Voyager + Vx351 to control other instruments...

EricK · Post by **EricK** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:36 pm

Last night I spent a good bit of time just experimenting. My first thing to do was to try to attenuate the keyboard pitch and use it to control the MicroMoog. I did not have any luck with this. It seemed like the MicroMoog was playing only quartertones.

WHat is the best note to use to sync the 2 together?

I tried to use the C in the middle of the Voyager and tune it to the C in the middle of the Micro. WHen I attenuated the signal with the vx351, I couldn't find the right amount to get the Micro to properly track.

I had the same problem with the Freq Box and the Ring Mod, except I didn't figure that the signal needed attenuation as they should be compatible.

I believe that the Freq will only track good across 7 octaves, as it wasn't really designed to be used predominantly as an outboard OSC according to Steve Dunnington. My issue is that it would only track for me well 1 good octave. I was using OSC out to the External Audio in. I tried feeding the osc out to the audio in and then audio out to Ext audio in but that didn't help either. I also tried modulating the envelope amount and it didn't help either.

Does anyone have any suggestions or perhaps know what Im doing wrong?

Im also not exactly clear on how to insert an effect into the Mix out/Filter IN because I don't know how I can send and recieve with 1 cable into an effect with an input and an output.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You think you know a bit about synthesis until you sit down and try it and theres subtle things that can really kick you in the butt. If it wasn't hard it woudn't be fun right?

Respectfully,
Eric

GregAE · Post by **GregAE** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:51 pm

Eric,

Try the tuning method I described in the LOTRM doc. This approach may work well getting the 'Micro to track the Voyager.

Regarding the Mix Out/Filter In loop - you need to use an insert cable. An insert cable has a TRS plug on one end that breaks out the send (Mix Out) and return (Filter In) on two separate TS jacks (this is described in the Voyager manual). You should be able to find insert cables at your local music store.

- Greg

EricK · Post by **EricK** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:47 pm

Well that helped for sure, but the Ringmod tracks much better than the Freq Box, and its interesting because the attenuation is much different.

The drift on the Freqbox is part of the beauty of analogue.

I didn't think to read that Greg, thanks.
Eric

majool · Post by **majool** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:19 pm

pardon my ignorance, but where and what is the LOTRM?

ColorForm2113 · Post by **ColorForm2113** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:16 pm

what ive been trying to figure out is why Moog made the Micromoog .95v/oct when just about everything else is 1v/oct???

EricK · Post by **EricK** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:42 pm

IM going to go out on a limb here.

Im going to guess that all of the VIntage Moog stuff was the same? I don't think there was a specific 1VO standard back then. It could have been a marketing thing. You ever buy a chair that comes missing a screw and its tooled in a unique way so you can't go to the store and buy 1 screw you have to send off for it? It could be the same. It could be just a thing to get you to buy more moog controllers, etc for it, or else just buy the Moog filter and make your own controllers.

Who knows? Perhaps Mr Lightener can englighten us?

I assumed that most if not all of the vintage stuff was the same as the Micro, and the New Moog stuff was at the 1 VOlt per octave standard which would explain why its not compatible without attenuation.

E

Voltor07 · Post by **Voltor07** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:33 pm

My guess is, and I could be wrong about this, that the tolerances of the components used in the Micromoog were not as accurate as the other components used in the more expensive keyboards. For example, if the resistors in the Minimoog were +/- 5% perhaps the resistors were +/- 10% in the Micromoog. And the 1V/Oct standard is already 0.99 volts per octave. So larger tolerances would mean perhaps 0.95 volts per octave. Just my thoughts. Moog, ARP, and Buchla all used the 1V/Oct. standard. Moog invented said standard.

ColorForm2113 · Post by **ColorForm2113** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:31 pm

both answers sound pretty reasonable... so much frustration caused by .05 volts...

till · Post by **till** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:50 pm

Because attenuation is easier then amplification, some synth CV in uses less then 1 Volt per octave.
All you need is to chain a variable resistor in the path to the CV in. This is way easier then amplification. This would need an active circuit with a power supply (battery, wallwart).

- Adjust the two synths by first playing the lowest key and tune the receiving synth to the sending synth. (The lowest key should equal zero control voltage on most analog synth. So the setting of the variable resistor does not change a thing here)
- Then press a key two octaves above. Now adjust the variable resistor till the pitch matches.
- Then use the highest key for another small adjustment of the resistor.
- Test the lowest key again. If it is not in tune, then start this process from the top again till it matches the pitch.

Due to tracking errors, some synths are not able to track an ingoing voltage over several octaves. This is due to the not perfect exponential converter. Not every transistor equals another of the same brand, type and production run 100%. And you need two of them as a matched pair for best results. Today, there are transistors with a very slamm toleration in their response curve. But it wasn't like this 30 years ago.

Edit:
when Bob Moog died, some people start to refer to the 1 V/octave as 1 Moog. Yet this name for this unit es not widely accepted.