Moog Voyager XL User Manual

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FOREWORD from Cyril Lance ..................................

THE BASICS

How to use this Manual .......................................

Setup and Connections ........................................

Overview and Features ........................................

Signal Flow ....................................................................

THE COMPONENTS

A. Mixer Section ........................................................

B. Oscillator Section ................................................

C. Filter Section .........................................................

D. Envelopes Section ..............................................

E. Output Section .....................................................

F. Modulation Section ..........................................

G. Primary LFO/S&H Section ..........................

H. Keyboard & LH Controllers .........................

I Ribbon Controller .................................................

J Touch Surface Controller .................................

K. Modular Patch Panel ........................................... 36

L. Back Panel .................................................................. 44

M. Interface Panel ...................................................... 45

Minimoog

User's Manual

THE USER INTERFACE

Panel Mode ............................................................................

Edit Mode ................................................................................

Master Mode .........................................................................

How the Voyager XL handles MIDI ........................

APPENDICES

A - Touch Surface LFO S&H: In Use .......................

B - MIDI Basics ..................................................................

C - Initialization Parameters ......................................

D - Synthesis Tutorial .......................................................

E - MIDI Implementation ...............................................

F - Service & Support Information ..........................

G - Caring for the Voyager XL ....................................

H - Specifications ................................................................. 95

GLOSSARY ......................................................................................

PRESET LIST .................................................................................. 100

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Summary of Contents for Moog Voyager XL

Page 1: Table Of Contents
E – MIDI Implementation ..........D. Envelopes Section ..........F – Service & Support Information ......E. Output Section ............. G – Caring for the Voyager XL ........F. Modulation Section .......... H – Specifications ..............95 G. Primary LFO/S&H Section ......
Page 2: Foreword From Cyril Lance
The XL was born out of a lot of evolving ideas both internal and external since I have been here with Moog. The request for a larger keyboard, the desire for Ribbon Controller, and for more LFO sources with different ranges to further expand a musician’s ability to modulate –...
Page 3 (he was not happy about that)! Now it’s your turn! It brings me great pleasure to present the Minimoog Voyager XL to you. I hope it brings you a lifetime of pleasure and inspiration. Sincerely,...
Page 4: How To Use This Manual
For those interested MIDI interface specifics, see the section titled How the Voyager XL handles MIDI, as well as Appendix E, MIDI Implementation. Those who are new to MIDI should first read MIDI Basics, found in Ap- pendix B.
Page 5: Setup And Connections
Make sure you have an adequate place to set it up. You will need a sturdy keyboard stand or flat surface that will provide the proper support and will not easily topple. Use caution when lifting the Voyager XL out of the carton, and be sure to save the carton and all packing material in case you need to ship the Voyager XL for any reason.
Page 6 Now Power up Turn the Voyager XL power ON. The LCD screen will light up and display an “XL” start-up message. After a few seconds the start-up screen will disappear and the current preset will appear in the display. The name...
Page 7 Filter Envelope is at zero, then changing the Filter Envelope ATTACK control will likely result in no audible change. To use your Voyager XL to its fullest potential, it is very important to understand the workings of all the controls and how they interact in order to understand how a sound (or lack thereof) is produced.
Page 8: Overview And Features
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Basics Overview and Features Front Panel: Page 10...
Page 9 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Basics Back Panel: Page 11...
Page 10: Signal Flow
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Basics Signal Flow To understand the Voyager XL internal signal flow, it’s helpful to consider the three types of signal rout- ings in the system: the audio path, the control voltage path, and the modulation path.
Page 11 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Basics Control Voltage Path When a key is pressed, or a MIDI Note On message is received, a Gate and Pitch Control Voltage (CV) are produced. The Gate signal is used to trigger both the Filter and Volume Envelope Generators (EGs). The Pitch CV is used to determine the pitch of the Oscillators and can be applied to a varying degree to the Filters through the Keyboard Control Amount knob.
Page 12 “parameter display” which shows stored and edited values as you edit a preset. Edit Mode contains all Voyager XL functions that can be stored in a preset that are not set by the front panel controls, such as naming presets, and some advanced functions like Pot Mapping, or Filter Poles.
Page 13 Voyager XL synth engine receives and responds to these same commands. Presets can be sent as SysEx data to a computer for storage, and the Voyager XL can receive SysEx data either for single presets, preset banks, or for operating system updates.
Page 14: The Components
The Mixer combines the main sound sources of the Voyager XL. It’s a good place to start when creating a new sound from scratch, or figuring out how a sound is put together. All five of the Voyager XL sound sources can be switched ON or OFF, and their levels can be individually adjusted.
Page 15 The EXTERNAL control allows an external monophonic audio source to be routed into the Mixer, where it can be mixed with the Oscillators and Noise source (an “Ext Audio In” jack on the Voyager XL back panel is provided for this input). The LED above the EXTERNAL control knob begins to light up as the input signal overdrives the Mixer input.
Page 16: Oscillator Section
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components B. The Oscillator Section The Oscillators are the main sound source of the Voyager XL. The oscillators are all analog Voltage Con- trolled Oscillators, or VCOs. They feature a temperature regulation circuit that provides them with excel- lent tuning stability.
Page 17 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components Wave: Each oscillator features a continuously variable WAVE (waveform) control. The legend on the front panel shows the pure waveforms that are available. They are triangle, sawtooth, square, and rectangular. The waveform is morphed gradually from one to another as the waveform control is rotated. Because the waveform is voltage controlled, this parameter can be modulated;...
Page 18 PITCH - The PITCH jack allows you to connect an external CV or Expression Pedal to control the Voyager XL’ s pitch. All three oscillators are effected by this connection. The effective input range is -5 to +5 V, where a positive CV will add to the Oscillator FREQUENCY control knob settings, and a negative CV will subtract from the settings.
Page 19: Filter Section
This means that a one-pole filter has a cutoff slope of 6db/oct, a 2-pole filter has a 12dB/oct cutoff slope, etc. The classic Moog filter – the sound that started it all – is a 4-pole, 24dB/oct lowpass filter.
Page 20 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components The Voyager XL has two voltage controlled filters (VCF’s) that can be configured either as dual lowpass filters or as a combination of highpass & lowpass through a front panel switch. Additionally, the cutoff slope of each filter can be changed in software, resulting in a wide range of unique and interesting sounds.
Page 21 When the SPACING control is centered, the cutoff frequencies of the two filters are identical and the filter sounds like a classic Moog Filter. Setting the SPACING control to +1 in Dual Lowpass mode means that the right filter has a cutoff frequency equal to where the CUTOFF control knob is set, and the left frequency has a cutoff frequency that is one octave higher than the right filter.
Page 22: Envelopes Section
Envelope Signal figure). The Voyager XL has two identical EG circuits; one EG is dedicated to the filter (to control the cutoff fre- quency), and one is EG dedicated to the amplifier (to control the volume). Both EG’s can also be used as a modulation sources or modulation shaping through the Modulation Busses, and both EG’s are available as...
Page 23 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components Envelope Section Controls: Attack: The ATTACK control sets the attack time of the corresponding envelope generator, from 1 msec to 10 seconds. Decay: The DECAY control sets the decay time of the corresponding envelope generator, from 1 msec to 10 seconds.
Page 24 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components Related Controls: Release Switch: The release time of the envelopes is set by their respective RELEASE control knob, but this control knob can also be switched OFF using the RELEASE switch located on the left-hand control panel.
Page 25: Output Section
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components E. The Output Section The Voyager XL has two audio outputs. There is a Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) for each output, which allows for stereo functions such as panning or the dual lowpass filtering. The main control for the volume is the Master Volume control.
Page 26: Modulation Section
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components F – The Modulation Buss Section Modulation is the heart of making interesting sounds with analog subtractive synthesis. The Voyager XL’s two Modulation Busses open up a world of modulation possibilities. The Modulation Busses allow you to select a variety of modulation sources, destinations, modulation shaping, and amounts.
Page 27 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components Three controls modify the amount of modulation: the AMOUNT control, the SHAPING control, and the Mod Wheel (for the Mod Wheel Mod Buss) or MOD1 level (for the Pedal/On Mod Buss). The AMOUNT control sets how much both the Mod Wheel/MOD1 Input and the Shaping CV allow the mod source through to the mod destination.
Page 28 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components Destination: The DESTINATION control selects the destination of the modulation. The modulation destination is cho- sen in the same manner as the source. The modulation destination selections are: - PITCH (the pitch of all three oscillators)
Page 29: Primary Lfo/S&H Section
The Primary LFO provides both Low Frequency Oscillator and Sample & Hold (S+H) modulation sources for the Voyager XL Modulation Busses. The LFO provides triangle and square waves, while the S+H produces a random voltage output. The LFO Frequency and S+H Rate are both controlled by the LFO RATE knob, which is adjustable from 0.2 to 50 Hz.
Page 30 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components LFO/Sample and Hold Section Controls LFO Rate: The LFO RATE control sets the frequency of the LFO. The controllable range is 0.2 to 50 Hz. LFO Sync: The LFO SYNC control selects the trigger method for starting the LFO waveform. There are four trigger...
Page 31: Keyboard & Lh Controllers
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components H – Keyboard and Left-Hand Controllers The Voyager XL has a 61 note velocity sensitive keyboard (5 octaves, C to C). When combined with the ±2 octave trans- pose feature (accessed by double-pressing the EDIT button) the actual playable range is a full 9 octaves.
Page 32: I Ribbon Controller
Modular Patch Panel to have an effect on the sound. This arrangement gives the Ribbon Controller the ability to control any single parameter or a group of Voyager XL parameters, and can also be used to control our Moogerfooger® line of analog effects and other CV-compatible equipment.
Page 33: J Touch Surface Controller
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components J – Touch Surface Controller The Touch Surface Controller is a real-time, three-dimensional control surface. It can be used to impart complex gestures to the sound of the Voyager by touching it, by moving a finger around on it or by tapping it.
Page 34: Modular Patch Panel
From right to left, the CV OUTPUT section provides 20 Control Voltage and Gate outputs generated by the Voyager XL components. Next to that is the MULT (Multiple) section that provides three 4-way multiples. Each 4-way Mult is powered, meaning that the top-most jack (the jack with the white ring) will power a standard Expression Pedal like the Moog EP-2.
Page 35 NOISE This output is the Voyager XL’s internal noise source. This group of outputs is generated from the Voyager XL Keyboard. There are three control voltages (Pitch, Velocity and Pressure) and a Gate signal. PITCH: This is the CV generated by the note played on the keyboard. It is the same voltage used for controlling the pitch of the Voyager XL Voltage Controlled Oscillators.
Page 36 The Patch Panel features three 4-way Mults (Multiples). A mult is used to distribute a single source (output) to multiple destinations. An example is connecting the Voyager XL Primary LFO to the Volume, Filter and Pan Control Inputs. In this case, all three of those parameters will be controlled simultaneously by the LFO.
Page 37 +/- 1V Nominal Voyager XL CV Outputs Note 1: The voltages shown are the Keyboard Pitch voltage range when the Voyager XL key- board is played. The range will be different when MIDI Note-On messages are received. The Keyboard Pitch voltage output changes by 1 volt per octave (internally adjustable).
Page 38 This group of inputs allows you to connect an external CV or Expression Pedal to control the Voyager XL Pitch and Wave parameters PITCH: This input affects the pitch all three oscillators.
Page 39 Modulation Bus is set to ‘ON/MOD2’, the voltage applied to this jack becomes the modulation source. S & H IN This group of inputs allow you to connect external signals to control the Voyager XL Sample and Hold Circuit. S&H IN : This is the input to the Voyager’s Sample and Hold circuit. This jack accepts an Expression Pedal or a control voltage from -5 to +5V.
Page 40 Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components The table below shows the effective ranges of the Voyager XL CV outputs. All non-gate inputs supply power, allowing you to connect either an Expression Pedal or a control voltage to these jacks.
Page 41 CV or an Expression Pedal. ATTENUATORS The Patch Panel features two active Attenuators. These work the same as the active attenuators on other Moog gear, offering normal and inverted attenuation with or without an offset.
Page 42: Back Panel
MIXER OUT/FILTER IN: This is a 1⁄4” TRS jack that is used for inserting a processing device between the Voyager XL Mixer and Filters. The tip is the send and the ring is the return (see the illustration on page 17).
Page 43: Interface Panel
Voyager XL User’s Manual - The Components M – Interface Panel The Interface Panel provides a status display and controls for all of the Voyager XL software functions and instrument settings. The status display is an LCD screen located within the Interface Panel.
Page 44: The User Interface Panel Mode
Once the program number is changed, the buffer is cleared. Presets are stored in one the Voyager XL’s memory locations. These memory locations are organized into 8 banks of 128 presets each; the first 7 banks can be overwritten (the last bank is a ROM bank that cannot be overwritten).
Page 45 Parameter Display menu, use the CURSOR to highlight the desired choice and press ENTER. The Voyager XL Operating System has been improved to eliminate the step- ping that can occur when multiple pots are tweaked, but it requires that the PARAMETER DISPLAY function be set to ‘NO’...
Page 46 Voyager XL User’s Manual - PANEL Mode HEADPHONE VOLUME: HEADPHONE VOLUME is used to determine whether the stored Head- phone Volume value is loaded when a new preset becomes active. If this is off, then this value is determined by the current position of the HEAD- PHONE VOLUME control.
Page 47 Voyager XL User’s Manual - PANEL Mode LCD CONTRAST The LCD CONTRAST function changes the viewable angle of the LCD display. To change this setting, use the -1/+1 buttons to adjust the contrast level. The change will immediately take effect (you’ll see the display contrast change) and the new contrast value will be stored automatically.
Page 48: Edit Mode
In addition to the functions shown, Edit Mode also features an octave transpose function that allows you to shift the Voyager XL Keyboard up to plus or minus two octaves. To access the transpose menu at any time, press the EDIT button twice (press once if already in Edit Mode).
Page 49 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode Here are the Edit Mode functions: 1.1 COMPARE TO PRESET The COMPARE TO PRESET function is used to compare the current Panel sound to any other preset in the current Preset bank. Applications for this...
Page 50 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode 1.4 PITCH BEND AMT. (PITCH BEND AMOUNT): The PITCH BEND AMT function allows you to set separate up and down pitch bend ranges for each preset. To adjust the ranges, use the CURSOR to toggle between the Pitch Bend UP and Pitch Bend DOWN parameters, and use the -1/+1 buttons to select the desired range.
Page 51 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode 2.3 PGM PEDAL SOURCE (Programmable Pedal Source) PGM PEDAL SOURCE allows you to program one of 8 additional modulation sources to be used when the Pedal/ON Bus SOURCE control is set to ‘NOISE/PGM’. To select a source, use the -1/+1 buttons to highlight the desired selection and press ENTER.
Page 52 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode Programmable Shaping Sources are useful for creating presets that respond in complex ways. For instance, you could assign both Keyboard CV (pitch) and Velocity Release (velocity) as the Programmable Shaping Sources. With this assignment, the higher and the harder you play, more modulation source is passed to modulate the destination.
Page 53 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode 4.1 GLIDE MODES The Glide Modes menu allows you to select the glide mode for the current Preset. This setting determines how Glide behaves when the GLIDE switch is ON. There are eight glide modes:...
Page 54 These two Envelope Gate functions allow gate sources other than the keyboard and the external gate input (the ENV GATE jack) to be assigned to trigger the Voyager XL Envelope Generators when the Envelope Gate switch is in the ‘ON/EXT’ position. The default parameter for both Envelope Sources is ‘Envelope Gate Input’...
Page 55 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode 5.1 T.S. DESTINATION (Touch Surface Destination): The Voyager XL Touch Surface produces four controls signals labeled X,Y, A, and Gate. The X and Y control signals are generated by touching the touch surface and reflect the left-right position and up-down position, respectively.
Page 56 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode MIDI Control Number (MIDI CTRL NO.): The Touch Surface inputs can transmit user-selected MIDI CC Messages. For each of the X, Y and A axes, the Touch Surface Inputs can be set to transmit MIDI CCs 1-31, or it can transmit no MIDI information (OFF).
Page 57 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode The Touch Surface sample is actually taken on both the rising and falling edges of the primary LFO Square Wave, which means that the actual sample rate of the TS LFO S&H is double the LFO rate.
Page 58 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode TS GATE (con’t) The LFO Restart function is the fourth option in the TS Gate Con- trol menu. Since the TS Gate Control menu can only display three options at a time, use the CURSOR to scroll down to the bottom of the list, where the LFO Restart option will appear.
Page 59 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode Source and Destination (SRC/DEST): The Source and Destination parameters allow you to select from the 40 assignable Pot Mapping Sources and Destination options. Eight of these are Performance Controls and 32 are Front Panel Controls. Both the Source and Destination have the same assignable options.
Page 60 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode Pot Mapping is a very powerful addition to the Voyager XL front panel controls, as it creates the ability to route controls to more than one destination. A simple use is for dynamically controlling Volume with the Keyboard’s Note On Velocity, a common modulation in modern synthesizers.
Page 61 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode 6.2 SOUND CATEGORY SOUND CATEGORY allows you to assign the current preset to one of 32 pre-defined sound categories. This function is intended to assist in organizing presets for quick identification when auditioning sounds. This is especially useful in conjunction with the Voyager Editor/Librarian software.
Page 62 Voyager XL User’s Manual - EDIT Mode MIDI Note ONs can also be used to name Presets. Forty four keys on the Voyager XL keyboard (MIDI Note numbers 53-96) address all of the available letter, number and punctuation characters as shown below.
Page 63: Master Mode
Voyager XL User’s Manual - MASTER Mode Master Mode Master Mode is used to access Voyager XL global parameters and the routines sending and receiving data. Press the MASTER button to enter Master Mode. To select a Master Mode function, use the -1/+1 buttons to scroll to the desired function and then press ENTER.
Page 64 OFF’ message on the bottom line of the display as shown. MIDI INPUT/OUTPUT: This function is used to set the Voyager XL MIDI IN and MIDI OUT channels, and turn the channels ON or OFF. Use the CURSOR to select the parameter, then use the -1/+1 buttons to change the values.
Page 65 When Receive MIDI Program Change is ON, the Voyager XL will accept both MIDI Program Change and MIDI Bank Select messages. When this function is OFF, the Voyager XL will ignore these messages. In either case, the MIDI LED on the Interface Panel will blink when a MIDI message is received on the proper channel.
Page 66 ALWAYS ON: The function is always active ALWAYS OFF: The function is not active ENV-SW ON: The function is active when the Voyager XL ENV GATE switch is set to ‘ON/EXTERNAL’ ENV-SW OFF: The function is active when the Voyager XL ENV GATE switch is set to ‘KEYBOARD’...
Page 67 The RECEIVE PRESETS function enables or disables System Exclusive reception on the Voyager XL. When enabled, the Voyager XL will receive all SysEx preset and bank data. When disabled, the Voyager XL will ignore all incoming SysEx messages. To make a change to this menu, use the - 1/+1 buttons to switch between enabled and disabled, and press ENTER.
Page 68 VELOCITY CURVE The VELOCITY CURVE function allows you to tailor the velocity response to your playing style. The Voyager XL offers three velocity curves: SOFT, NORMAL , and HARD. SOFT achieves high velocity values with a light touch. NORMAL is the unprocessed velocity curve of the Voyager XL Keyboard.
Page 69 Factory Setup menus – simply press the +1 button to view the Factory Setup Menu. The Factory Setup menus are used to restore various Voyager XL parameters to factory default values. Descriptions of each Factory Setup menu follow.
Page 70 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MASTER Mode Factory Setups 1.1 FACTORY RESET The FACTORY RESET function resets the Voyager PANEL and MASTER functions to the default factory state (see list of default values below). To reset the PANEL and MASTER functions select ‘YES’ and press ENTER.
Page 71 1.3 MASTER VOLUME The MASTER VOLUME function is used to invert the stored Master Volume values of the Voyager XL Presets. This can be useful if you have a bank with all Master Volume values set to ‘0’; this function will change all Preset Volumes to their maximum value.
Page 72 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MASTER Mode Factory Setups 2.1 T.S. XYAG S&H (Touch Surface XYAG Sample & Hold) The T.S. XYAG S&H function sets the Touch Surface LFO Sample & Hold parameter to “OFF” for all Presets in the current bank (other banks are not affected).
Page 73 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MASTER Mode Factory Setups 3.1 ENV GATES F/A (Envelope Gates Filter/Volume) The ENV GATES F/A function restores the default settings for the Filter and Amplitude Envelope Gates parameters stored in the presets. The default is ENV GATE INPUT for both. To restore the default Envelope gate settings, use the CURSOR to select ‘YES’...
Page 74 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MASTER Mode SOFTWARE VERSION The SOFTWARE VERSION screen displays the current Operating System ROM and BOOT ROM versions and date of the release. When the software version screen is displayed, pressing the CURSOR button will display the current Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel values.
Page 75 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MASTER Mode RECEIVE UPDATE The RECEIVE UPDATE utility allows you to upgrade the Voyager XL Operating System. Updates are available from our website (www.moogmusic.com) and are found in Minimoog Voyager ‘Software’ section. Instruction for installing the software is provided with the files – please follow these instructions carefully!
Page 76: How The Voyager Xl Handles Midi
Voyager XL User’s Manual - MIDI How the Voyager XL handles MIDI When you adjust any one of the Voyager XL front panel controls, MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) messages are transmitted on the MIDI Out jack. The information contained in these MIDI CC messages depends on the parameter to which each panel control is assigned.
Page 77 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MIDI SECTION CONTROL FUNCTION VALUE/RANGE MOD WHEEL Modulation 1 MSB, 33 LSB GLIDE SWITCH Turns Glide ON/OFF 0-63 OFF, 64-127 ON RELEASE SWITCH Turns Release ON/OFF 0-63 OFF, 64-127 ON MOD 1 Mod 1 Input...
Page 78 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MIDI SECTION CONTROL FUNCTION VALUE/RANGE OSC 1 OCTAVE Sets the octave of oscillator 1 0-15 = 32’ 16-31 = 16’ 32-47 = 8’ 48-63 = 4’ 64-79 = 2’ 80-127 = 1’ OSC 1 WAVE...
Page 79 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MIDI SECTION CONTROL FUNCTION VALUE/RANGE CUTOFF Adjusts the filter cutoff frequency 19 MSB, 51 LSB SPACING Adjusts the filter spacing parameter 20 MSB, 52 LSB RESONANCE Adjusts the filter resonance parameter 21 MSB, 53 LSB...
Page 80 Voyager XL User’s Manual - MIDI LFO2 CLOCK DIVIDER The LFO2 Clock Divider parameter can be set to one of 20 different values. The divisor is based on 24 clocks per quarter note (the MIDI standard). The table below shows how the number of MIDI clocks relates to musical time values, along with the MIDI CC value that selects the desired time value.
Page 81: A - Touch Surface Lfo S&H: In Use
Since the TS LFO S&H function is controlled by the LFO, it means that all of the LFO SYNC control settings (MIDI, KY, ENV GATE) apply to the Touch Surface LFO S&H function as well. To download examples of Presets programmed to use the TS LFO S&H function, go to the Moog Music web site (www.moogmusic.com).
Page 82: B - Midi Basics
Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices Appendix B - MIDI Basics MIDI is an acronym for ‘Musical Instrument Digital Interface’, an industry-standard protocol for the interconnection and control of electronic musical instruments. Prior to MIDI, instrument manufacturers designed their own systems for connecting devices together (most were CV/gate based), but few of these systems were compatible, which meant that you couldn’t easily connect synthesizers from Manufacturer A...
Page 83 CC number (from 0-127), which is assigned to a synthesis parameter inside the receiving device. The Voyager XL panel controls transmit MIDI CCs, and the same parameters can be controlled externally by MIDI CCs. The Voyager XL uses a non-standard implementation of Continuous Controller messages;...
Page 84: C - Initialization Parameters
Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices Appendix C - Initialization Parameters When you select the INIT PARAMETERS function in the Panel Mode menu, the current Preset sound de- faults to a single 8’ square wave oscillator with moderate filtering and basic ON/OFF envelopes. From this starting point, you can adjust and tweak the sound to create a new preset, or just explore the various param- eters to see what they do.
Page 85 Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices Initialization Parameters (con’t) Preset Software Parameters: SECTION PARAMETER VALUE SECTION PARAMETER VALUE MAP 1 SOURCE VELOCITY PITCH BEND +/- FOURTH ATTACK AMOUNT MAP 1 DEST. MASTER KEYBOARD MODE LOWER KEY VOLUME PRIORITY MAP 1 DIRECTION...
Page 86: D - Synthesis Tutorial
Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices Appendix D - Synthesis Tutorial For those who are new to the world of electronic music, let’s take a few moments to go through the basics of sound and synthesis. Sound is simply the audible change in air pressure. When we perceive sound, our ears are responding to variations in air pressure that hap- pen to occur in our range of hearing.
Page 87 Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices The Subtractive Synthesis Model The Oscillator is the starting point of Subtractive Synthesis, for it is here that the initial sound is created. The oscillator creates electrical vibrations which function in a manner similar to the strings of a guitar; they create the signal source that the rest of the system will use to modify and shape the sound.
Page 88 (-24 dB/Oct). The Voyager XL filters can be configured two ways: as dual Lowpass filters (in stereo) or as one Highpass/Lowpass filter combination (in mono). When the HP/LP configuration is chosen, the filters combine to form a Bandpass filter.
Page 89 Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices The Filtered signal is routed to the Amplifier, which controls the gain (volume) of the signal. The Amplifier controls the dynamics of a sound, turning it on and off as you play. The Amplifier is usually paired with an Envelope Generator (described below).
Page 90 This is especially true of the oscillators and envelope generators, but may also be true of filters, amplifiers and LFO’s. For example, the Moog Voyager has three oscillators, two filters, two amplifiers, an LFO, two extensive modulation sections, and the Voyager’s third oscillator can act as an additional LFO. As you would expect, synthesizers that offer more than one of each component provide a broader palette for sound creation then those that don’t, and generally result in sounds with a greater complexity, variation, and...
Page 91: E - Midi Implementation
Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices Appendix E - MIDI Implementation Chart Moog Music, Inc. Date: 9/26/10 Voyager XL Analog Synthesizer Version 3.6 FUNCTION TRANSMITTED RECOGNIZED REMARKS Basic channel Default 1-16 1-16 Memorized Changed 1-16 1-16 Mode Default * Note priority is user selectable...
Page 92: F - Service & Support Information
Music before returning any product. You can request an RMA number on-line using the ‘Product Register’ link on the Moog Music home page or call us at (828) 251-0090. The Voyager must be returned in the origi- nal inner packing including the foam inserts. The warranty will not be honored if the product is not properly packed.
Page 93: H - Specifications
Voyager XL User’s Manual - Appendices Appendix J - Specifications Type: Modular Patch Panel: Programmable monophonic analog Pedal/Control Jacks (14 inputs for external synthesizer control of various CV and Gate functions, 23 CV and Gate outputs) Sound Generation: (2) Bi-Directional Attentuators with OFFSET...
Page 94: Glossary
Voyager XL User’s Manual - Glossary Glossary Here are a few key terms that cover the basics of sound generation as used in the Voyager synthesizer. ADSR – Abbreviation for Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release, the four stages of an envelope control voltage.
Page 95 Voyager XL User’s Manual - Glossary EEPROM – EEPROM stands for ‘Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory’. This is a type of digital memory used to store information, even after the power is turned off. In the Voyager, the EEPROM is used to store global settings and presets, and operating system parameters.
Page 96 Voyager XL User’s Manual - Glossary Mixer – A circuit for combining multiple sound sources or signals. Modulation – Modulation is the use of a control voltage to shape a tone. Modulation has a source, a destination, and an amount. This could be as simple as the filter cutoff of a VCF (a modulation destination) being changed by the front panel cutoff control (the source), or as complex as mixing multiple CVs together to modulate filter cutoff.
Page 97 Voyager XL – A 40th anniversary edition of the Minimoog Voyager, a monophonic analog synthesizer designed by Bob Moog that is a descendant of the classic Minimoog.
Page 98: Preset List
Mod Wheel, Touch Surface and Aftertouch for additional performance control. Credits: Bank A (designed for the Voyager Select Series) Contributors: Mike Krewitsky, Roger O’Donnel, Ben Wilson, and Moog Music Bank B (designed for the Voyager Rack Mount Edition) Contributors: Nigel Hopkins, Brian Kehew, Will Alexander and Moog Music...

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