Moog Music Forum

Does anyone have any experience with the Voyager and a midi guitar? I'm considering getting the Roland G-20 and Gk-2a combo. Was wondering how the voyager faired with that setup.

Thanks.

If you can spring for it, go for a ztar or something comparable. I have bought several roland guitar synths over the years and hate everything after the GR 700. While they have improved the tracking, I still get double triggers and numerous other problems.

Starr Labs (or Star labs) makes a guitar-like thing called a Ztar. It has small keys on the fretboard and string triggers. While it plays kind of like a guitar, it is definately a different instrument. Plus, you can get pads and other types of controllers that allow you to do things like control filter cutoff, resonance - whatever you decide to assign to those controllers.

It takes a while getting used to the feel of the thing, plus getting a Ztar is a chore in and of itself (long back orders), but it is far and away the best midi controller for analog synths.

Wow, that thing is pretty cool. That's the way to do it too - by pass all the conversion junk that the Roland system and others do. But that is pretty pricey. I was looking at a grand for the roland setup and roland ready strat. This is more than double that, and I don't get a new guitar

However, I've been reading about the tracking issues, and it does seem like a problem. My bros in law used to do alot of midi guitar and claims to have some tricks for this problem.

How was playing your voyager with midi guitar otherwise? I'm not great on a keyboard, but have playing stringed instruments since I was a kid, hence the desire to control my voyager via guitar.

Thanks for the input.

I have to second what KilgoreTrout said. I have had two different Roland midi setups over the years and I ended up selling them because I ended up hating them. I suppose it depends on how precisely and cleanly you play whether or not they will work for you.

If you plan to do any midi recording you will spend so much time cleaning up ghost notes, false triggers, etc., it will seem to be an effort in futility.

I have a Ztar and a Moog Performer and they work perfect together. My 2 cents: I say save your money and get the Ztar.

anybody ever tried a Parker MidiFly ? I know theyre really expensive but supposed to be quite good, not sure if they make them anymore since the client basis was small.

I've been messing with midi guitar since the 80s, when I had a Roland 707 system. I've used various Roland models since then. I have used various pickup systems in that time frame as well.

The Roland stuff has gotten better over the years, but the best from my experience is the Axon AX-100. It uses neural nets to determine the pitch MUCH faster than Roland can. Yamaha also licenced this technology to use in their midi guitar product. (see http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Con ... CT,00.html)

Blue Chip, the original manufacturers, have sold rights to TerraTec (see: http://messe.harmony-central.com/Musikm ... -MkII.html)

I can tell you that the configuration of the device is not for those who fear technology, but that has it's rewards ... as the capability of the device will allow you a lot of creative flexibility. Things like separate patches for each string, and patches that can change based upon where you are picking, or playing, etc. The Blue Chip version that I have doesn't allow configuration thru computer, but I understand that the TerraTec units feature a USB interface for that purpose.

If your instrument is setup and intonated properly, you'll have better results. Also, calibrating the system to your playing style helps also. That said, there is no better suggestion I can make than to work on your technique. Pitch to midi conversion and sloppy playing are not a good mix. The last suggestion would be to work on playing the sounds, not the guitar. If you simply play midi guitar with riffs that you would play without it, you won't necessarily be pleased with the results. You need to step into the mind of the instrument's voice, and play that.

My current rig includes a one-off guitar that I built with RMC piezo pickups on a Warmouth Strat body with Fender 57 reissue neck. I also have a PRS CE Soapbar II with the Roland GK 3 pickup on it, which I now use the most. These run thru the Axon AX 100 out to E-Mu Planet Earth, E-Mu Proteus 2500 and Arturia Minimoog V (soft synth on Mac). I am anxiously awaiting my Voyager Rack Mount Edition to eliminate the need for the computer.

FYI, everything up to this point has been in search of the Holy Grail of synthesis, and with Arturia's Minimoog V soft synth, I found THAT SOUND. Fortunately, it allowed me to test my rig without spending $2k on the Moog, unfortunately, now I'm spending the $2k on the Moog.

I hope this helps you. If I can be of further assistance, please contact me. I'm not a reseller or invester in Moog or other products mentions, so my opinion is my own ... but I'll share what I've learned.

-jm