Dark Energy is a monophonic stand-alone Synthesizer with USB and Midi interface. The sound generation and all modulation sources are 100% analog, only the USB and Midi interface contains digital components. Dark Energy is built into a rugged black metal case with wooden side plates. High quality potentiometers with metal shafts are used and each potentiometers is fixed to the case (no wobbly shafts and knobs). The distance between the controls is a bit wider compared to A-100 modules and knobs with vintage look are used.

Extended information

Dark Energy is also available as module A-111-5 for usage within the the modular system A-100. The only differences are the missing power supply and USB/Midi interface and the module uses the standard distances between the controls. The VCO frequency CV input (1V/octave) and the Gate input are normalled to the corresponding signals of the A-100 bus via jumpers. The jumpers can be used to interrupt the internal bus connections.

Technical specifications

Dark Energy is made of these components:
- VCO
Triangle based VCO core
manual tune control (by means of an internal jumper the range can be set to ~ +/-1 half an octave or ~ +/-2.5 octaves)
range switch -1 / 0 / +1 octave
frequency range about 10Hz ... 12kHz
FM (frequency modulation) control with modulation source switch (LFO1 / off / ADSR)
manual pulsewidth control for rectangle waveform
PWM control with modulation source switch (LFO2 / off / ADSR)
waveform switch (sawtooth / off / triangle)
the sum of the waveform chosen by this switch and the rectangle is fed into the VCF (to turn the rectangle off the PW control has to be set fully CCW)
external CV input for VCO frequency (1V/octave), normalled to the CV output of the internal USB/Midi interface
external CV input for pulsewidth of the rectangle

- VCF
24 dB low pass
~ 12 octaves frequency range
manual frequency control
tracking switch half - off - full (internally connected to the frequency CV input of the VCO, i.e. the VCF tracks to the VCO if the switch is set to "half" or "full" position)
XM: exponential FM (frequency modulation) control with modulation source switch (LFO2 / off / ADSR)
LM: linear FM (frequency modulation) control to modulate the VCF by the triangle of the VCO in a linear (!) manner
manual resonance control (up to self oscillation)
external audio input (this signal is added to the VCO signal)
external CV input for filter frequency, normalled to the auxiliary CV output of the internal USB/Midi interface
1V/octave tracking for usage of the VCF as a sine wave oscillator (not as precise as the VCO but much better than most of the other filters)

- VCA
manual amplitude control
AM (amplitude modulation) control with modulation source switch (LFO1 / off / ADSR)
external CV input for VCA amplitude
special control scale: exponential scale in the range from about -20dB to -80/90dB, linear scale from about -20dB to 0dB
Remark: this special control scale results in a loudness behaviour that is a bit different from pure linear or exponential VCAs

- LFO1 and LFO2
manual frequency control
waveform switch (triangle / off / rectangle)
range switch: low (up to several minutes period) / audio (up to ~ 5 kHz) / medium (usual LFO range)
LED display (dual yellow/red color for positive/negative share of the signal)
the LFO1 signal is available as an additional socket (to use the LFO1 signal for external modules)
an internal jumper can be used to select between the LFO1 signal or the inverted LFO1 signal

- ADSR
manual controls for Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release
range switch (long, short, medium)
blue LED display
ADSR signal is available as an additional socket (to use the ADSR signal for external modules)
External Gate input (normalled to the Gate output of the internal USB/Midi interface)

- Remarks:
As the LFO frequencies include the audio range even audio FM effects of VCO (pitch and pulsewidth), VCF and VCA are possible !
If the VCO is turned off (waveform switch = center position, pulsewidth control = fully CCW) and the VCF resonance is set to maximum the module can be used as a sine oscillator. The sine can be modulated in a linear manner from the triangle wave of the VCO and by LFO2 in an exponential manner at the same time !
from the factory the socket labelled "LFO1" outputs the inverted LFO1 signal. But as the module has several internal pin headers available even another signal may appear at this socket by changing the internal module patch. These six pin headers are available: LFO1 output, LFO2 output, ADSR output, inverter input, inverter output, output socket. The internal default patch is LFO1 -> inverter input, inverter output -> output socket (i.e. socket = inverted LFO1). But even another signal can be patched to this socket (e.g. inverted ADSR, non-inverted LFO1, inverted or non-inverted LFO2).