Fwd: EXTENSIVE EMAIL INTERVIEW WITH DOEPFER!!!
2003-06-03 by Bakis Sirros
--- Dieter Doepfer <hardware@doepfer.de> wrote: > From: "Dieter Doepfer" <hardware@doepfer.de> > To: "Bakis Sirros" <synth_freak_2000@yahoo.com> > Subject: > Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 12:41:55 +0200 > > Dear Bakis, > > if you are interested here is a copy of an email > interview I have carried > out. Maybe it answers some questions, especially the > history of my company. > > Dieter Doepfer > > > Von: David Barelli [mailto:quadwould@hotmail.com] > > Gesendet: Montag, 2. Juni 2003 16:36 > > An: hardware@doepfer.de > > Betreff: Modular questions (an email interview) > > > > Hey Dieter, > > thank you for wanting to participate. below are > ome general questions > (sent > > to everyone) and below that are some questions for > Doepfer specifically. > > if you could answer all of the ones for Doepfer > the others then become > less > > of a priority. short answers will do. > > ok lets get started. (General) > > > > What got you into wanting to build modulars? > > While I was studying physics end in the > seventies/eighties I wanted to have > badly a modular synthesizer - but no money. So I > started to built some > modules of the so-called Formant synthesizer that > was published in the > German electronic magazine Elektor. I modified some > of the modules and added > new ones. My first additional modules were: VC > phaser, VU module, envelope > follower, audio frequency divider, VCLFO, 48dB low > pass and some more. Then > I tried a 4 voice polyphonic modular system, the > so-called PMS. The system > was made of so-called Quad modules (i.e. four-fold), > e.g. Quad VCO, Quad > VCF, Quad VCA, Quad VCADSR, Quad VC LFO and so on. > But the system was not > very successful maybe because it was offered only as > a kit (pc board + > electronic parts) and a lot of hand wiring was > necessary to built the > complete system. The first real successful step > (from a commercial point of > view) was to take over the European representation > for Curtis Electromusic > (the well known CEM circuits that were used in many > synthesizers). Besides > the distribution of these circuits for European > manufactureres I designed a > voice orientated synthesizer system with CEM chips: > the so-called Voice > Modular System VMS. Each pc board had the European > standard dimensions > (100x160 mm). The first board was the so-called > Voice Card that contained a > complete synthesizer voice (2 VCOs + VCF + VCA + 2 > VCADSRs). An 8 voice > polyphonic CV/Gate keyboard and an auxiliary board > (so-called Expansion > Card) with several VCLFOs, noise, S&H and so on > could be added. An interface > with software for Sinclair ZX81 and Commodore 64 was > added. All parameters > of the system could be displayed and adjusted on the > computer screen. I also > added a computer controlled analog and trigger > sequencer with up to 256 > steps both. Next module of this system was the SSU > card (Sound Sampling > Unit) that enabled to include sampled sounds and > computer generated sounds. > At this time Christian Assall joined the company and > programmed several > sound synthesis software for the Commodore 64 (e.g. > Fourier, FM, Waveshaping > and Sampling modification software incl. FFT). > > > When did you get started? > > The early beginnings were middle of the seventies. > The first commercial > success appeared middle of the eighties (i.e. I > could live on the earnings > from the synthesizer designs). > > > Do you think you will ever stop (making > modules)(we all hope not)? > > Yes - when I die, but not before ! > > > Have you always been a synth person, or do you > live a second life? (i > don't) > > Yes I have a second life as I believe that you need > a counterpart to be > successful. In my case this is sports (biking, > skiing, squash, paragliding) > as a balance. Some of my best module ideas I had > during biking and I always > have a sketchbook with me (sometimes even a laptop). > > > What do you view as the strengths of your system? > > 1. A lot of different modules (about 75 at the > moment, we expect more than > 100 during the next years) > 2. Low-priced but good quality (no cheap parts, we > save only where it makes > sense from our point of view, e.g. front panel size > or knob size, but not at > important parts like potentiometers) > 3. Continous development of new modules (about 5-10 > per year), many of them > in cooperation with customers (e.g. with the Yahoo > A-100 gruop) > > > What, of a whole system do you view to be the most > important parts( if > many, > > rate from highest to lowest priority)? > > sound quality > building quality > good relation between price and features > many different modules > > > What is your focus with your system (traditional > modules, or wacky oddball > > ones, or a full spectrum) ? > > Full spectrum from bread and butter modules (VCO, > VCF, VCA, ADSR, LFO, Noise > ...) up to exotic/crazy modules like Theremin, > Trautonium, Vocoder, Shepard > generator, light control, morphing, ribbon > controller, uncertainty modules > and so on. > > > What are your philosophies in terms of sonic > choices when designing > modules > > (ie, signal-to-noise, frequency range, etc...)? > > subjective good sound and control, i.e. the > users/musicians have to love the > sound or the control. Nobody asks for SNR or > frequency range for Moog > modules or the Hammond organ or the Leslie cabinet. > > > Do you tend to design your modules with an idea of > specific musical > usages? > > Classical, funk, electronica, rock, avant-garde, > movie soundtrack, sound > designer work, etc...? > > no. > > > Do you have particular sounds in mind when you are > designing them (ie, a > > certain quality of filter response or similar)? > > Yes. For some modules we compare them during > development with their "shining > examples" (e.g. during the vocoder design we > vistited Kraftwerk several > times to compare our prototypes with their > collection of vocoders). > > > Are there any designs, patterns rut you want to > avoid, as you might find > > that they do not suit your goals for the overall > system? > > Normally we do not develop a new module if one of > our (A-100 compatible) > competitors already has this type of module > available. We want to have a > good relationship even to our competitors as we all > pull together the same > rope. > But there are exceptions like standard modules > (VCO/VCF/VCA...) or if > customers urgently ask for a module (e.g. at the > moment many customers ask > for a new high end VCO or VU display though > corresponding modules are > already available from other manufacturers). > > > What is your understanding of the history of > modular synthesis (design, > what > > modules were available, reasons behind why > modulars were being made ) and > > how does this influence your own goals ? > > A modular system is a bit like a "audio model > railroad". You can put > together all the parts you need to obtain the > desired sound or type of > control. And you can add all the new "waggons, > engines and rails" of your > choice. And a module patch with all that cables, > lamps, knobs and switches > and of course the unique sound has a kind of > aesthetic that you - of > course - have to love. > > > In your approach to design, are you a > fundamentalist (sticking to the > tried > > and true ways of module design) or are you > experimental (trying to find > > new/different ways of doing/making the same thing) > > both. We design replica of earlier designs (e.g. > Moog VCF, TB303 VCF, Diode > VCF, CEM VCF, SSM VCF, Theremin, Source of > Uncertainty, Shepard generator, > Trautonium manual, subharmonic oscillator, spring > reverb and others) as well > as completely new circuits (e.g. 48 dB VCF, morphing > filter, VC polarizer, > different MIDI interfaces and others). > > > What are your views about the resurgence of > Modular synthesis, both as a > > trend (that i hope does not pass) and with the > growing number of > > manufacturers (both mainstream.. higher turnout, > and the boutique one.. > more > > custom lower turnout)? > > I'm sure that there will be many musicians in the > future that will use > "real" modular synthesizer in the future as you will > obtain specific sounds > and controls that are not possible with other > solutions. > > > Do you feel that the resurgence of modular use > has/will affect the music > industry? > > It already has. Look at the flood of software based > modulars. And even a lot > of new hardware manufacturers seem to look forward > to sell their products. > > > How do you feel that modular synthesis can benefit > a programmer. ? > > Of course and vice versa. E.g. Hans Nordelius of > Clavia ordered many years > ago from us a big A-100 system so that his > programmes knew what they have to > program. And we have many customers that used > software based modulars and > now want to have a "real" system too. And many A-100 > users of course try > software based modulars too as both have their > advantages and drawbacks. > > > The sound design (sound for film, sfx, samples) > industry (from my own > > experience) relies quite a bit on modulars to get > the job done. what is > the > > breakdown of clientele between sound designers and > musicians for your > company. > > We have no detailed information about that as we do > not know the application > of each system or customer. In addition more than > 50% of the systems are > sold via dealers or representations so that we do > not know the final > customers. All I know is that there is a wide range > of customers from > professionals (e.g. Hans Zimmer, Kraftwerk, Human > League) to home musicians > that use the A-100. > > > Do you sell direct, if so or not, why? > > We normally sell via representations (e.g. in USA, > Canada, Japan, Australia, > New Zealand, UK, Austria, Switzerland, France, > Netherlands, Italy). We sell > directly only to smaller countries without > representatives. > > > Modulars are from the Happy world of CV, what your > view/attitude towards > MIDI? > > One has to combine both to obtain the best of both > worlds. That's why we > offer a range of different MIDI interfaces too (both > MIDI-to-Analog and vice > versa). > > > What are your views of the whole Modular synth > versus prepackaged synth, > > both in terms of flexibility and in day to day > use.? > > The flexibility of a pure modular system is > unrivaled. > > > Some companies are Kit only based, some per-made > only based, and some > both. > > do you see the trend moving to the Kit based DIY > market in the furure or > do > > you feel there will always be a balance. > > From our point of view kits do not make sense > anymore (we offered kits until > 2000) as the efforts to offer a kit are not much > less than the production of > a module. You need a very good documentation to > explaing everything and you > have to take into consideration the inquiries of > customers that have > problems to get the kit running and the unsatisfied > customers that will not > be able to built the kit (and believe me - there are > many of them, we had > made a lot of bad experiences with customers that > turned kits into garbage > e.g. with unsuitable tools like 100W soldering irons > or completely wrong > assembly of parts and so on). > We will gi another way: we are about to offer a DIY > page on our web site > where the building of own modules (including > schematics, pc-board layout) is > described. But we will not offer kits because of the > above remarks. > > > (see above) which are you, and why. and in only > one type based (kit ot > > pre-made) would you consider offering the other to > broaden you marketshare > > (would you find it even beneficial to do so)? > > No. From our point of view kits will cause more > problems than advantages and > kits would not be clearly cheaper that ready built > modules. > > > Some people use their modulars for quick sound > design, sampling it and > > moving on to another patch, some work hard on > patches record the song and > > draw the patch, and some use their modulars as > ROMplers a single patch > over > > a period of months. How do you use your system. > and (how do you see/would > > you like) your systems being used.? > > I think that sampling of sounds generated by > modulars is a good idea. But it > will not replace a lot of applications that have to > done in realtime with > modulars (e.g. long time complex modulation changes > and manually controlled > sound changes, e.g. with Theremin or Ribbon > controller) > > > What do you see for the future of modular > synthesis? > > I'm looking forward that the number of users of > modular synthesizers will > grow (and many of them come from the software based > synthesizer corner ....) > > > > QUESTIONS FOR DOEPFER: > > > > You have a very impressive amount of modules and a > vast array of designs. > > what has been your inspiration to push this far? > > Well, the experience of more than 30 years leads to > a lot of designs. We > have the problem to decide which circuit will be > offered as a module as it > is a long way from the idea or the first prototype > to the final module (pcb > layout , detailed tests and possibly re-desings, > front panel design, > purchasing electronic parts, supervising the > production, writing > documentation and advertising/information, taking > pictures, and so on). Even > if a development is finished it takes about 3-4 > months until the first > modules are shipped. > > > You have so many different types of experimental > modules, from trautonium > > filter, to Subharmonic Oscillator, to Source of > Uncertainty, have you > always > > been into more experimental types of synthesis? > > No. We want to cover the whole range. From > basic/bread and butter modules to > more experimental types, as you always need both (a > modular system without > VCO/VCF/VCA/ADSR/LFO will be a problem) > > > From where do you get your concepts for your > modules, especially the > > experimental ones? > > We have a lot of ideas in our drawers but more and > more ideas come from > A-100 customers too. > > > ... i've run out of questions... your site answers > most i have come up > with... > > > > Self Rant: here is where you can go on about > yourself and your systems, > > feature sets, aspects i didn't cover but you would > think might be > applicable... > > I think your list of question was very extensive so > that nothing is > left...... > > > Thand you again for your very valuable time and > your help > > -David M. Barelli > > > Your welcome. > > Best wishes > Dieter Doepfer > Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH > Email address: hardware@doepfer.de > Web Site: www.doepfer.com > ===== synthfreak(parallel worlds) athens-greece [Doepfer_a100] group owner __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com