Wiard Synthesizer Company
Model 1202 Mini-Wave Manual
Introduction: The Wiard Mini-Wave is a miniature digital non-linear function generator.
It is useful in electronic music as an audio processor and control voltage processor. In the audio range the module can function as a 256 waveform wavetable playback device or as a nonlinear distorter to add harmonics to a sine wave. It can also process any audio signal pre-amplified to the +/- 5 volt range. In the control voltage range, it can act as a control voltage quantizer (into 16 pre-programed music scales) or as a virtually unlimited source of smooth and stepped control voltages.
General Information
Pictorial Guide to the Wavetable (in PDF format)
The Wiard Synthesizer Min-Wave is a 4.5" Frac-Rac compatible 256 Waveform, Swept Wavetable playback device which also functions as timbre modulator, sequence pattern generator and control voltage quantizer. It is designed to work with ARP/PAIA/Wiard standard oscillators(and the many synthesizers that use the same ranges). It can be adjusted with internal trim pots to work with nonstandard synthesizer voltage levels (Serge). It comes calibrated for the 1 Volt per Octave standard.
The heart of the device is a 64K EPROM stored "wavetable" that contains 256 waveforms arranged as 16 "Banks" of 16 "Waves". You can select the Banks and Waves manually using two knobs and the LEDs display which Bank and Wave is active. You can also scan the wavetable with a sequencer, envelope or random voltage generator. This module also contains an external bank select input which allow scanning the wavetable horizontally. The Wiard Joystick Model 1209 is the perfect companion to this module as it allows you to select all 256 waveforms with a single control.
The unit functions in two different modes set by the "Range" switch. The input voltage ranges for the external Wave and Bank select are always 0-10 volts. This range can be change to 0-5 volts by soldering a two 100K resistors onto the board.
In the 0-10 Volt mode the input accepts 0-10 Volts and Wave selection follows the sum of the manual and external wave select voltages, without regard to the input signal. The module outputs between 0 and 10 volts depending on the number stored at the EPROM address pointed to by the input voltage. This is primarily used for control voltage processing and for synthesizers like the ARP 2600 that have sawtooth waves that go from 0 to +10 volts.
In the +/- 5 Volt mode the input accepts +/- 5 Volts and Wave selection is only updated at the zero crossings of the input waveform. If the input is a raising sawtooth and the internal waveforms are developed with that in mind, the wave will only progress at the zero crossing points and remove "clicking" from the wavetable sweep. The module outputs between -5 and +5 volts depending on the number stored at the EPROM address pointed to by the input voltage. This is primarily used for audio processing on synthesizers that have balanced sawtooths.
Controls on the Mini-Wave
Reading the LEDs
The LEDs are arranged as two binary nibbles which form the address into the wavetable. You can think of them as Waves and Banks. There are 16 Waves in a Bank and 16 Banks in a Wavetable. The Green LEDs indicate the Wave Number and the Orange LEDs indicate the Bank Number. The are numbered from 0-15 in binary code. This table shows how to convert to base 10.
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NUMBER
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8 LED
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4 LED
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2 LED
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1 LED
|
|
0
|
||||
|
1
|
ON
|
|||
|
2
|
ON
|
|||
|
3
|
ON
|
ON
|
||
|
4
|
ON
|
|||
|
5
|
ON
|
ON
|
||
|
6
|
ON
|
ON
|
||
|
7
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
|
|
8
|
ON
|
|||
|
9
|
ON
|
ON
|
||
|
10
|
ON
|
ON
|
||
|
11
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
|
|
12
|
ON
|
ON
|
||
|
13
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
|
|
14
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
|
|
15
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
Each Wave is 256 bytes long and the address to the byte inside the Wave is determined by the voltage at the "Waveshaper Input" jack. The input is protected against over-voltage up to +/-10 volts, but voltages outside the set range will not affect the output voltage.
Application Suggestions
General
hookup for Mini-Wave Wavetable mode
Audio Examples:
Bank0.mp3
A quick manual sweep through the basic waveforms in Bank 0
Bank6.mp3
A triangle wave LFO sweeps through the double pulse width modulation in Bank 6
Bank7arp.mp3 , Bank7ran.mp3
A triangle wave LFO sweeps through the binary rate multiplier in Bank 7 while the VCO is controlled by an arpegiator, the patch is adjusted and the arpegiator set to random mode
Bank8NE.mp3 , Bank8rev.mp3
A random voltage generator sweeps through the VODER phonemes in Bank 8 with a fixed VCO pitch and no effects. The RNG is speeded up and reverb is added
Bank 10.mp3
An envelope generator sweeps the wavetable in bank 10
Bank14.mp3
A quick manual sweep throught the harmonic series
General
hookup for use with sequencers.
Inputs are 0-10 volts.
Audio Examples:
Bank1.mp3
The sequencer steps though all 16 waves in Bank 1 while the VCO pitch is held constant. The sequence is modified during recording.
Bank2.mp3
The sequencer steps though all 16 waves in Bank 2 while the VCO pitch is held constant.
Bank3.mp3
The sequencer steps though all 16 waves in Bank 3 while the low VCO pitch is held constant.
Bank9.mp3
The sequencer steps through the waves in Bank 9 and changes the VCO pitch at the same time
Bank11a.mp3 , Bank11b.mp3 From the original Digisound VCDO
The sequencer steps though the waves 0-7 in bank 11 while the VCO pitch is held constant, then the sequencer steps though waves 8-15 while the VCO pitch is held constant.
Bank12a.mp3 , Bank12b.mp3
The sequencer steps though waves 0-7 in bank 12 while the VCO pitch is held constant, then the sequencer steps though waves 8-15 while the VCO pitch is held constant.
General
hookup for use as a complex wave LFO
The Mini-Wave is driven by slow moving (LFO) triangle or sawtooth waves, the complex output is used to drive the control inputs of VCO and VCFs.
Audio Examples:
Bank40.mp3 , Bank42.mp3, Bank47.mp3
Bank 4 Waves 0, 2 and 7 controlling a sine wave VCO
Bank410.mp3
Bank 4 Wave 10 controlling the LFO frequency and sine wave VCO
Bank414.mp3
Bank 4 Wave 10 controlling a Joy Rider filter while a square wave VCO is tuned manually
Bank50.mp3, Bank57.mp3
Bank 5 Wave 0 and 7 controlling a Joy Rider filter and pulse wave VCO forming "smooth" sequences, large control voltage changes cause characteristic plucked sound of Borg filter.
Bank56.mp3 Instant Space Rock
Bank 5 Wave 6 controlling a Joy Rider filter and pulse wave VCO, the filter joystick is adjusted for effect
General
hookup for nonlinear synthesis.
Vary amplitude of sine to hear effect. Triangle gives brighter timbre.
Audio Examples:
Bank13b.mp3 , Bank13b2.mp3
Transform in Wave 3, first LFO controls sine amplitude, second is manualy adjusted
Bank13c.mp3 , Bank13c2.mp3
Transform in Wave 9, first LFO controls sine amplitude, second is manualy adjusted
Bank13d.mp3 , Bank13d2.mp3
Transform in Wave 15, first LFO controls sine amplitude, second is manualy adjusted
Hookup
to use as distortion unit.
Amplify input to +/- 5 volts. Use ARP 2600 preamplifier or equivalent.
Using the Mini-Wave to quantize control voltage to the 1 Volt per Octave
standard.
0-10 volts input gives 5 octave of output. Wave control selects among
16 scales available.
Wave Number:
0 Chromatic 12 notes per octave (4 steps per note)
1 Diatonic Major (C-D-E-F-G-A-B) Eight per octave (6 steps per note)
2 Diatonic Harmonic Minor (C-D-D#-F-G-G#-B) Eight per octave (6 steps
per note)
3 Diatonic Natural Minor (C-D-D#-F-G-G#-A#) Eight per octave (6 steps
per note)
4 Diatonic Dorian Mode (C-D-D#-F-G-A-A#) Eight per octave (6 steps per
note)
5 Diatonic Phygian Mode (C-C#-D#-F-G-G#-A#) Eight per octave (6 steps
per note)
6 Diatonic Lydian Mode (C-D-E-F#-G-A-B) Eight per octave (6 steps per
note)
7 Diatonic Aolian Mode (C-D-E-F-G-G#-A#) Eight per octave (6 steps per
note)
8 Whole Tone (C-D-E-F#-G#-A#) 6 notes per octave (8 steps per note)
9 Pentatonic (C#-D#-F#-G#-A#) 5 notes per octave (10 steps per note)
10 C Major (C-E-G) 3 notes per octave (17 steps per note)
11 A minor (C-E-A)
12 G Major (D-G-B)
13 F major (C-F-A)
14 D major (D - F# - A)
15 Octaves one note per octave (46 steps per note)
Technical Data
Back of the Mini-Wave showing power connections. Module uses +/-15 VDC at 100 ma. Three stripped #24 wires are provided for power connection.
- RED = +15VDC
- GREEN = Ground
- BLACK = -15 VDC
Detail of trimpots on back of Mini-Wave PCB. Input span control is adjusted
for lowest distortion sine wave out (Wave 0 Bank 0)
Example
input waveform for calibration
+/- 5 volt ascending sawtooth waveform at Waveshaper Input.
Input switch set to +/-5 volt range
Scope calibration
5 volts/division
1 millisecond/division
Example
waveforms with input span too large
Top waveform is at "TEST" point on PCB. Showing input to A/D is greater than 0-5 volts
Bottom waveform is Waveshaper output with Wave 0 and Bank 0
Adjust input offset so reset "glitch" is in center of flat
spot at 0 volts.
Scope calibration
5 volts/division
1 millisecond/division
Example
waveforms with input span too small
Top waveform is at "TEST" point on PCB. Showing input to A/D is less than 0-5 volts
Bottom waveform is Waveshaper output with Wave 0 and Bank 0
Scope calibration
5 volts/division
1 millisecond/division
Example
waveforms with input span "Just Right"
Top waveform is at "TEST" point on PCB. Showing input to A/D is exactly 0-5 volts
Bottom waveform is Waveshaper output with Wave 0 and Bank 0
Reset "Glitch" is at end of waveform and waveform sounds like
purest sine wave (least harmonics).
Scope calibration
5 volts/division
1 millisecond/division
Wave
15 Bank 15 with input span "Just Right"
Top waveform is at "TEST" point on PCB. Showing input to A/D is exactly 0-5 volts
Bottom waveform is Waveshaper output with Wave 15 and Bank 15
This is 5 x one volt steps (octave quantizer)
Scope calibration
5 volts/division
1 millisecond/division