Moog Music Forum

Okay, my take on this:

In many ways, comparing two synths is very much akin to comparing two bands - totally subjective. No two people will give the same opinion, and in the end you'll just go round and round in circles and nothing will ever be resolved.

You might just as well go with your own opinion and leave it at that, really.

We're arguing semantics here.

Is the Voyager a different beastie than the Omega 8? Sure.
Are playing styles and composition techniques generally different for monophonic vs. polyphonic instruments? Yep.

Can you still compare them? Well, consider this:

When talking about tonal flexibility, I compare my Voyager to my CS-15, which is a VCO monosynth with dual filters and an external input. Valid comparison?

When talking about processing signals through the Moog's filters, I use my Sherman Filterbank as a point of reference. Valid?

When attempting to use the Voyager's touchpad as a MIDI controller, I compare and contrast it with the joystick on my Yamaha TG33, which I've also used as a MIDI X-Y controller.

When talking of lugging my gear around to a recording session, I compare the Voyager to my other "gigging" box: a DJ coffin with a Roland MC909 and a 19-inch rack mounted inside.

When thinking about sound design, I compare multitracking with the V-ger to building up a composition layer by layer using my voice, which is a technique I really like.

When trying to dust my Voyager and keep it looking nice, I compare the upkeep to maintaining my wooden wine racks.

So...

Are the Voyager and Omega quite different? Of course.

May the Moog be usefully compared to a filterbox with no oscillators and no keyboard, or a tabletop FM synth, or a wooden box containing a sampling drum machine and various guitar effects, or a piece of furniture designed to hold alcoholic beverages, or a human larynx? Yep.


Really, with this argument, we're fighting about language, not talking about synths. Useful in a discussion of philosophy, but pretty silly when talking about things that make music.

Just my opinion, of course.

-Hoax

(And yes, I know the TG33 is FM+Sample Playback.)

To sum up: I think it's valid to compare any two musical instruments, if it results in productive discussion of compositional techniques, individual strengths and weaknesses of each piece, and "hidden gems" due to particular quirks in a piece's architecture.

Posting polls isn't something I necessarily like, because a poll reduces everything to a simplistic "either/or" picture. I find that an Either/Or, Black/White approach, by its very definition, leaves out crucial information, and it's in the cracks between the choices where interesting and informative discussions lie.

-Hoax

So now Array goes running to Harmony Central forums to find empathy?

How girlie-man of him.
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/for ... did=882224

Array wrote: Ummm....why not compare a trumpet and a flute then? Just because 2 instruments share a similar interface, in this case knobs and keys, doesnt mean that the way they produce a sound is comprable.

The Virus C and the Moog Voyager have totaly differant methods for generating sound. The Virus uses various digital algorithms, where as the Voyager shapes an electric current in order to produce sound.

Well of course I know the signal generation from the Virus and Voyager are different (analogue vs. digital). I wasn't reffering to that. Yes they are different instruments with different interfaces but we're fundamentally talking about substractive sythesis generated/processed through analogue, digital or a combination.

If I want I can use just 1 oscillator in my Virus. I can use 2 oscillators and sync them. My point is all I'd be comparing to my Voyager is the process by how the signal is generated and processed.

What's the point to all this anyway? Who gives a crap. We have these tard debates that really solve nothing.

i'm not making personal attacks on you.i was trying to get away from the angry tones of late with a little lighthearted banter.

oh well.....

screw it...lets just start a Voyager vs. ??? thread every week.

Voyager vs. Motif
Voyager vs. Nord
Voyager vs. Virus
Voyager vs. Odyssey
Voyager vs. 2600
Voyager vs. MS-20
Voyager vs. Andromeda
Voyager vs. Pro-One
Voyager vs. Matrix 6
Voyager vs. Octave Cat
Voyager vs. Evolver
Voyager vs. E.T.
Voyager vs. han solo, & darth vadar poly rack synth

The beginning of every thread shall start with "Hi all! I'm looking for a synth to make cool sounds (bleeps, pops, etc.) I played a "insert your synth of choice here" and I can't decide between it or if I should get the Voyager. What do you think?"

Here we go, again. Isn't that one of the functions that this message forum is meant to serve? Again, the marquee does say Moog Music, and I do believe that almost everything from the 70's straight through to today used Moog synths as a springboard. Personally, I think the polls are lots of fun. No real reason to complain, even if there's no preventing it.

monads wrote:screw it...lets just start a Voyager vs. ??? thread every week.

Voyager vs. Motif
Voyager vs. Nord
Voyager vs. Virus
Voyager vs. Odyssey
Voyager vs. 2600
Voyager vs. MS-20
Voyager vs. Andromeda
Voyager vs. Pro-One
Voyager vs. Matrix 6
Voyager vs. Octave Cat
Voyager vs. Evolver
Voyager vs. E.T.
Voyager vs. han solo, & darth vadar poly rack synth

The beginning of every thread shall start with "Hi all! I'm looking for a synth to make cool sounds (bleeps, pops, etc.) I played a "insert your synth of choice here" and I can't decide between it or if I should get the Voyager. What do you think?"

That will only keep the forum busy for 13 weeks...

Voyager vs. SH101
Voyager vs. EDP Wasp
Voyager vs. Jupiter 4, 6, 8
Voyager vs. OSCar
Voyager vs. Tony Blair

And if we do get through all those, compare a Signature Edition against all other editions of the Voyager!

i know lets start a thread where some dumbass responds to every post with "thats like comparing (random ass orchestral instrument) with (antother random ass orchestral instrument).

Smokey5100 wrote:

I'm just playin Smokey. If anything the sound of the Voyager must be unique enough for people to find it necessary to compare to other instruments.

Polls are just popularity contests. Not much use for them.


Mike T.

What's goin' on here ?