Moog Music Forum

Just upgraded from a Little Phatty to a Voyager, and really the only thing I'm missing is the arpeggiator... The lack of which I imagine has long been lamented. I have a few questions regarding workarounds.

While I know there are software solutions to incorporate arps into the Voyager, I'm interested in the range of hardware solutions.

First, is it possible to use a Slim Phatty's arpeggiator to drive the Voyager via MIDI? In particular, would turning off the Local Keyboard Control on the Voyager and routing the MIDI Out to a Slim Phatty allow me to play the Voyager's keyboard, while exploiting the Phatty's arpeggiator?

Moreover, if I was to go into Poly Mode, how does Arp implementation work with an Voyager as voice 1 (as the keyboard controller and voice), and a Slim Phatty as Voice 2. Will the Arpeggiator play well with the Voyager in this case as well?

Thanks!

YES! Easy. Just turn "SEND MIDI NOTES" ON on the SP
If you want to send just notes and not CCs- turn "SEND MIDI CCs" OFF.
Turning off local control on the Voyager isn't necessary. Why did you want to do that?

dr_slingo wrote:First, is it possible to use a Slim Phatty's arpeggiator to drive the Voyager via MIDI? In particular, would turning off the Local Keyboard Control on the Voyager and routing the MIDI Out to a Slim Phatty allow me to play the Voyager's keyboard, while exploiting the Phatty's arpeggiator?

re:POLY Mode - MIDI Stacking Key Order etc.
According to the manual engaging the ARP disables POLY mode

dr_slingo wrote:if I was to go into Poly Mode, how does Arp implementation work with an Voyager as voice 1 (as the keyboard controller and voice), and a Slim Phatty as Voice 2. Will the Arpeggiator play well with the Voyager in this case as well? Thanks!

i imagine you could figure out a workaround if you really needed too
ie send/write out arpeggios to a DAW or sequence etc then send back in as external midi

Hi,

I only assumed you'd need to turn off local keyboard control on the Voyager to avoid any sort of MIDI feedback loop between the Phatty and the Voyager. But maybe that was misguided, and it'd be unnecessary?

Thanks for the reply! I guess getting ahold of a cheaper slim phatty eventually would both solve the missing arp problem, as well as add polyphony! Best of both worlds!

Sam

YES, the Slim's arpeggiator may have been the deciding factor for me but of course once you get one you will quickly discover a lot more you will to do with it ~ External audio in, the OD filter - no end to usefulness. I love my slim phatty like all my moogs ~ just turn it on a little sooner then the rest of your gear to get it in tune.

dr_slingo wrote:Hi,

Thanks for the reply! I guess getting ahold of a cheaper slim phatty eventually would both solve the missing arp problem, as well as add polyphony! Best of both worlds!

Sam

how about doing this with a voyager old school with a kenton cv to midi converter? anyone tried this? would that converter product more latency in the midi signal?

also I'm speaking about a little phatty and not a slim phatty. much more interested in purchasing the little phatty.

A word to the wise, archer.

Your Old School is an 100% analog machine. Moreover, it does not conform to strict 1V/Oct standard for pitch values. So using a MIDI sequencer converted back to CV pitch values by an interface will certainly result in calibration errors that will have to be corrected. Hopefully, the MIDI-to-CV interface will have a very precise offset calibration control to compensate for the Old School off standard values, but it will require a tuner or frequency meter to adjust.

If not, the result will be that many notes sent by the MIDI sequencer will play off key on your Old School...