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A-143-4 Doepfer Eurorack

Quad Voltage Controlled VCO / LFO

Module A-143-4 is a fourfold voltage controlled low frequency oscillator (LFO). As the frequency range includes moderate audio frequencies it can be used as a four-fold VCO too.

  • four independent VCLFOs/VCOs with triangle core

  • frequency range switches: low (bottom position) = LFO mode, high (top position) = VCO mode

  • two frequency control CV inputs for each unit

    • CV1 without attenuator (~ 1V/oct)

    • CV2 with attenuator

*manual frequency control

*internal jumpers for the frequency range of the manual frequency controls:

 * jumper not installed: ~ +/- 1 octave range (mainly for VCO applications)

 *jumper installed: ~ +/- 5 octaves range (mainly for VCLFO applications)

*Sync inputs:

 * combined Reset/Direction inputs for unit #1 - #3

 *separate Reset and Direction inputs for unit #4 (normalled sockets, i.e. Reset is connected to Direction if the Direction socket is unused)

 * up/both/down direction switch for unit #4

  • triangle and rectangle outputs for each unit

  • typ. output voltage range -5V ... +5V for both outputs (i.e. about 10 Vpp, symmetrical with reference to 0 V)

*red/yellow LED displays for the triangle outputs (red = negative output voltage, yellow = positive output voltage)

*common control section with two CV inputs and manual control (these inputs and controls affect the frequency of all four units)

  • sum outputs for triangle and rectangle with red/yellow LED displays

*optional ultra-low frequency mode: for this a negative voltage can be applied via a jumper internally to the CV2 input of each unit and the common section (i.e. a negative voltage is normalled to the socket CV2 in question). Then the CV2 attenuator control works as a negative frequeny control (i.e. turning up this control lowers the frequency). Herewith LFO periodes up to about one hour (or even more) are possible.

*optional CV bus access via jumper (i.e. the module can pick up the CV from the A-100 bus, e.g. generated by a Midi/CV or USB/CV interface A-190-x or a bus access module A-185-1/2), if the jumper is installed the bus CV affects all four units as the bus CV is added to the CV generated by the common control section

  • typ. frequency range: < 0.001 Hz (~ one hour, LFO mode with ultra-low option) ... 15 kHz (VCO mode with installed frequency range jumpers for the manual frequency controls)

*heat-up time: ~ 15 minutes (required to heat-up the main circuit by the affixed oven)

Important Notes:

The module was planned mainly as a quad VCLFO. But we added a range switch (nothing but a switch for two different capacitors) so that even audio frequencies are possible and the module can be used as VCO with some restrictions too. Because of the closeness of the main circuitry (i.e. four VCO cores within less ~ 1 square millimeter) the oscillators may lock if the frequencies are very close to each other.

The reset circuitry is optimized for the LFO mode. As it takes some time to discharge the oscillator capacitor the discharge time had to be chosen so that the capacitor is fully discharged in LFO mode. In the high range (where a much smaller capacitor is used) this will cause a zero state duration in the 0.3 ms range if the oscillator is synced (during this time the capacitor is shortened for discharge).

The control scale of the inputs "CV1" is about 1V/octave. To improve the behaviour in the VCO mode a tempco circuit is used to keep the temperature of the exponential converter at a fixed temperature (similar to the tempco option of the DIY SYNTH).. That way the frequency of the VCOs (and even the VCLFOs) is nearly independent from the environment temperature. But the accuracy (1V/octave scale and temperature compensation) is not as precise as for the dedicated VCOs A-110 and A-111-1.

http://www.doepfer.de/a1434.htm

  • 100 mA +12V
  • ? mA -12V
  • ? mA 5V
  • 60 mm Depth

No info about availability.

$299
22 HP LFOOscillatorQuad