Doepfer

haha, I agree fully :-D
I do feel the people who speak badly about the a100 are abit 
jealous, they always talk about mini-jacks..boring boring :-D


John




--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com, "unknown freak" <cgraef@n...> 
wrote:
> Hey, Peter -- awesome post.  Sound files -- any kind of sound 
files -- would
> be very interesting to hear, if you get a chance.  It's easier to 
get the
> implications in the context of an mp3.
> 
> Maybe post this to AH too?  The absurd attitude toward Doepfer of 
a lot of
> voices on that list sort of burns my ass.  I mean, is Doepfer or 
is Doepfer
> not offering a truly tantalizing flight of great new modules?
> 
> Come to think of it, I can just see the Konkuro response:  "Random 
voltages
> are useless!  This has nothing to do with music!  It's a module 
for morons!
> All you need is 1/2 an oscillator, a bandpass filter, and a baked 
potato, as
> long as they all have 1/4" jacks!"
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: (i think you can figure that out)
> > [mailto:petergrenader@h...]
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 12:46 PM
> > To: Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [Doepfer_a100] A-149- fist impressions
> >
> >
> > Hello to list.  Sorry I've been away so long.
> >
> > Yesterday I took delivery of the new 149 Quantized/Stored
> > Random Voltages and I thought I'd inflict you all with my first
> > impressions..
> >
> > Interesting little bug indeed.
> >
> > As always, I am the WORST when it comes to reading manuals
> > and spent about an hour with it before I downloaded Dieters
> > instructions.  Once I did, things that I was noticed were 'oddly
> > related'  made a lot more sense and I suggest to the lovers of 
all
> > things random out there that you do the download first, because
> > if you leave it to Don Buchla's typically cryptic graphics (which
> > Dieter also incorporated), like me you won't really have a clue
> > what is actually going on.
> >
> > The top half first:
> >
> > The top half of the 149 consists of two separate outputs of
> > quantized stepped random voltages.  Given that both run off the
> > same random source, they track each other in a remarkable way,
> > which again is modeled after the characteristics of the  Buchla
> > 266.  The top output  (n+1) is quantized in 1V increments and the
> > bottom one (n squared)  in 1/12 volt increments.  Connected to
> > the 1V/oct input of a VCO, this means that one is giving you
> > octaves and the other semitones - and because both run off the
> > same random source, they track one another.  Connecting two
> > VCOs (one to each of the two quantized outputs) will yield some
> > intriguing counterpoints which every once in a while resolve
> > themselves to unisons.
> >
> > There is a pot which controls the depth of the spread which can
> > also be controlled by an external input. The level of this VC can
> > be attenuated manually with its level pot.
> >
> > One thing to mention: the 149, at least mine, reacts to the
> > TRAILING EDGE of the incoming clock.  If you want your
> > envelope to to track these voltage changes, you're going to have
> > to invert its trigger (an 165 being the easiest solution) to get 
it in
> > sync with what's coming out of the 149.  It took me a while to
> > realize this as I thought at first the n squared out was 
frequency
> > doubled from n+1 ( the second reacting tto both rising and 
failing
> > edges).
> >
> > Outside of the usual applications, my immediate thought was
> > using the N+1 out to control the 1V/oct VC input of an LFO used
> > to pace a sound event, thus rendering random musical rhythmic
> > intervals.  Being a big fan of this type of control, I have a 
pretty
> > good idea where the n+1 is going to get a lot of use.
> >
> > The bottom half:
> >
> > The bottom half behaves in a less predicable manner than the
> > quantized section.  It's outputs relfect a true random selection 
of
> > 256 available levels generated within the module, also in
> > accordance with the conventions of the Buchla 266.  So, yeah, 
it's
> > not true random in that there are only 256 possible resolutions,
> > but the net effect is pretty much the same.  I guess what I'm 
really
> > saying is that limitation is not perceivable to me.
> >
> > The top output will give you a sampling from all 256 levels at 
any
> > given time.  The bottom output has an adjustable range (either a
> > pot or external VC) which in effect allows you to tune the
> > bandwidth of these fluctations.  Although I;m not 100% 
positive,  I
> > think it's reacting like a low Q bandpass filter, the peak of 
which
> > is the pointer of the pot. But instead of passing voltage, you're
> > passing and attenuating numbers within the range of 256. . Fully
> > CCW will attenuate the high numbers and give you emphasis on
> > the low numbers with a gradual taper into the mid range.
> > Centering the pot will emphasize the center with a graudual
> > taper to both the low and high ends, and fully CW will fully
> > attenuate the lower scale and give emphasis on the high
> > numbers with a gradual taper into the mid.
> >
> > In any event, the result is very musical.  Atonal, but musical 
if that
> > makes any sense.
> >
> > One thing to mention is the while this module is set up like and
> > behaves much in the manner of the Buchla 266, Dieter's method
> > to derive the random internally is not the same as Buchla's
> > approach.  Dieter opted for digital noise while Don Buchla used
> > a noise-modulated triangle wave as the source, much like Serge
> > and Wiard did, but their's use a saw wave.  Because this
> > difference (digital noise), I would be interested to hear the 149
> > agianst a 266.  I know of a 266 locally and wil be suggesting a
> > face off in the newar future and will report back to you all,
> > possibly even with audio examples.
> >
> > In any event - if you're lover of random voltage as I am (my
> > system now has six  souces for stepped random)  - buy the 149,
> > it's great.
> >
> > hope this helps,
> >
> > Peter
> >
> >