Panel Controls: (cont’d)
CLK:
12. Speed CV Attenuator: unipolar attenuator for Speed CV IN. Normalled to 8V (see below).
13. Speed CV IN: unipolar control signal input for Speed parameter. Normalled to +8V so that with nothing patched, the associated
Speed CV attenuator will extend the internal clock generator range up to around 200hz; Range: 0V to +8V.
14. External Clock IN: any signal may be applied here, allowing for independent control of rate and smoothness.
15. System Clock LED: Displays rate of Sample and Hold clock. When a signal is applied to the External Clock In, shows the rate of
the incoming clock/rising edge. With nothing patched, will mirror the Internal clock.
16. Disturb Button: Direct control of the Sample and Hold circuit: pressing Samples; holding Holds.
17. Speed Control: dual purpose control that sets the Rate of the Wogglebug Internal Clock generator & the lag processor feeding
the Smooth CV circuit. Turning it CCW slows the system and smoothes its response. Turning it CW quickens the system
with the Smooth CV response becoming jittery. Internal Clock generator range is 1 minute per cycle up to around 40hz
(extended range pushes upper limit to around 200hz).
18. Burst OUT: Square random gate signal, synced to the Clock and influenced by the Stepped, Smooth and Woggle controls; 0 to
+10V.
19. Burst OUT LED: Visual respresentation of random gates.20. Clock OUT: Square clock signal from the internal clock generator. Not
influenced by signal at External Clock IN; 0V to +10V.21. Internal clock LED: Displays rate of internal clock. NOT affected by
External Clock In.
7
Overview:
Amongst other things, the Make Noise Wogglebug contains the following: 1 Voltage-Controlled Clock, 1 Sample & Hold, 2 Lag
Processors, 1 Random Gate Burst Generator, and 2 VCO Digital Ring Mod: most of which are patchable via the instrument's panel in a
system that is capable of CV and Audio Signal generation and processing.
While we have broken the Panel Controls & I/O description into Sections for explanation, please understand that ALL portions of the
Wogglebug interact with each other. For example, changing the Ego/Id Balance will affect the Stepped, SMOOTH, and Woggle CVs,
the SMOOTH VCO, Ring-Mod and Woggle VCO OUTs! The way that we like to think of the system is that the Woggle Circuit is chasing
the SMOOTH/ Stepped Circuit, which is being kicked in the ass by the Internal Clock. It is very possible to make patches and panel
settings which lock up the Wogglebug, and thus the CV outputs will hang at the last voltage level while the VCOs will drone on
almost unchanging. When this happens, adjusting just about any panel control will disturb and wake the Wogglebug. Finally,
consider that many changes in the system are NOT immediate. This is because the Wogglebug is a complex feedback system where
several sub-circuits are responding to each other.
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 or sequencer during performance and give a 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 265, the Wogglebug utilizes a lag processor (low
frequency smoothing filter), a VCO, and a Sample & Hold in order 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 otherworldly 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 instrument'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 required to Woggle; however, all voltage-controlled systems long to be tickled, bitten,
plagued, and eventually, destroyed by the Wogglebug.
Tony fell in love with Grant's #3 circuit the moment his first Wogglebug came to life on an experimenter's breadboard. He built a few
DIY Wogglebug #3, including the Ryan Williams designed clone PCB and was lucky enough to have used the Wiard Wogglebug #5
extensively. Now, we at Make Noise feel honored to be presenting this circuit as a Make Noise module.
The Make Noise Wogglebug is neither version #3 nor #5. In the truest spirit of Grant Richter, the Make Noise Wogglebug is not a
clone. Instead, it is a tribute to all that Woggles and is an evolution of the original Richter design. Like the #3, the Make Noise
Wogglebug is a single system; however, it improves upon the #3 by offering further functionality, such as an Influence IN to the Ring
Mod circuit, the ability to directly inject a signal to the heart of the Wogglebug via the Ego IN, and a Random Gate Burst function: all
of which have never appeared on any other Wogglebug. We also redesigned the Cluster circuit, and thus it has been renamed as
Ego/Id Balance to reflect its further purposes, allowing for new functionality that has again, never existed with any other Woggle-
bug.