Doepfer MS-404
Category: Products / synthesisers / analog synthesisers
Added: 18-Dec-98 | Author: admin
New price: £ 299 - 698 DM - $450... CHEAP !! | S/H price: ??
Company Link: Doepfer
Doepfer MS-404
MS-404 is a MIDI-controlled monophonic GENUINE analog synthesizer coming from Doepfer in Germany, and is one of the few affordable alternatives to second hand vintage synths out there on the market apart from the likes of Syntechno and the forthcoming midi'd Energiser, ATC etc.... but this unit is VERY well priced compared to those units....Well, I saw this unit in SOS, and thought i'd bung it in the list..... dont have anything other than spec's, so I'll post 'em up, and if any of you uses one, then please add as many useful user comments and notes as possible... Cheers !
Right.......... here's the spec....
MS-404 Features
- real VCO (no DCO), switchable between sawtooth / off / rectangle (pulse)
- pulsewidth of rectangle adjustable, pulsewidth modulation with LFO1
- glide time adjustable, glide on/off via MIDI-Controller #65 (Portamento)
- frequency modulation with LFO1, even in audio range for producing typical FM sounds
- white noise as alternative sound source (switcheable instead of VCO)
- 24dB resonance filter (low pass), resonance/emphasis adjustable up to self oscillation !!
- Filter frequency may be controlled via any MIDI controller and/or MIDI velocity
- frequency modulation with LFO2, even in audio range for metallic/FM sounds
- keyboard tracking switchable off/half/full (continued on following page)
- envelope amount (accent) controllable via MIDI volume (ctr.#7) and/or velocity effect of accent adjustable (accent knob)
- full ADSR type (Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release)
- 3 frequency ranges from sub-LFO (some minutes oscillation period) up to audio (max. 5kHz)
- LFO waveform triangle, frequency and level adjustable
- LFO1: to VCO frequency or VCO pulsewidth modulation switchable
- LFO2: VCF frequency
- External Audio Input, level adjustable.... alternative sound source instead of VCO or Noise
- MIDI-CV Interface (internal):
- MIDI channel and transpose (reference note) selectable via learn button
- retrigger on/off (new trigger if playing legato)
- controlling of glide on/off via Controller #65
- controlling of VCF frequency via any Controller and/or Velocity
- controlling of VCA envelope amount via Controller #7 and/or velocity
- two 1/4" jack sockets for CV und Gate Output (may be changed to CV/Gate Input when changing jumpers inside by authorized dealers)
- light grey 19" housing, 1 unit
Well, there's the list....... basically a 100% analog synth, with a midi to Cv converter built in...... you can play it via a midi keyboard, sweep the filter cut-off via midi or control the VCA envelope amount, switch the portamento (glide).... similar to a BD9 in it's midi control spec'........ In common with other units of this type, it also functions as a midi to CV device to control another synth.... you can also get it from the factory fitted the other way round, so it recieves CV to allow control from an external unit, or apparently, if you call the company, they'll fit it with a switch to toggle between the two modes.....You can also plug an external audio source into the MS-404 to apply the units modelling capabilities to ouside sources.....
Well, looks pretty tasty... and is supposed to sound pretty damned good.... so... comments please....... And by the way, check the Doepfer pages, where you'll see a monster modular analog system they do comprising of about 20 or so modules that you can mix & match into a system...
Product Manuals or Files
no user manual
Product Resources
Audio demo?
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Category: Products / synthesisers / analog synthesisers
User Comments
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: Kilo
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 19-Jan-99
Agenuine analog synth, playable via midi and at a very reasonable price.....
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: 909
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 19-Jan-99
(Did you new it comes out in green to?!)
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: Stephen Reed
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 19-Jan-99
Finally, a REAL analog synth for the 90's! Great sound- similar to a SH101 / MC202. The LFO's are very unique. You get two independant LFOs that go into the audio range for some interesting modulation effects.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: janne kaipainen
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 19-Jan-99
had one for few months and i am happy with it.
you can really make sounds different from the
general tb303-bubbling (not that the unit
wouldn't do that also, but it requires some
work with control changes and i've been lazy
enough not to do that =) using the LFOs at high
frequencies, for example. i've heard someone
telling the resonance to be no good, but i
found it very warm and, well, fat. and will
scream. midi implementation isn't too
perfect and sync'd LFO's would be extremely
usable, but can't have it all for this price.
anyway, a real bargain, this one.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: Werner de Bruijn
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 19-Jan-99
Great box! You can really create a lot of different sounds with it (some of them quite extreme) once you get the hang of it.
Especially the fact that the LFO frequencies have a range that goes all the way up to about 5 kHz gives you a lot of possibilities.
I have one that I use primarily for basslines, but I would like to have another one, just for "special effects".
Two minor drawbacks: produces some noise, which can be particularly annoying with the filter almost closed (basslines)
and it takes about half an hour after switch-on (depending on the room temperature I found out!) to stabilize the VCO.
But hey, look at the price!
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: logical mistake
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 16-May-99
I like my new 404, but I don't love it.
Although you really can have a grrrrreat
time twiddling the knobs for 2 hours or 3, the sad thing is that you can't control them via midi. So if you'Re the type who likes to put lots of controller data in your tracks to control the sound this unit isn't for you. BUt you can offcourse record a session you had with the knobs and cut out the best pieces. After that run it through some delay unit because that's what makes it sound really great. (heaven!)
Btw. it IS a real analog synthesizer, you can even get "old sci-fi" & crappy old horror movie sounds out of it YESSSIr, it produces beautiful warm analog lead sounds, it produces phat distorted techno-leadish sounds (combine with arpeggiator and ROCK!). really like a musical instrument in my opinion. As for the bass... well i must try longer but I did'nt get the real 303 bass i wanted YET. ok as you probably noticed this is my first analog synth ever so dont give to much about my drooling. :-)
So, o.k., in my opinion the doepfer's a real nice thing to enter "the world of analogue synthesizers". It definitely makes me want more.
Greets,
logical.mistake
(ps. hey kilo! your site became real great!!! wow!)
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: Hank Dank
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.illjamz.com
Activity: Professional
Date: 25-May-00
I have used this unit for over 3 yrs.Hands down the funkiest sounding single space synth around.Audio range LFO,audio range resonance(filter self oscillation),combined w/big fat pulse waveforms=torn,dripping, acid noize.This thing rocks.Only limited units are still available as far as I know,but they're only $360 US.A little noisey,and the knobs are a little cheap,so you've been warned.My finalizer cleans it up nicely,and it has never needed service.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: component
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional,part-timer
Date: 25-May-00
Anybody have a real-audio or MP3 on this MS-404. I always been curious about Doepfer. There gear/spec's look cool, but I have never heard 1 in
action.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: Hank D
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.illjamz.com
Activity: Professional
Date: 27-May-00
Check my website in about 2 weeks for music produced using the 404 and other new analog synths.You better buy it now from Enport it's only $360 until they are gone(out of production)this synth has been around a while.It's a little noisy but I have a Finalizer96k so your results may not be as clean as mine.If you like single osc. monosynths this one is good.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: component
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity:
Date: 27-May-00
I don't have a Finalizar96k. I looking forward to hearing in actio.......
| Product rating out of 5: |
Last added comment
Product: Doepfer - MS-404
Name: H
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 01-Jun-00
You can probably clean it up w/ a dbx 166 those are pretty cheap.
| Product rating out of 5: |
'Doepfer MS-404'
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Total stars: 44 | Total votes: 12
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