Doepfer A-198-2 Trauton./Ribbon Contr. II (module only)
The Doepfer A-198-2 Trautonium Manual / Ribbon Controller II is an advanced control interface for Doepfer's ribbon manual, converting finger position and pressure into control voltages and gate signals for expressive modular synthesis performance.
This module-only version provides the controller electronics without the physical ribbon manual. It can be paired with a compatible A-198 manual, including an existing manual from the earlier A-198 system.
Two control voltages and two gate signals are generated from the ribbon sensors. CV1 follows finger position and is typically used for oscillator pitch, while Gate 1 indicates contact with the position sensor. CV2 follows finger pressure and can control parameters such as filter cutoff, amplitude, or modulation depth. Gate 2 becomes active when pressure exceeds a programmable threshold.
Position CV can be used continuously for classic Trautonium-style glides or quantized to user-defined scales. Nine programmable quantization configurations are available, represented as a one-octave keyboard on the built-in OLED display.
The CV1 range can be set in five stages from 0–1V to 0–5V, corresponding to one through five octaves at the 1V/octave standard. CV2 offers multiple selectable ranges up to approximately +7V. Offset voltages can be programmed independently for both sensors, and ribbon direction can also be reversed.
Quantization and retrigger behavior can be switched from the module itself or controlled externally through dedicated Qnt and Rtr inputs, making foot-controlled performance configurations possible.
The module also provides optional MIDI output functionality and nonvolatile storage for user settings and quantization configurations.
Key Features
- Trautonium / ribbon controller interface
- Module-only version
- Compatible A-198 ribbon manual required
- Position and pressure sensing
- Two control voltage outputs
- Two Gate outputs
- Continuous or quantized pitch control
- 9 programmable quantization scales
- OLED display
- 9 illuminated buttons
- CV1 selectable from 0–1V through 0–5V
- 1 to 5 octave position range
- CV2 output up to approximately +7V
- Adjustable Gate 2 pressure threshold
- Programmable CV offsets
- Reversible ribbon direction
- Selectable retrigger behavior
- External Quantize control input
- External Retrigger control input
- Optional MIDI output
- Nonvolatile parameter storage
- Approximately 0/+10V Gate outputs
- 6 HP wide
- 45 mm deep
- Controller module only; ribbon manual not included
