Dynacord Add-One

Electronic musical instrument
ADD-One
Add-One with Add-Drive
ManufacturerDynacord/Fast Forward Designs
Dates1985-1987
Price£3000[1]
Technical specifications
Polyphony8 Voice, 8 Dacs
Timbrality8 Part
Oscillator1 Oscillator/Sample per voice
LFOLFOs triangle saw square sample and hold
Synthesis typeSamples
Filter8x Low pass resonant (self-resonating) Analog CEM 3389 filter per voice
Storage memory1Mbytes[2] upgradable to 8Mbytes
Input/output
External controlMIDI, CV, Pads

The Dynacord ADD-One (Advanced Digital Drums) is a German-manufactured, American-designed [3] drum machine that was first released in 1986. It uses recorded samples to produce its sounds through analog voltage controlled envelopes and analog filters with resonance, to self-oscillation per voice. It comes with 1Mbyte of memory and can be upgraded up to 8Mbytes.

Sample Rate and Bit Rate

The unit can sample up to 50 kHz at 12-bits [4] for up to 20 seconds. Actually it is 8 bits with 4 bits of companding according to one of the designers Michael Doidic.[5] The sample rate and therefore the pitch is variable, like the Fairlight and E-mu EII and other earlier samples, via the 8 separate DACs - variable pitch via sample clock rate change. Later digital samplers, including those that operate in software utilise interpolation and other techniques to alter the pitch of a sample - the effect, particularly in the low-end is not the same.

Display

The unit features an 80-character backlit LCD.

  • Credits page on the Add-One
    Credits page on the Add-One
  • Easter Egg
    Easter Egg
  • Legending on the top of the unit
    Legending on the top of the unit

Sounds

Bass drums, congas, snares, Hihats as well as single-cycle waveforms (sine/triangle etc.) contained on EPROMS.[6] With the optional 'Add-One Drive' one can sample any recorded sounds into the sampler via the microphone/line input with on-board compressor.

External Control

The Chain mode allows these to be called up in any order and stepped through by a footswitch. The unit also features MIDI which allows it to be controlled from an external device such as a synthesizer or electronic drums.

Notable users

  • Jean-Michel Jarre[7]
  • Prince[8]

References

  1. ^ Everard, Chris (October 1986). "New Addition (SOS Oct 86)". Sound on Sound (Oct 1986): 52–53. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  2. ^ Wiffen, Paul (November 1986). "Dynacord ADD-one (MT Nov 86)". Music Technology (Nov 1986): 24. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  3. ^ Wiffen, Paul (November 1986). "Dynacord ADD-one (MT Nov 1986)". Music Technology (Nov 1986): 24.
  4. ^ "Dynacord ADD-one rare drum machine | Music Gear Daily". www.musicgeardaily.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  5. ^ http://www.musicgeardaily.com/dynacord-add-one-rare-drum-machine/
  6. ^ "Vintage Drums: Dynacord ADD-One". Kreativ Musik machen (in German). 2011-02-27. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  7. ^ "DYNACORD ADD-One". www.jarrography.free.fr. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  8. ^ "Dynacord ADD One". Retrieved 2023-10-22. It was used by Prince on Lovesexy and Batman for kick and snare samples.

Further reading

  • "New Addition". Sound On Sound. October 1986. pp. 52–3. ISSN 0951-6816. OCLC 925234032.
  • "Dynacord ADD-one". Music Technology. November 1986. p. 24. ISSN 0957-6606. OCLC 24835173.