Showing posts with label MusikMesse2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MusikMesse2014. Show all posts

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Dieter Doepfer at MusikMesse 2014 by @mmag_ru

Almost a month after MusikMesse 2014 the Russian MusicMag published this video of Dieter Doepfer explaining the very basics of modular synthesis.
Not groundbreaking, but nice for the archive...

Video: mmag.ru: Musikmesse 2014 - Doepfer - аналоговые модульные системы

Google translation of the desciption:
" http://mmag.ru/ (MusicMag) is a music video reviews of new products hardware and software presented on music fair Musikmesse 2014: analog modular Doepfer.
Learn more, discuss and buy Doepfer modular systems, please visit http://mmag.ru/

Find MusicMag Russia on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mmag_ru

Thursday, March 20, 2014

ALEX4 with Andreas Schneider: the Lightning Tour Messe '14 by cdmblogs

CDMTV uploaded a video with Andreas Schneider presenting a tour through the Alex4 booth at MusikMesse 2014...

Video: ALEX4 with Andreas Schneider: the lightning tour Messe '14

" The legendary Andreas Schneider of ALEX4 (and Schneidersladen) gives us a rapid-fire tour of the latest and greatest goodies in his Messe booth. Like a tradeshow in a tradeshow, this is some of the best new stuff happening in boutique musical instruments right now."

Uploaded by cdmtv
Berlin, Germany and worldwide · createdigitalmusic.com

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

MusikMesse 2014 Alex4 Booth with Dieter Doepfer

Once again, SonicState has made a nice video from the MusikMesse booth of European Distributor of analog synths and Eurorack modules Alex4.

Alex4 Booth, picture by Marko Ettlich
The Alex4 Distribution booth with the big tagline "...you like Synths?" included MFB, KOMA, Doepfer, and Meeblip anodes, amongst other smaller (European) brands.

The SonicState booth-tours are almost an annual ritual, often with owner Andreas Schneider (from SchneidersBuero /SchneidersLaden) showing the whole booth and some of the new goodies...
This time Dieter Doepfer shows the new stuff, focussing on the Dark Flow, the stand-alone version of the A-157 Trigger Sequencer (Mini Schaltwerk) and some of the OEM/DIY products.

Video: MESSE 2014: Dr Doepfer's Dark Flow

" MESSE 2013: Dr Doepfer's Dark Flow - Astronomy inspired trigger sequencer "
Uploaded by

Another nice Alex4-booth impression by Dutch Interface Magazine also popped up on YouTube:

Video 2: Musikmesse 2014 vol 5: Alex 4s Do You Like Synths?

Video uploaded by InterfaceNLvideo

Friday, March 14, 2014

Musikmesse 2014 Introducing New Doepfer Modules by AnalogueZone

AnalogueZone has made a nice impression of the Doepfer booth, with Dieter Doepfer himself telling all about the new modules...

Video: Musikmesse 2014 Introducing new Doepfer modules

"Analogue Zone Modular Synth Store presents:
Dieter Doepfer introduces his new modules at Musikmesse 2014;
Doepfer A-190-4 USB/Midi-to-CV/Gate/Clock Interface

Monday, March 10, 2014

Doepfer A-101-6 Six Stage VC Opto FET Filter/Phaser Announced

Another new module announcement from Doepfer.

" A-101-6 is a new filter module that uses so-called opto FETs to control the filter frequency.
A-101-6 Six Stage Opto FET VCF
Opto FETs are very similar to Vactrols but use light depending field effect transistors (FETs) instead of light depending resistors (LDRs).
A Opto FET is a combination of a light depending FET and a LED (light emitting diode) both put into a small light-proof case.

The advantage compared to vactrols is the much faster response of opto FETs compared to LDRs. 
This allows much faster attack/decay times and even FM effects. 
The disadvantage compared to vactrols is that the FET behaves as a normal Ohm resistor only for small levels. With higher levels the FET begins to distort.
Apart from this the notes mentioned on the Doepfer Vactrol Basics page are valid.

Module A-101-6 is made of six serial 6dB filter stages. The stages can be switched simultaneously to lowpass, highpass or one of two allpass types.
The following schematics show one of the six serial stages in the four possible modes:

A-101-6 Principle Schematics
The variable resistor shown in the schematics corresponds to the opto FET.
The type of filter is selected by two toggle switches or 2 control inputs.
The upper switch selects between lowpass and highpass provided that the lower switch is in the LP/HP position.
When the lower switch in the AP (allpass) position the upper switch is used to select between the two allpass types. Instead of the switches even external control voltages can be used (CV LP/HP, CV Allpass sockets).
For this the toggle switch in question has to be in the left position.

The brightness of the Opto FET LEDs and consequently the filter frequency can be adjusted manually (Frequ. control) and controlled by means of an external control voltage (CV) with attenuator.
The LED at the front panel reflects the LED brightness inside the opto FETs.

The resonance is controlled by the Feedback control up to self oscillation. By means of two trimming potentiometers the maximal feedback can be adjusted separately for LP/HP and allpass mode.
High feedback values can be used mainly in the allpass mode to obtain very extreme self oscillation sounds. Even an external feedback signal can be used instead of the internal feedback connection (FB In socket).

The Mix control is used to pan between the original signal (CCW position) and the effect signal (CW position).
In filter mode (LP/HP) this control is usually set fully CW.
In the allpass modes one obtains phasing sounds at center position or "pure" allpass sound in fully CW position."

Update May 6th 2014:
" thank you for your interest in the planned module.
Because of several suggestions by customers there will be probably some additions (like voltage
controlled dry/wet mix and maybe voltage controlled resonance/feedback).
So it will still take some time until the module is available.
An experienced A-100 user is currently about to try out the prototype (still without the additional voltage controlled features) and we wait for his assessment about the features of the module before we continue.
If the module is back I can do some demos." *source Dieter Doepfer

Release date and price for this module are not yet available.
Source: http://www.doepfer.de/a1016.htm
Read more about Opto-Isolators at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opto-isolator
and more about Vactrols at http://patchpierre.blogspot.nl/2011/02/vactrol-basics.html

The new Doepfer modules will be shown at #MusikMesse in the booth of their distributor Alex4 in hall 5.1, booth nr. C54

Doepfer A-127 BOM Filter Breakout Module Announced

Doepfer finally announced a few new modules for this year.
The first one is an expander-module for the A-127 Triple Voltage Controlled Resonance Filter, which has always been my favorite Doepfer filter...

Basically they took advantage of all the filter outputs that were already available in the original A-127 module, but not made available on the frontpanel.
I wrote about how i made my own A-127-expansion-board a few years ago in this blog, but this official board takes it to the next level, with even one more filter and separate audio outputs.

A-127 BOM Filter
Breakout Module
" For early summer 2014 the A-127 breakout module is planned.
This expansion module offers these new functions:
- additional notch filter for each sub-unit
- separate outputs for lowpass, highpass, bandpass and notch for each sub-unit
- separate audio input with attenuator for each sub-unit

The breakout module allows the separate use of each of the three A-127 filters.
In addition the filters can be patched parallel or serial.
Especially the serial connection of three notches generates very complex phasing-like structures.
For parallel filter connection the existing mixer of the main module may be used or an external mixer.
For serial connection the filters are patched in the desired sequence at the breakout module.
A jumper is used to define the filter type for each sub-unit for the mix unit of the main module.

Remark:
The breakout module can be used without modification only in combination with the new version of the A-127 (pcb printing "Version 4").
Only the new version has the expansion connector available, that is required to connect the breakout module.
It's also possible to combine the breakout module with older versions of the A-127 (versions 1, 2 and 3) but in this case soldering is required to connect the breakout module to the main module (soldering 4 wires to each filter unit).

We will publish corresponding modification instructions as soon as the breakout module will be available."

You can still find my own A-127 DIY-expander blogposts via http://patchpierre.blogspot.nl/2010/12/modifications-ii-127-triple-resonance.html

Source: http://www.doepfer.de/a127.htm

The new Doepfer modules will be shown at #MusikMesse in the booth of their distributor Alex4 in hall 5.1, booth nr. C54

Update May 23 2014: " The A-127 BOM is already in production and should be available July 2014."