Once again, thanks for all the advice here. I have been away forr last couple of days as I usually am without internet access, at least not on a computer and I find phones diffcult to use for this.
Jon,
I find it interesting that you have not gotten into additive synthesis although as you might guess from my comments, I consider that a good move. Kawai probably did it the best with their K5000. In general, additive synthesis is doomed for failure due to a little know mathematical problem that I will not get into here but has to do with windowing and what frequency and pitch really are.
Kawai sollved the problem by combiinging a sampler for the transient and an addtive synthesizer for the sustained part of a note. Not perfect but it reflects a keen understanding of addtive synthesis and its fundamental weakness.
So onto the Voyager. On Sunday, I printed myself out an entire manual and have been spot reading it. I know the fundamentals of synthesis but I am more interested in its modulation options, CV ins, MIDI and basic signal path.
First impressions could be summed up by sleek. Moog has clearly thiough deep here rather than broad. Most synths these days, and to some extent every my M3 although I like ti a lot, are plagued by what I would call horizontal thinking. Its what happened to Windows as well. You take a so so core engine and then add on lots of cosmetics.
Vertical thinking is when you look for ways to increase options more organically by allowing them to flow from the design rather than building them in. Example, the Voyager does PWM but its not an add on feature. I allows a continuous moprh of the waveform which can then be modulated by the internal LFO or for that matter and extenal CV. Very sleek.
Voyager also reflect a not so new but effective trick that I have learn, that detuning oscillator pitch creating a chorus like effect. Then, the Voyager syncs these ot the primary oscillator. Not huge feature wise but again, it creates an effect without adding one, sleek.
The using the 3rd Oscillator as a second LFO, again, very very sleek.
MIDI also is a great move.
The best for the last. An insert from the mixer to the filter - Brilliant! Simple but not many would have though of it and it adds an incredible amound of flexiblity.
From what I have read of the manual so far, just from an archetechture standpoint, simple, elegant and beautiful.
I feel now pretty confident in buying this synth. Once I can swing it financially I will get one. It will sit nicely on top of my M3 and I can't wait to combine some of the M3 pads with the lead sounds of the Voyager not to mention find all sort os ways to combine foogers with it.
I can also control it with KARMA. A Voyager and KARMA what a thought. I should not be needing a sequencer.
My only decision is what model to get. I like the Electric Blue backlighting but it looks like the it's just one of the versions of the select series but with sparkles in the wood. I may just go with the blue backlighting and either cherry or ash.
I could get one cheaper used but I can swing the extra $s and may even go for an extended warrenty to protect my investment.
) can create a very powerful hybrid. A little down the road combining that with a small expansion modular system with some filters and perhaps some oscillators and effects, could make for a very flexible and powerful music making system.