7  PROGRAM WINDOWS - THE EDITOR WINDOW

In version 3.0 of the software editor there is introduced two options for editor surfaces for use. The normal slider view, Expert Surface, with all the parameters laid out for those times when complete control is needed and a Classic Surface which is a highly refined Voyager panel view. That view allows for a more intuitive editing experience. Under the main menu choose Options and then Editing View. You will then be given a choice of Classic or Expert. When the Edit button is clicked in Librarian view the corresponding skin will show. 

Both will be described in the following sub sections.

7.1 The Editor Window - Expert Surface

When Expert Editing View was chosen under options the result of clicking the Edit button on the main screen brings up the Expert Surface Editor window as shown below. Here you have access to every Voyager programming parameter, including those parameters that can only be accessed through the Voyager’s menus (Filter Poles, Pot Mapping, Touch Surface control assignments, Keyboard and Trigger Modes, and Pitch Bend Amount). The Editor’s real-time controls allow you to tweak and audition the sound of your presets right from your Macintosh.

Slider controls are used in the Editor window to display the functional equivalent of the Voyager knobs (knobs take up too much space to be practical here). Adjusting any on-screen control transmits that control change to the Voyager, instantly updating the Voyager’s sound.

Note: In addition to having any on-screen control update the Voyager, adjusting any Voyager control updates the onscreen display, so you can actually use the Voyager’s controls AND the Editor parameters simultaneously for the ultimate in Voyager preset development! 

7.2  Parameter Resolution in the Editor

The Editor window can display the Voyager’s parameters in either 8-bit or 16-bit resolution. You select the bit value from the Editor’s Options menu:

With 8 BIT selected, the Editor will display all parameters values in 8-bit resolution (value range 0 – 255).  With 16 BIT selected, the Editor will display all parameter values in 16-bit resolution (value range 0 – 65535).

7.3  Editing Preset Parameters

Preset parameters are adjusted in the Editor window in several ways: 

• Switches – Clicking on a switch toggles it ON or OFF.

• Sliders – Move a slider by clicking and dragging it in the desired direction. You can get finer control by placing the mouse cursor in the slider channel and clicking. This will increase or decrease the parameter value by 1 for each click. When 16-bit data values are displayed, it will take many clicks to register a change. When 8-bit data values are displayed, each click will change the value by 1.

• Slider data values can also be adjusted by clicking on the value and manually entering a new value:

Note: For 8-bit resolution, valid data values are 0-255. For 16-bit resolution, valid data values are 0-65535. Typing in values outside of these ranges will be ignored.

·     Pull-down menus – Click to pull down a menu in the Editor window. Menu selections are made by double-clicking on a menu item. This action will select that item and close the menu.

• Parameter groups – You can copy a complete parameter group from one preset to another. Click on a parameter group label (LFO, Mod Busses, Oscillators, Mixer, Filters, Envelopes, Pot Map or Touch Surface) to get a pop-up menu. Select COPY to copy the parameters, and PASTE to paste the parameters. The example shown below is the result of clicking the Envelope parameter group bar:

Presets can be auditioned in the Editor window by clicking on the piano keyboard at the bottom of the window. To the right of the right of the piano keyboard are the Pitch and Mod wheels. You’ll find that the Editor’s on-screen Pitch Bend and Mod wheels work just like the real thing; the Pitch Bend wheel springs back to its center position when released, but the Mod wheel stays put when you adjust it.

Above the Editor keyboard, and to the left of the Preset Name field is an Auto Dump LED button:

Auto Dump is a feature that resynchronizes the Editor with the Voyager if the MIDI connection between the Voyager and the Editor is interrupted, either accidentally or intentionally. When enabled, the Editor periodically requests the edited preset from the Voyager (you will see the Voyager’s MIDI LED will flash periodically when Auto Dump is selected). A complete preset update is sent with each request.

You can safely keep Auto Dump disabled and enable it if you ever lose the connection between the Voyager and the Editor during an editing session.

7.4  Writing Presets to the Voyager

The Editor has a Write command that allows you to save the edited preset directly to the Voyager. The command is located under the Editor’s Edit menu:

Selecting Write produces a dialog box as shown:

In the figure above, the destination is the Voyager preset location where the patch will be stored. Select a destination and click OK to store the preset. Click Cancel to cancel the operation.

7.5  Other Edit Menu Commands

The Editor’s Edit menu also contains commands to Copy, Paste, Rename and Initialize the current preset. Although largely self-explanatory, here’s what they do:

The Copy command copies all parameters for the current preset.

The Paste command pastes all copied parameters to the current preset.

The Rename command allows you to change or rename the current preset. When Rename is selected, you will be presented with a message dialog window as shown:

Clicking in the name field allows you to change the preset name up to a maximum of 24 characters (12 per line). Additional characters will be ignored. Clicking OK will store the change and close the dialog box. Clicking Cancel will close the dialog box without changes.

The Initialization command will initialize the current preset to default parameters.

7.51  Show Voyager Panel

The Editor’s Options menu contains a command to display the Voyager’s panel settings:

When Show Moog is selected, the Voyager panel is displayed as a moveable window. The panel automatically updates to show all of the Editor settings. As you make changes in the Editor window, you will see these changes reflected on the Voyager Panel. In the example shown on the following page, we relocated the Voyager panel window to a space below the Editor window for clarity. To close the Voyager panel window, click on the clear button in the upper left corner of the panel. Note that in the version 3.0 software this Voyager panel can be adjusted by mouse click causing the corresponding sliders and controls on Expert or Classic editor surfaces to adjust in kind.

7.52  Exiting the Editor

To exit the Editor, click the red ‘X” button in the upper left corner of the Editor window (shown below), or use the Close command in the File menu. Upon exiting the Editor window, you will return to the main window. (In MS Windows OS you have the option of closing buy using the large ‘X’ at top right of window as is typical.)

Note: You must exit the Editor window before you can quit the Voyager Editor program.

7.6 The Editor Window – Classic Surface

When Classic Editing View was chosen under options the result of clicking the Edit button on the main screen brings up the Classic Surface Editor window as shown below. On the surface it looks like you do not have here the access to every Voyager programming parameter that you may have been used to in the Expert Surface. This skin does include those parameters that can only be accessed through the Voyager’s menus (Filter Poles, Pot Mapping, Touch Surface control assignments, Keyboard and Trigger Modes, and Pitch Bend Amount). As with the Expert Surface the Editor’s real-time controls allow you to tweak and audition the sound of your presets right from your computer.

The Editor window displays a virtual panel of the Voyager knobs and switches. Adjusting any on-screen knobs or switches transmits that control change to the Voyager, instantly updating the Voyager’s sound. You will note that the changes on the physical Voyager Panel cause updating of this surface as well. The small panel at the front of the main editor window also updates so to reflect changes made. If you switch to the Expert Surface at anytime the changes made in the Classic Surface editor window are reflected. This is also true in reverse.

Note: In addition to having any on-screen control update the Voyager, adjusting any Voyager control updates the onscreen display, so you can actually use the Voyager’s controls AND the Editor parameters simultaneously for the ultimate in Voyager preset development!

Since the drop down menu options in the main menu are as described in the sections relevant to the Expert Surface they will not be discussed again in this section relating to the Classic Surface.

There are several features specific to this view that offers you a powerful complementary editing experience when combined with the Expert Surface. These will be dealt with in following sections.

7.7 Adjusting Classic Surface Visual Properties

This surface is deceptively simple on first view. There is a 6 option menu at the top of the image that includes: Display, PGM, Envelopes, Pot Map, Touch Surface and Keyboard/TS Mem.

As seen at 1 in image below Display, when clicked, opens a Display Controls (2) window.

This window allows for adjustment of the Classic Surface’s brightness and contrast via sliders (4) and two comparison views (Normal and Preview (5)) so you only have to make the changes once.

Other options for increasing your ease of use are adjustments for:

3   - Knob Values displaying in their center,

8  - Toggle on or off Window Menu Bar,

9  - Toggle on or off Full Screen,

10 - Knob CC Sensing for real time adjusting to Voyager physical panel.

The size of the display can be adjusted to preconfigured ratios from 1:1 where knobs are shown full physical size and a change to 1:8 for corner of screen display (6). Best Fit forces adjustment to best fit your screen size and Custom displays a slider and you may choose size intermediate to presets desired (7).

1:1 ratio image quality is demonstrated in image below:

7.8 Adjusting Parameter Sets

Along with the Display Control there are other control windows for deep adjustment of hidden parameters.

PGM, Envelopes, Pot Map, Touch Surface and Keyboard/TS Mem are all accessible through the submenu.

7.81 PGM Control Window

7.82 Envelopes Control Window

7.83 Pot Map Control Window

7.84    Touch Surface Control Window

7.85    Keyboard/TS Mem Control Window

7.9 Preset Control