Moog Music Forum

Hey! I'm sorry to bring a topic like this one here, but it's something I have to do.

I live in Brazil and having a problematic synthesizer is a nightmare around here. I'm currently planning on getting a Voyager Performer next year (moving out this year - I don't know if I'll have to sell something to make space for the Voyager), and I was wondering if the new models still have some problems I've already read about...

"Oscillator is dead"
"No sound... mainboard fried"

These are some of the possible problems that makes me think twice about it. I love the Voyager sound, and I'd gladly pay the asked price if I'm positive that newer units are less problematic than the older ones. Maybe I'm a little biased because people that search forums seem to be the ones with problems (or are addicted to music forums, just like me).

I thought that there was no better place to ask this, so here it is. These problems affect a big percentage of units or just some unlucky ones?

Thank you all!
Cheers.

Only Moog Music's technical support/repairs team could answer that precisely, because they know exactly how many Voyagers have come back under warranty for failed analog board and what were their serial numbers.

But, as one would expect, I don't believe they would publish those numbers for fear of scaring away potential new Voyager buyers. You can only rely on the fact that, out of the thousands of Voyagers sold, probably only a minimal percentage of those became defective, and that most are probably fixed under warranty. But this is a warranty against defects, and not a guarantee that nothing could or will go wrong.

Like buying anything else, it's a gamble. You could be lucky and not have any problems for decades, or be one of the probably very few unlucky ones to get a dud and just hope it breaks under warranty.

I know, this probably doesn't help you much, but I fear this is reality. Unless Moog Music can come here and state otherwise ? (I doubt it...)

BTW, back in 2008, my Voyager Old School did break under warranty and was fixed. So I was one of the "lucky" unlucky ones !
I since sold it to finance the purchase of a genuine 1975 Minimoog D (in need of some care) that is now still running strong close to 40 years after being made...

Thank you for your reply. I thought that Moog wouldn't share this with me, for that obvious reason (loosing some Voyager buyers). Anyway, I wanted to hear more from new owners, if they're having problems with it. It seems to me that they're not having many problems. I the end, the Minimoog Voyager is quite mature now and hey probably fixed every flawed PCB designs.

I'll search for topics where people had problems and start asking when they've got their unit. Here at Moog forums people tend not to point problems, unless it is happening to them. Anyway, this section seems to be a lot slower, which looks nice to me - people here worry about making music, and not the next new thing to come out - that's GREAT.

Thank you once again!

I had a moog voyager anniversary edition that I bought used on fleabay a few years back. It had zero problems when I got it. Over the course of a couple years, one of the wheels came loose. It was easy to fix it myself, I just unscrewed the cover over the wheels, lifted it off, and tightened the wheel down. Never had another problem with it.

I now have a Voyager XL. I've only had it for a month or two, but I have had no issues with it thus far. So, I wouldn't be too nervous about buying one.

You have to account for the fact that people expect things to work. With that in mind, they usually don't take to Internet forums to proclaim,"I bought this thing and it did what I expected!!" People are much more likely to get out there and complain loudly when things don't work, and that's why it's going to seem like the majority of things are riddled with problems when you look up those things on the internet.

You're welcome IgorCristo.

I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy your Moog synth, like the rest of us, when you get it next year.

Alain.

It's always worth contacting Moog directly with your questions about for instance self servicing options, availability of parts locally etc. Moog are very aware that these instruments are used on stage, need to be quickly serviceable to get back up and running, so I'm sure they'd be happy to help.

Why not start a thread with the sole purpose of making a poll to see how many have had problems with their Voyager and how old it was at the time?

Hey guys! Thank you all for your input.

@Gladmarr
Thank you for sharing your own experience with the Voyager. I think that it was what I wanted to hear from other users too: their experience with the Voyager.

@lushr
That's a good idea! I'll do that... maybe they won't answer me in details, but they'll give me an idea.