A-100 Analog Modular System

A-100 Rack

In the A-100, Doepfer have produced a capable and versatile analog modular synthesizer, built in the style of the classic modular systems of the seventies. The renaissance of analog synthesis in the last few years shows that analog sound production has a vital place alongside sampling and digital synthesis, and can produce sounds that are unobtainable by any other means. In addition to the unique sounds of its oscillators, filters, amplifiers, phasers, frequency shifters, and so on, analog synthesis can provide almost unbounded modulation opportunities, conventional and unconventional - limited only by the number and variety of modules available.
In designing the A-100, our priorities were: good sound quality; diversity of modules available; ease of integration into a MIDI system;  and, maybe most important of all, affordability.

Of course, a modular system doesn’t just have advantages. Creative work with an audio construction kit like this takes time and practice, especially to start with. Anyone who wants to be able to check out all its available sounds at the press of a button will be very disappointed with a modular system. Each unique sound has to be puzzled out, and may never be exactly repeated. Nor are there any fixed rules for connecting the various modules. A modular is an open system, in which practically anything is possible, and that’s where the fun really starts. Diversity and experimentation - and sometimes lateral thinking - are the keys to its power. Although the user manuals for each module are very comprehensive, they can’t substitute entirely for a general overview and knowledge of analog synthesis. Some very good specialised books have been written on the subject, and although some may be out of print, it’s crucial to find one or two of them, and learn from them. With that, the whole world of modular systems will open up to you, and you’ll suddenly appreciate their fascination and sheer sonic power.

We hope your A-100 brings you serious pleasure!

The complete A-100 user's guide is available for download on our website: A100_Manual_complete.pdf. The manual is also available at extra charge in printed form in a ring binder.  If you only need the manual of a single module please go to the  A-100 Modules Overview and click to the module in question. After this the module description will appear and now you have to click to user's guide. By the way - Peter Forrest - know as the author of the books "The A-Z of Analogue Synthesisers Part One and Two" - has translated most of the German user manuals of A-100 into English.

As the A-100 demo CD is no longer available we placed the sound examples of the CD as MP3 files to our web site. In addition we plan sound examples for each module available from information page of the module in question. We have to apologize that we haven't sound examples for all modules available at the moment. But this is one of our main tasks for the next few months. A lot of sound examples are available on the website of one of our customers: www.selfoscillate.de.

At present the A-100 has more than 125 different  modules available (as of summer 2016) but the system will be extended permanently. On our web site you will find the topic information concerning available and planned modules.

And the A-100 has another advantage: usually all modules are available from stock. Only at the end of the year supply shortfalls may occur from our experience.


Use these links to inform yourself about the A-100:


A-100 Tutorials
Video tutorials by Raul Pena:

Doepfer A101-2 LPG Modes Intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDzjCjrEjs8 
Doepfer A101-2 Low Pass Gate-VCA Mode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEwiDnk--tI 
Doepfer A101-2 Low Pass Gate-Combined Mode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LrlNuIIeu4 

A110 Features and Functions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2BV4iYBpOY 
A110 VCO/A145 LFO Frequency Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqWj_LX5SKE 
A110 VCO/ A145 LFO-More Frequency Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRJcVLqQ4p4 
A110 Waveforms and Pulsewidth demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq1Re-Zu9tw 
A110 VCO /A145 LFO-Pulse Width Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r51sglRpnrE 
A110 VCO /A145 LFO- More Pulse Width Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2yi58uCEkg 

A110 filtering with A101-2 and A120 intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmrB9EOVgb8 
A110 filtering with A101-2 LPG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBt7wozgjjg 
A110 More filtering with A101-2 LPG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncx6t6XZu-U 

A-114 Ring Modulation of Basic Waveforms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhwj-rqo_B8 
A-114 More Ring Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_nAmESsO0k 
A-114 Further Modulations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-euXzSojQ 

A118 Filtering with A120 VCF Low Pass Filter Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vin9o4GpJs8 
A118 Filtering with A120 VCF Low Pass Filter Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZxRsxPLuI4

A-127 Introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1qLu8oqhvg 
A-127 Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkMVO5TsPSA 
A-127 More Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJcfY4eCIQQ  
A-127 Audio Rate Modulation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv7M03m4QDU 

A-131 VCA Intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MivzVdpz5Dg 
A-131 Processing CV with A-131 EXP VCA Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIdWbrbkSD8 
A-131 Processing CV with A-131 EXP VCA Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9qSw_-lz3Q 
A-131 Amplitude Modulation with A-131 EXP VCA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kyQV1CEpIQ 

A140 ADSR Envelope Generator Part One-Introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzIKeQLyKy0 
A140 ADSR Envelope Generator Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvK69p7BGuo 
A140 ADSR Envelope Generator Part Three-VCO Patch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysqj0pUgV40 
A140 ADSR Envelope Generator Part Four- White Noise Patch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mI7J7J6ZLE

A-148 Sample and Hold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9auf7dpMrU 
A-148 More Sample and Hold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHCmndbxyII 
A-148 Track and Hold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwvezSuVvm4 
A-148 More Track and Hold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djv9RMvsRDc 
A-148 Track and Hold Vs. Sample and Hold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvjiKzBaTAs 
A-148 Sample Rate Reduction using T/H and S/H: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_on8klFYUY0 
A-148 Using other Waveforms in T/H and S/H: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7k9UPQJ2M 

A-149-1 Quantized Random Voltages  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l59lAQ0ihmI 
A-149-1 Stored Random Voltages http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XuZL4nYBs0 
A-149-1 Modulation of Quantized and Stored Random Voltages http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Tqn7QoDHA 

A-156 Basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGpT84ctWR4 
A-156 Modes of Operation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV5onpFdn74 
A-156 Modes of Operation Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vl2JD9U2E0 
A-156 More CV Sources, Transposing, and triggers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APPU7dY3WsM 
A-156 More CV Sources, Transposing, and triggers Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU42jwe2DOw 

A-188-x BBD Basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8fKvbutgds 
A-188-1 part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3QXgRBdptQ 
A-188-1 part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2o7H5UE8E 
A-188-1 part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PulaMQLm13w

A189-1 VControlled Bit Modifier Basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtXtgzDiug 
A189-1 VC Bit Modifier-Bit Crushing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwQJb9Lmfk4 
A189-1 VC Bit Modifier Demo-Sample Rate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb9t8fbRxgY 
A189-1 VC Bit Modifier Demo-Bit Crushing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eg9EnaumGo 
A189-1 VC Bit Modifier Demo-Sample Rate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e95H-MjJrN0 
A189-1 VC Bit Modifier Processing CV Part 1:A189-1 VC Bit Modifier:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMpYCPltJdw 
A189-1 VC Bit Modifier Processing CV Part 1:A189-1 VC Bit Modifier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqTUV4Ob2Y4

A-100 Reviews (reviews of single modules: report overview)
Oscillators I Oscillators II Oscillators III Filters I Filters II Filters III Time 1 Time 2
Overview of Modular Synths as of spring 2009 in the April 2009 issue of Sound on Sound

Editor's choice: A-100

 

A-100 Online reviews:

 

Detailed review about the analog modular system A-100
 in the German online magazine AMAZONA.DE

http://www.amazona.de/index.php?page=26&file=2&article_id=140


Detailed review about the analog modular system A-100
 in the December issue 2003 of Sound on Sound magazine

Our statement concerning the complained flightcase:

The flightcase complained in the SOS review is not the A-100 suitcase but a case from another manufacturer that was used for shipment of the A-100 system from our UK representative to the SOS magazine ! We are sure SOS will get this mistake straight in one of the next SOS issues.