12/15/2002 Forum posting I am wanting to buy a Modular Synthesizer. I can't decide between a Deopfer A-100 or a Synthesizers.com. I have done a lot of research on both but still can't decide. What do you think is better and why? Spencer Lubbock, TX RESPONSE: Well, speaking as an ex-Doepfer owner... (this is the cue for those of you who have read this before to skip to the next topic) I would say go with the .com. Doepfer is seductive because of the huge selection and low, low prices. They certainly work well enough (if you have the high-end oscillators), but there are certain drawbacks to Doepfer worth considering: 1. Modules are cheap, but power supply/housings are not. 2. The power bus is prone to ground loops. I found line noise to be a constant annoyance (yes, my system was hooked up correctly). 3. The multimode filters are very good, but hissy. The -24 dB LPF is good for the money, but can't even approach the .com -24 dB LPF (the .com is quieter, tracks over four octaves rather than one, and sounds genuinely "Moogy"). Don't even think of buying the Doepfer - 24 dB high pass--it's crap. 4. The small panel size of the Doepfer is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because it makes even a very large system portable, and it's easy to visualize patches. It's a curse because things get cramped awfully fast. Plus, because there generally aren't enough inputs and outputs on modules, you have to buy mixers to make up for the lack. 5. Most importantly, Doepfer uses jack sockets, which are designed for machine insertion in consumer goods that don't require constant plugging/unplugging and are expected to be replaced in a couple of years. To say this makes them a poor choice for a modular synthesizer is to put it mildly. I had trouble with my Doepfer jacks from the very start (playing "hunt the bad jack" when you have 30 patchcords plugged in is rather annoying). Mind you, there are people who have few or no problems with their Doepfer jacks, but trust me, they will. Synthesizers.com uses panel jacks, not jack sockets. Even low-cost panel jacks will give trouble-free operation for at least thirty years. The reason companies like Doepfer don't use them is because panel jacks need to be hand mounted and hand soldered, which adds to the cost. From a marketing perspective, Doepfer does not seem to be aimed at a long-term buyership. It seems (to me) to be designed to cash in on the analog craze, which eventually will pass. The target audience seems to be young people with less disposable income who will likely move on to something else in a couple of years. This is why Doepfer is not a "long haul" synthesizer like Synthesizers.com, MOTM, Modcan, et al. If you are serious about analog synthesis, do not consider ANY synthesizer that uses jack sockets (jacks mounted to circuit boards). That's a biggie. From there on out, it depends on your budget and the type of music you like to make. As someone with an electronics background and who has been into electronic music since the late 60s, I think that Synthesizers.com delivers excellent value for the money, which is why it is my #1 choice, despite some issues. If you dig Moog, you will also find it quite Moogy in look and in sound (some may argue on this last point, but what do they know? :-) ). My bag is classical and experimental, and this is a synth that can do both. If you haven't done so already, visit the demo page on the .com site. Also visit the artist pages, as some have links with further demo (mine is John Mitchell. You'll find experimental, environmental and acoustic modeling examples at my MP3 site). Have fun! John M. Response to similar thread March 05 I hesitate to post on this because I have already inadvertently been dragged into one Dotcom vs Doepfer battle this week...however...I can't resist voicing my own take. For me, the Dotcom is to the Doepfer what a Manley pre is to a ART Tube MP. The latter is versatile and can get the job done "okay", but it is mass-produced and suffers from the sorts of things a mass-produced, budget-minded box suffers from. The former is a work of art...it is the well-honed craft of a very few, and is infused with the craftsman's own signature qualities. I know when I buy a Dotcom module that the jacks will not wiggle, and that the knobs will be solid and respond well. I know that I can depend on it. The Doepfer stuff offers a lot of variety, but to be honest, I don't need twenty different filters to do my job. I certainly don't need twenty different filters patterned after whatever retro doodad is hip this week. The main reason I do not have a Doepfer in here was that whenever I played with them, they felt flimsy and didn't inspire confidence that they would stand up to a few years of constant usage and wear. An investment in a modular is a lifetime commitment in my book. Roger's stuff feels as if it will last that lifetime. I'm not trying to bait anyone into a debate, and I aint questioning anyone else's opinion on the subject...these are just my own opinions. I confess that I do have a fondness for small companies who still have some sense of craft, and I am willing to pay for that, even if it means waiting until I can afford it. I wouldn't trade that kind of quality for variety and volume. And the Dotcom sounds wicked through my Manley pres, too... ;) Scot S.