Voyager, Midi, and Patch quirks

monads · Post by **monads** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:54 am

So I sequence some tracks via midi to the Voyager. After I record the tracks I scroll through the patches but I notice some sound different or completely messed up from how I remember when I created them. A simple power down and up of the Voyager and the problem is gone.

Anyone else notice this? It's quite odd.

Boeing 737-400 · Post by **Boeing 737-400** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:51 pm

When I try and send a sequence to the Voyager, the patches change!

monads · Post by **monads** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:10 pm

That's weird. Does it change to a different patch everytime, or the same one?

Qwave · Post by **Qwave** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:10 pm

Maybe a Midi loop going on?

And check the MERGE parameter in the MASTER section. It defaults to merging the ingoing MIDI stream to the output. And this is something a sequencer does not think of and may cause problems.

Sweep · Post by **Sweep** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:13 pm

I don't know if this'll help, as I haven't got to the bottom of it, but what happened may throw some light on what's happening here as well.

I found that when controlling my Voyager from a MIDI equipped keyboard the Voyager patch would change if I changed the patch on the controlling keyboard. I was using the Voyager to process the signal from the other keyboard, hence the patch changes.

I'm talking here about changes of patch number, not parameter settings on the existing patch, BTW.

I solved the problem by changing one of the MIDI settings on the Voyager. I've not got the Voyager in front of me right now so I can't say which one, but it was the obvious one for the task. But I now find that when I edit a patch on the Voyager I no longer get the details coming up for the original parameter setting when I move a knob. The two things - the MIDI setting - and the parameter details on the Voyager are somehow interrelated.

I thought I'd mention that in case it throws any light on oddities with MIDI and patch settings on the Voyager. If it doesn't, just ignore it.

monads · Post by **monads** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:15 pm

Qwave wrote:Maybe a Midi loop going on?

And check the MERGE parameter in the MASTER section. It defaults to merging the ingoing MIDI stream to the output. And this is something a sequencer does not think of and may cause problems.

I have the Merge set to OFF in Master mode. Can you give me an example of when I'd enable it? If I understand correctly it Echoes the incoming midi data to the Output? I could just use the Thru if that's the case.

Qwave · Post by **Qwave** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 1:50 am

monads wrote:... I have the Merge set to OFF in Master mode. Can you give me an example of when I'd enable it? If I understand correctly it Echoes the incoming midi data to the Output? I could just use the Thru if that's the case.

Example:
You own a Moog Voyager and a Moog RME.
You need to play your Midi sequencer's data into both units. But you also need to get the touch pad and keyboard data being played into the RME and the sequencer.

Set up:
Sequencer Midi out to Voyager Midi in
Voyager to MIDI MERGE Func. to on
Voyager MIDI KEY ORDER set to 1 (playing now voice #1)
Voyager Midi out to RME Midi in
RME MIDI KEY ORDER set to 2 (playing now voice #2)
RME Midi out to sequencer Midi in

And the merge function makes sense on sertain live setup if you like to play a Midi module from the master keyboard or from the Voyager.
And having a Midi merger is a nice extra anyway.

monads · Post by **monads** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 2:59 am

Thanks Qwave! I knew it was good for something

and live setups. I just didn't see it.

This still doesn't resolve the changes/altering of patches however I experience.

tunedLow · Post by **tunedLow** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:20 am

What program are you using -- are you sure your not sending a patch change by accident at the beginning of the sequence?

monads · Post by **monads** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 10:45 am

Using DP4.52. No it doesn't change patches when I send midi to the voya. But after sending some midi sequences, stoping the transport, then going back and auditioning patches on the voya they appear/sound altered. The original patch I was sequencing with does not get altered of course (unless I send some CCs).

I just power off/on and the other patches sound as they should when created. Is as if the digital midi data is corrupting something.

Qwave · Post by **Qwave** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 10:58 am

Export the track data to standard MIDI file and hand it someone else. And then let him check if there is some sound data stored in that track.

Or another track is sending the data. Some soft sequencers might send also sound select midi commands even if muted. So make a copy of the project you experienced the problems and delete all tracks except the one of the Voyager. Maybe you recorded some sound change into different track without noticing it.

Maybe there is corrupted data. And the Voyagers sound dumps do not include a check byte. Most other brand use them. And atleast one company (well known) had a synth that defined a checksum byte, but did not use it at all. With a checksum byte in each Sys-Ex string there will no chance for a corrupted sysex file to be act to at all. But corrupted Sys-Ex files are not that often. I only had one. And it was stored that curropted on the companies FTP server for years. And no one complained on their forum. But this is a totally different and OT story ...