Always nice, those unexpected new module announcements.
Doepfer announced the A-110-2 on their site recently, a low cost VCO, similar to A-110, but sawtooth, triangle and rectangle with PWM only.
The module will have a 3-position octave switch (instead of the rotary switch of A-110), Soft and Hard Sync inputs, linear FM input.
This should all fit on a 8 HP front panel, the 'original' A-110 is 10 HP wide.
The module is planned for fall 2014 and will be priced at around Euro 110.00
(The A-110 costs 140 Euro's)
Power consumption:
- 150 mA +12V
- 150 mA -12V
- 50 mm Depth
Update Oktober 13, 2014: Dieter Doepfer in the A-100 Usergroup "...the A-110-2 is planned still for this year. I hope the first units will be available end of November.
"...don't stir your teas and coffees with cheap, thin-feeling plastic swizzle sticks, for a truly analog stirring experience, impart the rich, metallic notes of a Doepfer 2hp blanking panel to your brew..."
Instead of using those cheap throw-away plastic coffee (or tea) swizzle sticks you can also use a simple 2HP blind-plate to stir your favorite drink of course...
It is a relatively environmental-friendly option too, because you can use it over and over again...
Just a quick wipe and it is clean again and ready for re-use.
The Doepfer A-106-1 Xtreme Filter was built as a kind of Korg MS20 filter clone.
The famous original MS20 included two filters: a 12 dB lowpass and a 6dB high pass filter connected in series both with a very special design.
On the A-106 product page Doepfer writes: " The A-106-1 is definitely not the right choice for "moogish" and "civilized" sounds but for extreme, exceptional and experimental sounds - this is why we call the module "X-Filter"... "
Doepfer found a way to use the same circuit simultaneously as lowpass and highpass for 2 different audio signals (a bit similar to the A-101-1 Steiner Vactrol filter that has even different audio inputs available, but with the special MS20 circuit).
For this two separate audio inputs for lowpass(LP) and highpass (HP) with separate level controls are available.
The sockets are normalled, so the signal applied to the LP input is available for the HP input too provided that no plug is inserted into the HP input socket.
The level control of the HP input is realized as a polarized input. This means that the signal can be added with the same polarity (+ range) or opposite polarity (- range) compared to the LP input.
This feature enables notch (+) and bandpass (-) filter functions too.
As you will hear in the demo's this is a very nice sounding filter with a distinctive sound.
It can sound very squelchy and dirty, and still also quite smooth...
If you are looking for a do-it-all filter, this might be the one you are looking for.
It is not my favorite filter, but i still rate it at 7/10...
Raul Pena's video's hardly need any introduction... enjoy!
Video 1: Doepfer A189-1 VBM Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier Basics
" Video outlining the basic features of the Doepfer A189-1 VBM, Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier.Sound and Video by Raul Pena. Next Video: Doepfer A189-1 VBM, Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier-Bit Crushing Demo."
Video 2: Doepfer A189-1 VC Bit Modifier-Bit Crushing
" Demonstration of the bit crushing capabilities of the Doepfer A 189-1 VBM Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier.
Next Video: Demonstrates of the sample rate modifications of the Doepfer A 189-1 VBM Voltage Controlled Bit Modifier on audio Music Track "Texas" by Merryman, used with permission from James Merryman. Available on iTunes.Sound and Video by Raul Pena."
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...
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
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.
You might know that Doepfer can also do customizing and special design jobs for their clients (see HERE), but they must have looked up strange when they got a telephone-call from Dusseldorf in the late 80's..
It was Florian Schneider from Kraftwerk, calling if Doepfer could help them out retrofitting a miniature keyboard with MIDI.
Florian would use this keyboard later to trigger a sampler, and used it with Kraftwerk live for the Pocket Calculator song.
Schneider had to come back a few times to München for this project, and that is when the good relations started between Doepfer and Kraftwerk.
From that time on they worked together on various projects like the MAQ 16/3 sequencer, the MOGLI, the A-100 vocoder and some others.
Since then Doepfer even dares to advertise some products with the 'designed in cooperation with KRAFTWERK' tagline, but "...we shall not exaggerate that", according to Dieter...
