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{{refimprove|date=June 2018}}
{{Short description|German audio hardware manufacturer}}
'''Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH''' is a German manufacturer of audio hardware, mostly synthesizer modules ([[modular synthesizer]]), based in [[Gräfelfing]], [[Upper Bavaria]] and founded by Dieter Döpfer. The product range covers [[analog circuit|analog]] [[modular synthesizer|modular]] systems, [[MIDI controller]]s, MIDI hardware [[Music sequencer|sequencers]], MIDI-to-[[CV/Gate]]/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] and special MIDI equipment.
Dieter Döpfer began developing audio hardware with a Voltage Controlled Phaser module for the Formant, a do-it-yourself-kit analog synthesizer from ''[[Elektor]]'' magazine in 1977. Several legendary modular synths followed while Döpfer also focused on the development of MIDI equipment during the 1980s.
In 1992, Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH released the MIDI [[analog circuit|analog]] [[Music sequencer|sequencer]] MAQ16/3 which was designed in cooperation with [[Kraftwerk]]. In the beginning, the company had direct sales and interested musicians would receive a demonstration by visiting other customers since the modular systems were deemed too difficult for typical music shop employees to demonstrate. Facing greater publicity, Doepfer shifted the distribution to specialized points of sales.
== Product History ==
[[File:Doepfer ms404.jpg|thumb|400px|Doepfer MS-404 Synthesizer]]
[[File:Doepfer A-100.jpg|thumb|400px|Doepfer A-100 Synthesizer]]
* 1979 Voltage controlled phaser module for the German Formant modular synthesizer
* 1980 PMS Polyphonic modular system (quad-modules, like quad-VCO, quad-VCF...)
* 1982 Voice modular system (one synthesizer voice with 2 VCOs, 2ADSR, 1VCF, 1VCA{{clarify|What do all these letters mean?|date=August 2020}} on one board 100x160mm, designed with CEM chips from Doug Curtis/USA)
* 1984 Sound [[Sampler (musical instrument)|Sampler]] (8 bit voltage controlled sampler with interface and sampling software for [[Commodore 64]])
* 1985 Loop option, compander and synthesis software for sound sampler (FM, Fourier, Waveshaping and so on)
* 1986 MCV1 MIDI-to-CV interface (first version)
* 1987 CCM Computer-controlled audio mixing console with computer-controlled faders (VCAs) and filters (VCFs), interface and software for Commodore 64 and [[Atari ST]]
* 1989
**LMK1 simple MIDI master keyboard
**MMK2 MIDI keyboard (e.g. used by [[Kraftwerk]] live for the Pocket Calculator song)
**MKC1/2 MIDI master keyboard controller (for combination with LMK1)
* 1990
**LMK3 MIDI master keyboard with piano touch simulation
**LMK1V2 MIDI master keyboard (improved version of LMK1)
**SX-16 16 voice MIDI expander
**MBP1 MIDI Bass pedal
**DMC-8 Drum to MIDI converter
**MONA universal MIDI out interface
* 1991
**K2B 2 manual MIDI keyboard
**MPC128 MIDI program change unit
**MTG128 MIDI-to-Gate interface with up to 128 Gate outputs controlled via MIDI
**MTS128 MIDI-to-Switch interface with up to 128 MIDI controlled electronic switches (e.g. as MIDI-In interface for any non-MIDI-keyboard)
* 1992
**LMK1+/LMK2+/LMK4+ MIDI master keyboard series with real hammer mechanics
**GMX-1 GM compatible MIDI expander
**MAQ16/3 MIDI analog sequencer (designed in cooperation with [[Kraftwerk]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb98/articles/doepfer.html|title=Doepfer MAQ16/3|work=Sound On Sound|date=February 1998|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210224342/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb98/articles/doepfer.html|archivedate=10 December 2015}}</ref>
* 1993
**MIDIM8 MIDI controller dimmer pack with 8 power outputs
**MTP8 MIDI switchpack with 8 power outputs
**MVP1 MIDI volume foot controller
* 1994
**LMK4+ MIDI master keyboard top model
**MOGLI MIDI glove
**MEG universal MIDI event generator
**MTR128 MIDI to relays interface to control up to 128 relays via MIDI note on/off
**MSY1 MIDI-to-SYNC interface
* 1995
**[[MS-404]] monophonic analog MIDI synthesizer
**TMK2 2 manual MIDI master keyboard
**[[Doepfer A-100|A-100]] analog modular system
* 1997
**Schaltwerk MIDI pattern sequencer
**MCV4 MIDI-to-CV interface
**MSY2 MIDI-to-SYNC interface
* 1998
**Regelwerk MIDI fader box and pattern/analog sequencer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb99/articles/doepfer.642.htm|title=Doepfer Regelwerk|work=Sound On Sound|date=February 1999|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609010635/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb99/articles/doepfer.642.htm|archivedate=9 June 2015}}</ref>
**PK88 MIDI Keyboard (control keyboard especially for piano expanders)
**MCV24 MIDI-to-CV/Gate interface (24 CV/Gate outputs)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar00/articles/dorpfermc.htm|title=Doepfer MCV24|work=Sound On Sound|date=March 2000|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527012319/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar00/articles/dorpfermc.htm|archivedate=27 May 2015}}</ref>
* c.1999 Drehbank MIDI controller<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul99/articles/doepfer.htm|title=Doepfer Drehbank|work=Sound On Sound|date=July 1999|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608195131/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul99/articles/doepfer.htm|archivedate=8 June 2015}}</ref>
* c.2000 Pocket Control MIDI controller<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul00/articles/doepfer.htm|title=Doepfer Pocket Control|work=Sound On Sound|date=July 2000|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607013541/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul00/articles/doepfer.htm|archivedate=7 June 2015}}</ref>
* 2006
**Thru-Zero Quadrature VCO
**30/60dB Switched Capacitor Filter
**A-100 Keyboard/Sequencer
* 2010 Dark Energy Mono Synth<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Doepfer Dark Energy|pages=88–9|magazine=[[Future Music]]|issue=223|date=February 2010|publisher=Future Publishing|issn=0967-0378|oclc=1032779031}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/articles/doepferdarkenergy.htm|title=Doepfer Dark Energy|work=Sound On Sound|date=January 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401222635/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/articles/doepferdarkenergy.htm|archivedate=1 April 2015}}</ref>
* 2011 Dark Time Analog Sequencer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug13/articles/doepfer-dark-time.htm|title=Doepfer Dark Time|work=Sound On Sound|date=August 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609005538/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug13/articles/doepfer-dark-time.htm|archivedate=9 June 2015}}</ref>
* 2012 Dark Energy II Mono Synth
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.doepfer.de/ Doepfer Home Page]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150606075946/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul98/articles/doepfera100.html ''Sound on Sound'' review of Doepfer system, July 1998, by Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle, archived from the original.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151002075314/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec03/articles/doepfermodules.htm ''Sound on Sound'' follow-up review of Doepfer system, December 2003, by Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle, archived from the original.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150401222635/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan10/articles/doepferdarkenergy.htm ''Sound on Sound'' review of Dark Energy mini-synth, January 2010, archived from the original.]
{{commons category|Doepfer}}
[[Category:Synthesizer manufacturing companies of Germany]]
[[Category:Modular synthesizers]]
[[Category:Musical instrument manufacturing companies of Germany]]
[[Category:Companies based in Upper Bavaria]]