moog jones; phatty or voyager

[soultrane]

ok, i know there are a couple of threads on this already, but it's been a while since anyone has asked...

i've got $1300 in my fat little hand...

i've played the phatty and i love it. i love the simplicity, the sound, the look, the interface, and the price.

in fact, when i heard the phatty, i got rid of my se1, which, to me, was more of a gooey r&b / hiphop synth, a little too fat and slow and syrupy. (great in the mix, though).

so, i don't mind the thiness, relatively speaking, of the phatty.

but in the back of my mind, i'm thinking voyager, but i can't find one around to play on it.

haven't played the voyager in a long while (used to own a minimoog as a youngster, when i was too young to know what it was)

question.

keeping in mind the fact that i've got the a6 poly, (which sounds great even though the interface kept me guessing for some time) should i get the phatty or save up a bit more and grab the full voyager.

my guess is that the phatty is a little more low fi, but with a little more techy or high end crispness to it, which is cool, and that the voyager is more refined, warmer, and better for doing warm pads in 5ths, etc...

other than cv routing, preset storage, and a 3rd oscillator, what's the voyager got that the phatty doesn't?

[infopimpster]

Not sure, but this gives me another excuse to post the first experiment we did with the Phatty... we aren't keyboard players, nor know much more than how to twist knobs and listen, but we had a blast making this:

http://www.audibus.com/sgse/Bounce_Electrolic.mp3

Good luck on your search - I assure you much more qualified individuals will be posting momentarily.

-steve

[Jazzpunk]

Do I really need to go over this with you again?

(Get the damn Voyager!!!)

[revstate]

Originally Posted by jazzpunk

do i really need to go over this with you again? Gooof

(get the damn voyager!!!)

+1,000,000,000 ^_^

[soultrane]

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

Do I really need to go over this with you again?

(Get the damn Voyager!!!)

haha i was going to say, interested in all opinions, other than jazzpunk...

i know what your views are...

but, since you've had both, could you describe the difference in sound between the two?

[e6400ultra]

I love the Little Phatty for bass. And it's easy on the pocket book if that matters.

[soultrane]

price does matter...

phatty stage 2, w. usb, new, is about $1300 out the door.

voyager new is close to $2800!!!

don't want a rack moog....

i need some descriptions of the sound from those who've heard both...

[jsrockit]

LP! done...

[drxcm]

If you want noise source on the LP you'll need the CP-251 processor in addition to the synth.

I went for the Voyager myself, although the LP is a nice instrument from what I've experienced. I have no regrets.

Personally, I'd pick up the Voyager second hand if you can...

[e6400ultra]

Originally Posted by drxcm

If you want noise source on the LP you'll need the CP-251 processor in addition to the synth.

Actually, NOISE and SAMPLE and HOLD sources were added to the modulation section of the LP a few OS updates back.

And coincidentally, if you buy an LP before the end of the year, Moog will give you a free CP-251.

[drxcm]

Originally Posted by T71

Actually, NOISE and SAMPLE and HOLD sources were added to the modulation section of the LP a few OS updates back.

And coincidentally, if you buy an LP before the end of the year, Moog will give you a free CP-251.

Sorry, what I meant to say was noise was not available as an audio source without the (free) CP-251

[SCDBM]

Got both (LP Stage with II upgrade) and Voyager Electric Blue

There different beasts with different sound. would not like to miss one off them

[ProFool]

I bet the Phatty is great, but I love my voyager... just such a fun instrument to play, mess around with and daydream... I'm giving it some love soon with a field kit upgrade.

[Phelan Kane]

Model D

[kingofswing]

Get the Phatty...it sounds really phat

Seriously though, the LP is real fun to play (and record), has a nice zippy sound on leads, and you can make some great bass sounds too. And the price is right.

You can always use multiple stacks of the same sound to makes things even phatter.

[beldenJ]

And coincidentally, if you buy an LP before the end of the year, Moog will give you a free CP-251.

Is this for UK customers only or for everybody!?

[e6400ultra]

Originally Posted by beldenJ

Is this for UK customers only or for everybody!?

Here's the official word from Moog Music:

"This offer is only available to retail consumers who purchase a Moog Music Inc. Minimoog Voyager (all models, including the Old School) or Little Phatty (all models) from a Moog Music Authorized dealer anywhere in the world except Brazil and Indonesia. This offer is also not available in countries where there is no Moog Authorized dealer or distributor."

More info here: Controllers

[beldenJ]

Thanks very much for the information T71!!!!

[soultrane]

picked up a new stage one for under $1k...

my thinking is, if i got the voyager and was disappointed, i'd always be kicking myself for years.

if i get the phatty and want more, i can always upgrade later...

anyways, brought it home and started playing with it... i really like it.

its definitely moog.... not as massive as the mini... probably not as refined as the voyager... but its the moog flavor for sure...

not hagen dazs, not ben and jerry's, but tasty nonetheless...

the thing about its sound is, its a really "now" kind of modern sound... it's got body, but, in bass patches, its also got a presence to it in the high end of the bass (the 1.5 k area) that is hard to get right on many bass synths... like my se1

almost "jaco-ish" in nature in the sense that it puts out that kind of bass that's clear enough to play a melody line with...

i wonder if this is a function of 2 osc instead of 3?

its a simpler kind of sound, which i like for the low end....

[sctt_stone]

Why not the Studio Electronics ATC-1x?
I am trying to decide between the SE-1x, ATC-X and Voyager myself.

[tengu]

Originally Posted by soultrane

my thinking is, if i got the voyager and was disappointed, i'd always be kicking myself for years.

Highly improbable that you would be disappointed with a voyager.

[analogbass]

"Opinons are like assholes, everyone's got one".

Be smart, resourceful and patient, and find a way to hear the Voyager extensively before deciding. Nothing else will substitute for personal-experience, especially not advice here that's all over the place with huge variations in opinion.

Fact is, there are plenty who like the LP better than the Voyager, despite all the rhetoric seen here.

[Popbott]

Get a Voyager RME, the rack edition,I did. After owning a Voyager, playing the LP at the music store, it has a serious lack of knobs for parameter changes. The RME edition is more affordable plus the back-lit screen just kicks ass.

[revstate]

Originally Posted by tengu

Highly improbable that you would be disappointed with a voyager.

i agree

[soultrane]

Originally Posted by tengu

Highly improbable that you would be disappointed with a voyager.

well, you would be if you paid 2x's as much as for the phatty and found out the phatty could give you just what you needed, sonically speaking.

i love this phatty... but, i do think my next synth will be a voyager...

[lhm1138]

Originally Posted by infopimpster

Not sure, but this gives me another excuse to post the first experiment we did with the Phatty... we aren't keyboard players, nor know much more than how to twist knobs and listen, but we had a blast making this:

http://www.audibus.com/sgse/Bounce_Electrolic.mp3

Good luck on your search - I assure you much more qualified individuals will be posting momentarily.

-steve

No worries, it was awesome. Funky. Moog just got another sale due to your efforts.

[Jazzpunk]

Originally Posted by soultrane

i love this phatty... but, i do think my next synth will be a voyager...

That was my path too. I totally dug the Phatty but than decided to step up to the Voyager once funds allowed it. I'm glad I got to know both synths and honestly, I'd feel confident laying down tracks with either one.

Congrats on the purchase!

[tengu]

Originally Posted by soultrane

well, you would be if you paid 2x's as much as for the phatty and found out the phatty could give you just what you needed, sonically speaking.

i love this phatty... but, i do think my next synth will be a voyager...

Point taken, but I really think you should take analogbass's advice.

I was merely commenting on the sonics of the Voyager. Having it and it's sounds at your fingertips would always bring some happiness.

I was in the exact same position and once I heard the Voyager I knew it had to be the one. It is a lot more versatile than the phatty and IMHO it has a lot more depth. It sound has real density.

Personally I wanted to love the phatty, but deep down I knew I wanted it to be the voyager.

[ProFool]

I wanted a phatty, but then i ran into a voyager here on the classifieds section and got the voyager blue, the first few times i checked it out i had a feeling like " ok wow, but now what?" fell a sleep a few times checking out the dvd included as well. Then at some point i forgot about all the rest of gear i have and plugged in a headphone and started playing it, trial and error etc and realized this would become my favorit instrument to play... now a year later it still is and i'm not even half way there on what this toy has to offer, but all i can say it's a wonderfull instrument and never ever gonna sell it. Soon or late i will have a phatty as well i think, untill then goofing around on the voyager it will be (side note, even my godschild loves it and he's 6, has no idea what it is but seems to have a natural musical feel when he goofs around on the keyboard while i'm twisting some knobs, just brilliant for a six year old

[soultrane]

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

That was my path too. I totally dug the Phatty but than decided to step up to the Voyager once funds allowed it. I'm glad I got to know both synths and honestly, I'd feel confident laying down tracks with either one.

Congrats on the purchase!

oh yes...

only now that i've got the phatty does what you said about the voyager make sense to me.

this has definitely given me a voyager jones... i was looking up close at a picture of one today....

i must have one....

but, if i can get the money right, i think i will still keep the phatty... its a tight little synth in its own way...

the interface is limited, but brilliant.