Moog Music Forum

Brian, was there any indication in your records as to what the Voyager might have been called in lieu of rights to use his own name?

Eric

Bob showed the prototype at the NAMM 2000 show back when he was still Big Briar. It was called the New Performance Synth. It did not have the touchpad or hinged tilted panel. I saw it there and still have a copy of the brochure.



Pretty much all the basic elements were there. As it evolved into the Voyager and Bob won back the Moog trademark, they had a contest to name the synth.

That looks pretty much like a Voyager Old School. So MIDI and a CPU, as well as a touch pad, weren't on Bob's mind when he designed this prototype. I've always said that presets are for the weak...

I didn't even think about that prototype. I saw that above the door when I did my factory tour a few years ago.

"New Performance Synth" isn't very catchy.

MC wrote:Bob showed the prototype at the NAMM 2000 show back when he was still Big Briar. It was called the New Performance Synth. It did not have the touchpad or hinged tilted panel. I saw it there and still have a copy of the brochure.



Pretty much all the basic elements were there. As it evolved into the Voyager and Bob won back the Moog trademark, they had a contest to name the synth.

Weirdly, there is a prototype in the Bob Moog archives that would seem to be earlier than that, and DOES have a hinged tilted panel.

You mean, this fake thing ?

Looks like more of a test fixture than a fake or prototype.
Photo with Bob and the same Voyager test fixture.


Another pic of the early prototype shown at winter NAMM 2000. (Non-working.)


And a photo of the same proto missing parts.

That early mock-up/prototype shows envelopes like the Mini D with ADS and was later changed to the ADSR type. The original idea does not look to be digital controlled like the production Voyager. Lots of speculation surrounding the announcement back in 2000 when Big Briar announced the "New Performance Synthesizer".
One of the first working units shown here.

Different touch screen type/brand, and was changed.

The fake looking prototype was the Phatty one.
Looked like someone just sat the standard production front panel circuit board in front of Bob's original two oscillator prototype.

EricK wrote:Brian, was there any indication in your records as to what the Voyager might have been called in lieu of rights to use his own name?

Eric

When Bob regained legal title in the USA, he officially stopped using Big Briar. That said if you look at early Moogerfoogers, the front panel in direct view has Bob Moog's signature, not Big Briar, which was less prominent on the back. A Moog logo later replaced the signature on the Moog Music branded moogerfoogers.

But your question was answered in real life -

The Voyager was initially re-branded "Voyager by Bob Moog" in the UK because of the trademark issue was not resolved when initially released. It had a modified version of the OS since the regular startup screen says "Moog Music" and "Minimoog", definitely a reprinted user manual, likely altered boxes, who knows what else.

picture of the UK logo badge
http://www.matrixsynth.com/2011/12/moog ... n-338.html

I seem to remember something about a contest, back in the late '90 early 2000, for selecting the name of the future synth that was to become the Voyager ? Am I right about this ?

thealien666 wrote:..... I've always said that presets are for the weak...

Often yeah ! But not at every time:
Had a studied piano player about ten years ago in the band, grat player but refused with all energy he had inside him to buy a hammond clone for the D.P. and Heep stuff. He used always presets of some Yamaha Keyboards.
C3 sounds hadn't been that fine, but for all the old SAGA songs (You know, mostly had been recorded and played with Moogs) he received most recognition for the preset synths sounds he used for.......
But despite, I had heavy trench warfares with him for this. At the end I offered to buy him some Moogs.......no chance,....he refused.......

CZ Rider wrote: And a photo of the same proto missing parts.

This is the pic I took in Asheville when I visited the factory.

Thanks for the pic EricK! Probably found it here on the forum.
That does look like it was scavenged for parts. A few knobs missing and the pitch/mod wheel gone. Might not have ever worked? Not sure if there are electronics or just a mock up to show at NAMM 2000. Would be great to see a higher resolution of the front panel to see what changed. There was talk of a 2/4 pole filter switch and selectable white/pink noise.

Yeah I shot that on the only camera we had at the time, but we're shooting full frame now. I wish it was better resolution. Maybe next time.

I think i remember reading somewhere that there was never anything inside it. MC will probably chime in on this one when he sees it.

There was one forum member who had in his signature line something like "The guy who submitted the name Voyager to the 'name the new synth contest and got nothing to show for it.'"

MC wrote:

That looks curiously like the Analogue Solutions Leipzig.

unfiltered37 wrote:
That looks curiously like the Analogue Solutions Leipzig.

Meh, maybe a little ?