Moog Minimoog Voyager Signature Edition

Version 3.1
As this is a true synth, who really cares about the presets?
This is the one of the simplest synthesizers ever to program.
The manual is adequate.

Sidestepping the obvious atributes, I purchased this to complement my existing Studio Electronic SE1Xs and as an addendum to the full line of Moogerfoogers I own.With the CP251 and the VX351 and all five of the Moogerfoogers (not including the Bass version of the Low pass filter)one can easily achieve the programming feats of that of a small modular system. I found it somewhat disheartening to have to open up the Voyager to install the accessory port adaptor. Apparently the design of the unit is so that the hardwired port is functionless unless you buy the VX 351 or maybe it was a security issue- who knows?
The Voyager provides all the essential control voltage inputs and outputs inlcuding: gate,trigger, sample and hold and pedal control

Does this sound EXACTLY like a MiniMoog? No.But the difference is so fractional its hardly worth mentioning and in the track unless you have a single Voyager sound soloed you'd be hard pressed to take the Pepsi challenge with a sucessful outcome. The fidelity to my ears is somehwat better than the original (I've owned 2)- its wider and more in your face. Bottom line, nothing sounds like this. It along with the Moogerfoogers are audiophile quality with a distinctive "boutique" feel. On that note I'd like to address the poor misinformed fellow reviewers who don't have a clue as to what they're talking about and perhaps have swayed potential buyers against the Voyager.The Voyager is a specialty piece designed and built by a very small company. They dont posess the financial resources to crank out 10s of thousand of synths like Roland, Korg or Yamaha. Building a true analog with the components Moog employs along with the patent issues and manufacturing and advertising costs a GREAT deal!Moog is a boutique company targeting those who know and appreciate something good when they hear it. As I also own a Virus TI, Nord Lead 3,V-synth XT, SuperNova 2, Waldorf Q and full blown Oasys (along with much much more) I am keenly aware of whats current in the synth world.Its interesting to note that all of the synths I mentioned have Moog named patches in them, no other synth can make that claim to the extent Moog can.
On the topic of live control, I found the pitch wheel a bit stiff. I would rather have seen a ribbon controller under the wheels as opposed the XY pad in the middle of the panel- fun for sure, but not outrageously useful.I prefer the push/pull slider myself.Moog should have taken a census from players as to their preferences instead of succombing to their luditic and romantic intentions.

The unit seems made well enough, although not quite as polished as a Roland, Yamha or Korg. But that's sort of the charm, you get the idea someone who really loves synthesizers built this by hand in his basement.
The Electric blue verison eminates a high frequency noise thats sort of annoying when the dimmer is turned all the way up.

They were easy to reach by phone and eager to answer questions. Email response was sluggish but accurate.

Id replace this in a nanosecond- no doubts. Its a part of my permanent set-up. Its the first and last of a romantic throwback to the times when musicians actually knew how to play and programmers knew how to program.
When you consider a Mini in 1974 costs 2K, to buy a more potent version in 2006 for a few hundred dollars more is totally acceptable.When you consider how most of today's synths become old-hat after a couple of years, its clear the true value of the Voyager for its staying power is undeniable.
If only Moog would again build a full blown modular....

Version 2.5 The presets are good. Do I use alot of them? Of course not. The presets are designed to show you HOW to arrive at a certain sound. If you're not in the know about how to really dig in and "program" one of these synths, you'll need examples. That's what these presets are - examples. If you expect to take it out of the box and have it programmed just the way you want, forget it. If you prefer flying a computer console, well then the patch editor is for you. The manual is very well written and great for beginners. For new information, you have to go to the site. Editing patches is only as easy as how well you know this synthesizer. Programming one of these things was, is and always will be an artform all in it's own.

Polyphony is still mono, but it sends poly if you need to use it to control another synth/module. Actually, if you're clever, you can layer it with a poly sound source and do things like have a built in pedel tone by setting it to low note priority. Think - use your imagination. Effects? I always can use a little reverb and/or a bit of delay here and there, but effects based on flanging, phase shifting, chorus, etc.? Why? Where do you think all of these effects came from? That's what analog synths are all about! Flanging? It's in there. Phase shifting? It's in there. Chorus effects? It's in there. Where do you thing all those manufacturers of little boxes of effects got their ideas from? If you're looking for instant, push-button store bought effects, forget it. Once again, if you're looking for these items in an analog synth, you don't understand how to use one and what they are all about. Expansion is through the roof - Moog Music is constantly coming up with improvements and new stuff based on users input. Yes, some of them you have to pay for, but why not. Do you work for free?

Again, all the expressiveness is there as far as things like velocity and aftertouch. A suggestion might be to go through the presets and find one that is using velocity of aftertouch and mess around with it so you understand how to use it effectively in your own patch. The back panel is loaded with inputs for on/off style switch pedels as well as variable expression pedels that can be programmed to do anything you want (as in, move any control(s) on the console. With this in mind - it's probably the mose expressive synth ever built!

This is probably the most solid synth you'll ever buy. I understand that is has all gold contacts inside, unlike the older synths that suffered over the years from all sorts of corrosion. This one's designed to be around for many years to come.

N/A

First, it is NOT a Minimoog Model D. If you want a Model D, go out and find one and have a tech clean it up and get it running. Expect to have it worked over like that at least every other year. If lost or stolen I'd replace My Voyager in a heartbeat. Guys, this is a new analog synth for a new age. If Moog wanted to copy the old Model D right down the line, they would have. The Voyager stands alone and has it's own voice. And for all you Wakeman bashers out there, I have a suggestion. Find some old video of Rick using an old Minimoog live. Like Keith and all the others, Rick knows how to program an analog synth on the fly - using every available and even not-so-available second to tweek a knob here and there and not lose a beat of the music. Is he great at the wheels? No. So what? Probably because his left hand is busy with another keyboard. Or, using the wheels just isn't his thing. Either way, he's responsible for some of the most classic analog synth programming sounds out there. Know what you're talking about before you go and criticise. You want to push a button and just have a preset served up to you? Well, the Voyager will do that too. But programming one of these things both live and in the studio IS AN ARTFORM in it's own right and always will be. If you're NOT willing to embrase the Voyager for what YOU can do, and you're not the type to sit for hours on end exploring all the pleasures of analog synthesis, DON'T BUY A MINIMOOG VOYAGER. Everything is NOT served to you on a plate - you have to have some imagination and go create something of your own. But I assure you, the Voyager delivers big time with respects to old analog synthesis and bringing it into a digital age. Worth every penny.

2.5

I did not like the presets with the exception of maybe two.It is not hard to edit it though. A very user friendly synth. The manual is fine too. Good for beginners.

The keyboard feels nice and the effects are reasonably good. It can be expanded with aditional units that you can purchase, but in my opinion this is an overpriced synth. It is not worth the money. They even sell you a Librarian after they sell you a 3.5 thousand dollar synth. I returned mine and do not regreat for a minute. I guess it all depends on the personal taste.

I do not want to give a 1 , out of respect for the bass , but other than that , this one note synth is very limited.I suppose it is good for the basslines , but thats where it ends for me. I am into Goa Trance

Looks nice and shiny , solid , but very very heavy.

They got back to me a few days after I wrote the e-mail , but were very helpfull with my issue. I will give them a 9 and dismiss the fact that it took them a bit longer than I would normally like to wait.

If this was lost or stolen I would only be upset about the money I would have lost. Other than that , I think I would have sold it on e-bay for a 1000 if I could not return it back. The fact that Bob Moog spent alot of time making this guy , does not justify its price. Overpriced one note synth , thats it. It was not very helpfull in making of Goa Trance / Trance music. Virus Classic is the best type of machinery for that.I think the Voyager should be sold for 2000$ with at least 4 voices !

My unit has version 2.5 OS
Works GREAT... owned mini's for 20 years
Now that I am used to this one, it's showing it's capability

It's analog

VERY expressive
Can get all the scream you want and all the subtle sounds are where thay need to be

very reliable. mine travels in flight case

Mine was upgraded in the first go round to the blue light.
(This is a MUST on a sometimes dark stage!) ANYWAY their customer support is extremely good and everyone has been more that helpful with any question I had.

If it were stolne or lost, I would be! We play alot of proggy stuff and this unit and my Roland JP8000 are the backbone of many song we perform. Have to get another one...

This instrument could not possible get any easier to use. It's analog! Most every control is on the panel.

It's a Moog, it will produce every sound under the sun IF you know how to use it. It doesn't have built in effects, which is a good thing because putting a digital effect on the end of an analog synthesizer would kind of defeat the purpose. If you're someone who is used to keyboards and synthersizers that do everything for you then this instrument is not for you.

This is an analog instrument, it is not intended to sound anything like today's digital synthesizers. It's meant to deliever the outstanding sound quality Moog is known for, and it does just that.

Any time you're dealing with analog gear it's not as stable as solid state. However, analog has made huge improvements in recent years and much more stable than it has previously been. I have never had any problems with it but I give it a 9 because it is fragile.

The Moog gets a 9 in this section because it is rather exspensive. However I do not believe it is marked up very much. I must admit I'd rather pay more for it then put it in the hands of unexperienced musicians who don't know better.

Also, people who are too busy calling other reviews names can't be exspected to write reliable reviews.

Here is a list from Moog's website of Voyager users:
Steve Ferlazzo, Population 1
Jamie Arentzen, American Hi-Fi
Air
Jerome Rodgers (w/ George Clinton)
The Cure
David Rosenthal (Billy Joel)
Chad Hugo - The Neptunes, n.e.r.d.
Richard "Jah" Ace
Page McConnell
Keith Emerson
Herbie Hancock
Rick Wakeman
Jamie Muhoberac - Ace session musician
Fred Wreck - hip hop producer (Snoop Dogg)
Khari Simmons - India.arie
Nick Rhodes - Duran Duran
Larry Dunn - Earth, Wind and Fire
Paul Simon
John Fogerty
Charlie Clouser
Aron Magner - the Disco Biscuits
John Herndon - Isotope 217, Tortoise
Leroy Bach - Wilco
Kevin Antunes - Musical director for Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake tours
John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hans Zimmer - Film composer extraordinaire
Brian Kehew - 1/2 of Moog Cookbook
Darrell Diaz - Solo artist, works with Herbie Hancock
Bernie Worrell
Gabrial McNair - No Doubt, Oslo
Thursday
Deftones
John Medeski - Medeski Martin and Wood
Thelonius Moog
Printz Board - Black Eyed Peas
Randy Cantor
Jordan Rudess - Dream Theater
DJ Logic
Don Preston
James Lumb - Electric Skychurch
Nellee Hooper
Jeffrey Keezer - Christian McBride Band
Anthony ?Fu? Valcic
Morcheeba
Frank Lucas
Al Schneier - Moe
Roger Manning Jr.- The other 1/2 of the Moog Cookbook, keyboards for Beck and many more...
Gary Carolla
Chris Cox
Darian Sahanaja - Heart
Vince Wilburn
Mark Linkous - Sparklehorse
Skip Dorsey
Jason Epperson - Nelly
Steve Lindsey
Patrick Moraz - Yes, Moody Blues
Manfred Mann
Stevie Wonder
Goffrey Downs - Asia
Kenna
Roger Powell - Todd Rundging
Onree Gill - Alicia Keys, John Mayer
Ricky Peterson - Dave Sanborn
Mike Farrell - Morrissey, Macy Gray
Brandon Bush - Train
Doug Fieger - The Knack
Money Mark
Stereolab
Ray Angry - Kellis
Jesse Carmichael - Maroon 5
Kern Brantley - Musical Director for Beyonce, Mary J Blige
Silk - Multi Grammy Winner
Drew Neumann
Zac Baird - Everlast, Maimou
John Delay - Dido
Ginger Fish - Marilyn Manson
Nuno Bettencourt - Extreme, Population1
Rhett Lawrence - Producer for Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey
Ben Wilson - Blues Traveler
Fernando Permdomo - Cristian Castro
Ryan Peak - Nickleback
Mike McKnight - Musical Director for Madonna
Herman Jackson - Session Player
John Hawken - The Strawbs
Steve Molitz - Particle
Randy Cantor
Ricky Martin
Shaggy
Scott Storch
Myron Dove
Santana
Ken Jordan
The Crystal Method
Todd Tamanend Clark

and many more....

Lots of knobs, so pretty easy to use.

Features are pretty great, but it's about the sound, not the features.

It's a Moog.

Much better than Roland et al.

I'm mainly writing this review to say that I'm a fag and I love this synth, so being gay does not correlate with taste in synthesizers. I look forward to the day when the word "fag" is recognized as the slur that it is, like all the other racist and sexist terms that civilized people no longer use.

It's not easy, but worth the trouble.

Sounds great.

It's a Moog... either you love it or you're retarded.

Yes, it's very reliable so far.

So far so good.

I'm mainly writing this review to say that the last guy who reviewed this is a fag. You are the definition of a keyboard snob. You think it's lame because of the pitch wheels being blue? I think it's kind of cool... you're definition of lame is pretty far off considering what kind of music you like. If you don't like the keyboard, why write a novel about how much you hate it? Sceaming fusion... wow, that's so cool... I bet you never get laid. You should re-think what dorky truly means... Manfred Mann, huh? That Blinded by the Light song is just so much cooler than Steve Miller... maybe people like Moog's for something other than "screaming fusion." You are truly a keyboard snob and a dork on top of that.

Well this is yet another review- I have to ad some things to my last review- I can't echo how important it is to have true natural sounding vibrato through the mod wheel. This is yet another area where the Minimoog Voyager falls short. Bob tried to model the Voyager after the Model D in almost every way except the mod/pitch wheels. That is an area that I guess they didn't feel was as important to replicate, although it is a part of the Model D sound just as much as the Overdriven VCA is. The Springs on the pitch wheel are stiff and lame on the Voyager. Why didn't they make it so there was no dead zone and no springs like on the original Model D? The pitch wheel on the Model D is capable of MUCH more natural and realistic sounding vibrato and bends. The fact is just like any lame cheap midi keyboard, the Voyager has a dead spot in the center of the pitch wheel. The only keyboard made these days that does not exhibit this hugely overlooked problem and the only keyboard that is capable of a true natural sounding vibrato is made by Clavia, the Nord Lead with the wooden pitch stick. If you plan on doing any pitch bending like Jan Hammer, Alan Zavod, Manfred Mann, the Nord is much more suitable for natural, guitar like bends or just use an original Model D- but the Voyager is no replacement for the sounds you hear on the old fusion records you love so much. If you plan on not ever bending notes and use it to make dorky sounds like Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson, Heart, Steve Miller, this won't ever bother you. If you plan on screaming fusion- think again. When I first got my Voyager, when I moved the pitch wheel, the internal spring scratched the pitch wheel assembly inside. I had to send it back to Bob and have him replace my pitch wheel because it was faulty. I also told him that while it was there, why don't you go ahead and fix that faulty VCA board problem that was a known issue in SOS magazine, that volume scratchy at 5 thing where the VCA board was faulty in most early Voyagers. He apparently did this but when I got it back I noticed no difference. I swear I have read on some Voyager forum posts on the Moog site that this thing makes almost like a very faint white noise sound on top of everything through the headphone or output jack jack. When I got it back from Moog, it still did this. I always noticed this from the moment I got it If I play this thing with headphones, I hear the faintest like white noise, scratchyness over top of the whole sound. What the hell is that about? Why do I spend 3k on a high end piece of gear that exhibits more noise than the 12 bit DACs on an original DX7???? This is inexcuseable. I always thought I was almost crazy noticing this- but it is actually there. No joke and it never goes away. It's like your Voyager has tinitis or something. Also this product is completely pointless if you plan to gig anywhere with it- being that it is like 50 pounds and then add a hard case on top of that and it ends up being like 60 or 70 pounds. I swear my old Yamaha S80 in a hard case was only slightly heavier than this pile. So keep it as a studio piece cause that's where it'll stay unless you are famous and have a roadie- in which case you have a real Model D and maintenance on it isn't an issue. You tend to think of the Voyager as a little synth, kind of like a little Roadster, but it's not at all. It's clumsy, unexpressive, heavy, dorky and not the real deal- just a lame tech toy. Speaking of which.. have you guys seen the Anniversary edition of the Voyager with the geek and lame factor even multiplied by adding a glowing front panel??? How faggy can we be???? My lord Bob is totally milking this thing. First he gets a Signature model which just has a little different wood- lame glowing blue wheels and his John Hancock on it and charges an extra 1000 bucks over the Performer version for it- by the way I'm glad my Performer had white wheels instead of the dayglow blue light special ones. Then he comes out with a

I have developed much hate for the Minimoog Voyager- mostly because I fell in love with the Minimoog sound and went on an endless $ quest $ to get the sound I was after. After trying everything synth out there for players not desktop musicians, I decided this is not it. It's all about Nord and Studio Electronics. I've owned other Analogs and I think the Voyager is a waste of money.

Pretty easy to use but the buttons feel crappy and the OS is pretty primitive. I was really unimpressed with the feel of the keyboard action it self. I think the Pratt-Reed action of the old Mini is much better. My DX7 has better action. Nuff said. I think the Dual filter thing is lame and cheesy and the touchpad is totally dorky.

Well I have to add something here just as my final farewell with the Minimoog Voyager. I too am the kind of player who has been playing for years, pours over classic 70s records like Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live, Jeff Beck Wired, Allan Zavod of Jean Luc Ponty, The Fents- Alan Holzman ,Kit Watkins of Happy the Man and Manfred Manns Earth band- the REALLY GOOD minimoog players- not Rick Wakeman types- I don't think that guy has ever touched the pitch or mod wheels before and he wouldn't know what to do with them. Anyway, I have to say that after owning this thing for over a year and gigging with it with many bands, it just does not have the balls of the original Minimoog. Too bad the Oscillators aren't discrete. It's sound doesn't cut through my band the way a Model D does. I was looking for a modern equivalent of the Mini but this thing leaves me wanting. I miss that the oscillators don't drift in a natural organic way like the true discreet old Minis. The only thing that I like about it is the Sync, the Sample and Hold, the VCA does overdrive and it has fast snappy envelopes like the original Mini. Most people feel the Mini sound has it's sound due to it's filter. Wrong!! The SSM filter is probably a better filter than the Minimoog filter but that's a matter of oppinion. The place where the Minimoog gets it's sound is not due to the filter, it's the overdriven VCA- which yields to fast and snappy envelopes. Yes GOOD QUESTION TO THE OTHER REVIEWER- WHY HAVEN'T WE SEEN ANY OF THE OLD LEGENDS LIKE JAN HAMMER EMBRACE THE MINIMOOG VOYAGER- WHAT'S HE PLAYING THESE DAYS? KORG OR SOME GAWD AWFUL COMPANY LIKE THAT???? WHY HASN'T BERNIE WORRELL 0R JAN HAMMER OR ANYONE ELSE BEEN PLAYING THE VOYAGER? CAUSE IT DOESN'T SOUND AS GOOD AS A REAL MINI. THE PEOPLE AT STUDIO ELECTRONICS HAVE A MORE CONVINCING MINIMOOG SOUND THAN THIS THING. BOB MOOG MUST HAVE JUST RAN OUT OF MONEY AND NEEDED SOME MORE. SHOULDN'T HE BE LIKE RETIRED OR SOMETHING??? He's an old man- looks like my grandpa- my grandpa's retired. THINK ABOUT IT.....

Bottom line is, it is isn't what it's cracked out to be, which then leaves me with a keyboard with a short keyboard (44 keys) that I spent a couple grand on. It's heavy-especially cause mine is in a hard case, and it is cumbersome to take around. Also, it cost so much money that you worry about breaking it. Overall I find that it is more a pain in the ass than it's worth. It's suited as a studio piece- although most studios have a real Model D, not a gigging piece. It is too heavy and fragile- not good to lug around. And I grew up on Rhodes, Wurlitzers, CP70s, Clavs and Minimoogs. I am a player and I want something I can gig with not leave in the studio. I am selling it and buying a Nord Lead 2 and maybe a Studio Electronics ATC-1 after that-if I find something missing. The Nord Lead pitch stick is more expressive than the sluggish, spring loaded wheels on the Voyager. Also disappointed that the pitch wheel in the Voyager like all modern synths except for the Nord Lead, has a dead zone in the middle so you can't get true vibrato with the pitch wheel. It has a non-exponential pitch wheel- which sucks. Ultimately, I am looking for something to gig with and wig on- not worry about. The Voyager is much more of a museum type piece and for that reason I'm selling it. Ultimately I feel like a total toolbox, a total nerd, a total techy geek playing this thing on stage. It's like the total dot com dork piece of kit. It's way more digital sounding than you think it should be and it's lame LCD screen, touch screen, etc.. this thing screams dork with a lot of money. I just am going to focus on a true Players synth that reacts naturally to playing, the Nord.

My MiniMoog Voyager was delievered with the latest software, it's a valut signature (no serial number but special wood and Mr. Moog's signature on the front). I owned a used MiniMoog several years ago and really loved it. However, not being able to store patches and use MIDI made me sell it. This new version is just what I always dreamed about. Having all those parameters available in front of you. You can even see what the paramters of the patch you call up are, before you start adjusting them. In this way, you may actually record and play back the changes you make while performing, and at the same time avoiding any paramter to jump and make unwanted sound. There is simply no other synth on the market with a better user interface!

The fact that it is monophonic doesn't make the use of the synth limimited in any way. I use it for killer bass sounds, effects, lead synths and even some pads. With all the audio tracks available on my hard drive, I can easily dub myself and create much more complicated sound scapes than most other synths today.

There is no doubt that analog sound is much richer and has more variation than a digital synth is able to produce. Therefore, the expressiveness in the Voyager is on a higher level than a digital synth. I also own the great Korg Z-1, which is a virtual analog synth with as much expressiveness as a digital synth can produce today, but it just can't compare with the Voyager. - I am not that impressed with the factory patches that comes with the Voyager, but it is so easy to create my own or adjuct the factory sounds to my tast, so this in not a big argument.

It looks and feels rock solid, and I trust that my reseller will take care of any repair or maintanance needs in the futre.

Robert Moog's web site is full of support options, and my reseller here in Norway is a very relyable company, so I have no worries about this.

In my opinion, Robert Moog has given us a great gift in the Voyager. While most other companies give us synths with 1.000 patches and drum sets that we don't need, the Voyager is a unique quality synth that becomes a real instrument in the hands of a musician. The Voyager is a piece of art :)