Wiardgroup

Hello all,

I called Grant yesterday, and, as usual, he came up with a great
suggestion...

Many of you JAG users out there may have had similar experiences with
the JAG as I have had - It's a really great module, but when you start
using multiple channels of audio or control voltages, it really starts
to tie up mixers and VCAs that otherwise where used elsewhere - so the
JAGs were essentially limitting my sonic patches so that I could pan,
or modulate with the JAGs.

At the suggestion of Grant, I have been using a couple of Blacet Dual
Linear VCAs to do panning with one of my JAGs - in lieu of using up my
Borgs to do the same thing.  This has worked out very well, to the
point that now I am very interested in getting the second JAG into the
patch, which will give me two panning outputs.

The issue is, "How do I take 2x5 outputs and sum them without using up
5 mixers?" (I hardly imagine anyone's modular system has FIVE mixers
laying around dormant; most of my mixers are earmarked for other uses).

The solution was right under my nose;  the Blacet Dual Linear VCA has
a mixed output A(B); when nothing is patched into the Out B jack, both
VCA ouputs appear at the output of VCA A.

So, five Blacet Dual Linear VCAs allowed me to reclaim 5 Borgs, 5
VCAs, and 5 Mixolators back into sound patches that otherwise would be
tied up in a dual JAG panning patch!

At the price of only $89 apiece ($117 assembled), any only 1.5 inches
of module width, this makes this very affordable, too.  

The best part of it for me was that the depth of the module is only
3.24 inches, so I can install them into my 3.5 inch deep console
cabinet without modification.

These guys are DC coupled, too, so they come handy for gating cv
sources with the JAG.

Gary

Hey Gary, are there pics on the web anywhere of your setup ? I've seen 
smaller pics from various points in your career but haven't found a 
current pic. From the patches you've been detailing it must be huge.

Thanks

Rob

Rob,

I have a lot of stuff in my studio, but the patches that I am
describing are done on the Wiard system, a photo of which is posted in
the photo section of this group. (A more detailed version of the same
file is posted in the files section...).

What you don't see (yet) is the console of modules that sits in front
of the meanie.  It holds 1200 series modules(joystick, JAGs, Noise
Ring), 5 Blacet VCAs, a few PSIM-1s, a Wiard 300 controller, a lowpass
gate and a Milton.  In a few days I will post a photo of that unit in
the photo section of this site.

I tend to not mix my systems - I don't use the Serge in patches with
the Wiard, etc.  I like the concept of a self-contained system.  So,
when the JAGs showed up, there was much concern about how to
accomodate the new demand for circuits without all-out expansion wing
mayhem.  The Blacet VCAs were an amazing solution to the glut of
additional mults and summing networks necessary to employ them in the
system.


Gary


--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, Robert Hoffman <robmix@e...> wrote:

> Hey Gary, are there pics on the web anywhere of your setup ? I've seen 
> smaller pics from various points in your career but haven't found a 
> current pic. From the patches you've been detailing it must be huge.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Rob

And they sound good!  I certainly love mine and use it all the 
time.  Maybe it's time to spring for a JAG...

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Chang" <gchang@c...> wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I called Grant yesterday, and, as usual, he came up with a great
> suggestion...
> 
> Many of you JAG users out there may have had similar experiences 
with
> the JAG as I have had - It's a really great module, but when you 
start
> using multiple channels of audio or control voltages, it really 
starts
> to tie up mixers and VCAs that otherwise where used elsewhere - so 
the
> JAGs were essentially limitting my sonic patches so that I could 
pan,
> or modulate with the JAGs.
> 
> At the suggestion of Grant, I have been using a couple of Blacet 
Dual
> Linear VCAs to do panning with one of my JAGs - in lieu of using 
up my
> Borgs to do the same thing.  This has worked out very well, to the
> point that now I am very interested in getting the second JAG into 
the
> patch, which will give me two panning outputs.
> 
> The issue is, "How do I take 2x5 outputs and sum them without 
using up
> 5 mixers?" (I hardly imagine anyone's modular system has FIVE 
mixers
> laying around dormant; most of my mixers are earmarked for other 
uses).
> 
> The solution was right under my nose;  the Blacet Dual Linear VCA 
has
> a mixed output A(B); when nothing is patched into the Out B jack, 
both
> VCA ouputs appear at the output of VCA A.
> 
> So, five Blacet Dual Linear VCAs allowed me to reclaim 5 Borgs, 5
> VCAs, and 5 Mixolators back into sound patches that otherwise 
would be
> tied up in a dual JAG panning patch!
> 
> At the price of only $89 apiece ($117 assembled), any only 1.5 
inches

> of module width, this makes this very affordable, too.  
> 
> The best part of it for me was that the depth of the module is only
> 3.24 inches, so I can install them into my 3.5 inch deep console
> cabinet without modification.
> 
> These guys are DC coupled, too, so they come handy for gating cv
> sources with the JAG.
> 
> Gary

I had almost the same problem, after I realized, that for Vector-
Synthesis you need linear VCAs together with the JAG. The Blacet VCA 
Quad-Mix uses exponential VCA's and I don't want to use my 4 VCA's in 
my Wiard 300 VCO's, they are busy. I just found a very cheap way, if 
you like to do Vector-Synthesis now and then: The Doepfer A135 
Voltage Controlled Mixer. I guess it does the job (have to buy it 
first).



--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Gary Chang" <gchang@c...> wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I called Grant yesterday, and, as usual, he came up with a great
> suggestion...
> 
> Many of you JAG users out there may have had similar experiences 
with
> the JAG as I have had - It's a really great module, but when you 
start
> using multiple channels of audio or control voltages, it really 
starts
> to tie up mixers and VCAs that otherwise where used elsewhere - so 
the
> JAGs were essentially limitting my sonic patches so that I could 
pan,
> or modulate with the JAGs.
> 
> At the suggestion of Grant, I have been using a couple of Blacet 
Dual
> Linear VCAs to do panning with one of my JAGs - in lieu of using up 
my
> Borgs to do the same thing.  This has worked out very well, to the
> point that now I am very interested in getting the second JAG into 
the
> patch, which will give me two panning outputs.
> 
> The issue is, "How do I take 2x5 outputs and sum them without using 
up
> 5 mixers?" (I hardly imagine anyone's modular system has FIVE mixers
> laying around dormant; most of my mixers are earmarked for other 
uses).
> 
> The solution was right under my nose;  the Blacet Dual Linear VCA 
has
> a mixed output A(B); when nothing is patched into the Out B jack, 
both
> VCA ouputs appear at the output of VCA A.
> 
> So, five Blacet Dual Linear VCAs allowed me to reclaim 5 Borgs, 5
> VCAs, and 5 Mixolators back into sound patches that otherwise would 
be
> tied up in a dual JAG panning patch!
> 
> At the price of only $89 apiece ($117 assembled), any only 1.5 
inches

> of module width, this makes this very affordable, too.  
> 
> The best part of it for me was that the depth of the module is only
> 3.24 inches, so I can install them into my 3.5 inch deep console
> cabinet without modification.
> 
> These guys are DC coupled, too, so they come handy for gating cv
> sources with the JAG.
> 
> Gary