Wiardgroup

Well, this explains it all to me (or maybe not):

make it look ugly (like a "French whorehouse window") to show how good 
it is? And that is an "appearance appropriate for musical artists"!!!

As a musical artist, I take offense to that! (not a lot, but some) ;-)

or maybe it's a vendetta thing? ;-O

and "I dumped the dorky "learning lab" look..."

Is this where the now cultishly lengendary "dork" picture of Paul S. 
with the Aries comes into play?

(I'm not trying to rekindle any fires - just curious)

Barry


--- In wiardgroup@y..., grantrichter2001@y... wrote:
> As far as I know, the Aries modulars were produced by a group 
> spun off from MIT. The early modules used 4 big knobs and later 
> modules used up to 8 knobs. The first Wiard system was built 
> on Aries module frames using 8 knobs and 16 jacks.
> 
> I couldn't fit all the functions I wanted in that number of jacks, so 
> the production Wiard was increased to 10.5" in height. Aries 
> faceplates are 9" x 3" and Wiard are 10.5 x 2.83" (17/6).
> 
> The Aries was the first to introduce the incredibly sensible idea 
> of putting the jacks on the bottom away from the knobs. The later 
> modules had some very advanced designs (including the 
> multi-pulse waveshaper (whoops gotta program a bank with 
> that)). Ron Rivera of Rivera Music Services designed some 
> modules (or was rumored to). The later generation Aries dual 
> VCA was the basis for the Mixolator faceplate design. It 
> introduced the X,Y and Z notation along with the continuously 
> variable linear to log slope control.
> 
> The early designs were essentially right out of Electronotes, and 
> so are based on Terry Michaels designs (Terry is down the 
> street here in Milwaukee). They follow the electrical standard laid 
> out by the Arp 2600 and are fully interpatchable with Wiard and 
> Blacet modules.
> 
> They are also constructed of excessively good electronic parts, 
> but this did not help in the long run. It was the failure of the 
> majority of the $12 Allen Bradley sealed military pots in the Aries 
> that made me realize that ALL pots will eventually fail, no matter 
> how much you pay for them. As a consequence, the Wiard is 
> designed so the pots are extremely easy to replace, requiring 
> just pliers and a small screw driver, no soldering tools are 
> needed.
> 
> I have always felt that the all black faceplate / black knob design 
> looked retarded. In my experience, the harder something tries 
> look important on the outside, the less important it usually is.
> 
> If the Aries designers had been utterly confident that the internal 
> electronics were World Class, They would have decorated the 
> modules to look like something that fell out of a French 
> whorehouse window, or another design that would call attention 
> to their superior quality.
> 
> But instead, Aries merely did the absolute minimum of design 
> needed to make them functionally usable (perhaps because 
> they were not original). A more courageous designer would have 
> been concerned with creating an object that posessed lasting 
> beauty, an instrument that both sounded and looked beautiful.
> 
> So while the Wiard was very much influenced by the Aries 
> excellent electronics, ease of use, clear sound and innovative 
> panel layout, I dumped the dorky "learning lab" look in favor of an 
> appearance appropriate for musical artists.
> 
> Oh yea, and not a single LED anywhere on a stock Aries 
> envelope. Fortunately, most of them have this oversight corrected 
> by now.