Moog Music Forum

Hi everybody,

I have an LP (stage edition I, 3.1) and a Voyager Select Series (3.5)

I have been trying to poly chain them so I can have a duophonic synth. However, I don't know why biu it is not working.

I tried using the Voyager as the first voice. I connected its MIDI output to the LP MIDI Input. I did set up everything as explained on the youtube video. It simply does't work. It doesn't work either if I use the LP as the first synth.

I've tried everything, but the Voyager doesn't stop when it's supposed to. It sounds always, when I press the first key and the second one. The LP voice has been set up to be the 2nd voice and I hear it every other pressed key. However, they are not sharing patches (sounds). Even though the LP sounds every other voice, it's not working on the same patch. Both synths keep on playing on their own programmes.

Some questions that might help:
Do I have to have the same programs on both synths?
Is it possible to use the Voyager as the first synth, or I must use the LP?

Please help me on this. I can't poly chain my my jewels so I can play duophonically. Very frustrating

Thank you very much,

Max

Hey Max,

Firstly, I don't own a Voyager, however I do polychain a Little Phatty Stage II and 2 Slim Phattys. Because of this, I am unsure of the Voyager's poly chain set-up menu or what-have-you. However, with the Voyager, it sounds like you're possibly getting a 'stuck note' issue, which some people have been having with poly chaining phattys also - have a search through this forum (Little Phatty - Slim Phatty forum) and you'll come across some threads about it.

One possible thing to try to combat the Voyager's 'stuck note' issue (if that's what is is) would be to put the Little Phatty as the first unit and when the Voyager gets stuck notes, try going into the midi menu on the Little Phatty, select "All Notes Off" and press "Enter" (this acts as a midi panic function for resetting the midi signal when issues like stuck notes occur).

Because the two units are different synthesizers with different controls and operating systems, the patches (sounds) cannot be transferred between them (this is why it is common for people to polychain keyboards with their rack-mount counterparts, however the Little Phatty and Voyager do share similar components such as the oscillators - so similar sounds can be achieved). This means you will have to program/dial-in a similar sound on each synthesizer (and once you achieve these similar sounds, you could save them as patches on each unit playing duophonically again later). I think a good method of writing these matching sounds would be to limit the Voyager's patches to the same limitations as the Little Phatty - i.e. 2 Oscillators, No Noise Source, Only Low-Pass Filter etc.. Maybe a good way to write matching patches is to start fresh on both units, make a parameter change (on the more-limited Little Phatty first), match that with the same (or similar) parameter change on the Voyager until you have designed the sound you want, then save them.

I hope this helps! I'm sorry I can't help more on the Voyager's side of the set-up - maybe have a look in the Voyager's manual for poly chaining or midi connections in general, if you have not already.

I hope it works out for you!

Regards,
David Smyth
NZ

Pre-OS3 the Phatty, Voyager, and taurus 3 could poly chain.
When the Slim came out, the Phatty's OS was upgraded to include improvements in the poly mode. This was done because more people were planning a Phatty poly chain. Unfortunately it made the Phatty poly mode incompatible with the other 2. I think there are plans to bring the voyager and taurus up to the same poly-chain functionality as the Phattys.