Moog Minimoog Voyager

I find that it was easy to learn the analog sequence on the panel, though the os features and other things are a bit out of my reach, which is why I went with the MiniMoog in the first place. I found the panel configuration to be the easiest way to understand analog subtractive synthesis. Start left move right. If it wasn't for the digital aspect i would have given it a ten.

Well It seems like this has been covered by all the tech people very well. So I will not go into the innards. I will go into the performance points. The key system is one of the fastest playing keys I have ever felt. I turn down many synths because of the key action. I use this as a performance instrument. I may record stuff for album or demo in the studio, but this thing deserves to be on stage. I like the plug in for the light. The flight case is very good too.

Ok Here we go. The reason for buying it in the first place. It sounds like none other than Moog. It is everything that has ever been said and more. Yes it sounds incredible in the studio, but in my opinion, so do most. LIVE, is where this thing really stands with no other. It really send the most warm tone rich sounds to an audience. It is the reason Keith Emerson Toured with the Monster 8ft. Modular.

I use Reason, Arturia and others on my Mac. They are said to be flawless at replication and sound perfect in the studio and live. This claim does not sit well with me. It does sound really good in studio settings, but it is not the best live. I use it
as pads, effects, and an ocasional sample. Nothing really holds up to a main lead synth like the MiniMoog.

When toggling through program banks or turning knobs on stage through big sound systems, it retains a decent consistency in volume. so one effect is quiet, and you change and it sends monitor carpeting in you face from extreme volume. Reason is great for that sort of thing.

All things aside Nothing sounds like a Minimoog. It is really inspiring on stage.

Seems fine to me.

I think customer support is great, but I also live 3 mile down the road from Moog Music in Asheville NC. I know employees, and support the Robert Moog Foundation. From what I know of them all, they will bend over backwards to help and set things rite. I have been called as follow up to make sure all things were fine, and if ever any trouble they would be happy to help. But this is coming from a local of them. Dealings from a distance is always different, and harder due to shipping.

Overall, It is my only true LEAD. It is like that really good sax that a great horn player cherishes. A horn is mono phonic. so is the moog. so what. I wouldn't let it stop me from buying it. To me there is no other feeling while performing than having that panel in front of me. Yes it was expensive. I got mine used and it was perfect. Look around if you can't aford of one new try to find a great deal. It should last a lifetime.

The basic parameters are easy to use. But for some special parameters you need to navigate through the menu & the PC editor is not included.

The CV box & CV inputs are damn cool! -1 for calling it modular in the manual while not supplying hardwired individual outs for the VCOs on the CV box.

It deserves 13,8 out of 10

If you know how to handle this synth you can get fuckin nasty sounds brutality out of it. I love the way it sounds. Without an external distortion I got such heavy driven sound out of it - pure rawness but still musical.

VCO FM sounds also pretty cool. And of cause the basses. And FX sounds. And theres so much more to explore. It??s versatile.

Bob??s designs are reliable.

The support is said to be very good if you phone them. But I live outside of the USA and I won??t call them on the phone because it??s expensive to call them from europe.
Theres virtually no tech support via eMail - no matter how many mails I write. I??m not sure how to rate this - eMail support get??s a "not helpful at all" but Rudi Linhard, a phone call to Moog USA or en eMail to the distributor are the options to get support.

In my opinion this is the best monosynth ever build. A bunch of them make the best polysynth ever build ;)

I??ve been playin 17 years and I??ve played and owned a lot of analogue synths. Right now I only own gear that helps to express myself musically - a second synth, great converters, a great pre, a nice microphone, a Mac Pro...

And I expand the Voyager with external devices (eg moogerfoogers). Somehow the CV doesn??t track external VCOs correctly. It??s not 1V/oct and also not 0,935V/oct. It??s much more than 1V/oct so currently use an attenuator to adjust it.

I got a select model - it looks nice. Overall value is great.

This is an Update of my prev rewview. Cause i integrated a few more stuff to my setup. In this new context the voyager shines out of the night!
I add a Midipedal to change presets instead of the useless select buttons. I organize my patches in a row i need in a song. The way the voyager switch to a new preset is incledible. It switches faster than i can play! The other feature i add is a Ibanez AD9 analog delay. Awesome! In combination with the pedal-preset-switch i can play 20 Sounds in a row with delay and with the other foot i change the filtercutoff for a long neverending sweep madness!!
Another great thing i have ad. The Moogerfooger Ringmodulator. Connect the LFO out to the voyager and you have a second LFO and more. Awesome.
So more i use this instrument so better it is. I learn in a timeline to use all the features this instrument offers. I guess i will never need another keyboard. I have only to hands and two feets and they are in work while making music. THANKS MOOG FOR THIS BEAST

The other cool thing is, that my band mate has change his crappy novation bassstaion for a Little Phatty! Cool!
We are now a moog sounding madness. :-D

People! Throw away computers and all digital crap, buy real instruments, use it right and explore the possibilitis.
So i go and learn better english...

Not good overall. I`d like to see a seperate legato switch and remove the useless release-switch for that. The glide-switch is cool.
The rest is cool.

Patches are cool, so you can use this instrument live ways better than the old one that i am own too.
But the way you change the presets sucks. Have OS 3.1 and you can use mixerknob Ext. for quick changes but that is too inefficient. So this feature ist useless.

Soud is realy good. Not best overall but good. It is worth the money. I run this instrument in that chain: Voyager whit 3 Expr.Pedals - Danelectro tremolo - Marchal Bluesdriver - Danelectro Pure Drive - two VOX AC30 so i can use it in stereo.

In the band we are 3 keybordplayer and everybody only plays one board. I play the moog. The other play a Korg CX3 Organ and the other play the Basstation from Novation. He is our "virtuel Bassplayer".
Then we have a Guitarplayer and a drummer and a two singers.
Very loud group.

The old one sounds better but the tuning stability is a mess. So i make some turn on my efect pedals and my amps and it sounds nearly the same. I dont use the old one live futher.

Not good.

The first thing i recived from EMC germany was damaged. The touchpad dont work. And the pitch wheel stuck in downpitch. The second i`ve get was ok, but the corsor keys stuck too. So if you press the coursorbutton too hard you running throuh the presets. So i have used a nail file to give it a little more space to work. Now it works fine, but man, this thing is bout 3000 Euro!!!! I want to have a PERFECT working mashine!!!

Very good. No doubt. The best service i ever had.

Overall i can say: if you want a good live synth whit realy great sound then buy that thing. And hope u get a fully working instrument first time.

Fantastically easy to get some wacky sounds out and its semi modular under the skin as well.

some presets are cheesy but it does so far convincing emulations of a number of other analogue synths and some of the presets by bernie worrell are truly funktastic. a number of others are great as well, including the good old brain salads and the super slinky synthworld.

editing is a cinch... and the panel for editing is for me relatively ok to get through. gonna get the software though. that will make things much easier.

monophonic.
keyboard is way better than on my nord lead.
its the easiest to use synth i've ever used.
you can use 2 items to expand it, the 351 cv device and the control processor from moog...
midi is fine.
no on board sequencing, as far as i can see, but i can do that from my DAW....

its a moog, it does everything very well.
its only real weakness for me so far is strings, but i've only just got it so will see.
its a very human device in terms of playing, its warm and emotive and very powerful.
aftertouch and velocity are fine.

1 week in its still working.

the finish is fairly good but theres a paint chip near the keyboard.

not tried yet

very very good so far. when i get the editor and cv expander it will be truly awesome.

OS 3.0 is simple to scroll though the presets but I'll be damned if they didn't make it more complicated than it should be. Many submenus and the like to really scare off an analog synth nut like myself ( I thought the whole reason behind buying an analog synth today-besides the sound-was to get away from editing patches in a tiny LCD screen-aarrrg!). On the flipside the synth isself is very easy to use IF you've had experience working with analog synths and moogs in general and pretty much any way you twist the knobs you're going to get a cool sound. Everything is laid out in a neat and self-explanitory manner. Not as easy to use as my moog rogue but so many more sounds. The only tricky thing is the routing for the modulation busses...just cause there's so many options. I give the ease of use a four: because the OS 3.0 is a real bitch to use and reminds me of why I hate digital keyboards and also if you aren't familiar with analog synthesis you may be a little lost-considering the voyager's panel looks like something you'd see on the starship enterprise.

Ok so it's a monophonic synth. Besides that slight drawback (I mean moog did, at one point, have polyphonic synths) the features of this keyboard are outstanding. It's an analog synth, through and through, but you can save presets, which is incredible if you've ever sepnt any time trying to play a vintage moog live, and its got just about everything you need to get some of the coolest, funkiest sounds out there. The touch screen is the bomb...I just love moving my hand around in that thing-it's like having a kaoss pad built in to your synth. All the knobs the voyager has really give it an earthy feel. I love being able to shape my sound by twisting knobs and immediately hearing the results. With the voltage control expander and the moogerfooger control processor you can turn this thing into a pseudo modular synth-how cool is that (you won't need your ARP 2600 anymore). The OS is a little lame, although if you're just changing presets and editing presets it's not too bad, but it definately takes some time to get aquainted with. Bascially all this functionality ends up with the user being able to craft pretty much ANY sound. Truely amazing.

Are you kidding me! This thing is so fat and warm and psychedelic. It's unbelievable. What's awesome with the 3.0 OS is that you get about 800 presets. Yes, some of the presets are incredibly cheezy sounding and completely unuseable...but here's the great thing, just start twisting knobs and you can change the preset and get something new out of it, and when you've tweaked to your heart's desire you can save the changes. It's great to scroll throught the numerous presets, find a sound you like, and then tweak it even more to get a sound you really like. It makes things so much faster when you are recording and when you play it live-forget about it!-this thing smokes any analog synth out there. You can have all the sounds you neeed at the touch of a finger w/o having to tweak and write down settings. A few of the presets are really fantastic too. I love: Bank 3 Preset 74: "skinny 2" sounds like the ohio players funky worm. Bank 3 Preset 79: "head duck" bubbly LFO modulated madness. Bank 4 Preset 72: "spartacus" one of the illest sounding bass presets the voyager has (and there's plenty). Bank 3 Preset 45: "DPG Lead" Dr. Dre/ Bernie Worell all the way baby, real smooth sounding and funky as all hell. These are just a few of the wonderful sounds available on the voyager, man this thing is great!!!

Haven't had it all that long but I can certainly attest to the durablility of the moogerfooger pedal line, which I have been gigging with for many years and the voyager seems equally well built but I am ccertainly going to take real good care of it. You would do the same, wouldn't you, I mean come on, this thing is worth almost three grand!!!

Moog has been very helpful everytime I've called. Much easier to deal with than most and all thier products are made in the USA so they know what's up with thier stuff.

Well, it gets a ten in my book for the fact that it has the most unbelievable sounds and being able to preset them is just great. It loses one point for the OS being pretty stupid and hard to get into and one more point for the fact that is freaking unbelievably expensive!!!! I mean, it's made in the US and it's analog so it's not like someone can just slap a microchip in it and call it a day...it takes time and skilled craftsmanship to build these things, im sure, but man was this thing ever expensive. But, then again, if you really really love analog synths, their controls and thier sounds, well then you might as well just submit and realize that the moog voyager is the best out there. Nothing compares. However, if you simply like electro synth type sounds and don't really care about having all those knobs to twist, well I gotta say that the Nord lead is a great souding synth and it's way cheaper than the moog and it does polyphony. So if you need a nice sounding, durable, flexible synth, and just play completely off presets, go ahead and get the nord lead-you'll be very happy. However, if you need the absolute fattest sounding bass, and warmest, liquid analog sounds, why the hell would you buy a digital keyboard?! Plus, if you love being able to tweak your sound on the fly by reaching out and grabbing, say the filter cutoff knob, well brother, you need to get yourself a moog voyager.

Depends how you look at it. The knobs and controls are easy. Updating the OS was complicated and didn't work as expec'ted. Without help from the moog website & forum I would have been utterly lost. The manual is no good. It lacks any detailed information about updating the OS other than a refreence to MIDI OX, which again I found very hard to understand. I am a bit oldskool and not so much into computers - which brought me to the idea of buying the Voyager as a modern analogue instrument, just wanted to ceonnect it to a tape recorder or a hard disk recorder. Bad move. Without a PC or laptop, a MIDI to USB connector and lots of patience you're not going to enjoy this as you can't update the OS. Needed to buy a whole set of expensive peripherals. Ho-hum.
I also hate the fact that you have to buy the breakout box to have any decent connectivity. And now, with OS 3.1 out you need another thing to build in just in order to have zillions of patch places. For people who don't care about programming and saving patches, it's an utterly useless feature. Probably many people want to save patches, but I personally don't so I think I made a mistake buying this. 4 Rating for this section due to the fact that it's not self-contained, rather dodgy and was delivered to me with inherent bugs. I'll come to these later.

I'm not going to say a lot about its features as other users will have said more on this.
In my opinion it has... too many of some and too little of others.
The thing I dislike most is the touchscreen. It is uncomfortable to play and even died after installing OS 2.5 (yes I did follow the instructions by the word). Had to send it back in for repairs.
I got a UK model right when it came out so mine had many bugs. Unfortunately, the touchscreen issue came up after my warranty expired. No idea wha the touchscren died, but I have heard other users comment on the same issue in early models.
Also, there was a problem with the pitch bend wheel. When toggling through the interval options (half note to two octaves range) the whole sound flattened by a note.
The pots tended to crackle, and one of the oscillators went out of tune.
On the positive side, the sound is unquestionably very, very good.
But I spent 6 months waiting for it (and it was damn hard to get any info out of Turnkey where on earth my 2000 Pound synth was) and another 3 months for repairs. that's a lot of waiting.
I like the knob action and the build quality. I only wish it had
- no touchscreen
- no Patch memories
- no OS
- Ins and outs straight out of the box
- a decent ribbon controller in a better place
- a ring modulator
- free patchability rather than being hardwired.
4 Rating because of the fact that I find its features lacking in some important areas.

The sound is excellent. No further comment. Play one and you'll hear.
8 rating only because some sonic possibilities are missing that I would have liked to see in the instrument.

I am extremely cautious about giving the instrument a high rating due to the fact of my bad experience with an OS update which for some reason deactivated the touch screen. Who knows what will happen with certain functions in a further OS update.
Other than that, it is very good. Stays in tune and plays very nicely.
7 rating due to the fact that OS updates *may* bring out inherent bugs. No idea if it will happen again or if an inherent bug caused the TS to die at all, but this is what happened to mine.

I bought mine at Turnkey, UK. Well, they were eager to get my dough, but giving out any information about the whereabouts of my instrument at the time of purchase was a fight I could have lived without.
When I had trouble, again, it was a fight to get it fixed. I had spent a lot of money on this instrument and it arrived faulty (some faults were not immediately obvious, and only after upgrading to OS 2.5 after a year - the warranty had expired - did new bugs become obvious). I was not treated well at all times by Turnkey and I felt rather humiliated by Moog's treatment. I have managed to get it fixed and have made some music with it, but somehow, I don't enjoy it as much as I would like to. I never got all too friendly with it due to bad vibes.
2 Rating for having to fight for repairs and a rather patronizing way of being treated. Face it: If you buy from a manufacturer and get a faulty unit from a supplier, the supplier must see to it that you get a working instrument. I have experienced that they were not interested in helping me.
Not a 1 rating as it was fixed after all. But boy, what a shlepp. Sorry, can't be positive here.

If it were lost or stolen, I would be sad about the money, not about the instrument itself.
I bought it in Fall/ winter 2002 and got it in april 2003. A long wait. Plus it's a UK model, i. e., a "Voyager by Bob Moog". I play a Yahaha DX100, several sequencers and effects and a Casio VL1.
I love the wood and the build quality. I hate the touchpad and the hardwired concept. I loathe the missing ins & outs, I can't stand the OS updates all the time, and I ferociuosly can't live with the fact that you're forced to have a PC to be up to date with this thing. I'm oldschool, so other useres will say, dude, so what', who cares. It is too compliated for my taste and the internal features I'll never, ever use (pot mapping etc., no thanks),
I wish it were more flexible, and self contained. I can't stand this pseudo-modular concept and the way it's built as a "buy everything else from moog" instrument. Blecch.
When it works it's ok. I remember trying to figure out how to update the OS for the 1st time. I nearly lost it. Without help from the forum, I would have lost the will to live. I spent so much time with technical issues that I hardly made any worthwhile music so far. Only a handfull of semi-acceptable recordings. I had way more fun with my Rogue althzough it sounded not as great as the Voyager. But it was easy and funny. This thing is just bulky and has too many bells and whistles which deters me from enjoying it. I wish Moog would have kept it simple, without this silly touchpad, had completed the instrument prior to selling it and finally, I would have loved a more flexible approach in regards to the patchability.
Dear synth fairy: take this back to Moog and give me my money back.
2 Rating for overall dissatisfaction. The good point, again, is the sound. That is the only thing I honestly love about this.
Sorry. Disappointed.

Well, everything's right there in front of you. Nothing hidden...except a few interesting features buried in the menus...the only reason I give it a 9.

Fantastic instrument! Its a sophisticated toy for sophisticated ears...just "turn the knobs and blast off!"

Real nice and simple. Limited but versatile, if you are.
But it does what it does extremely well.
No polyphony, however I have transcended polyphony by accepting the instrument as it is, and am learning how to work/play WITH it...rather than me playing IT.

Adding a Delay in the chain really puts some rocket fuel into this puppy, Phaser works great too. I use Moogerfoogers, and an Echoplex.

The best keyboard I've ever played. It is the Rolls Royce of synths, hands down.

There are enough control voltage parameters (for patching), and knobs, switches, wheels, pedals, and touchpad to have your entire body rockin in riddim, gyrating like a drummer with all limbs playing in unison. A very unique instrument in that regard. Not many offer that caliber of TOTAL expression. That's somethin I live for, to move like that with the music WHILE MAKING IT!!!

Sounds???
Sheeeet....This thing has got so much personality, you could give it a name, but its already got Bob's, and it fits perfectly, so.....
But the sounds put VAs to shame, except the NordLead which I appreciate... It doesn't have all the bells & whistles a VA has, but its got some real magic of its own. I don't use the presets anymore, not even as a launchpad. So, actually by abandoning the presets, I'm able to coax tons of USABLE SOUNDS out of this synth, without having to spend 3 hours tweaking endless parameters... But there's plenny of fun wacky sounds possible as well, it all depends on YOU.

But, with all the expandability options + Control Voltages, this thing a bad mutha...
no doubt.

No problems, I use the soft bag for local travel, bought the Alum Flight case for plane travel...no problems.

I bought mine used, a few knobs were missing the silver cover. I emailed moog to buy new knobs. They send em free + AND kept email correspondense to make sure I got em!!
Its all about handmade, quality instruments, in my opinion...The personal touch is crucial.

I've been gravitating towards American or Japan made gear lately, feels the best...

This thing is helping me take my music to the next level. I was fussing with digital synths for 4 years cause I knew no better or different. I was frustrated that I could never get the sounds out of my digital synths to go with the rest of my music...I thought it was me. Turns out it was only partially me. The moment I heard the demo of the Voyager online, I was sold. I heard the quality I was looking for.

Before that, I never even CONSIDERED getting a Voyager. I thought it was WAAYYY out of my league, some retro collector's item. Then as I was researching I realized that it was not too lofty for me, that it was the next step to take. Indeed it was. If it were stolen?? Man, don't even ask me that! I'd flip out! Of course I'd get another one! By all means! I'd sell my car & strait ride the bus for a year so I could get one!!! Its one of my core instruments, along with my Rhodes, MPC2000...My holy trinity.

But, you know...if you don't flip over the demos...or REALLY dig the power & elegance of simplicity, you prolly want a VA. And that's okay. Lots of great music made with VAs... But for me, this thing is a COMET with a monophonic trigger, like shooting stars across space...one at a time...a cosmic flute from another time, another place...a paintbrush where each simple stroke speaks the calligraphy of music far beyond the known...abandoning convention, while reinventing it. This thing is a bad mutha.

It's an analog synth . . . Depends on if you know analog synthesis or not. Location is laid out however, and learning your way around is VERY fun . . .

This thing is amazing. There is so much room for expansion, external input to the filter is great. Dual Low Pass filters and HighPass/Lowpass in stereo is SICK. WON"T find that on any other analog monosynth. Lot's of features and cross-modulation capabilities. Two things I would wish for - THe ability to set the keyboard to regenerate the envelope each time I press a key, not just when I only press ONE key. Sometimes I will miss when playing and the envelope doesn't regenerate. Also wish the filter could be set to glide with the portamento. As it is it does not match the portamento glide. It isn't very noticeable, but if I could have my way . . .

If I had all the money and space I could want, I'd have a Voyager and right above it I'd have an original Mini. As it is I can only have one, and I've chosen the Voyager. Sure there is a certain mystique and rock and roll aesthetic to the original Mini's - they are like war relics now . . . But the Voyager SOUNDS AMAZING! And all those irresistable features for today's world - Full MIDI capability, patch saving, perfect tuning stability. I'll give up the nitpicky crap about the VCA not being quite as overdriven, or whatever minutia people can come up with, for the ENORMOUS gains.

I'm not diminishing some of the very analytical comparisons out there. They are very usefull. I'm saying that anyone who says the Voyager is nothing compared to an original Mini is an idiot. They are slightly different, but you won't find a better monosynth than the Voyager. The original Mini might be the equal, but not Better.

The frequency response is unreal. Every sound has so much presence. Nothing get's lost in the mix. It is a dream come true. I don't have to EQ it like my other synths, and it ranges from so beefy to smooth and crinkly. So many sounds . . . Sounding so good. Best low end in the business. The only synth I have heard come close to the pristine sound is the Arp 2500. Pristine but oh so analog.

For the first few hours I had trouble getting used to how clean it was compared to my other synths, but now I just love that about it. You can make it dirty if you want - just tweak a bit, or send it through some light tube distortion and quite whining!

Very well built except a few of the small screws on the bottom fell out . .. Was like that straight out of the box :( Waiting to here back from Moog . . .

Just contacted them two days ago . . . waiting . .. I've heard the folks at Moog are good people. Bless Dr. Moog . . .

Please don't steal it . . . Overall this Synthesizer is just fabulous. Sure it has a big price tag, but when you own one, you can see and feel just how worth it it is. It is a professional tool. Truly. I have spend countless hours dicking around with digital emulators and less expensive analog synths, and now I just wish I had bought one of these sooner. It is the real deal. Currently I own a CAT Octave synth (very awesome synth by the way, truly like a wild animal), JX-8p with PG-800, Kurzweil K200, MPC1000, KORG EM -1, and a bunch of other synths I've had the pleasure of meeting.

I have software VS 2.1, but am upgrading to v3.0, with the extra 7 memory banks. The presets with my anniversary edition are mixed...some are really good, and some are unusable, with a lot in between. I'm dying to get the entire library, and use that as a springboard for salt and pepper editing. Editing patches is a joy...a knob for everything, just like the Model D.

This is a monophonic synth, just like the original. The keyboard action is much better, however...it's even and smooth, and adds velocity (very cool with certain patches) and aftertouch...it also has full MIDI, unlike the model D.

This is full out Moog analog, with the added benefits of programmability, velocity and aftertouch...awesome !! I found that the best sounds come when you do your own tweaking...and it's a lot of fun as well. Nothing touches that warm fat Moog sound.

This thing is the best built synth on the planet...high quality pots...great feeling keys...and a fine furniture quality cherry wood cabinet...beautiful. I owned two model D's before this without a problem...and I would expect this to be just as rock solid.

I am sending this in for the 3.0 upgrade...and I have never encountered a more accessable, more personable company in all my life. There's always a real person to talk to, and they are extremely friendly and willing to talk about any problem/concern.

If it were lost, it would be most likely irreplaceable (only 15 of these were made)...but I'd try anyway. This is the ultimate analog lead/bass synth...now if they would only re-make the Memorymoog. I called the company several times to see if this was in the works (rumor had it)...my fingers were crossed, but sadly, Dr. Moog passed away last week...so my thoughts of a Dr. Moog designed polyphonic analog are gone as well. RIP, Dr. Moog.

I believe the firmware is at version 2.1 and supposedly an update is coming out relatively soon.

The presets are quite diverse and rich. There are great basses, leads, blips, burps and percussion sounds. I have been slowly replacing the sounds and making a completely new sound set by hand, I would say editing patches is very easy as most of the parameters are on hand, and if you don't mind going through menus then most other options are less than two menus deep.

I have not bought the patch editor yet, although I keep thinking about it. It offers a few interesting options such as morphing between two patches which could create some very interesting sounds.

The manual is decent, if a little short. I would have appreciated a bit more depth and breadth for the device. As well the control processor and control voltage break out box share the same manual, so while you get a good run down of what you'll be able to do with both devices it would have been nice to have a dedicated manual for each device.

This is a one note polyphony system. The keyboard is nice and there isn't any wiggling or mushy keys.

Well it has the low pass, high pass and band pass filters. That is about as filtery as you can get, however you can hook up an instrument into it's in port and filter away and get some decent effects.

For expansions, you can get the break out voltage control box, add in the control processor or a few moogerfoogers, but in the typical expansion sense you've got what you've got.

Once you get it setup, midi is wonderful on this device. It does understand pressure sensitivity and aftertouch, so you can make patches that take advantage of these parameters in some way. Recording midi into a sequencer can be fun.

There is no on-board sequencer, although with some fancy tricks you can use LFO's to fake sequenced patterns.

If you want an analogue sound you cannot get any more realistic than this. However I did pick up the Moog Modular V before this and I will say that if you need an inexpensive alternative the analogue emulations are getting there. Still they are not perfect, but the differences between them are getting fewer. This is also one of the best synths to learn synth programming and patch creation in my mind. It is so simple and you have all the controls in front of you. Having learned patch creation on soft synths with way too many parameters and never quite knowing what I was doing, it was refreshing to come to this system and be able to wrap my brain around the instrument.

I don't gig...

Moog support was a joy for me. I had a few specific and very bizarre/technical questions that weren't covered in the manual and I received an email back that answered everything for me. Apparently nobody had asked before and nobody had all of the details, but they did the leg work for me to get me the answers.

If it was lost, stolen or broken I would probably replace it. On the other hand it was such a huge investment that I'd probably need to give it some thought as I am not a performing musician and I currently don't make any money from music.

I own way too much other gear...

It definitely helps me make music, and for crazy chunky bass lines for songs this beast can really tear it up. Having owned a Virus, I am really surprised how much this thing can punch, kick and scream it's way into a mix. The Virus can certain fit well into a mix as well, it just comes through a bit differently.

Relatively easy; a little more difficult than an older synth to use because there are more options to learn.

Comprehensive for a mono synth.

I think if depends on the context:
-In relation to anything currently or recently made, it rules. Only in comparison with a Minimoog can anyone question it's sound.

Conclusion: excellent; only a few Mini owners can even question it's brilliance.

No problems.

The only minor criticisms are related to comparisons to an original Mini, and even then, the differences aren't great IMO. For anyone else, including some Mini owners, superb and far beyond anything other than the few relatively obscure top-end modular systems on the market.

As far as value, depends on your perspective. If you want the best, it's worth it. If a decent facsimilie will suffice, there are better options. The new rack mount mitigates some of the price pain.

If you already know how to program a synth it will be quite easy to use...

Possiblities are endless in my opinion ;)

Really analog! I have owned lots of VAs but noone sounded like this!
Preset sounds are good but the real deal is in programming!

It never broke until now...

Never had problems until now..

The best musical instrument I have ever owned, apart from my steinway grand piano ;)
To the anonymous who is bashing the voyager: I understand that You think that the original is better, but You have to understand that it is not easy to find one actually... at least for me. More, I've never heard an original Moog and I have tried lots of VAs but noone sounds like the Voyager! I feel sorry when I read Your opinion since I really love the Minimoog Voyager. Bye.

I'm currently using os 2.1 and will be upgrading to the new os that is being released with the electric blue version of the Voyager. I'm really impressed with the current system. Previous to purchasing the Voyager all my synths(with the exception of my first)have been pre-midi analog keyboards so, I don't have quite alot of background with midi oriented gear. That being said, I've find the operating system and patch editing quite easy. The user's manual is well written and serves as great reference when a question arises. The presets are ok to just reference basic patches and doesn't serve the Voyager much justice.

The Voyager is monophonic and the action is smooth with low and high note priority and is both velocity/pressure sensitve. The features are vast and many. I could write a lengthy page on the features but I feel that has already been covered in objective reviews elsewhere submitted on this page. But I can't resist in saying the three dedicated oscillators, the dedicated lfo, two mod busses, dual lp and hp/lp filters,fm mod,touchpad and more really smoke the old minis! Between the midi capabilities,the vast features of the os and the new front panel features along with the expansion capabilities definitely decided this purchase for me!

It's a Moog and It's Analog so, from an analog standpoint the expressiveness/sounds are otherworldly!!! To answer the question "are some of intruments very realistic?" NO,THEY ARE NOT AND IF I WANTED SOME KIND OF PSEUDO REALISM, I'D BUY THE NEWEST OF THE NEWEST SOON TO BE OUTDATED DIGITAL PIECE OF CRAP OR SOME GOSH AWFUL VA OR PLUGIN!!! I've already gone that route many years ago. I feel that the Voyager fits well with many genres rock,jazz,classical,goth,electronica however this isn't a push and play type of machine so I'm not going to say it fits with every and all types of musical genres.

I've owned my voyager for about seven months and it appears to be very reliable and I'm confident I can depend on it. Very well built, I'd say it's built rock solid. I usually don't inject personality into my instruments but, She sounds just as beautiful as she looks and would use it with out a back up with out thinking twice.

I haven't had to deal with Moog Music for warranty or customer support. But did deal with them about general inquiries and warranty registration and they promptly replied and were most friendly. I have no concerns should a question or concern arise. The Voyager forum at their website is very helpful as well.

Overall rating I must give it a resounding 10!!! If it were lost/stolen God help thief if caught and would replace at all cost. It's well worth the money and is the best synth in it's class. I own other analogs/keyboards Polymoog 203a+280A,Arp Odyssey,Farfisa combo compact deluxe,Multimoog,Liberation,Opus 3. My first synth was digital and hated it. It was too expensive and was replaced not even two years after it was released. Since then I consumed older gear and analog synths at the time were cheap, powerful and easy to use. I remember buying a Moog Rogue for$80.00 bucks and seen a mini for under $300.00 at the guitar shops in the early to mid 90's. The sound of these keyboards are trademark and will continue to be so. It's frustrating to see what older gear is going for and all the hype that accompanies it. It seems like the young'ins are trying to emulate their idols and the elders reliving the past. I don't know maybe I stand in the middle but, the preceding were not reasons for purchasing the Voyager. I waited, researched and decided to try before I buy. When I did try I tested a model d and a voyager they basically had to cut the time short. 15/30/60 minutes is more than enough to demo a synth to them. model d was figured out.similar to multimoog, But my Multimoog had more routing capabilities plus aftertouch. The Voyager had both velocity and aftertouch and much more. Try before you buy and see! Ignore the benign subjective reviews here and see for yourself. The model d and all the hype that goes with it is unfounded! all the negative posted bull*&^ posted here belongs to the realm of myth,fantasy,folklore,airheads,hobbyists and nostalgists!!!!!!!! YOURS TRULY AND MOST SINCERELY!!!

There is one crucial thing that has only recently come to my attention that every Voyager owner or prospective owner should know.

Before I was making most of my patches in dual filter low pass mode. Some of my patches, when using modulation, or the touch pad (which amounts to the same thing) were sounding not to my liking. I then switched to the low pass/high pass series mode (a simple flick of a switch!) and it was like a REVELATION! It turns out that the low pass mode when performing heavy modulations and affects, due to the dual filters, can cause phase cancellation and such, thinning out the sound. (I tried my all discrete Technosaurus as a control and the same thing happened. NOW, these patches are like those I had dreamed of; rich squealy resonant tones, sizzly sparkling highs in a backdrop of resounding mids and lows. Just thought you should know.

Lately there have been a few who express disatisfaction with the fact that the Voyager's oscillators are not fully discrete. I too began to have a complex about this and got into the habit of plugging my Technosaurus into the filter in order for it to sound like an Omega 8 or some other imagined Holy Grail of Synthesizers. Subsequent listening has shown this to be folly. It does not improve upon, and if anything intrudes upon, the delicate yet resounding sonority that is unmatched by any other synth, (including the modulars), except the original Mini itself. And the Mini is not better, but brasher, and buzzier, attributes that make it more difficult to integrate into a modern mix. Furthermore, discrete is not necessarily better, and in fact most of the original Minis used Integrated Chips, and they are considered fatter than the earlier discrete Minis.

Finally, most criticisms of the Voyager seem to be inconsistent, and fall into the trap of comparing it to the MiniMoog, a synth that differs from one to another. I hear some say it is better than the Mini in the high end, and inferior in the low, and others vice versa. Moog Music is partly responsible for this in that they marketed as a Mini for the 21st Century. It has the same unique sonority, but is its own instrument.

But enough of talk. Hear for yourself; check out the demo below. The leads are made with the Voyager (DRY! i.e. no effects).

http://analoguediehard.home.att.net/

James Socorro

If ever a synth deserved full marks its this one. For those who whine about the cost, think about what a Mini would cost in real dollars in 1975.

Secondly, think about the money shelled out for VAs only to be forgotten about in a year's time by the next digital attempt to reach the unreachable goal of the 'aliveness' of true analogue. Factor in the price of a computer every 2 or 3 years in order to keep up with the RAM and processing speed the CPU hungry soft synths require to approach their unreachable goal.

James Socorro

Great to see some honest appraisals of the Voyager rather than more saccharine praise. However, on the sonic shortcomings and as a Mini owner, I would love nothing more than to believe that there are significant sonic differences with an original Mini. However, except for those overly-cynical, long-winded and nit-picky reviewers below (one or two under different pseudonyms most likely) I have a feeling that most will find it very much like a Mini, with the added and substantial luxuries of patch memory, midi and enhanced expressivity. I don't think for a momement that "discrete" Macbeths, Studio Electronics or Omegas are closer to a Mini than this BTW, they all have their own distinct (and different) sounds. Those claiming otherwise are revealing their synth-head proclivities.

That said, let's hope Moog's listening and will include the missing discrete components in an eventual rack mount..

Patch memory, midi and expressivity..

I'm a long-time violin/mandolin/guitarist who felt like expanding, so I started looking for synths and decided to go with the Voyager. So I don't have the old vs. new thing going on and hopefully can offer a different perspective.

As far as ease of use, this thing is a piece of cake. It's really plug and play. The presets are there, but there's so much more when you get in control of the thing in manual mode. Granted, to get the most out of it, you should study sound synthesis (i.e., understand how the filters, envelopes, etc work), but I spent days of happy tweaking blindly turning knobs before I got serious. When I finally did take the time to understand it, it really opened up! Moreover, running other instruments through its audio-in is also an easy way to turn other instruments around.

The modulation buses are really nice. You get two, and everytime I work with them I come up with something new. Another nice feature of them is the ability to change their souces and destinations to even more combinations via the software's edit mode.

Then there are the pot-mappings, which allow you to control multiple pots via a single source (the manual suggests, for example, having the pitch wheel control both pitch and filter cutoff).

There's also the midi interface. This will make your software sequencer very happy. I use both Reason and Cubase with it so that I can play things my fingers can't do. Plus, you can tweak as you record. I understand that you can also save/export presets with a couple of different software apps (midiox and other that Moog is pushing), but have yet to try these. And speaking of user presets, this option is great, because coming up with a really interesting sound is one thing, trying to recreate it is another.

Lastly, I always run my guitar and bass through the audio-in. You only get the filter, but the mod busses make it possible to get the LFO in as well (and the third oscillator as well, which can also act as an LFO). This can make for some really unique sounds - great vibrato, panning etc...

I can't compare this to other analog synths. What I can say is that this sound impressed me enough to shell out $2700! I paid alot more to get a really good violin sound - and that offers only one type of sound!

I was afraid that synth playing would be too robotic, but this has not been the case with the Voyager. Many of the sounds I've gotten from it seem organic - I don't know how to describe it. Imagine anything from liquid being sloshed in a container, bubbles popping, wind in trees - it's not that it sounds exactly like these things, it' s more that it can immitate these things in a natural sounding way.

I've read of others having problems, but mine's been ok so far. I read another review here that mentioned hiss, I can't reproduce this on mine, it's very quiet.

Moog has been really good about answering emails (have yet to speak with anyone in person, no need). In addition, they have a nice community forum in which you can post questions etc. Apparently, their employees also browse this forum and chime in.

Overall I give this instrument a 10. This may simply be my naive view of it, but I've played music my entire life, and this thing has quickly become one of my favorites (considering I normally play guitars, basses, violins, mandolins).

The price is a factor. $2700 isn't chump change. But go shopping for a Gibson mandolin (~$3000), or a Fender Strat with a Twin combo amp (ouch!). True, these things are apples and oranges, but what they have in common is a great sound and qualtiy workmanship.

If you really _need_ a synth and are on a budget, of course you should shop. I may well have been just as content with a Nord or some other synth, so all I can comment on is this particular variety. I could afford to try it out, but I was in no way dissappointed.

If it were stolen I'd replace it. I'd be tempted to try some other syths, but I've put so much time into this one that it's really familiar now.

It's all about SOUND my friend. Synth makers of the last 20 years seems to have forgotten this!

That said, sure its got lots of features but consider what's missing:
1)Sine Wave - (In other words "Buy the MOOG THEREMIN")
2)LFO Saw Tooth Wave - no submarine signals! (Buy the VX351 Box!)
3)Filter Glide- A big part of the original Mini sound. Moog users are howling about this one (One threatened on the Moog Forum to dump his
if something weren't done about it. Seems the good Doctor thought he could sell some more expansion boxes by making it impossible without them. Even then it would mean readjusting the parameters for each patch! Moog Music is scrambling for a solution before there is a large scale revolt.
4)Pitch wheel problems described below
5)Castrated oscillators due to cost cutting op-amps and such i.e. not discrete like early minis, or Studio Electronics stuff, Macbeth, or EVERY other mono synth manufacturer I can think of. Come on, if they can't give us polyphony, at least give us discrete oscillators so they live up to the legend! See below for more.
6)Basses are too bright and not bassy enough. Opamps=more money for Bob are to blame. My Waldorf Pulse puts it to shame, not to mention my Future Retro 777 which is the best in my books, though its sort of apples and oranges.

Disappointed with the general sonic density of the non discrete oscillators. With JUST ONE OSCILLATOR, my Technosaurus Microcon has more sonic density than the Voyager! (Not suprisizing as its totally discrete.) The Voyager's are too transparent, and not biting and brash like the olds ones. The tone is delicate enough to begin with, so you really need that brashness for it to cut, especially live.

One thing though, with the old minis the increase in resonance really takes the umph out of a lot of the sound, especially in the bass. The Voyager is better in this regard. Perhaps its because of the non discrete oscillators, I don't know. Though it still tends to have that digital sounding weak bright sound which I shun.

That said, the dual filters, and touch pad are very cool, and with the Technosaurus running through the line in for a needed sonic density, I get some awesomely rad sounds that I won't get elswhere short of a modular system. For this reason and this alone, I am keeping it. Its also a superb controller for a modular which I plan on getting eventually. However, compared with the original Mini's superior sound, you really don't get your money's worth. Bob gets his money though, thats for sure.

There is something psychologists refer to as "cognitive dissonance". It refers to the fact that people will judge far more favorably, something they have spent a lot of money on, than something they didn't. In other words, If they spent 3 grand on a mono synth, the majority of people will not be able to JUDGE OBJECTIVELY about how they sound in comparison to other gear. Old Moog lover or not, the Voyager just does not kick ass like the Moogs of 30 years ago, because the electrical components are not of the same quality. What does "New Sound" mean? More digital, less biting, more transparent. Thats what it sounds like to me.

i have the voyager ae,software version2.1. this is a fantastic machine.ignore the guys stuck in the past in previous reviews. i own a moog source and minimoog and the voyager is just as fat sounding, albeit with a more modern sound. i have done extensive a/b tests and use the voyager every day. its a modern day classic! the manual is fine and editing patches is a breeze. try that on a minimoog.i know its a classic but the voyager is the best current monosynth without a doubt. se 1 is a pain to use with too much hidden in menus and doesn't sound as good. all main controls are to hand and if really deep editing is needed u can plumb the depths of the extensive menus.patch editor is on its way and will help organise the presets as its pain not having a numeric keypad.

its a monosynth and a future classic. keyboard action is very well balanced and feels good quality. not sloppy or cheap feeling. no built in fx but thats a good thing. good reliable midi timing and facilities. every front panel control sends and receives midi messages. couldn't ask for more.

the voyager sounds incredible and sits great in a mix. for studio use it is way better than a minimoog. its sounds just as good but fits in a mix so much better and stays in tune. it'll still cut through any mix as well as sit in it perfectly. its warm and bright and glossy. presets are very average so make your own. pitch and mod work great, very expressive, as is the touch controller which is fantastic for getting interesting sweeps and random fx. it can be programmed to control any parameter on the fly.

very reliable

moog are very helpful and reliable, all good.

this is the best synth i've ever owned or played and thats compared to minimoog,korg ms20, studio electronics se-1, memorymoog, ems synthi,arp oddyssey. i love it.its suits both studio and live work and i regularly use it on sessions. the only things it doesn't have which i would like is octave up and down switches. its an inspirational and expressive instrument which strikes the right balance between new and old sound and feel. i don't understand how people dislike this machine.i am a harsh critic myself and its hard to find fault with. sounds and looks great.

All the knobs are on the front panel, with no need to use the sub-menus for first tier editing. The knobs feel real, and are highly sensitive. So much to the fact that you can set spots between the digital values that appear on the LCD screen and watch the numbers blend back and forth. Would be a 10, but the knobs "jump" from the presets to the new location and can make for abrupt changes when unexpected. Presets are excellent starting points and are good in the sense that many take advantage of the touchscreen well. It's highly rewarding right out of the box.

It's an Analog synth, not a Triton.

For Rock, Electronica and Jazz, I haven't found one better. Sure all those lame Moog gurus out there claim "it's not as good as my model D", but they just want to make themselves feel better about