Doepfer Dark Energy II now available

By Ben Rogerson
published

Updated version of analogue synth released

Spot the difference: the Dark Energy II looks similar to its predecessor, but it sounds different.
Spot the difference: the Dark Energy II looks similar to its predecessor, but it sounds different.

Since its release in 2010 Doepfer's Dark Energy has garnered a reputation as a suitably squelchy and surprisingly flexible old-school analogue synth.

Now we have the second generation version. This has been launched out of necessity: with the original's CEM3394 ship no longer available, Doepfer has been forced to rework the synth and come up with a new kind of Dark Energy.

There's now a sawtooth-based VCO core and a 12dB multimode filter (plus an all-new filter Mode control), while electronics buffs will be pleased to note that the mkII synth is more expandable. There are several other key differences, too.

In fact, Doepfer is saying that this is, to all intents and purposes, a new synth. It offers USB/MIDI interfacing and CV connectivity and is available now for €428.

Find out more on the Doepfer website.

Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.