Doepfer

Hello

Am 03.01.2014 12:32, schrieb blair_cowan@mac.com:
> 1. Does it matter that my two Dark Energy's are different models, or
> will this prevent the link from working?
No they both are base on the same MIDI interface. All the differences 
between I and II are clearly marked in the web page for the DE II 
(http://www.doepfer.de/Dark_Energy_II_e.htm:  "In the following 
description of the Dark Energy II the differences to Dark Energy I are 
marked blue")

> 2. If there is no problem with my two Dark Energy's being different
> models, does it matter which is the 'master' and which is the 'slave'?
Yes and No. "No" because it will not matter, which of those two is 
master and which is slave. But "Yes" because the master is the one which 
sends on JP5 and the slave is the one which receives on JP6. So you have 
to care to use the right jumper on each machine.

> 3. I will be accessing both using the same midi channel.  Do I still
> need to put the 'master' machine into Stack Mode?
Yes. The real trick of the stack mode happens on the masters MIDI 
interface. This interface removes the note info which it uses for itself 
from the MIDI stream and forwards only all other notes to the slave. For 
the slave it does not matter.


> 4. Will the 'slave' machine automatically inherit the midi receive
> channel from the 'master machine', or will I need to program it using
> the Learn function?
You have to programm it with the learn function. This is necessary 
because you may want to use the two machines also on separate channels 
as individual monosynths.


> The Technical Information documents do not go down to this lev el of
> detail, and perhaps they should.
It goes down to there. I don't own a Dark Time and took all info from 
the documents:
Darktime 1: http://www.doepfer.de/pdf/Dark_Energy_technical_information.pdf
Darktime 2: 
http://www.doepfer.de/pdf/Dark_Energy_II_technical_information.pdf
Of yourse you need a general knowledge about MIDI. But you can't blame 
doepfer that they don't add a full midi compendium to their manuals.

Florian

Florian,

thank you for your detailed response. I currently use my Dark Energy mk2 as an additional vco, envelope generator and LFO for my Dark Energy mk1. I do this using the CV/gate inputs and outputs on each machine. On this basis I would want the midi note information received by the Dark Energy mk1 to be forwarded also to the dark Energy mk2. As per section 3.4 (Linking and Stacking Dark Energies) of the Mark1 User Manual, engaging Stack Mode would actually prevent this.

All I need now is to understand whether the 'slave' Dark Energy has to be set to the same midi channel as the 'master' using the Learn function, but I can find that out through experimentation.

Kind Regards,

Blair

Hi,

regarding my earlier post about linking (not stacking) two dark energy units using the internal midi thru buss:

I connected my two dark energy's using the supplied jumper lead, making sure that the the lead was plugged into JP5 of the sending unit, and JP6 of the receiving unit. I also ensured that the polarity was correct - ground to ground, and live to live. This did not link the two dark energy synths.

In fact, to link two dark energy's via the midi thru buss, I found I had to connect JP6 of the sending unit to JP6 of the receiving one. Now when I connect to the midi in socket of the sending unit and play a note on my keyboard, both dark energy's respond at the same time, and with the same note.

Florian, the issue here is not about including "a full midi compendium" in the Dark Energy manuals, but instead about including an entry in "section 3.4. Linking / stacking several Dark Energies" to the effect that if you want to link (as opposed to stack) two dark energy's together using the internal midi thru buss, employ a jumper lead between JP6 of each machine.

Deiter,

would it be possible to update the online manuals to reflect this? It might save other users a bit of time and frustration.

Kind regards,

Blair.

Hello,

the technical document is correct and so far no customer complained about
the document (I know many users who connected their Dark Energy in the way
that is described in the document). The way how you connected the two units
is not how it is planned. When you connect both JP6 you make a short circuit
between both Midi inputs (i.e. the Midi inputs of both units obtain the same
Midi information). This may work by chance ("by chance" because the
opto-coupler outputs and pull-up resistors are shortened). But this is
totally compared to the connection that is described in the Dark Energy
document. The idea was to connect the Midi output of the first unit to the
Midi of the second one. That way it's possible to realize kind of a
polyphonic structure. When the first Dark Energy is set to "stack mode" the
Midi note message that is used to generate the tone of the first Dark Energy
is NOT forwarded to the Midi output. Only additional Midi note messages (not
used in the first Dark Energy) are passed on to the Midi output.

Consequently if you want that both Dark Energy run in parallel (i.e.
generating the same tone) the highest or last note priority has to be chosen
(NOT stack mode) with this kind of connection. Only if you want the
pseudo-polyphonic feature the stack mode has to be selected.

Of course if both units are adjusted to different Midi channels the stack
feature has no meaning.

Best wishes
Dieter Doepfer

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com]Im Auftrag von blair_cowan@mac.com
> Gesendet: Samstag, 4. Januar 2014 04:31
> An: Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com
> Betreff: Re: [Doepfer_a100] Linking A Dark Energy mk 1 and a Dark Energy
> mk2
>
> Hi,
>
> regarding my earlier post about linking (not stacking) two dark
> energy units using the internal midi thru buss:
>
> I connected my two dark energy's using the supplied jumper lead,
> making sure that the the lead was plugged into JP5 of the sending
> unit, and JP6 of the receiving unit. I also ensured that the
> polarity was correct - ground to ground, and live to live. This
> did not link the two dark energy synths.

Maybe you have chosen the stack mode on the first unit. Then "monophonic"
Midi note messages will be not transmitted.

> In fact, to link two dark energy's via the midi thru buss, I
> found I had to connect JP6 of the sending unit to JP6 of the
> receiving one.  Now when I connect to the midi in socket of the
> sending unit and play a note on my keyboard, both dark energy's
> respond at the same time, and with the same note.

That's the "Midi in short circuit" mentioned above

> Florian,  the issue here is not about including "a full midi
> compendium" in the Dark Energy manuals, but instead about
> including an entry in "section 3.4. Linking / stacking several
> Dark Energies" to the effect that if you want to link (as opposed
> to stack) two dark energy's together using the internal midi thru
> buss, employ a jumper lead between JP6 of each machine.
>
>
> Deiter,
>
>
> would it be possible to update the online manuals to reflect
> this?  It might save other users a bit of time and frustration.

I don't think so.

> Kind regards,
>
>
> Blair.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>