Friday, October 11, 2013

Doepfer A-135-1 Quad VCA/ VC Mixer Tutorial Videos by Raul Pena

Time for another new tutorial series by Raul Pena.
The subject this time is the Doepfer A-135-1 Quad VCA /Voltage Controlled Mixer (version 2)

Video 1: Doepfer A135-1 QVCA/VCMIX basics

" A short description of the beasic features and functions of the Doepfer A135-1 Quad Linear VCA, Voltage Controlled Mixer. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 2: Doepfer A135 Quad Linear VCA/ Voltage Controlled Mixer Audio Demonstration One
" A short demonstration of A135 Quad Linear VCA with oscilloscope views to show how external cv effects amplitude of an audio signal. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 3: Doepfer A135 Quad Linear VCA/ Voltage Controlled Mixer Audio Demonstration Two

The second of two Audio Demonstrations of A135 Quad Linear VCA with oscilloscope views to show how external cv effects amplitude of an audio signal. Sound and Video by Raul Pena.
New videos in this series will be added to this post weekly on Thursdays.

Check out Raul's latest survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K3Z9PVF
Other places to find Raul's World of Synths on the Web:

Thursday, October 10, 2013

SiteTip: Mheontube YouTube Channel

It looks like another Eurorack fan has hit YouTube...
Mheontube started to upload interesting short Eurorack snippets since yesterday, basic patches made with a small setup of only 4 Doepfer modules (so far)...

Check the full playlist (the last 7 videos were uploaded in one day) HERE

Video 1: Chirp Chirp Analogue by mheontube

-no description available

Video 2: Android's Talk by mheontube

-no description available

Video 3: Grumpy Android by mheontube

-no description available
Uploaded by mheontube (subscribe!)

More Paper Circuit Control by Frederic Gerchambeau

Since the last time that i posted about Frederic Gerchambeau's paper circuit experiments he has already posted a few more videos further developing of this concept to his GruithuisenCityMan YouTube account.

In these videos he shows how a paper circuit, a simple sheet of paper with a conductive/capacitive substance, can be integrated into a modular system.

I will not publish all his videos here (you can always subscribe to his channel), but this one was interesting enough to share here...

Video: Wandering (paper circuit as a ribbon controller) by Frederic Gerchambeau

" Hello ! My name is Frederic Gerchambeau. 
I have made this movie and this music. The music has been made using a parper circuit and a Doepfer analog modular system.
The paper circuit has four outputs. One leads to the cutoff frequency of lowpass filter 1, another leads to the cutoff frequency of lowpass filter 2, a third one leads to the pitch CV control oscillator 1 and a fourth one leads to the pitch CV control oscillator 2. So, with a wire coming from a Doepfer A-183-2 offset, i can control these four parameters depending where the wire is on the paper circuit. The echo effect comes from a Make Noise Echophon. Enjoy !
I am a (proud !) member of the french association PWM (Patch Work Music) :
http://patch-work-music.blogspot.com/ "

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Advanced Modular Research #1 ~ VOSIM by Dubbhism

Anton from DUBBHISM wrote in today to mention that he started a new series on his blog that will include Doepfer patches for the 'more advanced' wigglers...

In the first episode he explores VOSIM (VOice SIMulation), an oldschool sound synthesis-technique that can be used for designing voice-like, and even robot-like sounds.
Future posts will cover the areas of frequency multiplication, karplus strong, sync tricks etc...

Video 1: Advanced Modular Research #1 ~ VOSIM by Dubbhism

" A VOSIM-inspired patch for Doepfer A-100 modular system "

Video 2: Advanced Modular Research #2 ~ Analog thru-zero linear FM

"An analog thru-zero linear FM patch for Doepfer A-100 modular system "

Find his full blogpost with more (patch)examples at http://www.dubbhism.com/2013/10/advanced-modular-research-1-vosim.html
,and follow Dubbhism on Twitter at https://twitter.com/dubbhism

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Doepfer A-106-5 Demo by Icaro Ferre

This one popped up on Vimeo a few weeks ago.

In a short video Icaro Ferre shows what the A-106-5 12db multimode SEM Filter module can do in multiple modes, and with different resonance settings...

Video: Doepfer A-106-5 Demo by Icaro Ferre
Doepfer A-106-5 Demo from Icaro Ferre on Vimeo.

" Running a sequence through the Doepfer A-106-5 SEM Filter module."

Uploaded by Icaro Ferre

I have this module too, and I like it a lot.
The only thing i miss in this filter module is an extra CV input to control the resonance, just like the A-121 Multimode Filter or the other Oberheim filter, the A-122 24 dB Lowpass filter VCF3 have.

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Q-Control for MAQ 16/3

Following demands in the Doepfer A-100 Yahoo group, Q-ONTROL has been updated with a new PDF tutorial and is now available for free download

Q-ONTROL is an Ableton Live Pack offering users full control over the Doepfer MAQ 16/3 MIDI analog sequencer.
Using MIDI clips to send data, complex music sequences can be made easily.
Q-ONTROL V 1.2 is offered with two templates and a tutorial PDF Book and can be downloaded via http://wildtek.net/

Dimitri Pike, the Q-ONTROL template creator, recently joined the A-100 usergroup to thank those who requested it.
He had never been very sure if it was useful for someone else then him and it was recently proved that yes it is :-)

Dimitri was working with it a few days ago and noticed that a few clips didn't correctly recorded parameters when he saved the file.
He also noticed some other errors here and there... He will work on correcting these little things asap and will let you know when the file is available for re-download.

Another note of interest, he already started to work on Q-ONTROL V 2.0 and all he can say at this point is that this new version will make a lot of users happy.

Download Q-ONTROL V 1.2 (ZIP)

- One day after publishing this blogpost, Dimitri tweeted this:

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Doepfer History: MCV8 8-Voice MIDI to CV Interface

In the mid 80s Doepfer released the MCV8, an 8-Voice MIDI to CV Interface.
The MCV8 was/is a simple MIDI-to-CV converter, featuring MIDI in/THRU plus 8 CV and 8 Gate outputs on the backside.
On the front side it had a two-digit LED plus 8 buttons.

MCV8 V2 frontside
A preliminary version of the MCV8 (very different from the final version) was available around 1985/86.
It was very primitive and had only one mode: 8-voice polyphonic.
The only controls were a learn button and a LED (to learn the Midi channel and the reference note for 0V CV). The unit had no storage and the Midi channel and reference note was lost after power off.
Only very few units were manufactured (as far as Dieter remembers less than 10). 

MCV8 V2 backside
A few years later a totally revised version of the MCV8 was available (both kit and ready made). 
The kit was about Euro 150 without case and about Euro 180 with case. 
The ready built unit with case was about Euro 280. It had a 2-digit LED display and 8 buttons with associated LEDs and was available without or with case (a ugly black plastic box, not yet 19"). 
The CV and gate outputs were available as a sub-d socket (no jack sockets) and one had to solder a special cable that converted the sub-d e.g. to 1/4" jack plugs. 

It had already different modes (8 voice polyphonic, 2 x 4 voice, 4 x 2 voice, additional controller outputs and so on) but it had no memories.

Around 1990 version 3 of the MCV8 was released.
It was available as a 19" unit with 16 1/4" jack sockets at the rear panel for 8xCV and 8xGate.
The unit had a non-volatile memory for several user presets.

Doepfer MCV8 19-inch rack with Version 3.1 Manual
The buttons could be used to setup different parameters like Legato On/Off, Gate Polarity, Pitch Bend On/Off (only in V/Oct. mode), Type of CV Characteristic (V/Oct. or Hz/V), MIDI Note Reference for 0V CV in V/Oct. mode and Pitch Bend Travel of CV (only in V/Oct. mode)

The MCV8 Version 3 Offered 6 standard modes/configurations:

Poly 8 (P8): 8-Voice polyphonic
All 8 CV outputs are pitch outputs (controlled by MIDI note on/off) on the same MIDI channel
Poly 4 (P4): 4-Voice polyphonic
The CV outputs 1-4 are pitch outputs (controlled by MIDI note on/off) on the same MIDI channel.
The CV outputs 5-8 are the corresponding velocity outputs (controlled by the velocity values of the note on/off events)
Poly 2 (P2): 2-Voice polyphonic
The CV outputs 1 and 2 are pitch outputs on the same MIDI channel, 3 and 4 are the corresponding velocity outputs, CV5 is the (monophonic) after touch output and CV 6...8 are controller outputs.
Single 8 (S8): 8-Voice monophonic
Each CV output is a pitch output on a different MIDI channel.
Single 4 (S4): 4-Voice monophonic
The CV outputs 1-4 are pitch outputs on 4 different MIDI channels.
The CV outputs 5-8 are the corresponding velocity outputs.
Single 2 (S2): 2-Voice monophonic
The CV outputs 1 and 2 are pitch outputs on two different MIDI channels.
CV 3 and 4 are the corresponding velocity,
5 and 6 the after touch, 7 and 8 controller outputs.

Besides the User Presets it had a memory for 6 user definable presets, what made this a very versatile MIDI-CV converter for its time
The CV-range could be configured to do the usual 1V/Oct (standard) or the Korg/Yamaha type Hz/V,
and the Gate output could be configured to do +5V / +7.5V and/or the Moog type S-Trigger by switching internal jumpers.

The price for the ready built unit was about 380 Euros, the kit was about 275 Euros.
There were some differences in the Version3 firmware features but details are unclear.

Doepfer MCV8 Version 3 Backside
Doepfer still has a text file of the manual on their website, you can find it HERE but a nicer  PDF of the manual can be found via the Cykong site.

It is difficult to say how many were sold as Doepfer only have records from since 1990. 
From 1990-1995 about 300 were sold, but they have no quantities before 1990. 
Dieter expects around 400-500 units were sold altogether.

Sources: http://www.cykong.com/Synths/Doepfer%20MCV8/Doepfer-MCV8.htm
...and there's one MCV8 (V2 - including a breakout box) for sale in the Netherlands now at http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/muziek-en-instrumenten/synthesizers/m724039775-doepfer-mcv8-8-kanaal-midi-to-cv-interface.html?c=8c285449651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr, where i got those pictures from.

Special thanks to Dieter Doepfer for all additional info.

More pictures of the MCV8 can be found on my PatchPierre Facebook page
Find out more about Doepfer History products HERE