ADDAC 101!
We meet André Gonçalves, the man behind accomplished and innovative Portuguese Eurorack brand ADDAC System
How did you first get into Eurorack manufacturing?
“I learned music at a young age and always played guitar during my teenage years, but in the mid-’90s I bought my first sequencer/synth workstation and got hooked. My degree was in visual design, while working part-time as a web developer, and I ended up getting involved with the experimental music scene. Somewhere around 1999-2000 I saw the Doepfer website for the first time, and instantly knew I had to dive into it. In 2003 I got an old Paia system from eBay that was kinda working, but I kept ‘dating’ the Doepfer website for a few years more until 2006 when I finally had enough funds to start my first system. I got two full G6 frames, leaving MaxMSP on hold ever since…
“In the mid ’00s I started working in sound art installations, which got me invitations to travel and present work in many galleries, venues, media art and music festivals throughout the world, leading to 2008 when I left my design job, and tried to live off my art and music. But having more time and less money led me to making the 00X VC Computer series and after that the ADDAC101 WAV Player which generated a lot of interest in the Eurorack community. This gave me the sustainability for this home-grown project to bloom!”
Describe the process of creating a typical ADDAC module…
“Being a trained designer I follow that methodology in my process, and after the initial spark I let ideas mature, coming back to them every now and then after time has passed to bring a fresh perspective. Then I start making sketches of panels, looking for the best user interface. Then I develop the module circuitry, make the first prototype and finish all needed circuit adjustments. But this is never a straightforward process. Most times there’s a lot of iterations, and new ideas appearing in the process. But I eventually arrive at what I believe to be the best solution for the initial idea.”
What would you say your most unique module is?
“The ADDAC402 Heuristic Rhythm Generator, because it’s a powerful poly-rhythm generator machine. Sort of a sequencer where the user does not sequence anything at all and instead relies on different algorithms to generate complex rhythms while controlling the algorithm’s parameters.
“Overall it features six algorithms: Euclidean is for equal beat distribution and Golomb Rulers for unequal beat distribution. Two algorithms explore predictability in evolving patterns: Game of Life is mostly unpredictable and Probabilistic is predictable. The last two are harder to describe: Footworkin’ is an induced code bug that makes the micro-controller go haywire while generating super-interesting syncopated rhythms, and Pong is a playable VC Pong game generating 8-bit patterns. And its MIDI Expansion allows for full MIDI I/O, so that it can control and be controlled by any MIDI device!”
Where do you see Eurorack, both the community and module designs, going in the next five years?
“The community will continue to grow. Five years ago there were only a few thousand people that knew this stuff even existed; today that’s totally changed… And with all the modular solutions that are available now, what electronic musician isn’t intrigued by such incredible instruments?”
Five years ago only a few thousand people knew this stuff even existed