Real Analog Control

martin · Post by **martin** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:11 pm

Hi, Little Phatty owners,

How are you liking the RAC in the LP? Does it feel natural? Is it something you would consider an advantage compared to the Voyager?

I always feel scared by what my Big Fatso Voyager does when wanting to subtly change something on a soft and mellow preset while playing and all of a sudden something unexpected goes booming out of my headphones.

Zzzzzwwooommmm - change the filter ever so slightly - BYOOM YANK TTTZZZ KLABOOM etc.

Waah!

Any thoughts?

robles · Post by **robles** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:21 pm

I love real analog control. The single reason I would probably never go for a Voyager even if I had the money is the digital controls. If I'm going for analog I want all the way analog. I don't care about saving patches, I make mine up anyway. What I want is a cutoff sweep that's skating on freshly Zambonied ice.

cheveux.boucles · Post by **cheveux.boucles** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:11 pm

the thing i disliked most about the voyager was that when you change patches, you can't see where the different parameters are set...with the phatty, you can see where the pots are positioned with wonderful clarity and not have to worry about the values jumping drastically when you turn the knobs (and turning those knobs is one of the big factors that most of us prefer analog synths to begin with), so, i'm sort of reinforcing what martin already stated...

kongbalong · Post by **kongbalong** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:32 pm

every once in a while, the parameter does jump when it's selected.. is anybody else noticing that? it's like a bug when control for a parameter switches to the knob.

-craig

MarkM · Post by **MarkM** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:30 pm

I like the RAC, and I feel it invites more tweaking when performing live. As far as the Voyager, at first I found the jumps to be annoying, but in time I learned to work with it. It has now become second nature when performing live on the Voyager.

martin · Post by **martin** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:54 am

sounds good.

although i like my voyager, i am considering getting an lp instead because of this.

i kind of got used to the jumping around but i sometimes don't feel like playing because of it. it demands too much caution and preparation!

rg · Post by rg » Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:34 pm

I predict that they will uprgade the voyager to have RAC sooner or later... and when they do... I will buy one...

martin · Post by **martin** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:08 am

rac for the voyager would be a very nice upgrade. can i have it as a birthday present?

sir_dss · Post by **sir_dss** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:14 pm

Yeah this seems more like a software issue so it can be implimented in the Voyager.

robles · Post by **robles** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:32 pm

I rather doubt they could give Voyager RAC with just a software update. You would need to have direct analog connections. I'm assuming the pots on the Voyager only go to an analog to digital converter. Then there is a digital to analog converter that changes the CVs on the various analog components.

robles · Post by **robles** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:30 pm

I'm assuming this is why Sound On Sound magazine found perceptable stepping when trying to change more than one parameter at the same time. Most likely there is just one central processor that sends instructions to the digital to analog converter that in turn changes the CVs to the analog components.

electrical_engineer_gEEk · Post by **electrical_engineer_gEEk** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:17 am

So, i've been reading the archives for info on the RAC concept and i just have one question for anyone who knows more about it.

Conceptually I totally understand what is occuring but in practice I can't seem to put the pieces together.

When switching into direct control over the parameter using the Pot does the LP use little electromechanical reed relays? or some sort of "Analog Switch" or something similar?

Amos · Post by **Amos** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:49 pm

it is some sort of analog switch. You've got a connection from the switch matrix to the potentiometer on one side, and then one of several destinations on the other side. make a connection and voila, the control voltage from the potentiometer is connected directly to one or another analogue circuit.

robles · Post by **robles** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:30 am

Thanks for the info on the inner workings. Moog not only pioneered modular analog synthesis, now they have once again invented a completely new advance. Direct analog control, and a digital follower for saving patches. I knew there was a reason I really wanted at least one Moog synth. It is because Moog has been and continues to be on the frontier of electronic music.

RL · Post by RL » Sat Apr 28, 2007 4:48 am

something unexpected goes booming out of my headphones

Hi Martin,
to avoid these loud changes the Voyager can switch off the preset values. Go to the panel menu and select no for "Headphone Volume gets Preset Value". Then the pot is like an analog pot.
Cheers,
Rudi

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Real Analog Control

Real Analog Control

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