Doepfer

Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a manufacturer of audio hardware, mostly synthesizer modules (modular synthesizer), based in Gräfelfing, Germany and founded by Dieter Döpfer. The product range covers analog modular systems, MIDI controllers, MIDI hardware sequencers, MIDI-to-CV/Gate/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master keyboards and special MIDI equipment.

Dieter Döpfer began developing audio hardware with a Voltage Controlled Phaser (VCP) module for the Formant, a do-it-yourself-kit analog synthesizer from Elektor magazine in 1977. Several legendary modular synths followed while Döpfer also focused on the development of MIDI equipment during the 1980s.

In 1992, Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH released the MIDI analog sequencer MAQ16/3 which was designed in cooperation with Kraftwerk. In the beginning, the company had direct sales and interested musicians would receive a demonstration by visiting other customers since the modular systems were deemed too difficult for typical music shop employees to demonstrate. Facing greater publicity, Doepfer shifted the distribution to specialized points of sales.

Product History
Doepfer MS-404 Synthesizer
Doepfer A-100 Synthesizer
  • 1979 Voltage controlled phaser module for the German Formant modular synthesizer
  • 1980 PMS Polyphonic modular system (quad-modules, like quad-VCO, quad-VCF...)
  • 1982 Voice modular system (one synthesizer voice with 2 VCOs,2ADSR,1VCF,1VCA on one board 100x160mm, designed with CEM chips from Doug Curtis/USA)
  • 1984 Sound Sampler (8 bit voltage controlled sampler with interface and sampling software for Commodore 64)
  • 1985 Loop option, compander and synthesis software for sound sampler (FM, Fourier, Waveshaping and so on)
  • 1986 MCV1 MIDI-to-CV interface (first version)
  • 1987 CCM Computer-controlled audio mixing console with computer-controlled faders (VCAs) and filters (VCFs), interface and software for Commodore 64 and Atari ST
  • 1989 LMK1 simple MIDI master keyboard
  • 1989 MMK2 MIDI keyboard (e.g. used by Kraftwerk live for the Pocket Calculator song)
  • 1989 MKC1/2 MIDI master keyboard controller (for combination with LMK1)
  • 1990 LMK3 MIDI master keyboard with piano touch simulation
  • 1990 LMK1V2 MIDI master keyboard (improved version of LMK1)
  • 1990 SX-16 16 voice MIDI expander
  • 1990 MBP1 MIDI Bass pedal
  • 1990 DMC-8 Drum to MIDI converter
  • 1990 MONA universal MIDI out interface
  • 1991 K2B 2 manual MIDI keyboard
  • 1991 MPC128 MIDI program change unit
  • 1991 MTG128 MIDI-to-Gate interface with up to 128 Gate outputs controlled via MIDI
  • 1991 MTS128 MIDI-to-Switch interface with up to 128 MIDI controlled electronic switches (e.g. as MIDI-In interface for any non-MIDI-keyboard)
  • 1992 LMK1+/LMK2+/LMK4+ MIDI master keyboard series with real hammer mechanics
  • 1992 GMX-1 GM compatible MIDI expander
  • 1992 MAQ16/3 MIDI analog sequencer (designed in cooperation with Kraftwerk)[1]
  • 1993 MIDIM8 MIDI controller dimmer pack with 8 power outputs
  • 1993 MTP8 MIDI switchpack with 8 power outputs
  • 1993 MVP1 MIDI volume foot controller
  • 1994 LMK4+ MIDI master keyboard top model
  • 1994 MOGLI MIDI glove
  • 1994 MEG universal MIDI event generator
  • 1994 MTR128 MIDI to relays interface to control up to 128 relays via MIDI note on/off
  • 1994 MSY1 MIDI-to-SYNC interface
  • 1995 MS-404 monophonic analog MIDI synthesizer
  • 1995 TMK2 2 manual MIDI master keyboard
  • 1995 A-100 analog modular system
  • 1997 Schaltwerk MIDI pattern sequencer
  • 1997 MCV4 MIDI-to-CV interface
  • 1997 MSY2 MIDI-to-SYNC interface
  • 1998 Regelwerk MIDI fader box and pattern/analog sequencer[2]
  • 1998 PK88 MIDI Keyboard (control keyboard especially for piano expanders)
  • 1998 MCV24 MIDI-to-CV/Gate interface (24 CV/Gate outputs)[3]
  • c.1999 Drehbank MIDI controller[4]
  • c.2000 Pocket Control MIDI controller[5]
  • 2006 Thru-Zero Quadrature VCO
  • 2006 30/60dB Switched Capacitor Filter
  • 2006 A-100 Keyboard/Sequencer
  • 2010 Dark Energy Mono Synth[6][7]
  • 2011 Dark Time Analog Sequencer[8]
  • 2012 Dark Energy II Mono Synth

References
  1. "Doepfer MAQ16/3". Sound On Sound. February 1998. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  2. "Doepfer Regelwerk". Sound On Sound. February 1999. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015.
  3. "Doepfer MCV24". Sound On Sound. March 2000. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015.
  4. "Doepfer Drehbank". Sound On Sound. July 1999. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015.
  5. "Doepfer Pocket Control". Sound On Sound. July 2000. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015.
  6. "Doepfer Dark Energy". Future Music. No. 223. Future Publishing. February 2010. pp. 88–9. ISSN 0967-0378. OCLC 1032779031.
  7. "Doepfer Dark Energy". Sound On Sound. January 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015.
  8. "Doepfer Dark Time". Sound On Sound. August 2013. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015.
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