Wiardgroup

> - 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.