very clearly audible, even at very quiet amp levels. The volume of the ghost note itself is independent of the master volume knob. Adjusting oscillator volumes in the onboard mixer does affect it, although it never gets much louder.

Since the left channel is almost dead silent (there's still a really faint note, but it's not too bad) I'm thinking that I have a legit problem this time and not just a characteristic.

CRAP- looks like I might have to send it back after all.
-Joel

[nigeynige]

Joel, Mine does this too. I think it's audio leakage from the Analog circuitry(If I may be so bold as to say it....not knowing if I'm right or talking through the appendage I call my bum).....
I always put a noise gate on it. Pretty much do it with all noisy synths.
Other leakage comes from the Backlightin, but I only use this to impress my mates or when I need to illuminate myself to segregate myself from the skin basher and the 6 and 4 string musicians of the band. They can't get a cooler looking machine than the Voyager no matter where they shop.IT's something that I assume can be rectified, but not sure how....

My voyager is rarely on it's own in a track. The level of note bleeding is still less than that of a guitar amp hiss and my Wurlitzer EP200 hum, clicking and noise.....

I'm the fussiest bugger aswell. I have even complained to companies before now on why they spend so little on output stages of a synth when they spend so much money on getting the sound engine, presets and operating system perfect.....WHY LET IT DOWN AT THE LAST POST......

Anyway, I'm off to transfer old tapes of my work....NOW THAT'S NOISE FOR YOU
Nigey Nige

[goldphinga]

You should check your gain staging. My gut feeling is you have the voyager output set low and your preamp/soundcard gain set high. This is not the best way at all to optimise the noise floor. Every analogue synth creates background noise. The source has the same "problem";if the output is set too low and the preamp too high you bring up background noise and the source has the same constant pitch thing going on. I have NEVER had this problems with my voyager so i suspect you need to check your levels.

[cookaburra]

Other leakage comes from the Backlightin, but I only use this to impress my mates or when I need to illuminate myself to segregate myself from the skin basher and the 6 and 4 string musicians of the band.

So yours makes a ghost note on the right channel too? Hmmmm.... As for the backlight, although there is an audible ringing from the backlight, it never seems to bleed into the outputs (which goes along with what the manual says)
I agree though you though- I can't think of a cooler looking piece of kit.

You should check your gain staging. My gut feeling is you have the voyager output set low and your preamp/soundcard gain set high.

You may be right- I'll give your suggestion a shot when I go back home tonight.

I'd love to be able to fix this with some new volume settings, but I don't see how: In my current setup, there are basically three volume knobs in play:
1) the Moog's onboard mixer (each oscillator's volume)- since this setting is part of the characteristic of the patch's sound, I'm assuming that there's not much I can do to correct the situation from this control. These knobs DO affect the ghost note's volume, but I don't think I should have to tweak each oscillator's volume to remove ringing each time I choose a new patch. That, and to eliminate the ringing, I'd have to turn it down too low.
2) the master volume control- I typically have this at around 2 or 3. Turning it up or down doesn't seem to affect the volume of the ghost note.
3) the volume knob on my amp- this is also typically around 2 (very low). It's a small practice amp, so there's literally only a volume, treble, and bass. Turning the volume up or down does affect the volume of the ghost note.

Since it seems to be leaking as far upstream as the oscillator's volume, I don't know if I'll be able to correct it with a setting.

Maybe I should call Moog and run it by them, too- it just seems too weird that it's really only bad on the right channel.

thanks,
Joel

[trexcat]

Interesting to note on this topic-- I purchased a new Voyager back in April, and it is the fabled EB0391 from earlier in this post. If it ever had a performance issue, I can't tell because everything works as it should with no operational problems.

There was a tiny micro-ding in the wood by the mod wheel, but I knew that it had been out of the box before I bought it. Everything else is perfect visually, including touchpad. Of course, I bought it for the sounds, and to play on, and even out with...... so sooner or later a finish chip is going to happen. But even I can fix that. ''

Over the last few months, I've verified that everything works correctly, and I've had no problems whatsoever with it. It has OS 3.2. Whatever issue the display may have had appears to have been fixed and now reads easily and correctly. Only extra noise comes from backlight when at 35-40% or greater. All knobs and functions work correctly. Built in MIDI is a dream-- more hands (the ultimate LFOs) through automation! I use it with the VX-351 and all the CV ins/outs are working perfectly. Then of course I sprinkle in a little MF-104Z..... ':x' You guys, it's TOTALLY AWESOME!

need more patch cables.... and 'foogers....

[mee3d]

FYI... the early Sig editions have a different touch pad surface... it's more shinny and smoother, and has raised horizontal lines which are painted white. I think moog had some problems with this particular touch surface material and it was replaced in the Performer Edition.

Having played both I think the SE version is nicer as your finger glides smoothly.. the later version is more tacky/matte and I think it might not be as robust.

Regarding the constant pitched note... I had this problem when I plugged in my 351/251 combo. Plugging in the 25 pin D cable I would get a high pitched whine, unplugging it and it would go away. Eventually I worked out that if I used the 351/251 combo with just the power from the Voyager (as you are supposed to by using the power link cable) it would sound but If I powered the 251 with it's own PSU it was fine?

???

Mal

[brain_11]

So is there any solution to eliminate the whining sound when the Voyager is connected to the 351/251 combo? I have the same problem.

[mee3d]

I have both my 351/251 in the moog rack with the interconnecting power from the 351 to the 251. You have to take the wood sides off and as part of the kit you get a little connecting power cable, the idea is that you don't have to power the 251 from the supplied wallwart PSU.

In my situation, the whine went away when I plugged in the wallwart power supply to the 251... so you have the 351 powered via the 25pin D cable, then the 351 interconnects to the 251 and then the 251 is connected to a mains power outlet through it's own PSU.

Unplugging the PSU from the 251 and the sound comes back so either a drop in sufficient power somewhere or possible an earthing problem (but both units aren't earth?).

Mal