Wiardgroup

A couple of folks on this list have asked me if there is a relationship bet=
ween the `Goldberg Function Generator' and the noiz ring.  Until now, I took=
 the fifth and stated for the record that the Goldberg F.G. and the noiz rin=
g were `just good friends' but with Grant's permission, I can now tell the f=
irst part of the story.
      I created the Goldberg* in 2000. It lumbered and lurched into existen=
ce from a bunch of experiments with old CMOS that I salvaged from a scrapped=
 mainframe. I was ignorant of  previous analog applications of shift registe=
rs (such as Electronotes PRTWEE(sp?) and Joe Paradiso's DIY modules). The on=
ly notions I had were catalog descriptions of the Serge Analog Shift Registe=
r and my trusty old CMOS cookbook. My ignorance proved a boon to me when I t=
ried random data input WITH randomized clock pulses. Now,  as Grant has poin=
ted out to me, my idea of music is bacon frying ( a fair cop, even though I'=
m a vegetarian). So I assumed that no one would be interested in this phenom=
enon except me.
    The summer of 2001 was a magic summer for Wiard. Grant had a creative d=
esign spurt from which modules such as the Wogglebug have been realized. We =
were corresponding pretty frequently and he generously offered to put me up =
for a few days visit in M'waukee .I took him up on it in late July. I decide=
d that a  scaled-down version of the Goldberg (dubbed Goldberg jr. – a toy -=
 really) would be an appropriate bread and butter gift for my host. The deci=
sion to build a Goldberg , as opposed to any of my other contraptions, was s=
trictly one of convenience for me. The core circuit has a low parts count an=
d I only had a couple of weeks to get it ready. 
     Grant and I had big fun in Milwaukee but to my horror and embarrassmen=
t, the Golberg jr, failed when we plugged it in (during a torrential thunder=
storm BTW). I was forced to borrow some Wiard workbench space to try to revi=
ve it. Part of the problem was that the original circuit was designed for 12=
V operation and Grant has standardized on 15V. I added  voltage regulation a=
t the last minute but didn't test all the operation conditions properly. Nat=
urally, Grant was gracious  anyway  but the failure compelled him to have to=
 fiddle with the innards of the gadget himself after I went home.
Soon after , I was flattered to hear from Grant about the fun he was having=
 with it….
And at this point I must leave the telling to him......
Professor????


 (*the first version of which may be seen in the Modern Implement section o=
f Grant's page on Musicsynthesizer.com)
http://www.musicsynthesizer.com/MIC/mic.html