Waveshapers

This is a bit of basic Synthesis... I'm writing this for a friend who is starting his journey.

All about wavefolders, wave multipliers, transfer functions etc etc.

You will see wave shapers in a lot of "west Coast" synths. Serge & Don Buchla used them extensively.

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The Serge TWS and WM are classic waveshaping modules.

Wave shaping is one of the fundamental parts of oscillator designs as well as being one way to achieve distortion and design new waveforms from existing waveforms. When building a oscillator core, often waveshapers are used to derive additional waveforms from a single saw or triangle core.
+ Oscillator cores & Exponential Converters

The timbre circuit from the Buchla 259 is another example of the early use of waveshapers.

I understand that Don's Harmonic Oscillator from the Buchla 100 series used waveshapers to add harmonics to the core oscillator. 

 There are lots of modern manufacturers of waveshaping modules in many formats.

Basically waveshapers map the input and the output of the waveform. They then apply a mathematical equation to that waveform (commonly known as the “shaping or transfer function”) that alters it's final shape.

If the original input signal is called x and the new output signal  is called y.
This function is called the transfer function.
y = f(x)

This is a really simple function but the basic idea is the same no matter how complicated things get.
 
The transfer function can be done either the old fashioned analog way with op-amps, diodes, etc or digitally where "look up tables" are implemented.

Don Buchla used both digital & analog waveshapers.
His Touche from 1978 had digital waveshaping. It had 16 digital oscillators that could be combined into eight voices.

Grant Richter used waveshapers in his Anti-osc & the Mega wave
The Malekko/Wiard Anti-osc is a triangle-core oscillator with voltage-controllable waveshaping.

The Megawave can be used as an audio wave shaper

To be continued ............

Wiard Index

This is the main index to my Wiard Blog posts.

Grant Richter is a hero of mine. He really deserves more recogition than he currently enjoys.
To many people, Buchla and Serge are the only two manufacturers associated with the West Coast style. 

Wiard should not be left out.
 

+ Eurorack Wiard - initial system  (Malekko & Makenoise)

+ Wiard-Malekko Noisering

+ Borg Filters (I & II)

+ Wogglebug comparisons 

+ Joyrider Borg Filter (GR-1204)

+ Joystick GR 1209B 

+ Megawave - Basic patch notes

+ Envelator - quick start notes  

+ Xmix - basic notes

 

Wiard-Malekko Noisering

Thanks to Grant Richter and Malekko for making this module available.
I was searching for another random source module to complement the Wobblebug and came across the Noisering.

I especially love the old Celtic/Gargoyle graphics of the Noisering
 So what's the difference between the two modules?

It seems like the Wogglebug evolved from the Wiard 300 series and is a staple of the DIY scene.
There are many variations. See my post on the Bug here.
It was inspired by the Buchla 265 Source of Uncertainity module and  behaves in a very non-linear way when controlling smooth and stepped random voltages. The wogglebug is a oscillator as well as a source of random voltages. ... it is super useful as it can output gates, CVs, and audio all at the same time.

The Malekko-Wiard Noisering seems to trace its lineage from the Wiard 1200 series. These modules use the Frack rack format.  It is based on comparators & analogue shift registers and it doesn't seem to behave as "crazy" as the wogglebug.:-) So I think it is really useful as a "randomish sequencer".... more than the WoggleB is (in my opinion). You can also use it as an oscillator

 I actually have a plan to use both modules in my rig. Possible patches:

Clock out from the Noisering to the Woggle . This clocks the WoggleB and gives control of the slew. Then I run the  Noisering outs into each of the WoggleB heart ins.

Another possible patch uses the WB Clock/Chaos control in instead of the external clock input.

NoiseR out (either 1 or 2) -> WoggleB Clock/Chaos control in
WoggleB Smooth CV Out -> NoiseR Ext Rate in


At the heart of the Noisering is Noise and a Tone Wheel pseudo-random shift register.
The Noisering can act as a
1  Noise source
2. Random clock
3. Random CV generator
4. VCO
5. Audio processor

In the lower left we have two random CV voltage outputs.
They can operate both in the sub-audio & audio range
1. n+1  (9 voltage levels, 0-10V)
2. Two to the exponential of n (256 voltage levels, 0-10V)

Outputs 1& 2 are normalised to the External rate pot directly above it.
The Ext Rate knob modulates the (overall frequency) Rate knob (right at the top) and effects the noise , clock out and the two CV outs

The noise out is +/- 4V
The Clock output is a +10V square wave. (1Hz-10kHz)

Chance Vs Change

Chance controls the number of 1s and zeros extracted from the internal noise source.
At 12 O'clock:  No of 1s = No of Zeros (Equal balance)
At 7 O'clock :  Mostly Zeros
At 5 O'clock : Mostly 1s


Change controls the Data Recycle through the shift register.
At 12 O'clock: Equal amount of old & new data (Equal balance)
At 7 O'clock :  Only old data is recycled through the shift register
At 5 O'clock :  Only new data is recycled through the shift register

Both Chance & Change have CV inputs above.
In the centre we have a external Chance (comparator) input. This allows you to change the signal feeding the shift register that then produces the CV & clock outputs. You can plug in either audio or control voltages

Above all this are 8 LEDS.
The centre 4 LEDs indicate the shift register state.
OFF = same
RED = greater
Green = lesser

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These particular Gargoyle Wiard modules are getting old. All through hole.
Everything these days is going SMD.

When this eventually dies (which will happen to all of us one day) I'd like to try to fix it.

Hopefully Malekko will still be making new ones and repairing these older versions.
But just in case these appear to be the parts needed to keep these alive.

IC 2 .... CD 4053 - CMOS triple 2 channel multiplexer
IC 1 - 4015 - shift register
TL 074 - op amp
NE 555 -- timer
LN 324 - quad op amp x 2

cd 4053

cd 4015 --- the shift register

The two LN 324 Quad op amps probably form the comparator circuit. and the 4015 does the shift registering.

Borg filters

These just arrived in the mail.

I love the old Gargoyles designs on Malekko/Wiard modules.
I wish there was a such a panel for the Wogglebug

There are 2 variations of Borg filter. The white knob on on the left and the black on the right.

The Borgs are described as:
"The Borg I (white knobs) has a slower response and a more mellow sound compared to the Borg II (black knobs). Thanks to its longer decay time, the Borg I is best for recreating the famous Buchla bongo patch, and the Borg II is best for a faster, more aggressive response." (Malekko)

Notice the use of vactrols:

The Borg 1 is on the left.
The Euro Borg 1 is sanctioned by Grant Richter of Wiard Synthesizer Company. This module is exactly the same as the original 1213A (Blacet Frac Rack compatible 1200 Series module), only in eurorack format. 

These filters are influenced by the Buchla 292 Low Pass Gate and the Korg MS20.
That's where the name comes from: Buchla/Korg

" In Low Pass Gate (LPG) mode, the Borg will act as a filter and a VCA simultaneously.
 When the resonance knob is turned “on” with a click, the Borg becomes a 12db filter influenced by the MS20."

"Two outputs are provided, output 2 has a slightly more aggressive resonance. Removing a jumper on the back of the Borg makes the resonance “scream” even more!"

 Thanks to Grant Richter, Thomas Holley and Paul Barker

There is also a Dual Borg module:

 Combining the best of both filters
You can link the two filters in Parallel or series with the flick of a switch.

...

The 300 series Borg is a dual filter design. It has additional LFOs with square, tri & saw outs.

You can link the two filters up to make a 4 pole.

The eurorack borg 1 is a replica of the Wiard Model GR-1213A Borg Filter (not the 300 series)
This was a Frac Rack (Paia, Blacet) rack system compatible 1200 Series module.

The 1200 Series were produced between 1999 to 2002.and in very very small numbers.  Estimates are that about 50 (possibly less) of these exist.


+ Wiard Synthesizers
+ Malekko
+ Patch examples
+ Patch ideas - muffs
+ Modular Grid

Malekko - Wiard - Xmix

The  Malekko Wiard XMIX is a mixing/crossfading utility module.

I understand it's different from the 300 series Mixolator which used a  CA3280 transconductance amplifier.

 The XMIX is 8hp wide, 25mm deep, and consumes approximately 45mA power.

There are two inputs (X and Y). 

The Y input can be inverted via a switch.

Z controls the balance of X Vs. Y. 

Z has a CV input, along with an attenuator for CV amount. 

Positive and negative outputs are provided, as well as an Expand input which provides a unity input to chain the output of other modules (such as another XMIX).

Some uses for the XMIX (Manufacturer's manual):

– A 2 > 1 Mixer

– CV crossfading

– A signal inverter

– Audio rate amplitude/crossfading modulation

– With a single input, you can use the XMIX as a linear VCA

– Input different waveforms to create new wave shapes

-- waveshaping

– The X input normals into the Y input when nothing is plugged into Y. Invert the Y input with the switch, and crossfade the X signal VS the inverted version of itself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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There is a three pin connector on the back of the PCB that goes hot-ground-cold.

Connect this to an XLR or TRS and you have a low impedance balanced send.

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mAKING  a  ADSR Envelope.

You will need two Envelators. 

 

1. Set 1st to AD mode, and 2nd to AR mode.

2. send a trigger to the 1st Envelator.

3. send a gate to the second envelator .

4. take outputs of each Envelator into the inputs of the xMix

    AD Envelator plus output to X input of XMIX (X control set to max)

    AR Envelator plus output to Y input of XMIX (set Y polarity to plus and Y control to max).

5. The ADSR envelope is available at the XMIX plus output 

6.  The XMIX "Z" control acts like a "Sustain" control.  

     The "ZMOD" input can be used as voltage controlled sustain level input.   

 

Take the output of the xMix and input into a VCA 

The Wiard Xmix can be used as a mixer & as a VCA.

I find there is a little bit of audio bleed when I use the Xmix as a VCA.

I prefer to use a dedicated VCA for this task.

 

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Balanced (ring) modulation. 

• 1. Make sure the X & Y knobs are at full.
  2. Connect your carrier sine wave (or whatever) to the X input.
  3. The Y input is normalled to the X input so the carrier is going to X + Y.
  4. Switch the Y input polarity to negative (minus).
  5. Monitor the plus output.
  6. Adjust the Z control to get the best carrier null.
  7. Now run anything into the Z control input (modulator), Z Control is the volume for the modulation input.

 Thanks to "shady smiles" for the ring mod patch.

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Unbalanced modulation (VCA)

 

 X in = Audio in

+ out = Audio out.

Zero both Y & Z pots.

Z control pot is set to Max

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Links:

+ Muffs

+ waveshaping (youtube)

Wiard - Malekko Envelator - quick start notes

The Envelator is a 10hp envelope generator (Function Generator).

This eurorack version was based around the Wiard 300 series of modules

developed by Grant Richter.

The version on the left is a vintage gargoyles. 

These date from around 2009/10.

I love these "Celtic" designs.

 

It offers simultaneous output of positive and negative envelopes as well as voltage control of attack and decay functions.

There are 3 types of envelopes: 

AR (attack release), AD (attack decay) &  CY (cycle).

AR mode, outputs an AR envelope, maintaining full level until GATE [in] goes “low”. 

AD mode, outputs an AD envelope, and begins decay immediately when

the attack stage is complete.  

Cycle mode, the end pulse is fed back to the envelope input, and will force the envelope to re-trigger.(triangle LFO). The SQR output functions as a square wave LFO

The GATE socket is where you plug your gate or trigger.

This input is a comparator 

The threshold is 2V so any waveform above this will work

The SQR socket is an output.

It puts out a square +10V pulse during the attack phase.

and 0V during the decay/release phase.

The END socket is an output.

It outputs a a pulse at the end of the decay phase.

 

 

This is the modern Malekko version. 

As with the vintage version, the attack & delay have two settings

They are operated with the push buttons on the modern version

and pull switches on the gargoyles version. 

Attack : has a normal & 10X setting.

Delay :When the switch is "in" the delay control does nothing.

It is only when in cycle mode that activating the delay control has an effect.

The effect is to introduce delay before the envelope re-triggers.

You have CV control of the delay time. "DEL CV" on the modern version.

"Ext" on the Gargoyles version.

Both modules have CV inputs for Attack Modulation (AMOD) & Decay Modulation (DMOD).

There are 3 envelope outputs:

-out : inverted copy of the envelope.

+out : two positive copies of the envelope.

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Using the Envelator as a clock divider:

1. Clock signal into Gate socket

2. Use the SQR socket as the output of the divided clock.

    It puts out a square +10V pulse during the attack phase

    and 0V during the decay/release phase.

3. Use the Attack pot to set the clock division. 

4.  Works in AD and AR modes

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 Using the Envelator as a LFO:

 

You have both triangle & square waveform LFOs.

Put the module into Cycle mode.

Leave the decay control at max (fastest speed).

The end pulse is fed back to the envelope input, and will force the envelope to re-trigger. creating a triangle LFO.

The SQR output functions as a square wave LFO.

 

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Using the Envelator to change gate length.

 

1. mode switch to AD.

2. end your gate to the Envelator's gate input. 

3. Leave the decay control at max (fastest speed).

4. The attack control determines the length of the gate.  

 

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ADSR Patch

 

You will need two Envelators,  a mixer and a VCA.

1. Set 1st to AD mode, and 2nd to AR mode.

2. send the same gate to each envelator .

3. take outputs of each Envelator into the inputs of the mixer.

4. take the output of the mixer and input into a VCA 

The AD one acts as the attack and decay. The AR does the sustain and release.

The Wiard Xmix can be used as a mixer & as a VCA.

I find there is a little bit of audio bleed when I use the Xmix as a VCA.

I prefer to use a dedicated VCA for this task.

 

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The -OUT is normalled to the AMOD input 

but you can  patch it to the DMOD.

 

This makes the DEcay curve bend up.