Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a German manufacturer of audio hardware, mostly synthesizer modules (modular synthesizer), based in Gräfelfing, Upper Bavaria and founded by Dieter Döpfer. The product range covers analog modular systems, MIDI controllers, MIDI hardware sequencers, MIDI-to-CV/Gate/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master keyboards and special MIDI equipment. Dieter Döpfer began developing audio hardware with a Voltage Controlled Phaser module for the Formant, a do-it-yourself-kit analog synthesizer from Elektor magazine in 1977. Several legendary modular synths followed while Döpfer also focused on the development of MIDI equipment during the 1980s. In 1992, Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH released the MIDI analog sequencer MAQ16/3 which was designed in cooperation with Kraftwerk. In the beginning, the company had direct sales and interested musicians would receive a demonstration by visiting other customers since the modular systems were deemed too difficult for typical music shop employees to demonstrate. Facing greater publicity, Doepfer shifted the distribution to specialized points of sales. Product History 1979 Voltage controlled phaser module for the German Formant modular synthesizer 1980 PMS Polyphonic modular system (quad-modules, like quad-VCO, quad-VCF...) 1982 Voice modular system (one synthesizer voice with 2 VCOs, 2ADSR, 1VCF, 1VCA on one board 100x160mm, designed with CEM chips from Doug Curtis/USA) 1984 Sound Sampler (8 bit voltage controlled sampler with interface and sampling software for Commodore 64) 1985 Loop option, compander and synthesis software for sound sampler (FM, Fourier, Waveshaping and so on) 1986 MCV1 MIDI-to-CV interface (first version) 1987 CCM Computer-controlled audio mixing console with computer-controlled faders (VCAs) and filters (VCFs), interface and software for Commodore 64 and Atari ST 1989 LMK1 simple MIDI master keyboard MMK2 MIDI keyboard (e.g. used by Kraftwerk live for the Pocket Calculator song) MKC1/2 MIDI master keyboard controller (for combination with LMK1) 1990 LMK3 MIDI master keyboard with piano touch simulation LMK1V2 MIDI master keyboard (improved version of LMK1) SX-16 16 voice MIDI expander MBP1 MIDI Bass pedal DMC-8 Drum to MIDI converter MONA universal MIDI out interface 1991 K2B 2 manual MIDI keyboard MPC128 MIDI program change unit MTG128 MIDI-to-Gate interface with up to 128 Gate outputs controlled via MIDI MTS128 MIDI-to-Switch interface with up to 128 MIDI controlled electronic switches (e.g. as MIDI-In interface for any non-MIDI-keyboard) 1992 LMK1+/LMK2+/LMK4+ MIDI master keyboard series with real hammer mechanics GMX-1 GM compatible MIDI expander MAQ16/3 MIDI analog sequencer (designed in cooperation with Kraftwerk) 1993 MIDIM8 MIDI controller dimmer pack with 8 power outputs MTP8 MIDI switchpack