Resistance is Futile - Wiard BORG filter

Some pics of a Wiard Synthesizer Company GR-1204 Joyrider module.
 This is a 4.5" Frac module with a pair of Vactrol-based Borg 1 Filters.

When I first came across this filter I thought it was a reference to the Star Trek movie "First Contact"
Then I realised the name BORG is a cross between Buchla & Korg.
Which is what it is... a.marriage of "two divergent influences, the Buchla 292 Low Pass Gate and the Korg MS20 filter". I promptly forgot all references to that ancient race of aliens from Star Trek until today.

Designer Grant Richter settled on the FracRak format for his series 1200 series modular.... probably early 2000 ish ???
Sadly the Frac Rack format is almost dead. But I intend to install this with other Wiard modules (Euro & series 300) and anything else I feel is worthy

Apparently, there are only 11 of these in existence so I will look after it.
Lovingly  hand-built, panel silk-screened &.hand wired by I guess Grant Richter himself.

The Joystick:
"x" controls the type 1 filter, joystick "y" controls Type 2.
There is a common resonance control called Peaking.
In the new eurorack version, If you turn the control all the way off this engages a switch which changes to VCA mode. Max setting will produce self oscillation.

Individual mode controls... one for each filter.
Each filter is adjustable through Low pass, Band Pass, and High Pass modes. 
LP= 12dB/oct
BP= Resonator gain of 1 except Peaking ... controls gain at Fc
HP= 6/dB/oct


The modern Borg 1 filter looks like this:

 Sadly the new filter has lost its joystick.
It's an interesting design. Two filter inputs.. Input 1 mixes 50/50 with input 2.

The PCB appears to be only partly stuffed. There are those famous vactrols that create the famous  natural, very musical decay. In Low Pass Gate (LPG) mode, the Borg will act as a filter and a VCA simultaneously. ... just like the Buchla 292.

The rear of the PCB. I'm amazed how deep this module is.

A close up of the top of the PCB:

The Star Trek reference returns.