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Portuguese firm ADDAC System just guitar-ified its Eurorack modular synth, turning it into a pedal steel-inspired “open canvas” for creativity.
The ADDAC System Four String Series is a mad idea made real: a rack of synth modules with four pluckable strings designed around “the concept of physical strings as a creative medium.”
It boasts a unique pickup design which incorporates a quadraphonic configuration, while doing away with a fretboard, “allowing for the installation and use of other modules beneath the strings” instead
It too has a specially designed headstock that accommodates string gauges up to .055, or even thicker if players choose to customize it, and it gets locking tuners for good measure.
There are two sets of dedicated plectrums for each string, which can be controlled by buttons, triggers, or via MIDI. Different plectrum modules unfurl different dynamics, and there are three-way switches for choosing the available modes for each string.
In the up position, triggers and MIDI inputs are disabled; in the middle, it’s in Pluck mode, which activates all inputs, and in the down position, all inputs are active.
Calibration mode allows the pick angle to be adjusted in two-degree increments. Each string also gets its own dedicated Volume control.
As for the quadraphonic pickup, it’s actually four independent pickups with their own pre-amplifier, Volume control, and output jack, and, as with a traditional pickup, its height can be adjusted via side screws.
For those who like a more old-school pickup, there’s a humbucker option too, which offers Tone and Volume controls, a Low/High gain switch for some tasty saturation, and a preamp to bring the volume up to synth level.
Another (very fun-looking) module is the Ebow Slider, which glides back and forth beneath the strings, and is also height adjustable, while a Rotary Exciter module has a 7000 RPM brushless motor, and Small Resonators are said to be “extremely effective at adding harmonics to non-wounded strings.”
The firm is calling it “a new kind of modular string instrument,” and it’s easy to see why. It looks like a veritable toy chest of tactile soundscaping tools, and a very unique approach to marrying synths with lap steel and dulcimer designs.
Parts can be ordered separately or together, starting from 1100€ (approx. $1,250) for the humbucker system.
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