Voyager XL as Model 15 Modular Controller

[thedangore]

Hello folks,

I just received my Model 15 a week ago... my first dive into real analog modular synth territory! As I make my way through the manual, trying to digest it all, I have a few questions. There is already a post in the forum about this topic (http://forum.moogmusic.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19960) that I have read, and gained some insight, but not specifically for my setup--mostly due to my lack of experience with analog gear, cv, gate, pitch etc.

I have been excited to use my Moog Voyager XL to control the modular as the controller keyboard for the Model 15 (and many, many other ways I have yet to understand), but I am uncertain just how to connect the two so that the XL keyboard controls pitch, gate, and velocity on the Model 15. I am beginning to understand how the touch and ribbon pads can be used to control filter and other things... other than that I am about as far as potentially understanding that I need to be using the CV outputs on the Voyager XL (KBD?) to connect to CV inputs on the Model 15, I'm just not sure which ones! I have been able to control the gate, just not the pitch so far. Trust me, I know some serious manual reading is in my future, but until I get there could any of you kindly get me going in the right direction?

Also, any other insight on how the two can be used together to beef up sound, make duophonic or complex sequences, or other example implementation you might be able to offer is much appreciated! I realize I have quite far to go, but I am ready to learn! I feel honored to have both systems!

[sunny pedaal]

I use the voyager +expensions
Simply connect the keyboardout cv to the osc driver input
Just put some muliti's attentuators and or mixer in between to by example get filtertracking
All seems to be easy working here . Where are you stuck ?

[EricK]

Hi,
The model 15 is duophonic in and of itself, albeit in a limited way. Since you own a modular, think about the Voyager in modular terms now and think about both instruments as part of a single system.

You have an insert jack on the Voyager from which you candirectly access the unfiltered oscillator and process them through an external filter like that glorious 907a. You can run all 6 oscillators in unison and process them via the Voyager's filter. You can use the 921bs to cross modulate each other or even the Voyager.

Look at that big 921 oscillator and use that alternate output as a modulation source. The Voyager by itself has immense capabilities. You will be growing into that system for awhile.


Dig into the Voyager's software and look at the Midi local control and turn it off. Use the Voyager's keyboard as the controller for the 15, and use a midi sequencer from your ipad or some kind of computer to control your Voyager's pitch.

I approach the modular with the perspective that it was designed to be an elaborate monosynth, but with the advent of the minimoog and other monosynths, the Modular is rather unnecessary when it comes to programming leads. So I use my monosynths and other keyboard instruments as secondary instruments and I use my modular for sequences and or soundscapes.

Just start simple and see what you can do with the fewest modules possible and no keyboard.

This is a Moslab Moog clone thing I did which may help you understand some different concepts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX5XVnHaHek

And this is a part 2 which adds a variety of effects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAdeJ2FjOco

This might give you some ideas..

Eric

[thedangore]

Hi,
The model 15 is duophonic in and of itself, albeit in a limited way. Since you own a modular, think about the Voyager in modular terms now and think about both instruments as part of a single system.

You have an insert jack on the Voyager from which you candirectly access the unfiltered oscillator and process them through an external filter like that glorious 907a. You can run all 6 oscillators in unison and process them via the Voyager's filter. You can use the 921bs to cross modulate each other or even the Voyager.

Look at that big 921 oscillator and use that alternate output as a modulation source. The Voyager by itself has immense capabilities. You will be growing into that system for awhile.


Dig into the Voyager's software and look at the Midi local control and turn it off. Use the Voyager's keyboard as the controller for the 15, and use a midi sequencer from your ipad or some kind of computer to control your Voyager's pitch.

I approach the modular with the perspective that it was designed to be an elaborate monosynth, but with the advent of the minimoog and other monosynths, the Modular is rather unnecessary when it comes to programming leads. So I use my monosynths and other keyboard instruments as secondary instruments and I use my modular for sequences and or soundscapes.

Just start simple and see what you can do with the fewest modules possible and no keyboard.

This is a Moslab Moog clone thing I did which may help you understand some different concepts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX5XVnHaHek

And this is a part 2 which adds a variety of effects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAdeJ2FjOco

This might give you some ideas..

Eric

Great stuff Eric,

I am so grateful to get detailed replies! Very helpful videos. I watched them last night and paused and tried to mimic certain settings on the moog 15, with some success I might add! Thanks to you're detailed videos.
I am running into some trouble, having no official Moog duophonic keyboard at the present... I was hoping to use the Minimoog Voyager XL's patchbay and keyboard to control the Model 15 with Envelope Generators. I am systematically working my way through an older .pdf Model 15 manual I found on one of the forums and it gives examples of patching. Only problem is, all the patching is assuming I have a Moog Duophonic keybaord controller hooked into the back of the unit. I don't. So I have had to use work-arounds like plugging KBD Pitch from the XL's patchbay into a Mult and routing them to both 921 B and 921 Oscillators frequency control inputs. Successful in changing pitch, but the sound continues to play without a VCA hooked up to an Envelope Generator to sculpt sound. I can't follow what the manual says since my system is set up differently. I'm certain there's a way, I just haven't found it, yet. I'm sure there will be more "differences" I'll run into and have to find my work-arounds using the Voyager as the main controller

[EricK]

The Voyager's keyboard is Polyphonic via midi so maybe you can find a polyphonic Midi to CV converter.

[Tyler]

Hi there... sorry for just coming into the discussion so late. I've noticed the thread was started back in February. I too have a Voyager XL and Model 15 configuration. Are you still facing some challenges?

[thedangore]

Hi there... sorry for just coming into the discussion so late. I've noticed the thread was started back in February. I too have a Voyager XL and Model 15 configuration. Are you still facing some challenges?

Yeah Man! Glad you could join in with some of your wisdom! I really haven't had as much time with it as I would like since work picked up, but I am still struggling to understand how to use the envelope generators on the model 15 with the voyager xl as the keyboard. I have gotten as far as using the KBD into the mults to reroute pitch to both the 921Bs as well as the 921 VCO. I have even figured out how to route the model 15 through the Voyagers Envelopes, but i still can't figure out what I'm missing! (reading the manual is hard because they assume you have a 953 duo phonic keyboard which i do not so running s-triggers to control the Envelope Generators is not really making sense to me since the voltage is coming from the Voyager... I was under the impression i would have even MORE control over the model 15 with it connected to a minimoog, but I haven't yet figured out the wiring! Any help would be of Huge welcome. I am still very new and learning much each time I use the two together! Always something new!

Thank you so much for chiming in! I can't wait to hear what you've learned!

[EricK]

You need a cable like this but I had two cables from Roger and they never did fire my Micromoog, and he never figured it out. But when I got my 1130 restored the Micro functioned perfectly. When I got the same cable made from a friend of mine it functions perfectly. It's a voltage to S-trig cable.

[Tyler]

Hi thedangore, I’ve learned that a real fundamental approach to accessing/controlling the 911 EG’s on the Model 15 as controlled by the Voyager XL is to first do as EricK suggests and contact Roger at synthesizers.com and purchase 1 (is sufficient) 1/4 in. voltage to S-trig cable… - I bought a couple 1/8th inch to S-trig cables from Kenton and they DID NOT work to send a signal to the EG’s! whereas the dot com cables did work. If you have one of these dot com Voltage to S-trig cables then you can couple that together with the “Y” style S-trig cable that came with your Model 15 bag of cables… then you can split a Gate signal and send it to both of you 911’s. otherwise you might wanna buy 2 of the dot com. Voltage to S-trig cables.

Next, you’ll want to run a 1/4 to 1/4 cable patch from the MMVXL KBD (Pitch) CV Output directly to one of the 3 Frequency Control Inputs on the Model 15’s 921A.

Cool Tip - you can use any of the 3 rows of multiples on the Model 15 Controller Outputs module as an Input for anything… (including the MMVXL KBD (Pitch) CV Output) which can now give you access to 2 more Outputs (per strip) to go anywhere you want to go on the Model 15. Note that none of the outputs on the Model 15 produce the Gate signal you need to control the 911- EG’s so you have to provide that Gate signal from your MMVXL via the GATE Output from the KBD (GATE) CV Output. Now you can either connect one of the short coloured MMVXL from the the GATE CV Output to one of the MULTS provided on the MMVXL (this now makes access to (for example) three more (GATE out sources) which you can now run one or a pair of the (synthesizers.com) 1/4 in. voltage to S-trig cable(s) from, going to either or both of the 911 EG’s. (I’d recommend connecting just the first one for now for simplicity I’m order to illustrate the function of the 911. I know what you’re expecting it to do but again start by getting one 911 up and working first.

The rest of the patch is as follows:

connect one 921B SAW TOOTH output to the Mixer input channel 1
connect a second 921B SAW TOOTH output to the Mixer input channel 2
connect one Mixer outputs to the (top +) Signal Input on the first 902 VCA
connect the (bottom -) Signal Outputs on the first 902 VCA to any Trunk Line or sound input (mixer, stereo, speaker… or effect input (delay etc. - and on to any speaker/amplifier input)
connect a patch cable from the 911 EG to one of the Control Inputs on the 902
Now switch the Control Mode switch on the 902 to LIN and set the Fixed Control Voltage knob on the 902 to “0”
As long as your volumes levels are set to some semblance of audibility then you should start hearing the effects you want out of the 911 as soon as you start to manipulate its knobs using any key on your MMVXL as a CV Control source.

[thedangore]

Hi thedangore, I’ve learned that a real fundamental approach to accessing/controlling the 911 EG’s on the Model 15 as controlled by the Voyager XL is to first do as EricK suggests and contact Roger at synthesizers.com and purchase 1 (is sufficient) 1/4 in. voltage to S-trig cable… - I bought a couple 1/8th inch to S-trig cables from Kenton and they DID NOT work to send a signal to the EG’s! whereas the dot com cables did work. If you have one of these dot com Voltage to S-trig cables then you can couple that together with the “Y” style S-trig cable that came with your Model 15 bag of cables… then you can split a Gate signal and send it to both of you 911’s. otherwise you might wanna buy 2 of the dot com. Voltage to S-trig cables.

Next, you’ll want to run a 1/4 to 1/4 cable patch from the MMVXL KBD (Pitch) CV Output directly to one of the 3 Frequency Control Inputs on the Model 15’s 921A.

Cool Tip - you can use any of the 3 rows of multiples on the Model 15 Controller Outputs module as an Input for anything… (including the MMVXL KBD (Pitch) CV Output) which can now give you access to 2 more Outputs (per strip) to go anywhere you want to go on the Model 15. Note that none of the outputs on the Model 15 produce the Gate signal you need to control the 911- EG’s so you have to provide that Gate signal from your MMVXL via the GATE Output from the KBD (GATE) CV Output. Now you can either connect one of the short coloured MMVXL from the the GATE CV Output to one of the MULTS provided on the MMVXL (this now makes access to (for example) three more (GATE out sources) which you can now run one or a pair of the (synthesizers.com) 1/4 in. voltage to S-trig cable(s) from, going to either or both of the 911 EG’s. (I’d recommend connecting just the first one for now for simplicity I’m order to illustrate the function of the 911. I know what you’re expecting it to do but again start by getting one 911 up and working first.

The rest of the patch is as follows:

connect one 921B SAW TOOTH output to the Mixer input channel 1
connect a second 921B SAW TOOTH output to the Mixer input channel 2
connect one Mixer outputs to the (top +) Signal Input on the first 902 VCA
connect the (bottom -) Signal Outputs on the first 902 VCA to any Trunk Line or sound input (mixer, stereo, speaker… or effect input (delay etc. - and on to any speaker/amplifier input)
connect a patch cable from the 911 EG to one of the Control Inputs on the 902
Now switch the Control Mode switch on the 902 to LIN and set the Fixed Control Voltage knob on the 902 to “0”
As long as your volumes levels are set to some semblance of audibility then you should start hearing the effects you want out of the 911 as soon as you start to manipulate its knobs using any key on your MMVXL as a CV Control source.

Bro, this is amazing and very very helpful insights! Sorry for just now getting back to you, but I so appreciate your answer! I still have to buy the voltage to S trigger cables, but I am going to try some of what you said today!