A-111-3 Micro Precision VCO / VCLFO
Slim Line Series

 

Eine sehr ausführliche Beschreibung des A-111-3 mit Klangbeispielen hat freundlicherweise Andreas Krebs (der Autor von "Das große Buch zum Doepfer A-100 Modulsynthesizer) online gestellt: https://a100.ideenhase.de/2023/08/23/a-111-3-micro-precision-vco-vclfo/
Andreas Krebs (the author of the German book "Das große Buch zum Doepfer A-100 Modulsynthesizer) published a detailed description of the A-111-3: https://a100.ideenhase.de/2023/08/25/a-111-3-micro-precision-vco-vclfo/?lang=en



click to enlarge

Standard Edition

Vintage Edition

 

Module A-111-3 is an extremely space-saving precision VCO/LFO with a 4HP panel only. Essentially it's the same basic circuit as the A-111-2 but with reduced features:
  • triangle core
  • fully analog design
  • min. 15 octaves pitch range in each mode (VCO/LFO):
    • VCO mode: typ. 0.5 Hz - 20 kHz  (with appropriate external CV)
    • LFO mode: typ. 0.001 Hz - 40 Hz (with appropriate external CV)
  • range switch so that the module can be used as VCO or LFO (in LFO mode all frequencies about 1/500 compared to VCO mode)
  • about 24 octaves total in both modes (typ. 0.001 Hz - 20kHz)
  • perfect 1V/octave tracking over min. 10 octaves (typ. 16Hz - 16kHz in VCO mode)
  • exponential frequency section:
    • Tune control
      • selectable tune control range by means of an internal jumper: about  0.5 / 2 / 10 octaves
      • manual VCO tune range (with jumper pos. 1, without external CV): about 16 Hz- 20kHz
      • manual VCO tune range (with jumper pos. 2, without external CV): about 16 Hz- 70Hz
      • manual VCO tune range (without jumper, without external CV): about 16 Hz- 22Hz
      • if desired the min. frequency can be adjusted by the user (frequency offset trimming potentiometer, see note below)
      • the corresponding frequencies in LFO mode are about 1/500 lower, the max. frequency in LFO mode is about 40Hz
    • 1V/octave CV input "1V"
    • exponential frequency modulation XM input with attenuator
    • the XM input socket is normalled to a small positive voltage so that the XM control works as fine tune control when exponential FM is not in use. As a logarithmic potentiometer for finer resolution in the lower range is used, also the fine control is exponential  
      (thank's to Václav of Bastl Instruments for this tip at Superbooth in Berlin)
    • access to internal bus CV (via jumper, optional, please remove the bus jumper if this feature is not used to avoid unwanted frequency modulation as then the unused CV line of the bus works as a kind of antenna)
  • linear frequency section:
    • linear frequency modulation input LM (without attenuator), DC coupled
  • Pulsewidth section for rectangle output:
    • Manual pulsewidth control PW, adjusts pulsewidth from 0% (output = fixed at "low" state) up to 100% (output fixed at "high" state)
    • Pulsewidth modulation input PM (without attenuator), about 5Vpp required for full PW range
  • Sync input SY (selectable hard or soft sync via internal jumper, CEM3340 hard sync type)
  • Waveform outputs:
  • Nearly "perfect" waveforms
  • LED (for display in LFO mode)
  • only 4HP panel

A-111-3 is also the ideal companion for the subharmonic generator A-113

The following document shows the positions and functions of the jumpers and trimming potentiometers of the module: A111_3_trimming_potentiometers_and_jumpers.pdf

Technical remarks:

  • The control voltage applied to the socket 1V/Oct is added to the control voltage coming from the bus (interruptible by removing the jumper JP2). Connecting a cable to the socket 1V/Oct does not interrupt the bus CV connection ! I.e. the 1V/Oct socket is not normalled to the bus CV. This allows e.g. transposing sequence CV (applied to the socket 1V/Oct) by the bus CV (e.g. connected to the CV output of a Midi-to-CV interface).
  • The module is based on the CEM3340 circuit. The hard sync of the CEM3340 works different compared to most other VCOs. The excerpt from the data sheet shows the details:

The CEM3340 type of hard sync is also explained in the A-111-1 user manual on page 9: A111_man.pdf


Breite/Width: 4TE / 4HP / 20.0 mm
Tiefe/Depth: 65 mm (gemessen ab der Rückseite der Frontplatte / measured from the rear side of the front panel)
Strombedarf/Current: +30mA (+12V) / -20mA (-12V)

Standard Version : Euro 175.00
Vintage Edition : Euro 185.00

The price in US$ depends upon the exchange rate between Euro and US$ at the payment day.