ADDAC System's new Four Strings Series

Adds guitar strings to Eurorack rigs

ADDAC System are renowned for their weird and wonderful synth designs, and their line-up includes plenty of gear that's a little bizarre even by modular standards! Their latest creation comes in the form of the Four String Series, which comprises a collection of modules that make it possible to incorporate guitar strings and pickups into a modular synth rig.

The company say that concept for the Four Strings Series originated from the desire to incorporate physical strings into Eurorack and offer something similar to a lap steel guitar or dulcimer that can be seamlessly integrated into any Eurorack frame. They decided to design a system without a fretboard, however, with the aim of allowing space for users to place other modules and contraptions underneath the strings.

First to make it off the drawing board were headstock and bridge units, which were followed by a humbucker module designed to capture the strings' sounds just like an ordinary electric guitar. The company say that the limitations of standard humbuckers lead to them developing their our own pickup, using a quadraphonic configuration that provides a discrete pickup for every string, allowing for independent string volume control.

The development team then moved their attention to mechanical automation, developing a plectrum module that can pluck each string independently, and a Mute module that makes it possible to dampen the strings natural vibration. Next came the Rotary Exciter, which generates a rotating magnetic field to excite strings that are in the same frequency of the motor rotation speed, while the EBow slider was developed to create a harness and sliding mechanism that makes it possible to produce an EBow effect on any string.

Other useful attachments that now form part of the finished series include a headstock arch that attaches to the headstock, raising the two middle strings to allow the use of a bow, and some small plastic resonators that attach to the strings and create harmonics that closely resemble complex bell-like tones. Lastly, a dedicated 122HP frame was created to accommodate all these modules, allowing the entire system to operate independently. Thanks to a dedicated power supply, the frame helps to prevent contamination from any residual noise generated by the motors - alternatively, users are free to create their own custom frames if they wish.

Four String Series Modules Here's a quick overview of the modules that make up the new Four String Series:

ADDAC120 Headstock & Bridge

This is the base of the String modules, a Headstock & Bridge module that can accommodate string gauges up to 0.055 - users can make these holes larger if they wish to fit heavier strings. Both panels are 2mm stainless steel for strength. The headstock features four locking tuners for easier string installation.

ADDAC121 Humbucker

This is the simple Humbucker pickup module. It features Tone and Volume controls as well as a Low/High gain switch for introducing some saturation. An integrated preamp brings the volume up to synth level. The height of the pickup can be adjusted using the mounting screws, and can be removed and used by hand.

ADDAC122 Quadraphonic Pickup

The Quadraphonic Pickup combines four independent pickups each with their own preamp, volume control and output jack. A Mono Mix output (post-volume) is also available. All outputs are synth level, and the height of the pickup can be adjusted using the mounting screws.

ADDAC124 Plectrums

The Plectrum module features a servo per string, allowing each string to be plucked independently either via the module's dedicated push-buttons, incoming triggers or MIDI. In Pluck mode, the servo will move about 20 degrees; in Harmonic Mode the servo only moves about 10 degrees before stopping at a vertical position and lightly tapping the string to produce harmonics.

ADDAC125 Strings Mute

This module is inspired by the Mute system found in some of Fender's Jaguar and Bass VI guitars, where a piece of foam can be engaged to press against the string dampening their natural vibration. The module employs a servo motor that raises and lowers a piece of foam, which when pressed against the strings lightly dampens their natural vibration. While not as effective as a standard palm mute, it allows a different tone to be automated.

ADDAC126 Rotary Exciter

The Rotary Exciter features a 7000 RPM brushless motor that rotates a surface with four magnets with opposed magnetic poles, inducing a rotating magnetic field that will force the strings to vibrate whenever the rotational speed matches the frequency or harmonics of any of the strings' tunings.

ADDAC127 EBow Slider

This module creates a harness and a sliding mechanism for a standard EBow. It allows the user to slide the EBow back and fourth below the strings. The EBow used features the PianoBow modification where we sand off the EBow's feet so that it can get closer and avoid touching the strings when sliding it back and fourth. The height of the EBow can be raised or lowered using the four thumb screws.

Bow Arch Attachment

This attachment raises the two middle strings, allowing a bow to reach each string individually.

Small Resonators

Although quite simple, these are extremely effective adding harmonics to non-wounded strings. For every resonator attached to the string a new partial is added, placing more pieces adds more partials which makes the tone increasingly complex. The tuning of each harmonic is defined by the position of the resonator on the string - the resulting sound can be quite surprising, and very much resembles a bell-type sound.

ADDAC120F Strings Frame

This is a custom-built frame designed specifically for the ADDAC12X String modules.

Pricing & Availability The Four String Series modules are all available to order now, and will

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