Doepfer in Black... Vintage Style

Exciting news from Doepfer for this upcoming NAMM2016.

First this:
Finally they decided to release modules featuring black frontpanels with white print and vintage style knobs.
The result is truly stunning... i would love to change all my silver frontpanels rightaway :)
It will also look great with their latest series of Special Edition modules.

Doepfer A-100 System in black, with vintage-style knobs (click to enlarge)

Imagine this with their new colored knobs too... i'm very excited for this :)

So far for these modules vintage versions are planned:
A-110-1 Standard VCO, ƒA-110-2 Basic VCO, A-114 Ring Modulator, ƒA-118 Noise/Random, A-120 24dB Transistor Ladder Lowpass Filter, A-132-3 Dual Linear/Exponential VCA, A-138 Mixer, A-140 ADSR, A-147-2 VCDLFO, A-148 S&H/T&H, A-180-2 2x4 Multiple and the A-190-3 USB/MIDI-to-CV/Gate Interface.
If there are sufficient inquiries they will offer the black panels and vintage style knobs as spare parts.

There are also plans to offer more modules with black panels (e.g. the sequencer series A-154/A-155/A-156).

Each module (old and new ones) will be available in any case in the standard version (i.e. silver-grey aluminium with grey knobs).
But they will offer some modules also in the vintage edition (black front panels with black glossy vintage style knob with metal disc
at the top) or other Special Editions (like the black/yellow A-124 Wasp, the blue/white A-110-4 Thru Zero Quadrature VCO or the (upcoming) cream/black A-106-5). So there is no need to dispute. Simply order the version you prefer.

Angled view (click to enlarge)

After NAMM Doepfer will decide how they will proceed...
 
Update 22/02/2016:
Presumably in April 2016 these modules will follow as vintage versions:
A-112 Sampler, A-138b Mixer, A-154 Seq, A-155 Seq, A-156 Dual Quantizer, A-160-5, A-170 Slew Limiter, A-188-1 BBD and A-199 Spring Reverb.

Likewise the Low Cost Cases A-100LC3, A-100LC6, A-100LC9 and A-100LCB will be available in black coated versions from April 2016. 
The above picture shows the vintage modules mounted into a black A-100LC3. 
More information, prices, picture, release dates will be available about middle of March 2016. 
The surcharges will be in the range Euro 45 (A-100LC3) to Euro 80 (A-100LC9).

Doepfer A-112 Sampler Modular Digital Delay by LESINDES

Another nice video via YouTube.
LESINDES shows a weird-sounding delay-effect, created with a Doepfer A-112 Sampler...
Too bad the patch isn't explained in the video, but nevertheless interesting enough to watch/listen.

Video: Doepfer A-112 Sampler -- Modular Digital Delay


" This is a very special use of the Doepfer Modular System A-100 to create a Digital Delay sound which is not so easy btw ;-) But you are refunded with a very weird FX that you cannot create other than through a modular system"

Uploaded by LESINDES

Doepfer Sound Sampler (1984)

Doepfer 8-bit Sound Sampler

On a random search on the internet for rare Doepfer products i came across this module in an old Matrixsynth post:
This Doepfer Sound Sampler module (8 bit voltage controlled sampler with interface and sampling software for Commodore 64) was made by Doepfer in 1984.

Sound Sampler book 
by Dieter Doepfer and 
Cristian Assall

The Doepfer CV/Gate controlled modular Sound Sampler system was available as a kit between 1984 and 1990.
The complete system was also described in detail in the book written by Dieter Doepfer and Cristian Assall called "Sound Sampler" (published by Elektor ISBN 3-921608-44-9) in 1988.
This book was dedicated to building an 8-bit modular sampler that could be edited with a Commodore 64 home-computer.
All schematics are in the book, with all PCB designs and front-panels for all modules: input, memory/sampling card (with CV/Gate), loopcard, C-64 interface and compressor/expander.

Picture via Gearslutz

Every sampler module had its own memory.
There was software available that could handle sampling, FM synthesis, Wavetable synthesis, Fourier synthesis and Waveshaping synthesis.
The C64 could be used only to modify the sampling memory (sampled sound or sound generated by software synthesis like FM or Fourier), up to 8 sampling voices.

Most of the PCB board was covered by the memory chips that were pretty expensive at the time.
The picture below shows a 6-Voice system, the Input/Interface module is left, then 6 times the Memory-Card, each with a HS-VCO to get the pitch and a Curtis filter.
Apart from the sampler was a CV/Gate controlled stand-alone unit (not on the pictures)

Later Doepfer added another extension card, the so-called CCU (computer control unit). 

With this unit it was possible to define loops with free adjustable start and end position (the software helped to find zero-transitions for a glitch-free loop), and the unit could now be fully controlled by the computer (also pitch via high-speed DCOs). 

Also an expander/compressor was available but the improvement of this addition was very small from Dieter's own point of view.

6 x Memorycard, 6 x VCO,
6x Curtis filter

Around 300 kits were sold, partly because around the same time (1984-1988) Ensoniq released their Mirage sampler that was cheaper (and easier to use) than the Doepfer sampler.

Dieter: "To some extend this was also the beginning of the Eurorack standard (instead of Doepfers/DD Systems earlier Formant sized modules) as the front panels already had the same dimensions and mounting positions as the A-100 that started in 1995."

This module was the precursor of the A-112 that was released more than a decade later, but in the A-112 one small chip contains twice the memory of the 16 large chips of the old sampler.

Special thanks to Dieter Doepfer for all additional info

Random Videos: HOX808

I really like the recent uploads from YouTube user HOX808 from Berlin, Germany.

Focussing on modular analog synths and with their minimalistic approach these video's are simply amazing.

I posted 2 video's below, but be sure to also check out the older uploads by this user.

The first video is a minimal drum sequence, made with only the Doepfer A-160 and 2 A-161 Sequencer/Dividers, TipTop 808 Bassdrum, Snare and Hats drum modules, a touch of (TB-)303, a few samples and some kind of delay.

Quite impressive with these minimum resources.

This does bring back an old wish of me for Doepfer to produce some drum-modules that sound (at least) as good as this though...

Video 1: The Thin Rebirth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XivBQxgERPg
-no description available

The second video also mainly seems to be about drums, but if you look a bit further, you notice that these are not drum-modules, but six (!) Doepfer A-112 8-Bit samplers in a row, and it looks/ sounds like the same TipTop drum-module were used.
Very original again, but what happened with the knobs?

Video 2: 6 x Doepfer A-112 8 Bit Sampler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJErS9T04HQ
" 6 x Doepfer A-112 8 Bit Sampler and Tiptop Audio BD SD,Flame Echometer, MFB STEP 64."

Uploaded by HOX808

Quick Tip VII : Battery Check

In the A-112 VC Sampler /Wavetable Oscillator and some other devices rechargeable batteries (accumulators) are used for memory backup of preset data.
These electronic parts have a limited lifespan and have to be inspected at least every two years.

A-112 VC Sampler /Wavetable
Oscillator battery

Before the inspection the device has to be disconnected from mains voltage !
If the battery has a leak or if the measured voltage of the battery differs more than 10% from the target voltage the battery has to be replaced.
The target voltage (2.4V or 3.6V) and is printed on the battery.
The replacement should be carried out by qualified personnel only. 
The old battery has to be removed (desoldered) and the new one put in (soldered).
If you are able to carry out the replacement yourself you can purchase the rechargeable battery as a spare part from a supplier in your country. Any other rechargeable battery with the same voltage (e.g. 3.6V) can be used provided that it fits mechanically.

It is not allowed to put the old battery in the normal garbage. Please forward the old battery for recycling to a suitable receiving office.

The following Doepfer devices are (or have been) equipped with a rechargeable battery for memory backup:
2.4V rechargeable battery: LMK3/LMK3+
3.6V rechargeable battery, grid 10 x 20 mm.:
used in d3c, MCV24, A-112 VC Sampler /Wavetable Oscillator, Schaltwerk and Regelwerk.
Available e.g. from GP (3GP-60) or Varta (3/V80H), in Germany e.g. from www.reichelt.de (order no. 3GP-60), in USA from www.mouser.com (order no. Varta 3/V80H / 672-55608303059)

More info HERE