Doepfer Dark Energy I (device no longer available) - Manual (Page 30)

30
Dark EnerGy DOEPFER Basics of Soundgeneration
Low Frequency Oscillators
An LFO is a Low Frequency Oscillator which generates frequent control voltages over a wide range. It can
provide several waveforms. Both LFOs of Dark Energy provide triangle and square waveforms. The latter
can be used for “jumps” in modulation while the triangle wave creates continous modulations. The LFOs
can be used as modulations sources for all of Dark Energy’s importand sound parameters.
Interaction
The following figure shows the interaction of all the above mentioned components. It shows the audiosignal
path (darker coloured) with oscillator (“raw sound”, pitch), filter (timbre) and amplifier (loudness). Next to
these modules you see the modulating or controlling elements (envelope generator, LFO) which provide the
necessary control voltages to control the parameters of the aforementioned components.
Keyboard /
MIDI-Interface
Oscillator
(VCO)
Filter
(VCF)
Amplifier
(VCA)
Low Frequency
Oscillator
(LFO)
Envelope-
Generator
(ADSR)
Audio
Output
Gate Signal
Envelope Control Voltage
LFO Control Voltage
Pitch
Control Voltage
Audio Audio Audio
If you feel like going deeper into the secrets of soundsynthesis, please check out this book:
Allen Strange, Electronic Music – Systems, Techniques and Controls, 2nd edition, Wm. C. Brown Company
Publishers, Iowa, ISBM 0-697-03602-2
This is one of most complete and useful publications about sound synthesis and synthesizers, suitable for
newcommers and more advanced musicians.