Make Noise Wiard Wogglebug - Manual (Page 8)

IS THE WOGGLEBUG MY SYNTHESIZER'S ID MONSTER? SHOULD I BEWARE of the
WOGGLEBUG?
YES and maybe.
The "WoggleBug" is a random voltage generator, originally designed by Grant Richter of
Wiard Synthesizers. The Wogglebug's purpose is to overtake the control voltages produced
by your keyboard during performance and to give voice to your synthesizer's ID. It is your
synthesizer's ID MONSTER. A continuation of the "smooth" and "stepped" fluctuating
random voltage sources pioneered by Don Buchla, the core of the circuit is based on the
Buchla Model 265 "Source of Uncertainty" module, which many consider to be the most
musical of all random voltage generators. Like the 256, the Wogglebug utilizes a vactrol
based low frequency smoothing filter, VCO, and Sample & Hold to produce Stepped and
Smooth (or lagged, slewed) control voltages in the range of 0 to 10 volts.
Grant's Wogglebug design expands on this system to include the other-worldly Woggle CVs
(stepped voltages with decaying sinusoids at the edges), which must be heard in action to be
truly appreciated. In a moment of considerable noise, Richter decided to tap into the sound
sources at the uncertainly beating heart of the Wogglebug and bring them forth to the instru-
ment's panel. He then figured a clever way to "ring modulate" these sounds, and that too is
on the panel of all Wogglebugs. Thus, the Wogglebug is a complete system- no external
modules are necessary; however, all voltage controlled systems long to be tickled, bitten,
plagued, and eventually, destroyed by the Wogglebug.
I fell in love with Grant's #3 circuit the moment my first Wogglebug came to life on my experi-
menter's breadboard. Since then, I have built a few DIY Wogglebug #3, including the Ryan
Williams designed clone PCB. I have been lucky enough to have used the Wiard Wogglebug
#5 extensively, and I now feel VERY HONORED to be presenting this circuit as a Make
Noise module.
Until now, the Wogglebug has only been available as the Wiard Wogglebug #5 for the 300
series or as the Wogglebug #3 DIY project, popularized by the folks at electro-music. The
Make Noise Wogglebug is neither #3 nor #5. In the truest spirit in the truest spirit of Wiard
Synthesizers, the Make Noise Wogglebug is not a clone, but instead it is a tribute to all that
Woggles: a continuation of the Wogglebug. Like the #3, the Make Noise Wogglebug is a
single Wogglebug system. However, the Make Noise Wogglebug improves upon the #3 by
offering further functionality such as an External IN for the ring mod circuit, the ability to
directly inject a signal to the heart of the Wogglebug via Heart IN, and the Random Gate
Burst function, all of which have never appeared on any Wogglebug. I have also redesigned
the Cluster circuit, and thus it has been renamed as CHAOS BALANCE to reflect its further
purposes. This control now allows for some new functionality that has again, never
appeared within any Wogglebug to my knowledge.