Little Phatty or Voyager rackmount?

[annikk.exe]

I want Moog.
::gearlust::

But, somehow I'm not sure why, as I have never tried a Moog synthesiser for myself. I suppose I've been drawn in by tales of premium analog monstrosity, and other large adjectives.

What do you guys think? Is the sound of Moog and the design of their synths really that good to justify spending all the extra money?

And, should I just go ahead and get a Little Phatty, or wait and save up and get a rackmounted Voyager? (which, coincidentally, takes up 5u - the same number of slots I have free in my Rack...)


-Annikk

[meisenhower]

Moog's are expensive. However, nothing else sounds quite like a Moog. Even the best emulations pale in comparison with a real Moog on a side by side test. Personally, I think they're worth every penny.

I visited the Moog factory two weeks ago and it was quite an education. Everything was handbuilt, tested, burned in and calibrated. I met the people who actually built and calibrated my unit (try that with a Roland or Yamaha).

The LP and voyager's are two entirely different animals. Aside from the number of oscillators, the overall sonic characteristics (while certainly still Moog), are quite different.

I know some that have both. When I was making my Moog decision, I just couldn't get what I wanted out of the LP, so for me the Voyager was the obvious choice.

Play them both. The winner will emerge for your needs. You won't go wrong with either one, but I have to say, the Voyager is such a monster!!

Your mileage may vary.

[synthfiend]

have you heard one of these, supposed to be a very nice little synth (shame about the knobs on it though, feel like they would fall off in your hands)

[annikk.exe]

Aren't those things like 5 grand?

The main reason for buying Moog would be to create awesome bass, or the occasional searing lead. Mostly bass though.


-Annikk

[ShortBus]

2Gs 4 the keyboard and 1500 for the deskstop/Rack and its polyphonic up to 8 voieces hence the 8.Both the voyager and the lp are top quality sonic beasts but the voyager is definantly the superior of the 2.

[Summa]

I found the Voyager to be a bit harder and less sikly sounding than the Little Phatty and I like the Oveload function what should not be mistaken with the old feedback trick.

[cl516]

i just sampled chromatic notes from my Voyager and loaded them into Electro 3. CHECK IT OUT and hear for yourself. (http://cl516.blogspot.com)

[Prime NL]

I started on a Little Phatty myself and really liked the synth...sounds great for lead sounds and basses...only thing that bugged me a bit was the selector/encoder which is used for the Phatty which feels a bit flimsy.

In fact i really wanted a Voyager and after a month of using a Phatty decided to sell it again (it was a Tribute edition...so it was sold within no time) and bought a Voyager Signature Edition instead.
A had a lot of synths which i liked...but my Voyager is the one i will never sell as i totally love this synth.
I like the very diverse sounds it can create...the endless possibilities you have with all the connections on the back of it...the sturdy feel of all the knobs and buttons used....etc.

If i had to choose i would go straight for the rackmount.
I know you will love the Phatty...and yes it sounds a bit more rough....but the rackmount Voyager will be more diverse for the sounds and interesting due to the connections on the back (for the VX-351).

[ctrlshft]

I've owned a Voyager RME (+both vx units), and currently own a Little Phatty SEII.

I can tell you right off the bat that the RME is really really cool, and you will love it, it's immediate and responsive. You really should find room for the VX units in your rack if you do want to get it though, especially if you own other analog gear for cv connectivity.

I ended up selling my Voyager+vx units to finance a Future Retro XS, and a Little Phatty, and honestly I don't every plan to go back. I also have a MF-107, which, by utilitizing the XS, Acts as a 3rd oscillator for the LP, so the only thing I'm really missing is the voyager's extra modulation features, and stereo spacing. All that stuff is great, but really, if I want an overly complex modular-type patch, I'm going to reach for my TI, or think about buying a full fledged modular. The Voyager is definitely pretty close to being one, but it's not nearly as comprehensive as say a Doepfer w/ equivalent features.

Anywho, I'm really really enjoying the Little Phatty. It's elegant, versatile, and fat as hell. Big bass only really needs two oscs max, it's all about the filter and the waveform, when you start adding more and more oscs and detune them against each other you introduce phasing which actually thins the bass to some extent. Mono means bigger, too. The stereo filtering of the voyager (and highpass filter option) can get you really cool fx and leads etc w/ panning but it's not necessary for the bread and butter sounds one tends to expect out of your typical monosynth.

The LP by the way can do tons of crazy fx type patches, as current firmware allows for 2 mod sources and destinations, albeit at the same rate of the lfo, but it's still quite useful!

Long post, short:

Get the Voyager if you're hurting for complex sounds and options for experimentation, as well as meaty analog bass/leads.

Get the LP if you need an analog synth to get you meaty bass and leads, but don't need something for experimentation quite as much.

[annikk.exe]

I'm really just hoping to use it for meaty, saturated/overdriven sounding bass. Sounds like the LP might be the better option, due to the huge price difference..


-Annikk

[ctrlshft]

I'm really just hoping to use it for meaty, saturated/overdriven sounding bass. Sounds like the LP might be the better option, due to the huge price difference..


-Annikk


I think so, really w/ the Voyagers, particularly the RME, you're paying for knobs per function, more I/Os, and obviously a few additional functions, but that's about where the buck stops. The LCD screens are not as nice on the Voyagers, and also another thing to consider is that the Voyager knobs are digitally encoded, whereas the LP employs RAC (Real Analog Control) technology, proprietary to Moog, which kicks the LP's knobs into full analog control when you turn them, meaning you get real analog sweeps that do not step. When you stop turning, the RAC turns off, and the LP stores the closest value to where the knob stopped at. It's brilliant really, and considering the LP costs less, I think it makes choosing what to get a lot simpler.

I wouldn't be suprised if in the next couple of years we see a brand new incarnation of the Voyager which uses all the new tech that the LP has been using, and hopefully a LCD akin to what the TIs are using (cuz they're like the friggin best!)

Also: If you're looking to get it second hand you can find them for really good prices on ebay. Mind you the only diff between Stage I and Stage II is a Midi over USB option and a new paint job. Stage Is are usually priced like 200 bucks lower, so they're a steal if you can find one, esp if the warranty is still good for a few months.

[LivePsy]

A Voyager is a handcrafted instrument built for a lifetime. You will either agree or disagree that the money justifies the sounds of one note. But before you think it must be to ultimate, please consider the following.

The waveforms are somewhat rounded. There's no fast edge on the saw or square waves. You can however process the raw waves before going to the filter so there's a chance to brighten them up if you wish.

The stepping with the knobs is slight but sometimes noticeable. I wouldn't sweep the filter knob while self oscillating. Mind you its far better than digital synths because it is 256 steps instead of the usual 128. The Virus is superb in its smoothing so that you hear none.

If you are looking for that original moog sound, heaps of fanboys are distainful because its not a 30 year old pile of unstable transistors. I say the Voyager is how Moog would have made the minimoog D today: its the best technology can achieve today as was the model D in the '70s.

Sorry, can't comment on the LP. I love my Voyager though. The filter is still the moog filter.

B

[7G]

Voyager all the way...