simplest, cheapest CV out?

markireland · Post by **markireland** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:06 am

What is the simplest, cheapest way to get CV out from my signature Voyager?

One of the pins on the expander plug? Got any schematics? (I mean which pin?)

Thanks

latigid on · Post by **latigid on** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:33 am

You probably could do your own, but you will need the little buffer board to make the outputs work properly.

markireland · Post by **markireland** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:50 pm

buffer board?

Where can I get one?

Thanks

Just Me · Post by **Just Me** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:54 pm

The cheapest, easiest way would be to get a VX-351. (It comes with the buffer board, cable, housing, parts, pieces and silkscreening.)

markireland · Post by **markireland** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:59 pm

they are expensive.

I just want to plug into the expander port and have just the CV out working.

sunny pedaal · Post by **sunny pedaal** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:40 pm

the adapterboards can be bought seperately from moog i think.
( secondhands breakoutboxes wouldn't be that more expensive then making it all yourself )

Tibbon · Post by **Tibbon** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:19 pm

I've been asking for this for a while myself and people always treat me like I'm a criminal or ripping off some IP. There's no patent, trademark or copyright still in force about how to get CV out of your synth. It isn't killing a puppy. It's just asking how to DIY get CV out of your moog!

I too want to just get CV/Gate for pitch out of mine. I'll get around to buying the expansions later.

I don't think the 'buffer board' is actually an electronic buffer. I think its just a cap/resistor to prevent static and interference issues.

What I'd really like is the pinout (and asking for this before didn't get good responses). I think asking for the pinout for a piece of hardware that you've paid $3,000 for is more than reasonable.

sunny pedaal · Post by **sunny pedaal** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:05 pm

i had an old voyager , bought the breakoutbox from a guy who got it for free with a new voyager , with build in expensionboards. so breakoutbox yes , adapter no.
asked moog , no problem , something like 50$ or so.
also at the same time could get one from a very friendly person on this forumsite.
( still very happy with it thanks )
so it should be possible , i guess

latigid on · Post by **latigid on** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:43 pm

Tibbon wrote:I've been asking for this for a while myself and people always treat me like I'm a criminal or ripping off some IP. There's no patent, trademark or copyright still in force about how to get CV out of your synth. It isn't killing a puppy. It's just asking how to DIY get CV out of your moog!

I too want to just get CV/Gate for pitch out of mine. I'll get around to buying the expansions later.

I don't think the 'buffer board' is actually an electronic buffer. I think its just a cap/resistor to prevent static and interference issues.

What I'd really like is the pinout (and asking for this before didn't get good responses). I think asking for the pinout for a piece of hardware that you've paid $3,000 for is more than reasonable.

Me too:

http://www.moogmusic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2721

latigid on wrote:Hello all.

I have a Voyager AE and was thinking about the expander modules. The only problem is the $$$. The only stockist of Moog gear that I know of here (New Zealand) has ridiculous prices. And our dollar is weak at the moment, so importing would be costly...

Has anyone ever made their own? It would seem one would only need a metal case/patchbay, with the jacks grounded to chassis, and each tip connected to the corresponding pin on the D-sub connector (or whatever it's called).

I realise that the mults and attenuators would be lost, but would there be any other circuitry to it? Could someone look inside their's or consult a circuit diagram?

Thanks for your help.

I eventually just bought a 351; it's going to a good cause anyway. No judgment either way though.

bunnyman · Post by **bunnyman** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:51 pm

Why not just use an Ohm meter one pin @ a time while you hit the KBD? You should be able to find the pitch CV fairly quickly.

Just Me · Post by **Just Me** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:46 pm

bunnyman wrote:Why not just use an Ohm meter one pin @ a time while you hit the KBD? You should be able to find the pitch CV fairly quickly.

Actually, you need a voltmeter. Just remeber that the pitch CV will remain constant after a keypress. (I think it will fall off over a few minutes, don't know how good the sample/hold circuit is over long periods of time.)
You will get a signal that goes high on a keypress (gate) Velocity also holds after a key is released until the next keypress.

bunnyman · Post by **bunnyman** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:38 am

Just Me: ooops! I *meant* to write V/Ohm!

-andrew

Tibbon · Post by **Tibbon** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:31 pm

Why doesn't someone just provide a pinout so we can be sure? Seems akin to the auto manufacturers making it so that they have encrypted chipsets on your computer so that you can't do your own repairs and reset status lights. There's a reason that I drive a 1979 Honda motorcycle- They give the entire manual for how to fix every single part of it.

If Moog isn't around in 25 years and they held everything really close and tight- then its going to be hell to fix these things. Don't think it could happen? They've basically folded before. ARP is out of business obviously too. ARP were dicks about people knowing the layout and schematic of their stuff and thus they are hard to fix now.

I think the upright thing to do is to release at least the input/output pinouts of the keyboard. I'm not asking for full schematics and PCB layouts of the synth- just the pinout on one thing. Seems reasonable.

EMwhite · Post by **EMwhite** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:11 pm

Tibbon wrote:Why doesn't someone just provide a pinout so we can be sure? (stuff deleted)

Why not have somebody that owns one just open it up and take a pic of front and back of the board. Seems like a simple enough device it's likely a single layer board with a few dozen discreet components and maybe a small handful of ICs which are generally available. Of course I could be wrong, but knowing what [little] I know about electronics, the fact that there's no CPU inside, no memory (except for perhaps buffers), no digital display, just a bunch of pots, caps, etc... it ought to be fairly simple to reverse engineer.

I'm not advocating that, I will buy mine from Moog when I can afford it but the Electrical Engineer in me would be interested in seeing what makes this thing tic.

Obviously you'd likely void your warranty !!

-Mike W. from NJ

Tibbon · Post by **Tibbon** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:20 pm

Opening your Moog (or really any product imho, but certainly your Moog) shouldn't void a warranty as long as you don't screw up anything inside.

A few photos and multimeter readings could help a lot for the board (And I'm willing to purchase the board even), but I'd really like the pinouts on the DB-25 for the breakout box.