Doepfer NAMM 2018 A-100 Polyphonic Module Announcements

Right in time for the upcoming NAMM exhibition later this week (January 25/28 2018, Anaheim, Hall A, booth 10706), Doepfer announced a few more interesting A-100 modules (next to the Dark Energy III news). Too many new modules for one blogpost, so I had to split it up into multiple blogposts... The next one will contain their new 'standard' modules.

The magic word for Doepfer this year seems to be Polyphony, because most of the new products are perfect companions for the highly anticipated A-190-5 Polyphonic CV/Gate Interface, a module that has been in pre-production for a loooong while now. 

On the Doepfer website we can still read the message We cannot yet specify a definite release date but hope that it will be available in 2011, from the early prototype stages.

We already know most of its features, i have been blogging about it since 2011, but here are the details once more:

A-190-5 is a Midi/USB interface that generates 4 gate signals and 12 control voltages to control up to four synthesizer voices (i.e. VCOs and associated modules like envelope generators, VCFs and VCAs) for polyphonic sound generation. 

The A-190-5 will be equipped with different polyphonic, duophonic, paraphonic and monophonic modes which are selected by means of menu buttons and the display.
For each channel a gate, a note controlled CV (1V/Oct.) and two auxiliary CVs (e.g. for velocity or controlled by midi control change messages) are available. In play mode the states of the four gates are displayed by four LEDs integrated into the buttons 1-4.
Firmware updates are possible via USB.

The A-111-4 Quad Precision VCO will be available soon too... adding 4 wide-range precision-VCOs to complement the Polyphonic module and was already announced at Superbooth 2017. Read all about this at http://patchpierre.blogspot.nl/2017/04/superbooth-2017-new-doepfer-module.html

A-105-4

Brandnew is the A-105-4 Quad SSM VCF filtermodule, their first polyphonic filter and contains four identical 24dB Lowpass filters (SSM2044 type).
The special feature of the 4 pole low pass SSM2044 is the patented so-called "true open loop design that delivers a characteristic fat sound not available from other devices"

This chip was used e.g. in these synths: Korg Polysix, Korg Mono/Poly, Fairlight II, PPG Wave 2.2 und 2.3, Emu SP-1200, Siel KIWI,  DK600, Siel Opera 6, and the Simmons SDS5.

The first Prophets 5s used the SSM2040 - the precedessor of the 2044 - that generates a very similar sound. (source)  Version 3 of the Prophet 5 switched to the thinner sounding Curtis CEM3320. The Pro One also used that chip.

It has available common manual controls and CV inputs with attenuators for these parameters:
• Frequency (F)
• Frequency Modulation Intensity (FM)
• Resonance (Q)
• Audio Input Level (L)

Each filter has available a separate FM input as well as an Audio Input and Output. The FM input is typically connected to the output of the associated envelope
generator (e.g. A-141-4). The envelope amount for all four filters is controlled by the FM knob and the CVFM input by means of four built-in VCAs, which are controlled by the FM control and CVFM input.

A-132-8

This allows also voltage control of the envelope amounts. In addition common frequency modulation for all filters is possible (e.g. by an LFO). For this the CVF input with attenuator can be used.
The range of the audio input level control (L) allows also clipping/distortion with typical A-100 audio levels (e.g. from A-111-4) at the filter inputs.
Even this parameter is voltage controllable as well as the resonance (Q).
Application: polyphonic patches (four VCFs with same parameters)

Another new Polyphonic module is the A-132-8 Octal VCA:
The A-132-8 contains four VCA pairs. Each pair includes two daisy-chained VCAs. One VCA has a linear control scale, for the second VCA linear or exponential control scale can be chosen by means of jumpers.
Doepfer decided to provide two VCAs for each voice because usually one VCA is required for loudness envelope and a second one for velocity (or another function).
For each VCA these in/outputs are available:

A-141-4

• CV Input VCA 1
• CV Input VCA 2
• Audio Input
• Audio Output
Audio Sum Output is also available.
The module features two Initial Gain controls, that enable the opening of the first (G1) and/or second VCA (G2). This is necessary when the VCA in question is not in use (i.e. no external CV available). Otherwise the VCA would close. They are also useful for testing polyphonic patches.
Application: Polyphonic patches with two VCAs per voice.

The A-141-4 Quad Poly VCADSR contains four ADSR type voltage controlled envelope generators with common manual controls and CV inputs with polarizers for the parameters Attack (A), Decay (D), Sustain (S) and Release (R).

Each of the four envelope generators has available a gate input, a control LED and an envelope output.
Application: Polyphonic patches (four envelope generators with the same envelope parameters to control four VCFs, VCAs or other modules)

Source: Doepfer NAMM 2018 PDF

Doepfer A-190-5 Polyphonic USB/MIDI-to-CV/Gate Interface Preliminary Info

Planned to be released in the fall of 2013*,  so more and more details keep popping up on the internet about the A-190-5 four voice Polyphonic Midi to CV/Gate interface.

The prototype of this module already been displayed at MusikMesse 2013 and at Dieter´s latest workshop in Munich, Germany last month.

The first design of the
A-190-5 (then A-190-3)

To keep the price low, the first design of the A-190-5 was based on Doepfer's  MTV16 Midi-to-Voltage Interface with 16 Analog Voltage Outputs ( an OEM/DIY product that is still available)
The 16 outputs of the MTV16 were buffered and connected to 16 jack sockets.
Additional controls (momentary button, LED, rotary switch) had been added compared to the MTV16.

Early last year Doepfer gave up the idea to built the A-190-5 on base of the MTV16.

The new A-190-5 is now a completely redesigned version that contains an LC display (similar to the A-187-1), some control buttons, a USB interface and higher resolution DACs with higher voltage range (probably 12 bit and 0...+10V).
It will have 12 CV and 4 Gate outputs, different modes (e.g. unisono, four-fold monophonic or polyphonic, and different four voice polyphonic modes)

For each voice a pitch control voltage (CV1, 1V/octave standard to control VCOs), a gate output (to control envelope generators) and two additional control voltages (CV2, CV3) are available. The two additional CV outputs can be controlled by Midi velocity, volume, modulation, pitch bend, after touch or free assignable Midi controllers.

Doepfer A-190-5 Final Prototype

The basic modes can selected by means of a momentary switch (probably Mode or Algor.) and is shown in the LC display.
Certain parameters of each mode can be edited (e.g. the midi channel(s), the midi reference note for 0V CV, assigned controllers for CV2 and CV3).
For this the momentary switch Edit/Play is used.
The parameter values (e.g. midi channels) are shown in the display and can be modified by means of the momentary switches 1...4.
In Play mode the LEDs of these four switches display the gate states.

The range of the CV outputs (CV1...CV3) is 0...+10V (i.e. 10 octaves for CV1). The resolution is 12 bit.
The gate voltages are 0/+5V (maybe even adjustable to 0...+10V for non A-100 applications).

The first version of the module will be available around fall 2013 at the price of approximately Euro 300.00* and will include the most important assign algorithms.
Updates and bug fixes can be installed by the customer via the USB interface.

Update September 1:
Dieter Doepfer: " The A-190-5 is still under development. The hardware (pc boards, frontpanel) is ready made but the firmware is not yet ready. But I hope we will release the A-190-5 still this year."

Source: Doepfer Website

*Price and release date are still without obligation !

Doepfer USB/CV/Gate/MIDI Converters Update

A little bit more info (by Dieter himself) on two upcoming Doepfer modules popped up in the Yahoo Doepfer Usergroup today.

It said that the A-192-2 Dual CV/Gate-to-MIDI/USB Interface is in the starting blocks and will be included with the next (fall 2012) production series.
Module A-192-2 contains two independent CV/Gate-to-Midi/USB interfaces.
Another product that almost reached the production stage is the A-190-5 four voice polyphonic Midi to CV/Gate interface that will probably be included in the last production series in 2012.

The A-190-5 will have 12 CV and 4 Gate outputs, and different modes (e.g. unisono, four-fold monophonic, different four voice polyphonic modes)
The hardware of the A-190-5 module is ready and Christian is working on the firmware.
Though it was planned to use 12 bit DA converters Doepfer thinks about 8 bit converters to reduce the price a bit.
"12 bit converters don't seem to have any advantage because the module only converts 7 bit midi data into CV (no software LFOs or software envelopes or software glide) and in this case 12 bit DACs

are wasted money because the last 5 bits are not used.", according to Dieter.

The estimated price for the A-192-2 is approximately 130 Euro, expect to pay around 300 Euro for the A-190-5.
Price and release date are still without obligation

Find the latest updates on new Doepfer modules HERE