Doepfer Timeline

Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a manufacturer of audio hardware based in Gräfeling, Germany, founded by Dieter Doepfer.The product range covers analog modular systems, MIDI controller, MIDI hardware sequencers, MIDI-to-CV/Gate/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master keyboards and special MIDI equipment. 

Dieter Doepfer began developing audio hardware with a Voltage Controlled Phaser (VCP) module for the Formant, a do-it-yourself-kit analog synthesizer from Elektor magazine in 1977. Several legendary modular synths followed while Doepfer also focused on the development of MIDI equipment during the 1980s.
In 1992, Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH released the MIDI analog sequencer MAQ16/3 which was designed in cooperation with Kraftwerk. 
In the beginning, the company had direct sales and interested musicians would receive a demonstration by visiting other customers since the modular systems were deemed too difficult for typical music shop employees to demonstrate. 
Facing greater publicity, Doepfer shifted the distribution to specialized points of sales.

,or find blogposts about their history and historical products at http://patchpierre.blogspot.nl/search/label/Doepfer%20History

Timeline of notable events in Doepfer History

Voltage Controlled Phaser module for the German Formant modular synthesizer 1979

Polyphonic Modular System PMS (quad-modules, like quad-VCO, quad-VCF...) 1980

Voice Modular System VMS (one synthesizer voice with 2 VCOs,2ADSR,1VCF,1VCA 
on one board 100x160mm, designed with CEM chips from Doug Curtis/USA) 1982

Sound Sampler (8 bit voltage controlled sampler with interface and sampling software for Commodore 64) 1984

Loop option, compander and synthesis software for Sound Sampler (FM, Fourier, Waveshaping and so on) 1985
CCU Computer Control Unit for Sound Sampler 1985

MCV8 8-Voice MIDI-to-CV Converter first version  1986
MIDI-to-CV interface MCV1 (first version) 1986

Computer controlled audio mixing console CCM 1987

MCV8 Version 2 with sub-d-connector  1988

MIDI master keyboard LMK1 1989
MIDI keyboard MMK2 1989
MIDI master keyboard controller MKC1/2 1989

MIDI master keyboard LMK3 with piano touch simulation 1990
MIDI master keyboard LMK1V2 1990
16 voice MIDI expander SX-16 1990
MIDI Bass pedal MBP1 1990
MCV8 8-voice MIDI-to-CV converter version 3  1990
Drum to MIDI converter DMC-8 1990
Universal MIDI out interface MONA 1990

Doepfer MVP1 MIDI Volume Pedal  1991


MOGLI Glove discontinued - December 1995
Doepfer MAUSI MIDI-Analog / SYNC Interface - September 1995
First batch of A-100 modules: A-110, A-114, A-115, A-116,
A-118, A-119, A-120, A-121, A-122, A-123, A-125, A-128, A-130, A-131,
A-138a/b, A-140, A-145, A-148, A-150, A-160, A-161, A-162, A-170, A175,
A-180, A-190.
 1995 

Doepfer MMR 4/4 MIDI Merger /Router - September 1996
Doepfer A-100 Modular System 1996
Electronic Poem (info HERE) 1996

Second series of A-100 modules 1997
MIDI pattern sequencer Schaltwerk 1997
MIDI-to-SYNC interface MSY2 1997
MIDI-to-CV interface MCV4 1997
Limited edition (100 units) MS-404 with a green faceplate released 1997
A-126 Frequency Shifter, A-155 Sequencer A-178 Theremin, A-134 Panning,
A-142 Voltage Controlled Decay/Gate - December 1997

A-124 Wasp filter, A-135 VC Mixer and A-138 Distortion/Waveshaper - May 2000
Last MMR 4/4 MIDI Merger/Router produced/sold - April 2000

Last MS-404 sold - 2001

Power Supply II introduced  2002
 A-108 Filter, A-166 Logic, A-103 Filter, A-104 Trautonium Filter, 
A-174 Joystick - Spring 2002
Blue LEDs option for the A-100 - Spring 2002
Doepfer MAUSI MIDI-Analog / SYNC Interface Discontinued - April 2002

A-105 SSM Filter, A-107 Morphing Filter, A-198 ribbon Controller - January 2003

A-154 Sequencer Controller  2004

Last Power Supply I sold - early 2005

A-111-5 Mini-Synth released - May 2009
Dark Energy released - June 2009

A-100 MSY module announced (A-190-8) - December 2010

Dark Matter first mentioned as Dark Energy-expander - April 2011
Dark Time Analog Sequencer 2011

First mention of a Dark Energy II - February 2012
Dark Energy and A-111-5 Discontinued - February 2012
Dark Energy II prototype shown at MusikMesse - March 2012
Dark Energy II released - October 2012

A-192-2 CV-to-MIDI/USB Converter - January 2013
Dark Flow announced (Dark-style A-157 Trigger Sequencer) 2013
A-100LCB case, A-171-2 Serge VCSL, A-180-2 Multiples,
A-190-5 Polyphonic MIDI-to-CV/Gate,  A-190-8 USB/MIDI-to-Sync,
A-192-2 Dual CV/Gate-to-MIDI/USB, New A-130/A-131 VCAs,
A-157 Trigger Sequencer subsystem - April  2013
Doepfer MAQ16/3 Dark Edition announced 2013
Doepfer A-190-4 announced as A-190 Follow-up 2013

More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doepfer