Wiardgroup

Hi all:

Jason here.   Don't own any Wiard yet, but I'm planning on expanding 
my Modcan system (currently a panel and growing) with some of the nice 
modules Grant has designed.   You can check out my studio, if you 
like at:

http://concentricrotation.org

How do you find the Borg filter?   Have used both Buchla and an MS-20, 
that sounds like a great offspring to me...

J.

Jason,

Barry Michael here. I don't own the Wiard either. Yet. I own a 7-panel STS/Serge system, and Rex Probe, who built my system, lives near the designer of the Wiard. He gives the unit rave reviews, and he is pretty hard to please. He syas Grant has "great ideas" and that the modules are"kinda unique". Now my only question is, do you think he would consider puttin' bannana plugs on it? By the way, how do you like the Modcan modules? I've heard they are nice.

BarryM

Do You Yahoo!?
Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
http://phonecard.yahoo.com/

> He syas Grant has "great ideas" and that the
> modules are"kinda unique". Now my only question
> is, do you think he would consider puttin' bannana
> plugs on it?

I spoke to Grant about this very thing, as I'm considering a Wiard/Serge
combination system. Grant said that there simply wasn't enough room on each
module to switch the jacks to banana. If you look at the pics on Grant's
site, you can see this. The jacks are pretty closely packed in there at the
bottom of each module.

He did, however, offer to make any number of mini to banana patch cords for
me if I wished though...

I'm still thinking my system through before ordering anything, and although
I love the Serge, I'm having trouble justifying having to purchase an entire
panel at the time...

My planned system is looking more and more like a Wiard/RS Integrator
combination now. The Integrator has gotten very good reviews on both sonics
and construction, and they're adding some very interesting modules, such as
the Bode type frequency shifter, which they're claiming to be a faithful
reproduction of the circuitry of original.


Anybody got any idea when Grant is going to release the complete specs on
the Wogglebug, MicroWiard and Enveloopers modules?


Les Mizzell
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
"I am not a vegetarian because I love
animals; I am a vegetarian because I
hate plants." -- A. Whitney Brown
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------

Modcan is nice.   Good build quality, nice feature set, and a really clean, 
precise sound generally.   I've had my system for a couple weeks now, and 
I'm more than happy with it.    I've had the chance to play with Moog, 
Buchla, Serge, and MOTM modulars, and I'd say the Modcan holds its 
own.   Of course, each system has its own strengths.   I don't know if 
you're on the SMOG Serge users group, but Matt Wilson and I put both the 
Modcan and Serge through their paces in a modular "shoot-out"   The end 
result was give a little, take a little for both systems, IMO.    I'd love 
to do the same with Wiard in the mix.

J.



At 05:04 PM 8/1/01 -0700, you wrote:

>   Jason,
>
>Barry Michael here. I don't own the Wiard either. Yet. I own a 7-panel 
>STS/Serge system, and Rex Probe, who built my system, lives near the 
>designer of the Wiard. He gives the unit rave reviews, and he is pretty 
>hard to please. He syas Grant has "great ideas" and that the modules 
>are"kinda unique". Now my only question is, do you think he would consider 
>puttin' bannana plugs on it? By the way, how do you like the Modcan 
>modules? I've heard they are nice.
>
>BarryM
>
>
>
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
><http://phonecard.yahoo.com/?.refer=mailtagline>http://phonecard.yahoo.com/
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>wiardgroup-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the 
><http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Has anyone on the list used the Wogglebug? It looks very interesting to
me...

Mike

> Has anyone on the list used the Wogglebug? 
> It looks very interesting to me..

Looks? There's no picture or specs posted yet that I can find!!!!!

Les Mizzell
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
"I am not a vegetarian because I love
animals; I am a vegetarian because I
hate plants." -- A. Whitney Brown
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------

I suppose I meant "seems". I could really say "sounds", though :-) I'm
basing this on  the description (specifically, being somewhat similar in
concept to the Buchla Source of Uncertainty module).

-----Original Message-----
From: Les Mizzell [mailto:lesmizz@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 10:07 AM
To: wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [wiardgroup] Anyone used the Wogglebug yet?


> Has anyone on the list used the Wogglebug?
> It looks very interesting to me..

Looks? There's no picture or specs posted yet that I can find!!!!!

Les Mizzell
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
"I am not a vegetarian because I love
animals; I am a vegetarian because I
hate plants." -- A. Whitney Brown
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
wiardgroup-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Jason. Yes I read the "shoot out". Very informative, and thanks to both you and Matt. Yea, I hear great things about the Wiard. My only misgiving is the 1/8" thing. I used to play an Arp 2500 back in the bad old days, and those things were always flaking out. Seems like they won't take the insertion count necessary for heavy use, and there is just physically not enough contact area in the mechanics of it. I want the functionality of the modules, but don't want to go to a 3rd patch setup. I already use 1/4" and banana. Oh well,
BarryM 
  Jason Maston <jmaston@uci.edu> wrote: Modcan is nice.   Good build quality, nice feature set, and a really clean, 
precise sound generally.   I've had my system for a couple weeks now, and 
I'm more than happy with it.    I've had the chance to play with Moog, 
Buchla, Serge, and MOTM modulars, and I'd say the Modcan holds its 
own.   Of course, each system has its own strengths.   I don't know if 
you're on the SMOG Serge users group, but Matt Wilson and I put both the 
Modcan and Serge through their paces in a modular "shoot-out"   The end 
result was give a little, take a little for both systems, IMO.    I'd love 
to do the same with Wiard in the mix.

J.






---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
http://phonecard.yahoo.com/

--- In wiardgroup@y..., "Mike B. Fisher" <mbfisher@i...> wrote:
> I suppose I meant "seems". I could really say "sounds", though 
:-) I'm
> basing this on  the description (specifically, being somewhat 
similar in
> concept to the Buchla Source of Uncertainty module).
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Les Mizzell [mailto:lesmizz@b...]
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 10:07 AM
> To: wiardgroup@y...
> Subject: RE: [wiardgroup] Anyone used the Wogglebug yet?
> 
> 
> > Has anyone on the list used the Wogglebug?
> > It looks very interesting to me..
> 
> Looks? There's no picture or specs posted yet that I can find!!!!!
> 
> Les Mizzell
> -------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------
> "I am not a vegetarian because I love
> animals; I am a vegetarian because I
> hate plants." -- A. Whitney Brown
> -------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> wiardgroup-unsubscribe@y...

You should know that most of the advanced research I am doing 
gets posted a my personal DIY page at

http://www.musicsynthesizer.com/DIY/Grant/grant_richters_synth
diy.htm

Block diagrams for the #3 Wogglebug and a schematic are at

http://www.musicsynthesizer.com/WoggleBug/WoggleBug.html

The final design of the #5 Wogglebug has not been decided, but 
I better hurry up and get the boards made ;^)

--- In wiardgroup@y..., Barry Michael <dzogchen2002@y...> 
wrote:
> 
> Jason. Yes I read the "shoot out". Very informative, and thanks 
to both you and Matt. Yea, I hear great things about the Wiard. My 
only misgiving is the 1/8" thing. I used to play an Arp 2500 back 
in the bad old days, and those things were always flaking out. 
Seems like they won't take the insertion count necessary for 
heavy use, and there is just physically not enough contact area in 
the mechanics of it. I want the functionality of the modules, but 
don't want to go to a 3rd patch setup. I already use 1/4" and 
banana. Oh well,
> BarryM 
>   Jason Maston <jmaston@u...> wrote: Modcan is nice.   Good 
build quality, nice feature set, and a really clean, 
> precise sound generally.   I've had my system for a couple 
weeks now, and 
> I'm more than happy with it.    I've had the chance to play with 
Moog, 
> Buchla, Serge, and MOTM modulars, and I'd say the Modcan 
holds its 
> own.   Of course, each system has its own strengths.   I don't 
know if 
> you're on the SMOG Serge users group, but Matt Wilson and I 
put both the 
> Modcan and Serge through their paces in a modular 
"shoot-out"   The end 
> result was give a little, take a little for both systems, IMO.    I'd 
love 
> to do the same with Wiard in the mix.
> 
> J.

The entire design of the Wiard is to anticipate failure. It is 
impossible to make pots or jack 100% reliable. (even the $20 
Allen Bradly pots have failed in my Aries). The next option is to 
design for easy replacement. Replacing a potentiomenter in a 
Wiard module is designed to take less than 5 minutes.
(remove module from rack, remove cover, remove knob, remove 
nut, press pot out and unplug, plug in new assembly, attach nut, 
attach knob, attach cover, install in rack)

Replacing the entire jack assembly is designed to take 10 
minutes. It is slightly longer because the switches need to be 
unsoldered or connectors removed, also there are 20 nuts.

> will have to be replaced over the long haul. Also, patching to 
other formats
> is a snap - the Wiard joystick controller has two small patch 
bays that go
> 1/8"-1/4"-RCA-Banana, and if you need more  there's a MOTM 
patch panel that
> has 8 of the same, minus the RCA jacks.
> 

Note that Paul made a small boo-boo in the wiring of the 
multiple modules (at least the ones I have). The banana 
connector is connected only to the switch input of the 1/8" 
connector, so you can not use the banana, 1/8" and 1/4" all at the 
same time. 

To correct this, add a jumper across the back of the 1/8" 
connectors on the panel, that is connect both terminals (tip and 
switch) together with a wire jumper.

I should mention a bit about the genesis of the Wiard modules.

The designs originated in 1995-1996 with input from the MEME 
group.

At that time there was only Doepfer and Serge actually making 
modules. MOTM, Modcan, Blacet(new) and all the others have 
started up since then.

80% of all modules ever designed use 1/8" (3.5mm) connectors. 
This includes Aries, ARP, Buchla, Blacet (original), Doepfer, 
Roland 100(m), PAIA, Digisound and others. At that time, the only 
user of banana connectors was Serge and 1/4" was Moog 900 
and Roland 700.

Banana connector are rated at 15 amperes at 5,000 volts or 
75,000 watts theoretical capacity. 0 dB is 1 milliwatt into 600 
ohms, so banana connectors are overated by 750,000%

Now the nice thing about bananas are that they stack. But there 
is no reason why a stacking 3.5mm connector could not be 
made. However no one has. This indicates there is a lack of 
demand for a stacking shielded connector.

So the obvious choice was 3.5mm connectors in order to be nice 
to our customers and make the modules as compatible as 
possible with the most existing equipment. Also the switches 
are essential to the ability to do a custom normalized patch 
which is built into each module (all the solder pads on the back 
of the jack boards are for you to use).

The design goal was to produce a system that could be 
assembled by a single person in reasonable production 
quantity. Since sales were not expected to exceed 500 modules 
(bearing in mind that Don said there are a total of 450 Buchla 
200 series modules ever assembled) and the maketplace was 
expected to be the same size as the Buchla 200, which the 
Wiard most closely resembles.

So the design decisions were in order to make production 
possible at all. As it worked out, these impacted minimally on the 
audio performance. While there is some capacitive coupling 
between function blocks inside modules, the signal to noise 
ratios is better than -60 dB. Since signals run at +10-20 dB 
internally, once padded down, the equivilent signal to noise ratio 
is -70 dB or better and typical of good quality analog audio 
systems.

In retrospect, having now the benefit of all the other module 
designs which have come since 1995, I would have had to do 
things exactly the same way. We recently did a cost benefit 
analysis of changing the design (banana connectors or 1/4"). 
And in all cases production cost went UP. The designs are 
simply the most cost effective way of bringing this massive 
flexibility to such a small, light weight package.

Grant,

Thanks for the background info; very informative.  It is great to have you on the
list!  It will probably be more efficient to answer questions in this forum rather
than repeat the same answer multiple times in private emails.

A question or two:
- The wiard web site talks about the faceplates and the decision not to keep them in
matched sets.  So, does this mean that the faceplates are being redesigned with a
different appearance or just that you aren't going to worry about matching them up
precisely anymore?

- Can you tell us how you came up with the name "Wiard"?

- Are the "extras" in the modules, such as the EG and VCA in the VCO, the result of
extra bits of circuitry leftover during the design or intentional from the start? 
If they are intentional, I'd love to hear how you arrived at the choice of
combinations.

Thanks again for making a very cool system that challenges me everytime I use it!

   Eric


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
http://phonecard.yahoo.com/

Grant,
What features from the individual modules are going to
be lost in the MicroWiard?
Are you going to issue a power supply other than the
wall wart?
Can you give a few clues about the wierding modules?

thanks,
Richard


____________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk
or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie

> - The wiard web site talks about the faceplates and the 
decision not to keep them in
> matched sets.  So, does this mean that the faceplates are 
being redesigned with a
> different appearance or just that you aren't going to worry about 
matching them up
> precisely anymore?

The problem with anodizing is that no two batches come out 
exactly the same color. This is due to variation in alloy and 
location in the dye tank (even with agitators). Those near the top 
come out lighter and those near the bottom come out darker.

What I did was sort all 100 pieces by eye into matched sets of six 
and then hand carrying them to the silkscreen vendor. The 
silkscreeners just laughed at the idea of breaking open the 
individually wrapped sets of six plates and running them in 
matched sets. With production silkscreening they are barely able 
to get the ink on the correct SIDE of the faceplate, running them 
in matched sets is impossible.

So, as much as it sets my teeth on edge, I have to accept the 
slight variation in blue color as part of the process and just move 
along.

> - Can you tell us how you came up with the name "Wiard"?

The whole thing started as a joke in 1994. Darwin said one day, 
"You should start a synthesizer company, I think people would 
buy your designs". I replied that it would have to be called the 
"Weird Synthesizer Company" because I was not interested in 
making any of the more traditional ADSR kind of stuff.

That idea kept getting kicked around and around until I went to 
register the domain name. Weird.com was already gone in 1995 
so I played with different spellings, a copy of the Wizard of OZ 
was laying on my desk, and I realized if you just removed the Z, it 
could be pronounced "Weird" and also included WI for 
Wisconsin. Wiard.com was available.

I did not know that Wiard was also the proper family name of a 
large group of people from Nebraska. I started getting e-mail 
from grandmothers threatening to start a letter writing campaign, 
if I did not correct the pronunciation to "Wired". Now, as you all 
know, you should never mess with grandmothers, they are really 
really effective managers.

So I bowed to the pressure and corrected the pronunciation to 
wired. All the great synth companies have ambiguous names 
anyway. I guess it's a tradition!

> - Are the "extras" in the modules, such as the EG and VCA in 
the VCO, the result of
> extra bits of circuitry leftover during the design or intentional 
from the start? 
> If they are intentional, I'd love to hear how you arrived at the 
choice of
> combinations.
> 
Each module has to function on two levels. Both in the audio 
domain and for control voltages. The modules are designed as 
much as possible to make each one a stand alone miniature 
synthesizer or "electronium".

So the selection of additional functions was not accidental. For 
instance, you only have to bring a CV and gate line to any 
oscillator to use them as a small synthesizer (albeit limited).

Also the Enevelator can be used as a voice by crossfading from 
a dummy plug in Mix 1 to Env 2 set to audio with Env1 routed to 
Mix Mod (Mix Modulation). That also gives AM modulation if Env1 
is set to audio.

While the Buchla and Serge are very general purpose and 
non-judgemental in design, one concept that carries over from 
organic music is that of a "voice" or single player in ensemble. 
The modules are set up as much as possible to form an 
ensemble of "voices" with the Mixolator for mixing and the 
Sequantizer for distortion effects.

Hello,

Grant wrote:
> 
> So I bowed to the pressure and corrected the pronunciation to 
> wired. All the great synth companies have ambiguous names 
> anyway. I guess it's a tradition!

I was told that the Wiard family originated from Sweden. Other US 
made synth brands: Buchla is a Polish name, Serge is Russian, Moog 
and Bode are German names (Borg too, by the way, and quite common)

> Each module has to function on two levels. Both in the audio 
> domain and for control voltages.

Regarding the electrical considerations Don Buchla had (among others) 
for seperating audio and CV connections, is it easier today to handle 
a common path than it was for him in his analog days?

Sebastian Kuehnl

First, I'd like to politely urge anyone with an interest in the 
subject of this group to thoroughly investigate 
www.musicsynthesizer.com and especially Grant's subpage therein.
  I have been immersed in analog modular synthesis since 1972 and I 
have never encountered a designer who was as open and forthright about 
his ideas - and more importantly, his SOURCES, as Grant. 
  Many of the old masters, Dr.Moog, Alan Pearlman, and even Don Buchla 
are very accessible NOW.... but in the 70's, it was unthinkable that a 
 designer would allow so much as a peek at the kind of information 
that Grant has published in full public domain. He deserves to be 
paraded around Milwaukee in a sedan chair just for this generosity 
(some would say madness) alone.
(pssst! hear that Dieter???? free schematics from someone other than 
Jyrgen!!! hurry!!!!)
   sorry for the shameless shilling but it bears on the question and I 
couldn't resist

first download the wogglebug MP3's on wiard.com, listen, then read my 
babble if you're still interested

I have been to the wogglebug - and I believe!!!!
I built two wogglebugs based on the #3 standard circuit at 
musicsynthesizer.com. 
If you love 'metastable'
 (I.O.W: rebellious WITH a cause, random WITH a pattern)
 this circuit is without peer. 
  It outputs audio and CV's (I hear the production version may include 
pulse trains) all of which are related but not copies of one another. 
I have used a Buchla source of uncertainty (part of the dodeca-module) 
and the CV output of the wogglebug is (IMHO) just as "musical" and 
unpredictable without sounding bluntly random. I use these DIY modules 
a lot and I still posted a deposit with Grant for the "official" 
300-series version.
 Grant did not exaggerate one tiny bit when he described the sound as 
"forbidden planet in a can" That's just what it does.



--- In wiardgroup@y..., "Mike B. Fisher" <mbfisher@i...> wrote:
> Has anyone on the list used the Wogglebug? It looks very interesting 
to

> me...
> 
> Mike

> I was told that the Wiard family originated from Sweden. Other 
>US 

I have been told a variety of things by the Wiard families 
themselves. Some thought it was Scottish, others from Wales or 
Ireland, possibly Sweden. 

Based on my own research, variations of the name appear 
under different spellings. Weird, Wiard, Waird, Wyrd. And 
pronounced variously "weerd", "wired" and "wared". The origin of 
the name is attributed to the Anglo-Saxons, but it is likely to 
extend back to Celtic times. Shakespear named the three Fates 
from Greek mythology "The Weird Sisters" in a play (Hamlet? 
MacBeth?). The word "weird" itself means "fatelike or of the 
Fates". Just as it is your fate to be reading this.

Records are often contradictory because the Celtic era extends 
from perhaps 2000 BC up to Roman times. It extended from just 
north of Africa to the Netherlands. The intermingling of art can be 
seen in the knot art of Celtic and Arabic cultures which are 
similar.

The Roman and Celtic mythologies are intertwined, in that the 
Roman adopted some stories from the Celts. Most of our 
understanding of Roman and Celtic mythology comes from 
Victorian era england, where romantic interpretations of the 
myths were documented for popular entertainment. I believe 
Bullfinch's Mythology dates from the Victorian era. It is a rich 
source of artistic inspiration and the foundations of our modern 
iconongraphy.

Roland is a mythological figure, as is Nike, Ajax, and all the 
planets.

> Regarding the electrical considerations Don Buchla had 
(among others) 
> for seperating audio and CV connections, is it easier today to 
handle 
> a common path than it was for him in his analog days?
> 

The reason for the different connectors is the Vactrols which are 
Buchla's sole transconductor in the 200 series. A transconductor 
is a conductor which is modifed by another signal. So to have a 
voltage controlled filter, you need to modify an elements 
conductance by an external voltage.

Modern transconductors like the CA3080, LM13700 and CA3820 
are precision solid state devices which have very high speeds 
and can be calibrated. The conductance path is also electrically 
commoned with the control voltage path. That is, they share the 
same ground system.

A Vactrol , which is a photoresistor in a can with a light emitting 
diode, can be used as a transconductor. They are realtively slow 
and can not be calibrated due to chemical variation in the 
photo-phosphor But the conductor and control circuit are optically 
isolated and do not share the same ground system.

This is literally true in the Buchla 200 series where the 
photoresistor portion of the Vactrol and LED portion are 
completely isolated electrical net works with different power 
supplies and grounds.

For the photoresistor (audio) portion of the Vactrol, Buchla used 
1/8" jacks with NE5532 op-amps and +/-15 volt supplies with a 
quiet "Q" ground system.

To control the LED (CV) portion of the Vactrol he used banana 
connectors with LM741 op-amps, a 12 volt power supply and 
noisy "N" ground systems.

The Wiard system uses all of the available transconductor types 
and matches the transconductor to the required function. The 
VCAs in the oscillators use LM3080s for simplicity with moderate 
distortion (0.5% THD). The Omni-Filter uses LM13700s for an 
increased distortion level (1-2% THD). The Mixolators use 
CA3280s for very low distortion and noise (less than 0.5% THD). 
Bear in mind that 0.5% THD only increases the second 
harmonic level to -50 dB.

Hello All,

I have finished all the module back orders. If you have a back 
order it will ship on Monday.

I am going to layout the Wogglebug PCB next week and order PC 
boards. I am currently planning to order 25 PC boards and 10 
faceplates.

5 of the Wogglebugs are already spoken for: Mike Firman, Gino 
Robair, Dr. Mabuse, Soma Studios and Jeff Harding.

If I need to get more than 10 faceplates made, you should let me 
know now. That is, if you plan on ordering a Wogglebug module 
before 2002, now is the time to let me know.

Please drop me a note at grichter@asapnet.net and I will order 
as many faceplates as needed until the end of the year.

Thank you,

Grant Richter