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 Re-Designs Update

The 'old' A-166
Dual Logic Module

No exciting Doepfer announcements for the upcoming MusikMesse (The world's largest trade fair for musical instruments 12-15 March, Frankfurt/Germany) yet, but Dieter Doepfer did update the members of the Doepfer A-100 Usergroup today on a few upcoming module-plans and re-designs.

" So far there is no release date for the A-166-2 available the zero crossing comparator was also mentioned as part of the module.

The inquiries for such a module seem to be very poor.

But I will finish this module anyhow (just for myself) because I need such functions now and then (especially the flipflop)..."

The original
A-114 RingMod

Find more about the A-166-2 features in my blogpost from last November HERE

"...In addition we think about the redesign of some older modules.

Especially we think of new arrangements of some dual modules (Dual Ring Modulator A-114, Dual S&H A-148, Dual Trigger Delay A-162, Dual Slew Limiter A-170, Dual Trigger Modifier A-185 ...) as in many cases e.g. only a single ring modulator or a single Sample & Hold.

This will lead to some new combo modules (e.g. combination of S&H and VC slew limiter in one module) with a more value for money as you do not have to pay for unused second sub-units."

Source: Dieter Doepfer

 - Find a selection of Doepfer products at Musikmesse in Frankfurt from 12th - 15th March, 2014 at the booth of their European distributor Alex 4 in hall 5.1, booth nr C54. -

A-114 Ring Modulator Video's by Raul Pena

The next module in the wonderful video tutorial series by Raul Pena is the A-114 Ring Modulator.
Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Video 1: Ring Modulation of Basic Waveforms with Doepfer A114 Ring Mod

" A look at the Doepfer A 114 Ring Mod. Basic Waveforms are used to explore timbres created. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 2: More Ring Modulation with Doepfer A114 Ring Mod

" Second in the Ring Modulation series. Using a random melody as a sound source timbres are explored further. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 3: Further Modulations in Ring Modulation with Doepfer A114

" Third installment of the Ring Modulation Series. This video explores how using modulation can change a Ring Modulation Sound. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

A-114 Dual Ring Modulator

A Ring Modulator is a signal-processor that produces a signal out of two different audio inputs.
This output signal is the sum and the difference from both inputs, and leaves the original frequencies out.

It is an ideal module for producing metallic or bell-like sounds, but you can also (re-)create other weird sound-effects with it, like for example the distinctive "Daleks"-voices from the classic Dr. Who series, created in 1963 by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Besides voices, you can also input all kinds of other (amplified) instruments through the ring-modulator.

The Doepfer A-114 Dual Ring Modulator is in fact two ring-modulators in one, which makes it even more flexible. Theoretically you can use the output of the first ring-modulator as input for the second one. The A-114's manual has some nice other examples on how to start patching, but with a bit of imagination you will quickly come up with your own ideas.

You can find some more interesting ring-modulation (DIY) info HERE