Wiardgroup

I don't have this module, and it seems to be less talked about than 
many of Grant's other modules. I recognize that sound is a very 
subjective arena, but I hoped a few of you might offer your own 
descriptions of the character of this module. Is it reminiscent of 
another classic synth you have owned? What is your favorite feature
or application? What do you think of the phaser mode, etc?

It's my favorite Filter. Resonance is a bit hard to control, but when 
you know exactly how it reacts to resonance, its wonderful. Its 
powerful, round and organic. I especially love it for the dry basses 
and what it does to external Synths (Pads and stuff). And its not 
only the Low-Pass 24db Mode. IMHO its also a genious Highpass Filter. 
It goes all the way down, and you can control really deep 
frequencies. I often use it on FM-Sounds/Sine-Patches. And it can do 
pretty nice 909-style Bassdrums... The Allpass/Phaser-Mode is very 
special. It has a different character compared to Moog-Phasers or 
Equinoxe/Small-Stones or other OTA-Phasers. More neutral but in a 
good way. 

cheers
Olivier

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "paradigmshiftbeats" 
<paradigmshiftbeats@y...> wrote:

> I don't have this module, and it seems to be less talked about than 
> many of Grant's other modules. I recognize that sound is a very 
> subjective arena, but I hoped a few of you might offer your own 
> descriptions of the character of this module. Is it reminiscent of 
> another classic synth you have owned? What is your favorite feature
> or application? What do you think of the phaser mode, etc?

I have to agree with Olivier - the Omni is quite a useful filter - I
have a first generation "The Filter" and the last version of "The
Super Omni" - after several months of use, it became obvious that the
Super was quite a performer, with many features, such as an adjustable
"constant Q' circuit, which was designed to control the issue of the
filter being more susceptible to oscillatiion at higher frequencies
was also noticably quieter.  It is the fastest of the Wiard filters
(the Boogie being the next fastest, followed by the Borg).  The
bandpass is quite narrow, so Grant has changed the input resistors to
provide a bit of input gain to compensated for lower output of the
bandpass.  What I like about the Omni is how hifi it is - then you can
 drive the input a bit and get whatever amount of grnnge you want.

As Oliver described in his note, the MXR-type phasing produced by the
notch is great - the direct input can be summed to the output, and the
ouput of the filter has a phase switch, so there is plenty of control
to make the filter sound good.

Though Grant has moved on from this design to his voctrol-based
designs, I would feel that something would be missing without the
Omni.  It is the Wiard Filter that can make great articulate bass
patches; while being less "phat" than the Boogie, it's speed makes it
a great filter for many bass applications.

gary

Hi 'paradigmshiftbeats'
   With both Olivier and Gary responding to your query, you've heard
from two guys who have done some superlative work with the Omni and
they have focused on the sound of the filter. i certainly have nothing
to add in that admittedly subjective area. (i own a few classic synths
that aren't even remiscent of THEMSELVES!)
;'>
but Olivier and Gary didn't mention my favorite feature of the Omni
and that's the voltage controlled mode parameter.  
    This is a feature that is rare as hen's teeth on commercial analog
filters and i can only think of one synth's filter that sounds even
vaguely like the Omni when it's shifting modes: The Oberheim Xpander. 
    But with the Xpander you have to physically spin an encoder to get
the effect. Grant figured out how to do this with a control voltage
and it yields a very unique character to the Omni's sound. I had been
working on a scheme to do this trick in my DIY work for a decade when
I discovered that Grant totally beat me to the punch. If fact, my very
first inkling that Wiard existed was a 1999 Alta Vista web search on
the words: "Voltage Controlled Pole Slope" when looking for hints on
the newfangled 'internet' thing.
     This feature of the Omni gives it very distinctive sound and i
use it all the time.
best wishes
-doc


--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "paradigmshiftbeats"
<paradigmshiftbeats@y...> wrote:

> I don't have this module, and it seems to be less talked about than 
> many of Grant's other modules. I recognize that sound is a very 
> subjective arena, but I hoped a few of you might offer your own 
> descriptions of the character of this module. Is it reminiscent of 
> another classic synth you have owned? What is your favorite feature
> or application? What do you think of the phaser mode, etc?

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "drmabuce" <drmabuce@y...> wrote:

> but Olivier and Gary didn't mention my favorite feature of the Omni
> and that's the voltage controlled mode parameter.  

> This feature of the Omni gives it very distinctive sound and i
> use it all the time.

Doc, do you have any compositions posted online that demonstrate 
this feature? Anybody else up for the task of posting some samples, 
perhaps to the new Wiard files group?

Thank you Olivier, Gary, and Doc for your input. I have quite a 
variety of filters in my studio, but it sounds like the Omni would 
offer a new dimension...

Keep patchin'

Chris

Yes, Constant Q is something to think about. I have one early Omni-
Filter without constant Q and one newer Omni, with Constant Q (and 
Blue LED's). Of course, a constant Q Filter is somehow easier to live 
with, but I don't want to miss my older Omni. In fact the sound of my 
older Omni is slightly different from the newer one and its not only 
the Q-behaviour. Its really hard to describe.

The voltage controlled Filter-Mode is also hard to describe. Its 
morphing not mixing and between the modes is really something going 
on. Dramatic!

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Chang" <gchang@c...> wrote:
> I have to agree with Olivier - the Omni is quite a useful filter - I
> have a first generation "The Filter" and the last version of "The
> Super Omni" - after several months of use, it became obvious that 
the
> Super was quite a performer, with many features, such as an 
adjustable
> "constant Q' circuit, which was designed to control the issue of the
> filter being more susceptible to oscillatiion at higher frequencies
> was also noticably quieter.  It is the fastest of the Wiard filters
> (the Boogie being the next fastest, followed by the Borg).  The
> bandpass is quite narrow, so Grant has changed the input resistors 
to
> provide a bit of input gain to compensated for lower output of the
> bandpass.  What I like about the Omni is how hifi it is - then you 
can
>  drive the input a bit and get whatever amount of grnnge you want.
> 
> As Oliver described in his note, the MXR-type phasing produced by 
the
> notch is great - the direct input can be summed to the output, and 
the
> ouput of the filter has a phase switch, so there is plenty of 
control
> to make the filter sound good.
> 
> Though Grant has moved on from this design to his voctrol-based
> designs, I would feel that something would be missing without the
> Omni.  It is the Wiard Filter that can make great articulate bass
> patches; while being less "phat" than the Boogie, it's speed makes 
it

> a great filter for many bass applications.
> 
> gary

There is a trimpot in the top center of the PCB labeled "Peak Q". This controls how much 
the Q gain is backed off with increasing frequency. You can turn it off, to eliminate the 
constant Q "feature".

For filters with Red LEDs, you can patch constant Q. Assuming an Envelator "O +"(positive 
envelope) output is driving one of the filter frequency control inputs, patch the "O 
-" (negative envelope) to the QMOD input. The setting of the QMOD attenuator then 
controls Q backoff with increasing frequency.

With a lot of Q backoff, the filter goes to zero Q at high frequencies, a complete reversal of 
normal behavior.

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "waveform100" <googol@g...> wrote:

> Yes, Constant Q is something to think about. I have one early Omni-
> Filter without constant Q and one newer Omni, with Constant Q (and 
> Blue LED's). Of course, a constant Q Filter is somehow easier to live 
> with, but I don't want to miss my older Omni. In fact the sound of my 
> older Omni is slightly different from the newer one and its not only 
> the Q-behaviour. Its really hard to describe.
> 
> The voltage controlled Filter-Mode is also hard to describe. Its 
> morphing not mixing and between the modes is really something going 
> on. Dramatic!
> 
> --- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Chang" <gchang@c...> wrote:
> > I have to agree with Olivier - the Omni is quite a useful filter - I
> > have a first generation "The Filter" and the last version of "The
> > Super Omni" - after several months of use, it became obvious that 
> the
> > Super was quite a performer, with many features, such as an 
> adjustable
> > "constant Q' circuit, which was designed to control the issue of the
> > filter being more susceptible to oscillatiion at higher frequencies
> > was also noticably quieter.  It is the fastest of the Wiard filters
> > (the Boogie being the next fastest, followed by the Borg).  The
> > bandpass is quite narrow, so Grant has changed the input resistors 
> to
> > provide a bit of input gain to compensated for lower output of the
> > bandpass.  What I like about the Omni is how hifi it is - then you 
> can
> >  drive the input a bit and get whatever amount of grnnge you want.
> > 
> > As Oliver described in his note, the MXR-type phasing produced by 
> the
> > notch is great - the direct input can be summed to the output, and 
> the
> > ouput of the filter has a phase switch, so there is plenty of 
> control
> > to make the filter sound good.
> > 
> > Though Grant has moved on from this design to his voctrol-based
> > designs, I would feel that something would be missing without the
> > Omni.  It is the Wiard Filter that can make great articulate bass
> > patches; while being less "phat" than the Boogie, it's speed makes 
> it
> > a great filter for many bass applications.
> > 
> > gary

Hi Chris

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "paradigmshiftbeats"
<paradigmshiftbeats@y...> wrote:

> 
> Doc, do you have any compositions posted online that demonstrate 
> this feature? 

sorry for the gap, i haven't been checking the group.
and .... sorry to say, i don't have any audio posted that features the
Omni's mode switch.  Coincidentaly, i did use that feature on a bass
ostinato track last night but i have to use outside resources to
convert my home studio sessions to mp3's and those 'outside resources'
are on vac until late July.
if the wait isn't a problem i could post a sample snippet next month.
Lemme know, (i need reminders because i'm very old and increasingly
senile!)
;'>

best,
-doc

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "drmabuce" <drmabuce@y...> wrote:
> and .... sorry to say, i don't have any audio posted that features 
the
> Omni's mode switch.  Coincidentaly, i did use that feature on a bass
> ostinato track last night but i have to use outside resources to
> convert my home studio sessions to mp3's and those 'outside 
resources'
> are on vac until late July.
> if the wait isn't a problem i could post a sample snippet next
month.
> Lemme know, (i need reminders because i'm very old and increasingly
> senile!)
> ;'>
> 
> best,
> -doc

I appreciate your offer, Doc, and I'll wait patiently for the return 
of your 'outside resources!'

TIA,

Chris

Hi Doc,

iTunes is your audio import / mp3 encoding friend. And it's free.

Go to "Preferences: Importing" and select mp3 as the encoder. Anything imported to the 
library will be converted to mp3.

Or if it is already in the library, select it, right click and select "Convert Selection to mp3".

You can also import (rip) to .wav and .aiff formats.

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "drmabuce" <drmabuce@y...> wrote:

> Hi Chris
> 
> --- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "paradigmshiftbeats"
> <paradigmshiftbeats@y...> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Doc, do you have any compositions posted online that demonstrate 
> > this feature? 
> 
> sorry for the gap, i haven't been checking the group.
> and .... sorry to say, i don't have any audio posted that features the
> Omni's mode switch.  Coincidentaly, i did use that feature on a bass
> ostinato track last night but i have to use outside resources to
> convert my home studio sessions to mp3's and those 'outside resources'
> are on vac until late July.
> if the wait isn't a problem i could post a sample snippet next month.
> Lemme know, (i need reminders because i'm very old and increasingly
> senile!)
> ;'>
> 
> best,
> -doc

Hi Grant
    ThanX! i'll try it when i get home. i've never touched iTunes but
it's nice to know . i know it's a standard Mac tool but i've probably
never even opened it. i suppose there's a slim chance that i might
have deleted it in my zeal to trim overhead but i'll check tonight.

PS: i used the wogglebugs' smooth CV outs as very low frequency
'conductor' signals  for this piece , last night, so the contours were
imprinted on the macro-views of my audio tracks......
for grins, i imported a graphic outline of those tracks into one of
the terrain generator's utilities for measuring the 'realism' of an
outline (used to tell you how much generated terrains resemble actual
coastlines)... 
kudos!!!,  
the terrain gen gave you an A+ in artificial naturalness!
;'>

Onward, thru the fog!
-doc



--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "grantrichter2001" <grichter@a...>
wrote:
> Hi Doc,
> 
> iTunes is your audio import / mp3 encoding friend. And it's free.
> 
> Go to "Preferences: Importing" and select mp3 as the encoder.
Anything imported to the 
> library will be converted to mp3.
> 
> Or if it is already in the library, select it, right click and
select "Convert Selection to mp3".
> 
> You can also import (rip) to .wav and .aiff formats.