Doepfer A-105 SSM 24dB Lowpass Filter example

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This is a beautiful 24dB filter with a brilliant and somewhat rough sound, quite different from the A-108 Transistor Ladder. For technical details, please see Doepfer’s Homepage:

http://www.doepfer.de/a105.htm 

This example uses three A-110 VCOs (sawtooth, one VCO is tuned down 1 oct), cutoff frequency is modulated by an Envelope Generator and the A-155 sequencer (same track that controls VCO pitch), Resonance (called „Q“ here) is controlled by a second A-155 track. Btw., the examples here are not intended for some kind of „scientific“ comparison between modules. On the contrary, I would like to show some characteristics in a somewhat musical context.

Here we go:

http://www.andreaskrebs.de/assets/media/A-105.mp3

Since the A-105 allows for some nice overdrive, we increase the input volume during the track.

Andreas

Doepfer A-108 6/12/24/48 dB Lowpass Filter example

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There are quite a few discussions about the quality of various modular filters / filter manufacturers, etc. which we are happy to see today. Here’s an example of the quite „beefy“ and full Doepfer A-108 6/12/24/48dB Lowpass (Transistor Ladder) Filter. Does it sound lika a Moog? I don’t care too much, since it sounds very fine in its own respect and fits well to all kinds of classical electronic sounds. For technical details of the 8 stage transistor ladder take a look at Doepfer’s homepage:

http://www.doepfer.de/a108.htm 

The example uses three A-110 VCOs as input (all with sawtooth, one VCO is tuned down 1 octave), there is filter key tracking and filter ADSR modulation with varied intensity. You will hear the five different outputs of the filter as follows:

  1. 48 dB lowpass (0’00“ and 4’05“),
  2. 24 dB lowpass (1’00“ and 4’24“),
  3. 12 dB lowpass (1’42“ and 5’00“),
  4. 6 dB lowpass (2’20“ and 5’27“) and
  5. bandpass filter (3’00“ and 5’48“).

For each output, we start with no resonance (called emphasis here, since this is a kind of Moog clone) and end with full resonance. When using the bandpass, the center frequency is varied as well. After this, we repeat the same thing (slightly different filter center frequency) with input level cranked up so it can distort nicely. The VCOs are driven by an A-155 Sequencer.

Here we go:

http://www.andreaskrebs.de/assets/media/A-108.mp3

Andreas

Improvisation III – Drums Fun With PLL

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So here’s another improvisation with the Doepfer A-100 (take care, this is quite „hardcore“…):

This is quite a long piece (ca. 24 min), so take some time to enjoy weird things happening…

We start with a bassdrum (coloured noise put through the A-106-5 SEM VCF), followed by some rhythmic sound (808 source into A-101-1 Vactrol VCF and then through the VC panner – controlled by a fast LFO). Both rhythm „instruments“ were triggered by the trigger out of an A-119 external input, fed by the VCO output of an A-196 PLL (filtered through an A-106-6 Xpander VCF) fed by an A-111 VCO (pulse out). The A-111’s pulse is modulated by a sine LFO. That’s the rhythm.

Them we have the PLL VCO output as a sound source itself: we send it through an A-108 ladder VCF and then into an A-188-2 bucket brigade device. Envelopes are A-140 and triggers are modified by A-160 clock divider and A-165 trigger modifier.

Track length is 24:34.

Have fun,

Andreas

Improvisation II – Der Rhythmus wo ich immer mit muss

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This is another Doepfer A-100 improvisation. This time somewhat rhythmic and, hum, in a strange way danceable (is this me speaking?):

As always, here comes the nerdy part:

Bass Sequence: 3 x A-110 in A-106-6 Xpander Filter, all outputs through A-155 Sequencer step inputs, pitch is controlled by A-155. Bassdrum: A-108 Ladder VCF into A-137-1 Wave Multiplier I. Hihat: A-1188 White Noise in A-106-1 Xtreme Filter. High Sequence: 2xA-110 in A-101-1 Vactrol VCF and A-188-2 Tapped BBD (stereo out), pitch controlled by S&H (with Quantizer).

Track length is 10:35.

Have Fun!

Andreas

Improvisation I – A Drone Experiment

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This is a first experiment with an anlogue machine (Doepfer A-100). Everything here is improvised, no overdubs, just some slight reverb and delay from Ableton Live and some mastering with Steinberg Cubase. Some basic preparations had been done to create the patch, the rest has been patched on the fly:

There’s no such thing as a defined melody or rhythm here ;-)

Ok, now here’s the nerdy info on this track (as always): It starts with coloured noise (from an A-118), put through an A-127 Triple Resonance Filter (which reminds me of the PS 3100 resonance filter). After this, there’s an A-111 VCO put through the A-137-1 Wave Multiplier. Quite a nice evolving drone sound. Then we have a bass by an A-110 VCO (I really LOVE the raw sound of the 110!!) put through an A-108 Ladder filter (low resonance, quite a beefy sound). This is modulated by the Complex Envelope A-143-1. Then come some notes played on keyboard. This are again two A-110s put through the smooth A-106-5 SEM filter. Finally, we have an A-117 Digital Noise put through an A-106-6 Expander Filter (24 dB LP) being modulated by an A-140 ADSR (triggered by the first EG of the A-143-1 Cmplex Envelope). That’s it. Patched „on the fly“  and recorded with a Steinberg MR interface in Live.

I would like to thank Mr. Dieter Doepfer (www.doepfer.de) for being such a cool engineer and entrepreneur! What a wonderful instrument! And of course the guys at hieber lindberg (www.hieber-lindberg.de) for their advice and many discussions about modular analog synthesizers (and the possibility to listen to all these nice machines in their shop, of course).

Track length is 16:13.

Have fun,

Andreas