Wiardgroup

Aries cont:

MOST Aries modules were designed by Dennis Colin...
who designed similar modules for the ARP 2500... so
I'd describe Aries as an ARP spinoff, rather than
MIT.

The Aries Filter is a clone of the ARP odyssey.

The Aries Oscillator is not very much like anything
I've seen in Electronotes (I have only read them once
so far...so)

The Core is Triangle generator using 3080 OTA... the
ramp is generated by a companion current source that
is
syncronised to the triangle, not formed by waveshaping
the triangle as is most common today.

The Sine output is of superior quality to a lot of
designs, it uses a differential pair.

The Sync circuit is very complex due to the need to
reset the integrator and compaator at the same time.

I can't comment on the other modules as I don't have
those.

IMHO... the black on black of the Aries is dead SEXY.
I'd take one over any artsy-farsty synth (think Alesis
Andromeda...) anyday.

I'd buy the one on e-bay but its just too pricey for
me...  ;^)

H^) harry bissell




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> Topics in this digest:
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>       1. Re: EBAY Craziness, Looks similar to MOTM ;
> P
>            From: grantrichter2001@yahoo.com
> 
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>
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> 
> Message: 1
>    Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 05:39:56 -0000
>    From: grantrichter2001@yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: EBAY Craziness, Looks similar to MOTM ;
> P
> 
> 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.
> 
> 
> 
>
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> MOST Aries modules were designed by Dennis Colin...
> who designed similar modules for the ARP 2500... so
> I'd describe Aries as an ARP spinoff, rather than
> MIT.
> 
> The Aries Filter is a clone of the ARP odyssey.

Interesting that it is almost identical to the Electronotes design 
for a state variable. I wonder which way it went. I assume you are 
refering to the White face Odyssey which is the only one to have 
a 12 dB filter. I don't have the schematic for the ARP version, any 
chance you can send me one?

The VCA design is directly from Electronotes and Terry.

> IMHO... the black on black of the Aries is dead SEXY.
> I'd take one over any artsy-farsty synth (think Alesis
> Andromeda...) anyday.

I guess that must be why most of the bondage clothing is black 
huh? ;^) Specially the leathered covered ping-pong paddles with 
the biker snaps, which are another Milwaukee product. As the 
Romans said "De gustibus non desputandum est" which can be 
translated "Dispute not the appetites" or "There's no accounting 
for taste".

Also, consider that many non-musicians think music making 
itself to be "artsy farsty".

It is simply that there is SO much black monolithic equipment out 
there today. Like every technical designer saw "2001" one 
hundred times. Walter Gropius and the Bauhau design groups 
maxim that "form is function" has gotten somewhat tedious.

It was only inevitable that designers would return to the only 
other available technical asthetic, Victorian embellishment. 
Which at least has the virtue of "seeming" new, after 60 years of 
Bauhaus dominated design.

At 04:05 PM 11/27/2001 -0000, grantrichter2001@yahoo.com wrote:
>> IMHO... the black on black of the Aries is dead SEXY.
>> I'd take one over any artsy-farsty synth (think Alesis
>> Andromeda...) anyday.
>
>I guess that must be why most of the bondage clothing is black 
>huh? ;^) Specially the leathered covered ping-pong paddles with 
>the biker snaps, which are another Milwaukee product. As the 
>Romans said "De gustibus non desputandum est" which can be 
>translated "Dispute not the appetites" or "There's no accounting 
>for taste".

I just had to point out that, FOR ME, the Andromeda and Wiard are
definitely the two best-looking pieces of equipment in my studio (with the
Rickenbackers running a close second).  But then again, I think that plaid
bondage clothing is better-looking than black ;^).

	-Doug
	 jasret@mindspring.com