Doepfer Dark Energy I (device no longer available) - Manual (Page 10)

10
Dark EnerGy DOEPFER Functionality
3. Functionality
In this section, we will explore all of Dark Energy‘s modules and functions in detail. We will also have a
close look on the modules interaction and finally the MIDI functionality.
3.1. Signalflow
USB
MIDI In
MIDI / CV
Interface
Oscillator
(VCO)
Filter
(VCF)
Amplifier
(VCA)
Low Frequency
Oszillator 2
(LFO1)
Low Frequency
Oszillator 2
(LFO2)
Envelope
Generator
(ADSR)
Audio
Output
Gate Signal
Envelope Control Voltage
LFO Control
Voltage Pitch Control
Voltage
Audio Audio Audio
CV 4 CV 3 CV 2 CV 1
The figure above shows a brief overview of Dark Energy‘s signalflow.
The darker coloured boxes show all modules that generate or process the sound resp. the audio signal.
They are labelled VCO, VCF and VCA and form the audiopath. The light grey boxes are control modules.
Instead of audiosignals, they generate control voltages, which modulate the audiomodules. The envelope
generator can send control voltage to VCO, VCF and VCA, the low frequency oscillators (LFO1 and LFO2)
can send their control voltages to both oscillators and to the filter (LFO2) resp. the amplifier (LFO1).
The MIDI to CV/Gate interface „translates“ incomming MIDI data into control voltages that can be accessed
at the sockets CV 1 – 4. CV 1 is also fed into the VCOs input to control the oscillator pitch. Next to this, the
MIDI to CV/Gate interface generates a gate signal which triggers the envelope and starts a tone.
The figure on the following page shows the complete signalpath in all it‘s beauty. Users with some techni-
cal skills may easily reenact all routings. All inputs and outputs, knobs and switches as well as all internal
submodules, such as adders and inverters, are shown in the grafics.
The functionality of all moduls is described in the following section from page 12 on. A more general and
easy to understand description of the basics of analogue sound generation can be found in section 4
„Basics of Soundgeneration“.