Wiardgroup

Bill wrote:

>I took a look, thanks for sharing.<

Hey any time.  Why should Grant be the only one with his balls in a 
vice, if you'll pardon the crude analogy?

>Given that I have only the benefit of the small pic, it appears -from
this design- that you are an advocate for panel graphics that support
the visual understanding of the functionality of an instrument, that
are legible, that separate functions visually, and that support the
procedural flow of a human operator.<

Yes, yes, YES!!

Sadly, what you see is a JPEG of a scan of a photo, so the crispness 
is lost.  But everything on that panel has meaning, even 
the "listless blue," to quote Bulldogge.  

FWIW, that panel is hand drilled, hand masked and spraypainted, with 
hand-transferred lettering.

>But I am not sure that I would consider this particular instrument
as an example of meshing art with electronics.<

It isn't.  It's about meshing electronics with electronics.  I did 
not create that vocoder as furniture, but as a signal processing 
device.

>Wiard's graphics are of a different nature. We may discuss the fact 
that they perhaps do not support the functionality of the synth and 
so it could be a design
weakness, yet they support the personality of the instrument, and that
is a strength in differentiating itself from the rest and creating an
emotional connection.<

This is really going to get me in trouble, but the ideal synth should 
have no personality.  It should be a pure means to an end. The panel 
of a synth should help you to achieve a sound, not entertain you.  
For the most part.

>Speaking for myself, I consider an instrument's personality as one of
the key attributes I evaluate, on par with its functionality, when I
decide to adopt a system. Given that learning a new instrument 
requires
a time investment on my part, I try to make sure that my enjoyment of
the instrument is as high as possible. I may dismiss some systems as
being "too square" for me. Yet I am sure other folks would enjoy them
just as much. Regardless of anyone's sanction of merit, it is a
personal relationship (if such term can be applied) between a player
and his/her instrument, as there is that emotional connection. 
Otherwise
the instrument will eventually become a glorified paper weight. Some
prefer "unique", others prefer "pure".<

But is a hammer just a glorified paperweight in the hands of a master 
carpenter?  I have seen many a beautiful piece of furniture, yet I 
have yet to see a hammer that was exquisitely carved.

Did Wendy Carlos need modules festooned with convoluted arabesques to 
create The Well Tempered Synthesizer?  Would they have helped in any 
way?

>Which leads me to believe that Wiard's art does not create that
emotional connection that you seek; hence, even if functionally
exceptional, it is probably not the instrument for you.<

Yes.  And no!  I'd love to get my hands on one for a week.

johnm