Dark
Energy
is a monophonic stand-alone synthesizer with USB and Midi interface. The sound
generation and all modulation sources are 100% analog, only the USB/Midi
interface contains digital components. Dark Energy is built into a rugged black
metal case with wooden side plates. High quality potentiometers with metal
shafts are used and each potentiometer is fixed to the case (no wobbly shafts
and knobs). The distance between the controls is a bit wider compared to A-100
modules and knobs with vintage look are used.
VCO
- Triangle
based VCO core
- manual tune control (with an internal jumper the range
can be set to ~ +/-1 half an octave or ~ +/-2.5 octaves)
- range switch -1 / 0 / +1 octave
- frequency range about 10Hz ... 12kHz
- FM (frequency modulation) control with
modulation source switch (LFO1 / off / ADSR)
- manual pulsewidth control for rectangle
waveform
- PWM control with modulation source switch (LFO2
/ off / ADSR)
- waveform switch (sawtooth / off / triangle)
- the sum of the waveform chosen by this switch and
the rectangle is fed into the VCF (to turn the rectangle off the PW control has
to be set fully CCW)
- external CV input for VCO frequency (1V/octave)
- external CV input for external PWM of the
rectangle
- internal CV input for frequency (1V/octave)
connected to the CV1 output of the built-in USB/Midi interface
VCF
- 24 dB low pass
- ~ 12 octaves frequency range
- manual frequency control
- tracking switch half - off - full (internally
connected to the external
frequency CV input of the VCO, i.e. the VCF tracks to the VCO if the switch is
set to "half" or "full" position)
- XM: exponential FM (frequency modulation) control
with modulation source switch (LFO2 / off / ADSR)
- LM: linear FM (frequency modulation) control to
modulate the VCF by the triangle of the VCO in a linear (!) manner
- manual resonance control (up to self
oscillation)
- external audio input (this signal is added to
the VCO signal)
- external CV input for filter frequency
- 1V/octave tracking for usage of the VCF as a
sine wave oscillator over some octaves (not as precise as the VCO and
not temperature compensated, but much better than most of
the other filters)
VCA
- manual amplitude control (initial gain)
- AM (amplitude modulation) control with
modulation source switch (LFO1 / off / ADSR)
- external CV input for VCA amplitude
- special control scale: exponential scale in
the range from about -20dB to -80/90dB, linear scale from about -20dB to 0dB
Remark: this special control scale results in a loudness behaviour
that is a bit different from pure linear or exponential VCAs
- "CV
clipping feature": as the amplification of the VCA ranges from
0 to 1 only, each negative CV and each positive CV that corresponds to
an amplification beyond 1 will cause kind of control voltage clipping
- The control input of the VCA has been designed
in a way so that with the AM control fully clockwise even with the internal
AM sources (ADSR,
LFO1) CV clipping occurs as soon as the position of the AM control is
about 7 or more. To obtain e.g. the usual ADSR loudness contour the AM
control should be about 7 while the initial gain (A) is normally set to
zero. If AM is fully CW kind of trapezoid envelope is used to
the loudness contour. Same applies when LFO1 is selected as AM source. In
this case the initial gain control (A) is usually set to a middle position
(~ 3...6) to obtain a basic loudness which is modulated into both directions
by the LFO signal.
LFO1 and LFO2
- manual frequency control
- waveform switch (triangle / off / rectangle)
- range switch (low, audio, medium)
- LED display (dual green/red color for
positive/negative share of the signal)
- the LFO1 signal is available as an
additional socket (to use the LFO1 signal for external modules)
- an internal jumper can be used to select
between the LFO1 signal or the inverted LFO1 signal
ADSR
- manual controls for Attack, Decay, Sustain,
Release
- range switch (long, short, medium)
- blue LED display
- ADSR signal is available as an
additional socket (to use the ADSR signal for external modules)
- External
Gate input (normalled via switching contact of the socket to the Gate output
of the built-in USB/Midi interface)
USB/Midi-Interface
- Midi
channel and reference note are adjusted by means of a learn button and LED
at the rear panel
- The
interface generates the gate signal that controls the envelope generator and
three analog control voltages: CV1 is used to control the pitch of the VCO,
CV2 the VCF frequency (free assignable Midi controller) and CV3 is available
as an additional socket at the rear panel (controlled by volume/velocity).
It can be patched e.g. to the VCA control input.
- The
threes CVs and the gate signal are also available at the rear panel as jack
sockets
- cascading
of several units via internal Midi Out/Midi In connection, because of
shortage of space the unit has no Midi Out socket available this connection
has to be established internally, for this the metal case has a hole on both
sides so that the Midi Out/In connection can be made via this hole provided
that both units are mounted to one another, the Midi Out has Midi Thru
function with one exception: the signal does not include the Midi note
messages that have been processed already, consequently polyphonic cascading
(all daisy-chained Dark Energies on the same Midi channel) or monophonic
cascading (different Midi channels) is possible, it's possible to connect
only the first unit to USB and pass on the Midi data via the internal Midi
link to other devices)
In/Outputs
(all monophonic 3.5 mm jack sockets, except USB, Midi and power supply)
- front
panel:
- CV
In VCO frequency (1V/oct)
- CV
In VCO pulsewidth (about 5V range for full scale)
- CV
In VCF frequency (~ 1V/oct)
- CV
In VCA amplitude (0...+5V)
- Gate
In (0/+5...12V)
- External
Audio In (typ. 1Vss without distortion)
- inverted
LFO1
Out (~ -2.5 ... +2.5V)
- Envelope
Out (~ 0 ... +6V)
- Audio
Out (line output, typ. 1Vss, monophonic)
- rear
panel:
- USB
- Midi
In
- Learn
button
- Gate
Out (with LED for Gate display and learn function), 0/+5V
- CV1:
controlled by Midi note messages, 1V/Oct, 0...+5V, internally connected to VCO CV
input
- CV2:
controlled by Midi pitch bend, ~ -2.5...+2.5V or ~ 0...+5V (can be
selected by an internal jumper), no internal connection, the socket can
be patched e.g. to the VCO or VCF CV input at the front panel
- CV3:
controlled by Midi velocity, 0...+5V, no internal connection, the
socket can be patched e.g. to the VCF or VCA CV input at the front panel
- CV4:
controlled by Midi control change messages, free assignale controller in
learn mode, no internal connection, the socket can be patched e.g. to
the VCF or VCO pulsewidht input at the front panel
- the
CV4 socket can be used also as audio output, the function of the socket can be selected by an internal jumper, factory
setting is CV4, when changed to audio output no cable at the front panel
is required (unless one wants to patch something), in this case CV4 is
not available
- power
supply (12...15V AC, min. 400mA)
- internal
connections
- Midi
out (pin header with 2 pins for internal routing of the Midi signal to
another Dark Energy)
- Midi
in (pin header with 2 pins for internal routing of the Midi signal from
another Dark Energy)
- By
means of this internal connections several Dark Energy devices can be
daisy-chained. Only the first device has to be connected to the Midi or
USB transmitter. For this purpose the side plates of the metal case are
equipped with holes that allow the internal connection of 2 or more Dark
Energy devices. For this the metal cases have to be mounted directly to
each other without wooden sideplate between the units. If a wooden side
plate is desired between the devices one has to drill a hole to enable
the internal connection.
- Several
devices can be daisy-chained multiple monophonic (i.e. each Dark Energy
received at a different Midi channel) or polyphonic (i.e. all devices
are adjusted to the same Midi channel). For polyphonic applications a
special stack mode is available. In this mode the device in question
does not transmit note messages at the Midi output that are used to
generate the tone in the device. Only "unused" note messages
are transmitted.
Additional remarks and specs:
- As the LFO frequencies can go up to moderate
audio range (~ 5kHz) even audio FM effects of VCO (pitch and pulsewidth),
VCF and ADSR are possible !
- If the VCO is turned off (waveform switch =
center position, pulsewidth control = fully CCW) and the VCF resonance is
set to maximum the module can be used as a sine oscillator. The sine can be
modulated in a linear manner from the triangle wave of the VCO and by LFO2
in an exponential manner at the same time !
- from the factory the socket labelled
"LFO1" outputs the inverted LFO1 signal. But as the module has
several internal pin headers available even another signal may appear at
this socket by changing the internal module patch. These six pin headers are
available: LFO1 output, LFO2 output, ADSR output, inverter input, inverter
output, output socket. The internal default patch is LFO1 ->
inverter input, inverter output -> output socket (i.e. socket = inverted
LFO1). But even another signal can be patched to this socket (e.g. inverted
ADSR, non-inverted LFO1, inverted or non-inverted LFO2). It is also possible
to add a blind panel next to the A-111-5 with a couple of sockets that are
connected to the corresponding pins of the A-111-5 pc board. The inputs and
outputs of the VCO, VCF and VCA are not available as pin headers because the
VCO, VCF and VCA are internally connected in the circuit which is used in
this module.
- The attenuators for VCO FM and VCF FM are
exponential types to enable a better resolution of the modulation depth in
the lower range
- Dark Energy is the stand-alone version of the
module A-111-5
- Weight: about 1.2 kg (without power supply)
- Distance between the knobs (center - center):
~ 25 mm, diameter of the knobs: ~ 16 mm
- The metal case is made of 1 mm steel, black
coated with white printing
- Overall dimensions: about 185 x 145 x 75
mm
- Dimension of the metal case only (without side
plates and knobs): about 145 x 135 x 55
- Side plates dimensions: about 145 x 65 x
12.5 mm
- The wooden side plates
can be removed if desired. They are mounted by means of two screws to the metal
box. The holes in the metal box can be used also to mount several devices
together (e.g. with common wooden side plates on both ends).
- The device can be positioned horizontal (desk
top) or vertical
- These parts are included: power supply (12...15V
AC/min. 400mA) for 230V mains voltage with European mains plug, one
adapter cable 3.5 mm - 6.3 mm
/1/4" jack plug (1.5 m length), one USB cable (type A-B, 2 m length) and two A-100 patch cables
(50
cm length)
- Powering the device via USB is not possible,
because the analog circuits require a dual voltage (+/-12V).
For detailed information the user's manual (Dark_Energy_Manual.pdf, ~ 8 MB) and a document with additional technical information (e.g. for
modifications, adjustment) is available (Dark_Energy_technical_information.pdf,
~ 300kB). The price of the glide option mentioned in this document is Euro
10.00. It contains a pre-wired glide potentiometer with two nuts and a Dark
Energy style rotary knob.
For sound examples look at the modular version of Dark Energy: A-111-5
In addition there are some answers on our FAQ
pages: Dark Energy FAQ Remark:
The supply connector of the first series of Dark Energy is labelled "15V AC/400mA". But
the unit will work with any power supply that outputs 12 ... 15 V AC with a
minimum of 400 mA. The units are delivered with 12V AC or 15V AC supplies (400mA
or more) !
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