Wiardgroup

Well, I have been very entertained for the last week.  Thank you guys.  This discussion brought on by John ( I think 
that is his name ) seems to have made everyone ( including myself ) re-examine  our feelings about aesthetics, art, 
music, synthesizers, Wendy Carlos, face plates, etc...  That is a good thing.  I think Grants statements were especially 
well spoken.  I am a Wiard owner.  I have 7 modules + 1 on order ( a Wogglebug ), a custom birch case, and a 2 
joystick controller.  My system is also a blacklight system enabling its writing to be visible on a darkened stage.  Yes I 
use it live.  I played with the prototypes before Grant decided whether or not to bother starting the Wiard company and 
encouraged him to do it. 

My 2 cents:    The Wiard is a handmade instrument that took several years to develope and refine.  To keep costs 
down (you complain about the price) certain things, like using a universal faceplate, had to be done.  Would you be 
willing to pay twice the price or more for a module to have a unique faceplate for each module for aesthetic reasons?  
Obviously John you have no idea what it takes in tooling, etching, anodizing, soldering, assembling, designing, 
debugging, etc cost wise in both time and money to manufacture a product line of 8+ different electronic intruments.  
Each module is unique.  Grant has one person that helps him consistantly to accomplish this.  The circuitry alone for the 
first 6 modules took two years to R&D.  If the hours it took to do what Grant has done were divided buy the profit from 
sales up to today, He would not be making minimum wage by Mexico's standards!   I think the discussion you started 
was healthy for the reasons I stated earlier.  It kills me that someone as intelligent as you seem to be could make some 
of the statements regarding the functionallity of an instrument that you have never even used.  Especially one that has 
so much work put into.  The extent of your exposure to this instument is watching ( and hearing ) someone else use one 
once.  The only way you will ever have a clue as to how far beyond an everyday synth (like a Moog) a Wiard can take 
you is by buying one and spending hours with it.  It sounds like that will never happen.  Maybe you'll play someone 
elses for an hour or two ( a drop in the bucket ) and you will start to see for yourself what I am refering to.  If you like the 
layout and look of a MOOG, buy a MOOG.  My synth is portable and does way more ( and sounds great too)!  The last 
time I talked with Bach he agreed with me.  I have to go now,  I'm finishing up my next painting, "motor oil on canvas"!
						Rick

Rick wrote:

> The Wiard is a handmade instrument that took several years to
develope and refine. To keep costs  down (you complain about the 
price) certain things, like using a universal faceplate, had to be 
done. Would you be willing to pay twice the price or more for a 
module to have a unique faceplate for each module for aesthetic 
reasons?<

Other small synthesizer companies seem to have no trouble issuing 
different modules with different panels.  I refer you to 
Synthesizers.com, Synthtech, Modcan, Cyndustries, et al.

>Obviously John you have no idea what it takes in tooling, etching, 
anodizing,
soldering, assembling, designing, debugging, etc cost wise in both 
time and money to manufacture a product line of 8+ different 
electronic intruments.<

Not since I had to study all that stuff in college.

>If the hours it took to do what Grant
has done were divided buy the profit from 
sales up to today, He would not be making minimum wage by Mexico's 
standards!<

Then he might do will to consider having modules assembled there...

>I think the discussion you started 
was healthy for the reasons I stated earlier. It kills me that 
someone as
intelligent as you seem to be could make some 
of the statements regarding the functionallity of an instrument that 
you have
never even used.<

I do not have to visit Egypt to be able to tell you how high the 
pyramid of Kufu is, or how many chambers it has, or how many blocks.  
By the same token, I don't have to own Wiard to make valid comments 
on the panel layout. 

>Especially one that has so much work put into.<

That is moot; only the outcome matters.
  
> The extent of your exposure to this instument is
watching ( and hearing ) someone else use one 
once.<

Not quite.  I have also spent time exploring the web site, and am a 
lurker here.

>The only way you will ever have a clue as to how far beyond an 
everyday
synth (like a Moog) a Wiard can take 
you is by buying one and spending hours with it. It sounds like that 
will
never happen.<

What makes you say that?

> Maybe you'll play someone 
elses for an hour or two<

That would be nice.  Or better yet, rent one!  Wonder if there's any 
place in the Bay Area where I can do that?

>If you like the layout and look of a MOOG, buy a MOOG.< 

I do like the layout and look of a Moog--so I bought 
Synthesizers.com!  :-)

>My synth is portable and does way more
( and sounds great too)!<

That remains to be seen.

>The last time I talked with Bach he agreed with me.<

Glad to know somebody else on this forum is as old as I!

johnm

--- In wiardgroup@y..., "konkuro" <konkuro@a...> wrote:
> >The only way you will ever have a clue as to how far beyond 
an 
> everyday
> synth (like a Moog) a Wiard can take 
> you is by buying one and spending hours with it. It sounds like 
that 
> will
> never happen.<
> 
> What makes you say that?

John, am I correct that you are simply making (blunt) requests
for data on these subjects which would cause you to change
your mind on them? 

I for one would love to hear what you could do on a Wiard.

> >If you like the layout and look of a MOOG, buy a MOOG.< 
> 
> I do like the layout and look of a Moog--so I bought 
> Synthesizers.com!  :-)
> 
> >My synth is portable and does way more
> ( and sounds great too)!<
> 
> That remains to be seen.

I think that he was implying (correct me of course if I'm
wrong, and sorry for chiming in) "...buy a Moog. My synth is
portable and does way more (than a Moog)."

As a Moog enthusiast, I'll second this. The Moog is hella
limited until you get into a large system, and even then a
Wiard will knock it down feature-wise. The sonics are 
different to individual tastes, of course. I'd like some of both :-)

Easier,

-Mike

In message <arhdhb+5bo2@eGroups.com>, konkuro <konkuro@aol.com> writes
>
>Other small synthesizer companies seem to have no trouble issuing
>different modules with different panels.  I refer you to
>Synthesizers.com, Synthtech, Modcan, Cyndustries, et al.
                                               ^^^^^^^^^

Just by the by, if you look at ModCan's product line, you'll see that
the majority of the panels are based on one form factor, IE an oblong
with 2 columns of 8 holes drilled for switches, sockets or pots.  It
isn't obvious because it's been very cleverly done, with attractive
panel markings hiding the similarity still further.  Very impressive
IMO.  Also, I believe the old Synton modular line was based on similar
panel faces with different markings to differentiate.  Anyway, I like
the Wiard design, and as I add to my set of modules, I find that the
shapes & patterns across the front are sort of beguiling!
-- 
Norman Fay

>Other small synthesizer companies seem to have no trouble issuing
>different modules with different panels. I refer you to
>Synthesizers.com, Synthtech, Modcan, Cyndustries, et al.
^^^^^^^^^

Norman Fay wrote:

>Just by the by, if you look at ModCan's product line, you'll see that
the majority of the panels are based on one form factor, IE an oblong
with 2 columns of 8 holes drilled for switches, sockets or pots. It
isn't obvious because it's been very cleverly done, with attractive
panel markings hiding the similarity still further. Very impressive
IMO.<

Good lord, Mayt.  How many email handles do you have?!

You know, I had second thoughts after I hit the "send" button about 
Modcan and Cyndustries. I'm intrigued by their designs (as I am with 
Wiard) but don't dig their panels.  So we'll rewrite that to include 
synthesizers.com and Synthtech only. 

johnm