Wiard Model GR-352 Borg Filters

Wiard GR-352 Borg Filters

Rev: 031001

BORG Two circuits - BORG1, BORG2 Filter LEDs

FILTER Blue - Filter LED, in series with the Vactrol LED, you see what it sees.
S Green - Shows positive excursions
Generator Processor
Red - Shows negative
Off - Close to 0 volts
Audio LFO Filter
high range filter LP, BP, HP
self-oscillation

Control LFO None

Voltage Low range

Filter Controls
FREQ [knob] - Filter cutoff frequency 0 Hz to 10
KHz. Note: Filter frequency extend to 20KHz with
combination of FREQ knob and envelope voltage.
Front control range is limited to make it more
“playable”.
PEAK [knob] Filter Peak Control - Off to wild
oscillation, gain at Max is about 10 so reduce input
amplitude to reduce distortion. There is a voltage
Modulation Controls controlled amplifier mode as well (VCA). The
MOD [knob] - Filter modulation input attenuator, middle position of Lowpass Gate “simulates
connects to MOD in. amplitude and frequency” characteristics of receding
LFO1/2 [knob]- Low frequency oscillator control sound sources. Use with TYPE knob set to LP.
•Low range is very slow to about 5KHz Warning!!! With PEAK knob at maximum the filter
•High range is 5Hz to about 10KHz will output up to 25 volts peak to peak!!! DO NOT
•High range may show some bleed through into connect directly to power amplifier without
filter channel. So switch to low range for quite intermediate volume control! Always begin with
operation. volume set to minimum and advance volume
•LFO SWITCH [toggle switch] - Oscillator range control slowly!!!
switch. Note: While a high range has been included TYPE [switch] - Sets the type of filtering to
on the LFO, it is not a keyboard tracking oscillator •LP (12dB/Oct lowpass)
like the Classic VCO. Some drift, pitch shift, soft •BP (6dB/Oct bandpass)
synching, and feed through to the filter channels is •HP (12dB/Oct highpass)
•Use both sections in series for a 24dB/Oct filters

Oscillator Outputs
Filter Modulation and Control Oscillator outputs +/-4 volts 1K Ohm
FC [in] - Oscillator frequency voltage control, TRI [out] - Triangle wave.
approximately 1 volt per octave. SAW [out] - Descending sawtooth wave (Classic
KEY FOL [in] - Filter keyboard follow, VCO saw is ascending).
approximately 1 volt per octave. SQR [out] - Square wave 50% duty cycle.
MOD [in] - Filter modulation input.

Filter I/O
FILTER IN [in] - Input is 50K.
FILTER OUT [out] - Output is 1K.

MULTIPLE [in/out]
Any signal can be multiplied (that is,
duplicated) by placing a signal into any of
these jacks, and using the remaining
three jacks as duplicate outputs.

© 1996-2003 Wiard Synthesizer Company – design by Bill Sequeira/Axon Hillock Filter

Wiard Model GR-352 Borg Filters

Borg Filters First Order Units

FREQ PEAK LFO1

TRI

TYPE MOD
LFO
FC
SAW

IN SQR
OUT LOW HIGH

KEY
FOL

MOD

FILTER/VC

MULTIPLE

© 1996-2003 Wiard Synthesizer Company – design by Bill Sequeira/Axon Hillock Filter

Wiard Model GR-352 Borg Filters

Borg Filters Module Description

A singularly distinct filter in the Wiard system is the Borg …and the Korg MS-20 High and Low-Pass Filters.
Filter. The Borg uses a completely new filter design using
“Vactrol”-based electronics. There are two separate filters in
this module -- each implemented as a 2-pole multi-mode.
They can be linked as a 4-pole, or used as two independent
filters. The Vactrol circuitry provides a certain amount of
slew, giving the filter a very woody and warm tone.

The Borg also contains two LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators).

Low frequency might be a misnomer, since the oscillators will
extend to a 15 Khz audio rate. These two oscillators can be
used for filter modulation, or for clocking of a Sequantizer,
vibrato on a Classic VCO and wave sequencing of a Waveform
City.

Where did the Borg name come from? From the combination
of the Buchla Model 292 Low-Pass Gate

The Borg Filter module contains:

o Two separate Borg filter (Controls - Freq, Peak, Type,

Mod)
o Two low frequency oscillators (Controls - Speed)
o A jack multiple

© 1996-2003 Wiard Synthesizer Company – design by Bill Sequeira/Axon Hillock Filter

Wiard Model GR-352 Borg Filters

Borg Filters Example Patches

Assumptions peaks (HP and LP peaks) of the band filtered in. Vary
o Notation used: MPN (see Modular Patch Notation (MPN) the peaks using the PEAK knobs for different results.
Explained for a discussion on MPN) Make sure that the Borg2’s PEAK value is set below the
o Only one module: BorgFilters. Lowpass.
o Two filter circuits in a Borg Filters module: Borg1, Borg2.
PS-3200 Style Resonator Effect

Top BorgFilters
Hello World Borg1.Controls
[(FREQ, PEAK)=12,
Top BorgFilters MOD=5,
Borg1.Controls LFO1=9,
[(PEAK, MOD)=12, TYPE=BP,
FREQ=2, OSCILLATOR SWITCH=LOW]
LFO1=2, Borg2.Controls
TYPE=LP, [(FREQ, PEAK)=12,
OSCILLATOR SWITCH=LOW] MOD=5,
Borg2.Controls LFO1=9,
[(FREQ, PEAK)=7, TYPE=BP,
MOD=5, OSCILLATOR SWITCH=LOW]
TYPE=LP, Connect
OSCILLATOR SWITCH=LOW] [Borg1.TRI -> Borg1.MOD,
Connect Borg2.TRI -> Borg2.MOD,
[KBD.CV - > KEY FOL, +OSCILLATOR -> Borg1.FILTER IN,
+OSCILLATOR -> Borg1.FILTER IN, Borg1.FILTER OUT -> Borg2.FILTER IN,
Borg1.FILTER OUT -> Borg2.FILTER IN, Borg2.FILTER OUT -> +MON]
+ENVELOPE -> (Borg1.MOD, Borg2.MOD),
TRI -> +OSCILLATOR VIBRATO, Comment
Borg2.FILTER OUT -> +MON] Set the PEAK controls in both sections to the maximum
possible resonance value just before oscillation.
Comment
This patch utilizes BORG1 as a VCF and BORG2 as a
VCA. This simulates a “soft Buchla” architecture. An
oscillator’s output or other source is sent into the Borg
filter acting as a VCF. An external envelope is used to
control both sections of the module, while the
keyboard pitch is used to drive the output of the filter
section. Vary FREQ, PEAK, TYPE and MOD in the
Borg1 for different effects. The Borg1 LFO1 knob set
at 2pm should yield a setting of about 7Hz.

True Bandpass

Top BorgFilters
Borg1.Controls
[FREQ=2,
PEAK=9,
MOD=12,
TYPE=LP,
OSCILLATOR SWITCH=LOW]
Borg2.Controls
[FREQ=11,
PEAK=9,
MOD=12,
TYPE=HP,
OSCILLATOR SWITCH=LOW]
Connect
[+OSCILLATOR -> Borg1.FILTER IN,
Borg1.FILTER OUT -> Borg2.FILTER IN,
+ENVELOPE -> (Borg1.MOD, Borg2.MOD),
Borg2.FILTER OUT -> +MON]

Comment
Match and adjust the MOD controls on both sections
for tracking. The FREQ knobs are used to set the
bandwidth, while the PEAK knobs are used to set the

© 1996-2003 Wiard Synthesizer Company – design by Bill Sequeira/Axon Hillock Filter