Moog has announced its plans to discontinue production of the Minimoog Voyager Select Series, described as ‘the top selling backlit analog synthesizer of all time‘.
The Select Series lets you choose from a variety of customizations, including woods and finishes and the color of backlights.
Moog will continue building the Select Series through the end of the year, with the final Select Series leaving the factory on Jan 1, 2013. During the remaining months of production, Moog has reduced the selling price on all Select Series Voyagers from $3,659 to $2,999.
“We are a small company that still builds by hand, so sometimes we have to make hard decisions about ending the life of even our most favorite products,” said Mike Adams, CEO Moog Music.
The discontinuation of the Select Series comes as Moog begins celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Minimoog Voyager. The first Minimoog Voyager introduced the world to the next generation of analog synthesizers in 2002.
See the Moog site for details.
I would *love* one of these!
So they’re going to keep the Voyager XL as the only Voyager? I wonder if they’ll drop the price on it any?
They are just discontinuing the Minimoog Voyager Select Series – which is the version of the Voyager that you can customize.
That’s a surprise. Those synths look fantastic, and they obviously sound pretty good too. I would have thought they were still selling too well for Moog to even consider discontinuing them.
I have to admit that the one I’m really salivating for personally is the XL version, though. Very tempted by that one.
Isn’t there still the “Voyager Performance Edition”?
And, if this is its10th Anniversary, maybe they’re going to come out with a new Voyager either in “10th Anniversary” cosmetics or (hope-upon-hope) with an evolved design.
If they do “10th Anniversary” edition, I bet that it’ll be just cosmetics…like the “Select Series” that’s being discontinued was just cosmetics.
‘the top selling backlit analog synthesizer of all time‘
GMAFB.
I have one and love it! However at some point they have to explore a new synth of its class. Likely something with USB and more goodies under the hood. Something Animoogish in true hardware from? Same price point but with more horsepower since its getting cheaper to develop analog circuits with the recent surge in analog sales.
As they said themselves, “new product drives the market”. Its time for a successor to the Voyager. I believe we will get a new product announcement sometime next year because i can almost guarantee they will not leave a void in the voyager area.
I’m not certain they’re discontinuing the Voyager — just this specific edition. It’s kind of ambiguous.
That’s the way I understood it too. I am sure a small DIY kit or someone will service the need for customization in the future…
I don’t read this as the Voyager being discontinued. The Select series, or custom Voyager is being discontinued. Moog wouldn’t kill its flagship product. As mentioned above, the Performer and Electric Blue and Performer Editions lay outside of this announcement.
As far as what is next? No idea – we have dreamed of the polyphonic Moog, but I don’t think that will ever happen; but I hope I am wrong. What I could see is them doing is digital wavetable synthesis (ala Animoog) piped into an analog filter with some modulation capabilities.