Doepfer Dark Energy 2 DIY Mod. Breakout Box Walkthrough by Organzoner

Organzoner posted a great video with a step-by-step tutorial on how to expand the capabilities of the Doepfer Dark Energy 2 by adding a breakout box...

Video: Doepfer Dark Energy 2 DIY Mod. Breakout box walkthrough

" Here's a step-by-step walk through of how to get more patch points from your DEII.

All the jumpers are connected to the internal circuits according to the information found on the Doepfer website: http://www.doepfer.de/pdf/Dark_Energy...
thank you creativegallerys and other experimenters on Google for the idea.

Dieter Doepfer is legend, what an awesome semimodular synth!
nice hidden options! A great synth right out of the box. Now I just want to build an A-100!!!
...ordered an intellijel metropolis for CV gate/pitch sequencing the DEII and Moog SlimPhatty.
- organ zoner organzoner organz owner"

Uploaded by Organzoner

Dark Energy II Coming Soon

It looks like the long-awaited Dark Energy II will almost see the daylight.
Doepfer receives the first batch of pre-serial Dark Energy II models any time now...

After these models are tested and checked (and no major flaws are discovered), the first production-order will be placed and Doepfer can start distributing the first modules.*
A part of that first production-batch is reserved for people who pre-ordered their DEII.

Dark Energy II

To fresh you up, the main differences between the Dark Energy II and the original Dark Energy are:

- 12dB multimode filter with lowpass, notch, highpass and bandpass (instead of 24dB lowpass of Dark Energy I)
- the previous LM control of the filter becomes the filter type control (continuous crossfade lowpass - notch highpass - bandpass)
- the LM function of the filter is no longer available
- the waveform switch is used to select between saw and clipped/distorted saw (in the center position the saw is off)
- the basic waveform of the VCO is saw (not triangle like the Dark Energy I).
- because of the pure analog circuit and the temperature control it takes about 30 minutes until the VCO is in tune.
- the VCA has a exponential scale (not the combined linear/exponential scale of Dark Energy I)

*Via StromKult.de

MusikMesse 2012 Dark Energy II and A-157 News and Pictures

The Dark Energy II prototype with
Dieter in the background

As promised a few pictures from the Doepfer goodies at the Alex4 booth from the MusikMesse this year.

The most interesting Doepfer product on exhibit was by far the new Dark Energy II, that looks surprisingly the same as the Dark Energy I.
The DE II will be available this summer.
Check the specifications of the DE II HERE.

Dieter also had a pleasant announcement that the CEM3394 will probably be fabricated again (but it's not certain when they will be available), so there is a possibility that the Dark Energy (I) will also return once those chips arrive...

A closer look at the Dark Energy II

The A-157 (or 'Mini Schaltwerk') Trigger
Sequencer prototype

The A-157 (or 'Mini Schaltwerk') that was on display again didn't look much different than what we saw at NAMM 2010.
Doepfer could however confirm that this module will probably available around june 2012.
I haven't had a chance to talk to Doepfer about it, but i do hope they will switch the layout; inputs on the left and outputs on the right, but that is just a personal preference.

You can watch a short interview with Dieter Doepfer (in German) and some sound-examples of the new DE II by De:Bug Magazin Musikelektronik  HERE
...and another video of the big Doepfer modular in the Alex4 booth by SessionMusikTV (also in German) HERE

*Pictures exclusively made for PatchPierre by @cymatics, check out his music and blog at
http://cymaticsmukick.bandcamp.com and http://howdoyoumakemusic.tumblr.com

MusikMesse 2012 - Alex4 Booth

This year you will find Doepfer products at the MusikMesse (in Frankfurt/ Germany), that started today, in hall 5.1 at booth D86 of their new distribution partner Alex4.

Alex4 is Doepfer's latest partner that aims to "collect regular products and innovations from smallest manufacturers in Europe, the USA or elsewhere to promote and sell them with specialized retail partners over europe fulfilling all european regulations while trying best to go a „green“ way wherever this could be possible."

They also distribute other (small) analog synthesizer brands like Alyseum, Cwejman, Flame, Kenton, Manikin, MFB, MIDI Solutions, Moon Modular, OTO Machines, Sherman SND, Studio Electronics, Vermona and WMD, so they have a very exciting booth at the MusikMesse

Dark Energy II working prototype,
as shown at MusikMesse 2012

A big A-100-System is on exhibit, and the first working prototype of the Dark Energy II is shown at the booth.
Dieter Doepfer was also there today to tell more about their latest products.

Besides the Dark Energy redesign you could also see the A-157 Trigger Sequencer (or so-called 'Mini Schaltwerk') again, although it is still the same version that was shown 2 years ago at NAMM 2010.

The current state of the A-157 is that the new pcb with 8x16 buttons and LEDs is already made and that Doepfer is about to develop the controller board. There is no release date available yet.

Other newsworthy bit was that the Dark Energy 1 will probably return, because the chipmaker that made the CEM3394 chip has promised to start making those chips again. No (re-)release date yet, but i personally don't expect the return of the DE1 this year...

Most of Doepfer's OEM products, the USB/Midi-to-CV/Sync interfaces and the master keyboards were also shown, and loads of other cool hardware from the other brands.

MusikMesse still lasts until March 24...
More info at
http://musik.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/besucher/willkommen.html

Many thanks to 'special reporter' at MusikMesse:

@Leonathorst from http://leonathorst.tumblr.com/

Dark Energy II Specifications Announced

From the Doepfer website:

The Dark Energy (I) has to be discontinued because an important electronic part (CEM3394) is no longer available. (Read more on that HERE)
We are working on the redesign of the Dark Energy at full speed.
The new Dark Energy II will look like the Dark Energy I at first sight.
Only the function of some controls and switches will differ from the Dark Energy I.

Dark Energy (I) picture by Marc Weerts
from the band 87PM

These are the most important differences between Dark Energy I and II:

- 12dB multimode filter with lowpass, notch, highpass and bandpass (instead of 24dB lowpass of Dark Energy I)
- the previous LM control of the filter becomes the filter type control (continuous crossfade lowpass - notch highpass - bandpass)
- the LM function of the filter is no longer available
- the waveform switch is used to select between saw and clipped/distorted saw (in the center position the saw is off)

- the basic waveform of the VCO is saw (not triangle like the Dark Energy I).
- because of the pure analog circuit and the temperature control it takes about 30 minutes until the VCO is in tune.
- the VCA has a exponential scale (not the combined linear/exponential scale of Dark Energy I)

All other functions will remain unchanged.
Even the price will be the same (currently Euro 428).
The Dark Energy II will be probably available summer 2012.

Doepfer hopes to have a (working?) prototype ready for the MusikMesse in Germany, which starts next week.

Dark Energy II Announced

Well, it looks like Dieter Doepfer announced the discontinuation of the Dark Energy today.

In the Doepfer Usergroup he stated that " the Dark Energy will be discontinued as the CEM3394 chip is no longer available and the negotiations with the manufacturer (OnChip, the Curtis Electromusic successor) concerning a new productions series of the CEM3394 were not successful so far. 

We think about a redesign of the unit (Dark Energy II) but it will be another instrument with a different sound and features (e.g. probably a 12 dB multimode filter with lowpass, highpass, bandpass and notch (like the A-121 Multimode Filter- (they will probably use parts of the DIY Synth circuit (e.g. the multimode VCF) for the Dark Energy II design) - instead of the 24 dB lowpass)."

Dark Energy picture provided by Marc Weerts
from the band 87PM

Logically this would mean that the A-111-5 Mini Synth Voice will also be discontinued since it has the same circuitry inside.

The Dark Energy did have a unique sound, mainly because of the linear filter FM.
There is no A-100 VCF available that offers this feature and even the VCO and VCA are unique.
The VCO is close to the A-111, but there is no A-100 VCA module available with the combined linear/exponential response of the Dark Energy/A-111-5 VCA.

Personally i do not think Dark Energy II will be the best name for a module like this and that they should go for another name instead, since it will be a completely different instrument with a unique character.
Feel free to leave some name-suggestions below or on the PatchPierre Facebook page.

Doepfer probably still has a bunch of Dark Energy's and A-111-5 modules left in stock*, but if you really want one you should get one before they are gone...

* Update:
From Dieter Doepfer in the Doepfer Usergroup:
" ...we miscalculated the relation of the Dark Energy / A-111-5 sales. The A-111-5 stock will last much longer than the Dark Energy stock. I expect that the Dark Energy will be sold out in 2-3 months, but I suppose that the A-111-5 stock will last one year or even longer."
Update II:
" ~ 4000 Dark Energy's were made, and ~ 300 A-111-5 modules "


Dark Energy sound demo by MarcJX8P

Find other discontinued A-100 modules HERE (updated feb.2012)
Curious what chip is inside your synthesizer?

Check http://curtiselectromusic.com/,
http://synthtech.com/cems.html and
http://sequencer.de/synth/index.php/Chips_in_Synthesizers