Doepfer A-199 Spring Reverb Vintage Edition (8HP)

Full Description

To hear the Doepfer A-199 Spring Reverb module in action, you can listen here.

Spring Reverb

The Doepfer A-199 is a spring reverb module with a powerful three-spring tank that provides a beautiful reverberation effect. The tank for the A-199 uses three springs with variations in their properties that deliver a rich, dense reverb covering a wide range of frequencies. These springs are attached to high quality input and output transducers. Each transducer consists of a coil centered around a magnetic lamination and small cylindrical magnets centered in the air gap of the lamination. The springs and transducers are mounted on an inner aluminium channel, connected by four small support springs to the outer chassis. Applying an electrical signal to the input transducer generates an alternatic magnetic field, resulting in the movement of the transducer magnets. The three main springs in the tank have this signal reflected through them, with the spring diameter, alongside the gauge and length of the spring wire, determining the amount of delay. This magnets in the output transducer then generate an alternating magnetic field, which proceeds to induce an electrical signal in the output transducer coil.

These signals are passed through their respected input and output connections on the reverb tank, and to/from the A-199 module itself. You can use the module's controls to adjust the level, feedback, emphasis (mid frequency accentuation), and mix of your reverb signal to create your desired sound. The A-199 also features an output for the pure reverberation effect, enabling you to output the reverb signal with none of the dry signal present for a variety of creative uses.

Controls

• Level: An attentuator that controls the level of the input signal that is fed into the socket
• Feedback: Controls the share of the reverb signal that is fed back to the input. Feedback can be adjusted as far as self-oscillation. The self-oscillation behaviour depends upon the properties of the spring system. If external feedback is used, this control acts as an attenuator for the external feedback signal. In this case the reverb output is passed through one or more A-100 modules and then fed back to the socket
• Emphasis: Enables the adjustment of the accentuation of middle frequencies (around 2kHz). This gives more pressure or presence to the reverb effect
• Mix: Adjusts the relation between the original and reverb signal appearing at the output

Inputs/Outputs

• Audio In: Input for the audio signal that will have the reverb effect added to it
• ext. Feedb. In: This is an input for an external feedback source. This input is a normalled socket, meaning that the reverb output is used as a feedback signal unless a signal is patched into this socket. As soon as a plug is inserted, the internal feedback path is interrupted
• Reverb Out: This is an output for the pure reverb signal
• Mix Out: This is an output for the mixed signal containing the original and reverb signals together (overall mix between the two can be adjusted with the Mix control)

Specifications

• Width: 8HP / 40.3mm
• Depth: 50mm (Measured from the rear side of the front panel)
• Current:
  • +12V: +80mA
  • -12V: -10mA