Doepfer has released preliminary details on the Dark Energy II analog synthesizer:

The Dark Energy (I) has to be discontinued because an important electronic part (CEM3394) is no longer available.

We are working on the redesign of the Dark Energy at full speed. The new Dark Energy II will look like the Dark Energy I at first sight. Only the function of some controls and switches will differ from the Dark Energy I.

These are the most important differences between Dark Energy I and II:

• 12dB multimode filter with lowpass, notch, highpass and bandpass (instead of 24dB lowpass of Dark Energy I)
• The previous LM control of the filter becomes the filter type control (continuous crossfade lowpass – notch highpass – bandpass)
• The LM function of the filter is no longer available
• The waveform switch is used to select between saw and clipped/distorted saw (in the center position the saw is off)
• The basic waveform of the VCO is saw (not triangle like the Dark Energy I).
• because of the pure analog circuit and the temperature control it takes about 30 minutes until the VCO is in tune.
• The VCA has a exponential scale (not the combined linear/exponential scale of Dark Energy I)

All other functions will remain unchanged.

The Dark Energy II will be priced the same as the original Dark Energy, 428 Euro, and is expected to be available this summer.

Doepfer plans to have a prototype of the Dark Energy II at Musikmesse 2012, which starts next week.

via Doepfer, PatchPierre