on test synthesizer Doepfer Dark Energy Synthesizer Paul Nagle The latest product of Doepfer’s modular know-how is the Dark Energy: a compact, powerful and hands-on hen Doepfer’s A100 modular emerged in the mid-1990s, who could have desktop analogue synthesizer. W guessed that one day it would boast more modules than any other system? filter and ADSR envelope plus two LFOs, its handling. They are rather too close together Or that its compact Euro format would feature set looks fairly basic, but to encourage for an unreserved thumbs-up but, being prove so popular? In his busy career, Dieter modular fraternisation, it adds a cluster of reassuringly heavy, they aren’t prone to Doepfer has shipped products ranging from patch connections — gateways to an intense unintentional disturbance. sequencers and sync boxes to MIDI gloves and beardy world... There are 16 knobs on a standard Dark and other controllers. Recently, it’s been the Energy. An optional glide control knob self-contained synthesizer’s turn for attention, Does Dark Matter? costing £20 was also present on the front a theme unexplored since the Doepfer MS404 In a departure from the more familiar silver, of the review unit. Had it been placed at the monosynth. The result is the distinctly the Dark Energy is clad in chunky black steel rear, along with the MIDI input, wall-wart vintage-looking Dark Energy, a monophonic and protected by wooden end cheeks. It connector, USB port and outputs from the desktop synthesizer conversant in Volts, MIDI looks fab! The knobs are a step above any MIDI-CV converter (about which more later), and USB. With a single oscillator, low-pass Doepfer I’ve met, being classy in shape and the synth could have been operated upright 122 www.soundonsound.com • january 2010 on test synthesizer DOEPFER DARK ENERGY rather than on its back. Glide is too important to be considered optional — how else will we recreate those 303 bass slides? As well as knobs, there are a dozen three-way switches which have two active selections each, the middle position typically being ‘do nothing’. This Dark Energy is considerably less enigmatic than its namesake, the mysterious something that occupies the majority of the universe. Actually, we’ve heard from it before. At its heart beats a Curtis chip (CEM3394) previously found in synths such as the Sequential Circuits Multitrak and Six-trak. It’s been a long time since I (briefly) owned a Six-trak, and I don’t remember it sounding this good! Maybe a few knobs and patch points have turned my mind, but it appears that Doepfer, in his mad-scientist lab coat, has As with the rest of the instrument, 3.5mm jack sockets are very much the order of the day on the rear panel, dipped the chip in acid — or maybe acieed! the only exceptions being the power, MIDI and USB connectors. Also, note the MIDI Learn button. The 24dB/octave filter should certainly test the ears of those who adamantly declare that only discrete circuits can sound sweet. With its to inject some grit. short envelopes, envelopes suitable for solos pleasing, even response and a resonance that The VCO is as simple as they come. or general performance, and long drone-type wails like a tripping ocelot, the filter should A switch transposes its pitch up or down settings. Droners everywhere take note: the serve as a potent reminder that real analogue an octave, and there’s a fine-tune range of maximum attack time is almost a minute. isn’t pushing up the daisies just yet. around plus or minus five semitones. Unlike Our tour around this darkly diminutive Having made the obligatory ‘yeeow’ noises, some single-VCO synths, the Dark Energy has doughnut box is nearly complete. There’s only it was time to probe the filter’s repertoire no sub-oscillator, yet it doesn’t feel weedy the VCA left, and it’s probably most notable for further. A tracking switch offers half, full or or lacking in oomph. It can deliver profound its Initial Gain control. Beloved of ARP Odyssey no tracking at all. If you activate tracking with sub-bass or, with a few masterful tweaks, players everywhere, this opens up the sonic resonance at self-oscillation, you can play the become a rasping, spitting cockroach, sluice gates so there’s no need to trigger the resulting sine wave as a pitched audio source. especially when the aforementioned filter FM envelope in order to hear something. The VCA So far, nothing too extraordinary. The filter is cranked to the max. is typically controlled by the ADSR, but you is modulated by either the ADSR or LFO2, VCO waveform selection is slightly could alternatively wobble it via LFO1. With its amount set by the XFM (exponential FM) unconventional. A switch offers the choice ADSR selected and the modulation amount knob — again, typical enough. The scope of triangle, sawtooth or off. Then, to mix in set beyond seven, the envelope output will for freakier electronica comes courtesy of a square wave, turn the pulse-width control remain at maximum until you release a key, an internal signal path patching the VCO’s away from either extreme. As you turn the regardless of the sustain level. Finally, for triangle wave as a modulation source for the knob towards the middle of its travel, the a gated envelope à la Roland SH101, the gate filter. With no noise generator present, filter wave widens into a warm, hollow square; signal can be patched from the rear panel to FM is quickly adopted as one of the main ways keep turning and it becomes progressively the VCA control input. As I’ve hinted already, thinner until it disappears. There is no way a few patch cables can go a long way... to set the levels of the VCO waveforms other than by this pulse-width adjustment. Totally Wired Pulse-width modulation is sourced either Although it is patched internally, the Dark Doepfer Dark Energy £349 from the envelope or from LFO2. Energy’s horizons are broadened considerably pros The Dark Energy has three internal sources • Small, self-contained real analogue monosynth. of modulation: two LFOs and an ADSR Alternatives • MIDI, USB and CV connectivity. envelope. The LFOs offer just triangular or rectangular waveforms and each has a red/ Another German company, MFB, offer a range of small cons MIDI‑controlled analogue synths. In the case of the green LED, the colours shifting to track the • Panel is rather closely packed. larger three‑VCO ‘Kraftzwerg’, patch points are offered • No glide knob as standard. phase of modulation. Low, medium and high too. But the affordable end of the market is currently frequency ranges may be selected, the latter dominated by Dave Smith Instruments, whose Mopho summary hoisting LFO frequency to around 5kHz. and Tetra synths offer plenty of bang for the buck. Also driven by Curtis chips, these both have memories and With new synthesizers from Moog, Dave Smith Modulation at audio rates is your ticket to a menu‑based user interface, but no patch points. Instruments, Tom Oberheim and others, it’s pseudo-ring-mod atonality, whilst the slowest For patching without going fully modular you should never been a better time to buy analogue. check out the more expensive SEM (Synthesizer As a stand-alone monosynth, Dark Energy is (“up to a minute”) LFO speed is ideal for those Expander Module) from Tom Oberheim, a welcome tempting either as your first taste of the real slothful moments. The envelope is entirely blast from the past that is now available in MIDI or thing or if you simply crave just one more fix... conventional, with just one slight twist. It has patch‑panel format. three operational ranges scoped for precise, 124 www.soundonsound.com • january 2010 on test synthesizer DOEPFER DARK ENERGY by means of patch points — a number of configurations, to voltage inputs and outputs, invert the output of the ADSR or some of which are sourced of either LFO. Finally, the wooden from MIDI. The CV inputs are side plates can be removed and as follows: VCO frequency, several devices joined together. VCO pulse-width, VCF At the moment this means several frequency, VCA amplitude Dark Energies, but I can’t help and Gate. An audio input is remembering what an extensive present, too, for processing catalogue Dieter Doepfer has external signals via the filter. to draw from, then speculating The outputs from LFO1 and about how idle he isn’t... ADSR are delivered to the front panel’s mini-jacks as Conclusion control voltages, along with It’s unpretentious, the main audio signal, while well-constructed and welcoming, the MIDI-derived CV outputs and I couldn’t help but enjoy appear on the back panel. The basking in Dark Energy. The more common Volt/octave Doepfer brand might seem scary CV standard is employed, to newcomers, synonymous as and Doepfer kindly provide Measuring approximately 185 x 145 x 65mm, the it is with powerful, potentially Dark Energy should fit comfortably on to anyone’s a mini-jack to quarter-inch conversion lead unfathomable modular behemoths. But desk, no matter how cluttered. along with a couple of patch cables to get a synth the size of a sandwich box won’t you hooked. I mean started. four other control voltages. Of these, CV1 intimidate anyone. Plus it’s hardly a massive There’s one small issue with the CV is extracted from MIDI notes (and routed leap into the unknown, which is probably why inputs: there’s no way, without resorting internally to VCO pitch), CV2 corresponds the Dark Energy succeeds despite being fairly to an external attenuator, to limit the full, to pitch-bend and CV3 is note velocity.