Memorymoog Voyager

Tips and techniques for Minimoog Analog Synthesizers
monads
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Re: Memorymoog Part II

Post by monads » Wed Apr 21, 2004 1:15 pm

ikazlar wrote:Have any of you purchased a Voyager from Sweetwater??
I ordered my AE (and other gear) from them. No problem at all. Ask for Paul Rowan. He's really good if you need help or concerns (placing orders/product info, etc.). They even do a double check on packaging before sending it to you. You could specify to leave it manufactured sealed if you like, which is what I do.

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Post by Boeing 737-400 » Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:15 pm

If a brand new Opus was designed, I would buy it, if a new Polymoog (lighter and more reliable) was released, I'm gonna get it straight away!

To make the Opus look like the Voyager would be a very good idea, that way I can sell it for the price of a secondhand Voyager, because the buyer will think its one. :D

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ikazlar
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Post by ikazlar » Thu Apr 22, 2004 2:21 am

Hey monads,

thanx for the info. In fact, I am thinking of buying the Voyager from them. I will contact the guy you suggested. Right now I am in the process of saving up and it won't be long until I get this baby home... Let's hope that I won't change my mind...

8)

Beluhan
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Post by Beluhan » Thu Apr 22, 2004 7:58 am

$ 24,000.-?
Right, i was just kidding.
But seriously, i don't think that Moogmusic can manufacture a Polyphonic Synth in the same quality as the voyager for $ 6000.-. If yes, i would buy one right away.
If they decide to do something like the Polymoog (best strings on the planet) or Opus 3 i would buy that too.

sir_dss
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Post by sir_dss » Thu Apr 22, 2004 1:05 pm

Let's just bug MoogMusic about some sort of VCO expantion unit to turn the Voyager into a polyphonic synth. Charging per VCO.

It(MMV) sends poly MIDI, and has some sort of "Midi Key Order to link up to 16 Voyagers" How about just a seprate bank of VCO??? I'd take 4 more right off the bat. That would mean I'd be able to play 5 diffrent notes on the keyboard. A triad in the upper part of the synth, and an octive for the bass. It would sound great.

Run the external VCO's throught the AUD IN.

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Post by donato » Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:57 pm

I agree. I'd rather a rack expansion than a whole new synth.

courtney214
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Post by courtney214 » Thu Apr 22, 2004 5:00 pm

I like the vco expansion idea. I'd probably, no, I would purchase it for my Voyager. However, as Beluhan has pointed out, the price range on this whole idea can tend to be prohibitive for most buyers.

In this day and age of computers and Reason (the program), it can be difficult to justify spending even $1500.00 to $2000.00 for a synth period.

I love my voyager -- and my Prophet 5 & Juno106 & sh101, & DX7's, & tr909, & tb303 etc... The $10000.00 (or so) I've spent on traditional synths most certainly could have been much better spent simply buying computer programs and plug-ins though.

Minus the computer (which I would have owned anyway) I probably could have saved about $9000.00! Reason alone costs only $300.00 or so. And that program includes samplers, synths, distortion units, reverb units, drum machines, mixers, etc. including lot's of room for expansion. It is a virtual studio that is so much more versatile than any group of hard synths and other hardware ever will be (for the price). Even non-musicians can essentially begin composing music -- right out of the box!

I certainly can't announce the obituary just yet for hard synths along with all of the accompanying hardware, but it does appear, to me, that the future of the hard synth is paralleling that of the wagon wheel, unfortunately...

I expect that it is going to be increasingly difficult for Moog to make Synths and accessories for profit in this ever rapidly evolving musical environment.

My humble suggestion for Moog is that, in addition to manufacturing and selling hardware, they should -- and NOW -- begin developing MOOG software in order to maintain company viability for the future. I think even the Sequential Pro-One is available via softsynth now.

A 'soft' Voyager would easily include everything that most anyone would desire in a Voyager and more (limitless patch storage, limitless polyphony, no more maintence, limitless expandability, dead-on stability, etc, etc) for a mere fraction of the cost of a new or used Voyager. To some this may sound blasphemous, but I think it's the new reality of today...

(Sorry, didn't mean to write a book about the subject! :) )

One more thing. A 'soft' Voyager would be the perfect expansion accessory for those of us who already own the hardware version. We would then be able to utilize the real Voyager as a midi controller to the suped-up 'soft' Voyager . Furthermore, ideally the vx-351 and other hard accessories would also be made available as soft accessories as well, in the form of purchasable plug-ins.

Rough estimate: soft Voyager $250.00 - $500.00 or less, VX-351 (and other plug-ins) $25-$50 each or so. A complete duel poly/mono soft Voyager system with plug-in accessories should be much less than $1000.00 and yet not be limited by any hardware -- only the capability of one's computer.

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Post by Boeing 737-400 » Thu Apr 22, 2004 7:17 pm

I've used the software Pro-One, although polyphonic, I prefer having the real thing in front of me! I wouldn't like to have a soft synth, primarily because I don't want to have a computer with me on stage.

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Post by courtney214 » Thu Apr 22, 2004 7:43 pm

Which is understandable.

However, not everyone plays on stage, nor does everyone have the thousands of $'s required to buy what you and I own.

I also compose music in my home, not in an expensive professional studio. If it weren't for computers, I wouldn't be able to accomplish what I'm currently able to accomplish -- which was simply impossible just a few short years ago.

As I mentioned above, the 'soft' version of the Voyager could even be used, and thought of, as an accessory to compliment your 'real' Voyager, not necessarily as a replacement...

monads
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Post by monads » Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:04 pm

I think both can co-exist. I started out using soft synths and an oxygen 8 controller. But honestly it just doesn't feel the same as having the real deal in front of you. I like the knobbage factor on hardware gear. The soft synth stuff is great if you're travelling and can't haul all your gear around or you want to conserve studio space. But it sucks when the crap isn't stable or you have to wait for upgrades/compatibility issues, etc. And then there's this huge issue of piracy. Yes, it is an issue otherwise manufactures wouldn't issue dongles with their software or require a TC PowerCore to run certain plugs and other registration requirements.

And although the soft synth craze has made it more affordable to the masses, it has it's pitfalls. Now any joe blow can go purchase a softsynth with no experience and start putting out crap. Don't get me wrong there are two sides here, this being in the hands of the right creative people who are serious about their hobby.

I'd rather have a real Korg MS-20 in front of me as opposed to a mock up controller (which is soon to be released).

Bottom line, I would rather see Bob and company continue the forefront of analog hardware equipment design.

Just my .02

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Post by courtney214 » Fri Apr 23, 2004 3:58 am

Hey, I understand monads -- I also think that both can co-exist.

I'm not sure where you're coming from though when you mention stability and update issues though with soft synths (especially Reason). Seems to me that computers are what have made synths stable! I certainly have no trouble with the soft synths that I currently use.

Furthermore, I own a $3500.00 SigE Moog Voyager and guess what? I have to update it continuously even though it is a hardware synth! (I'm not complaining though -- this is a bonus. As with the Voyager, soft synths tend to offer free upgrades, which, allows the unit to evolve over time; a major plus. On the other hand, in the past with hardware, one was generally stuck with the limitations of the technology as sold at the time. To upgrade meant to buy a new synth!)

Anyway, I don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but, I think my point is that the future is computers whether one appreciates this fact or not. Also, there currently is a place for both hardware and software -- and I love my Voyager!

However, if I had the choice of buying a $7500.00, 5 voice polyphonic Moog Voyager w/128 available patch memory, bag, lamp, special glow-in-the-dark mod wheels et. al., OR purchasing a $150.00 software version complete with limitless polyphony, limitless patch storage, along with other specs that could be easily implemented not available via hardware version -- I'd purchase the software version hands down. Oh, and throw in a package deal of moogerfooger plug-ins, including a vx-351 plug-in as well for an extra $100.00 as well.

I woudn't sell my Voyager though, I'd simply use it as a controller for the software version.

I do, however, feel that hardware is becoming less and less needed today in this computer age. Yet, it seems MoogMusic is narrowly focused on hardware instead. Heck, it even took several years before my top-of-the-line Voyager synth was able to send midi CC data! Unbelievable! And it's still just monophonic...

monads
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Post by monads » Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:20 am

I hear what you're saying. I guess good analog equipment isn't cheap enough to market a polyphonic instrument. Otherwise I'm sure it would've been made. Put that aside and look at the demand for the Voyager though. People are gobbling them up. They were gobbling them up even before the OS/midi spec was complete! I do wish that with any new hardware gear, it not be released until the OS is near close to complete.

It just seems like so many companies are making soft synths these days. When I was talking about issues/updates, I was referring to Native Instruments (my bad for focusing on one company but they're a big player with their product lineup). For example, FM7 and Battery were originally released on OS9, when OSX updates became available they charged existing users a fee! What's to stop others from doing the same? Or what happens when some of these companies fold? That would suck if I spent a couple of years w/my favorite soft synth sound designing and now I have to figure out another way to preserve my sounds using an old OS or whatever.

One thing interesting is it appears to be in vogue right now as the old school vintage hardware synths coming back. Arps, Pro-One, MS-20, etc.

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Post by elirentz » Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:26 am

I too love my voyager but agree with courtney 214 and if I remember correctly Bob Moog does too I think I read an interview where he admitted that software was getting closer and closer to the sound of analog all the time. But he also said something which I think was pretty smart in that he thought that the real innovation in electronic equipment today was in the user interface and making the instruments more intuitive and expressive to play. I think I heard him say that on sonicstate somewhere.
This is why I think the g2 rocks because it uses a computer to make it extremely flexible and user friendly to edit but is also portable and extremely flexible and playable live. Now a g2 like Moog with evolver tendencies analog osc.'s and filters as well with an extremely flexible and user friendly digital architecture with a wide array of digital synthesis as well, all editable on a modularesque computer interface. Touchpad included. That would be amazing. But expensive.
But anyways I think it would be beneficial for Moog to expand the digital creative side of there company. I mean they have the analog side down there circuits sound amazing or else I wouldn't own a Voyager. But the But the innovation is in the digital domain.

monads
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Post by monads » Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:49 am

Well, market conditions will dictate where things end up. Only reason Voyager saw the light of day was user demand. The Nord G2 is cool. But the editor for OSX was not available at launch. There was a beta versioin floating around at the time, but no one and not even Clavia would say if support was forthcoming for Mac. Can you tell I'm a Mac user? :D

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Post by sir_dss » Fri Apr 23, 2004 2:09 pm

I must admit that if all synthisizing was done on computer, I wouldn't be interested. I'd stick to guitar! But this new Korg MS20 soft synth with the mock up MS20 controler seems interesting.

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