Moog Music • Minimoog Voyager
The highly anticipated Minimoog Voyager synthesizer has arrived! This masterpiece of a synthesizer marks two landmarks in the history of synthesizers: the rebirth of the Minimoog and the return of Moog Music! Dr. Robert Moog himself helped design this modern-day Minimoog along with Big Briar. Big Briar (formed by Dr. Moog in 1978) became popular in the nineties with their moogerfooger analog effect boxes and Etherwave Theremins. In 2002, Moog got the rights back to Moog Music so Big Briar (and all its products) are now Moog Music.
Moog Music is producing the Minimoog Voyager synthesizer in two editions: the Signature Edition (pictured above) and the Performer Edition (below). There are only 600 Signature models and they list for $3,495 each! Their unique features include: Hand-finished cabinet in your choice of genuine solid maple (light), cherry (honey-colored), or walnut (brown), illuminated, clear acrylic Pitch Bend and Modulation wheels, gold-plated nameplate, padded Gig Bag, 4-year warranty with two free factory tunings, and is individually inspected and signed by Bob Moog. The Performer Edition lists for $2,995 and has a solid hardwood cabinet.
The Minimoog Voyager is a true analog monophonic synthesizer (probably the most expensive one of its kind) and is based entirely on the original classic Minimoog Model D, which was produced by Moog Music, Inc. from 1970 to 1982. It introduces many new features, including a three dimensional touch pad, MIDI I/O, extensive patching facilities, patch storage, and more! It's cased in a beautiful, solid hardwood cabinet with a multi-position hinged control panel.
Just like the original, the Voyager has three analog wide-range voltage controlled oscillators, one noise source, as well as one audio preamplifier for externally-applied audio signals. Two resonant Moog-style filters are on-board and function in dual lowpass or lowpass/highpass modes and can be modulated by one of the two ADSR envelopes, the LFO, or external control. All knobs and switches can have their settings stored into one of 128 Program memories. Program Banks as well as the Voyager's Operating System can be uploaded/downloaded via MIDI SysEx. Centered on its front panel is the ominous, black 3-D (XYZ) Touch Surface which provides three continuously-variable control signals which are derived from the up-down and left-right position of the player's finger, and the amount of area with which the player makes contact to the surface.
There's also a 44-note keyboard, this time with velocity and aftertouch sensitivity. Also on-board are Pitch and Mod wheels, Glide/Portamento, and a series of 1/4" CV and/or Pedal jacks lining the top/rear of the front panel. The Mod Wheel can be sent to control all oscillators, or just VCO2, VCO3, the filter cutoff, or LFO rate. The Mod can gets its source from the LFO (triangle/square/sample-n-hold waveforms), VCO3, or the external Mod2 input. A Mixer Module gives you a five-input mixer for combining various audio sources prior to filtering between the oscillators, noise and external audio input signals.
The new Minimoog Voyager is a first class synth; every bit as elegant in look as sound and quality. It is highly streamlined and offers all the functionality of a modern day (mono)synth with the classic, warm, unforgettable Moog sound. It WILL replace your original Minimoog (if you're lucky enough to have one). Signature models will become prized possessions for decades to come, and the Performer models will prove to be major players in future of music to come!! It's being used by Stevie Wonder, Maroon 5, the Crystal Method, Electric Skychurch, Duran Duran, Air, Morcheeba, Black Eyed peas, Nine Inch Nails, Blues Traveller, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dido, The Cure, Herbie Hancock, Rick Wakeman, Yes, Nickelback, Dream Theater, Paul Simon, Joy Electric, the Neptunes and more!
Check out Arturia's Minimoog V - THE most amazing, authentic,
and realistic software synth plug-in modelled after the Minimoog, with
major enhancements including stereo and polyphonic voices, advanced
modulation abilities, MIDI/Tempo sync, patch memory, total recall,
controller automation, and much more - all for less than $200!
The VST is not so bad... but it's far far far far FAR FAR from the minimoog sound. Are all the Voyager owners so stupid to have chosen the real thing when a VST sounds the same? C'mon... a lot of analogs are far from being really well emulated.
"Hmmm... control voltage and gate outputs and inputs.... it sounds like a modular
synth! But how do you get the outputs back to the inputs?
...Enter the VX-351!
The VX-351 Voyager CV expander is an add-on product to your Voyager that
contains all the CV and gate outputs on 1⁄4” jacks. There are a total of 19 CV outputs
and 2 gate outputs."
Perhaps why analog synths never fall out of favour with keyboard enthusiasts and Keys players it naive and simple and easy to get along with and sounds everybit as classy as Bob Moog..
God Bless Bob