ADDAC System 112 (2021–)

A looping granular module with one knob per function and a screen that shows what the grains are doing. It can also be unstable.

Overview

Record a synth drone and a waveform forms on the OLED as the sound fills the buffer of the ADDAC 112. From there the module scatters, stretches and shatters grains of that audio. It is a two-module set, split between control and connectivity. The 112 doesn't hide behind menus. It gives you knobs for grain size, density, pitch, position, randomness and stereo spread, and each has a secondary "deviation" knob that adds controlled chaos. The screen shows the playhead crawling across the loop and the grains blinking into existence as they fire.

The design is two separate panels. The controls (112A) take 32 HP and the I/O jacks (112B) take 13 HP. Patch all your audio and CV connections into the 112B, tuck it behind your case or on a lower row, and the main panel stays free for performance. No cables across your knobs. The screen is used sparingly, mostly for loading banks, saving presets, or visualizing grain activity. Everything else is knob-to-sound.

The sound ranges from delicate ambient smears to glitchy, stuttering chaos, and it stays clear throughout. Some granular processors smear audio into indistinct clouds, but the 112 preserves the character of the source. Feed it a clean sine wave and each grain comes through as a distinct tick. Feed it a vocal sample and the words fracture into shimmering echoes. The granular engine syncs to the loop tempo or runs free. You can constrain playback to musical scales via CV, or let it wander across the audio buffer. The mix section gives independent control over dry input, loop playback, and granular output, so you can layer the original signal with the fragmented version. Run it into reverb and delay and you get vast, evolving soundscapes.

This is not a set-and-forget module. Firmware updates have been frequent, and crashes, while not constant, are reported by enough users to be a real consideration. Some owners describe frozen screens, unexpected shutdowns, or audio artifacts during recording, especially with older firmware. The trade-off is plain: you get hands-on control and visual feedback, and you pay with some digital fragility. For live playing where reliability is critical, the 112 might test your nerves. In the studio, building sound from the ground up, the quirks are easier to live with.

Specifications

Key Features

A Visual Granular Playground

The OLED screen shows the granular process as it happens. Grains appear as tiny pulses stacked along the waveform, and their density and timing respond in real time to your knob turns and CV inputs. Increase grain randomness and the pulses jitter and spread. Reverse playback direction and the playhead crawls backward like a rewinding tape. A quick glance can suggest new ideas, like syncing grains to a sequencer, or using a random LFO to modulate grain position and watching the pattern evolve. The display also shows loop selection, bank status, and file navigation, but none of it is buried in submenus. Most functions are one button deep, and the encoder doubles as a push-button for quick access.

Two-Panel Design Done Right

The 112B houses all audio inputs (including a stereo 3.5mm line input), outputs, CV inputs, and power connections, which frees the main panel from cable clutter. You can place the 112B behind your case or on a separate row and keep the performance-focused 112A clean and accessible. That helps in live sets and in long sound design sessions. It also makes integration easier in crowded cases, since all your audio and CV lines can route to the rear or side and leave the front panel for control.

Firmware Forks and Memory Trade-Offs

In mid-2025, ADDAC released firmware 1.9. It brought significant performance improvements, including double the grain count and 24-bit internal processing, but maximum loop memory dropped from 5 minutes to 3 minutes in stereo at 44.1 kHz. Rather than force that trade-off on everyone, ADDAC forked the firmware. Users can choose between ADDAC112_V1.9.bin (faster, more grains, less memory) and ADDAC112_V1.9_legacy.bin (slower, fewer grains, full 5-minute buffer). For ambient drones and long loops, stick with legacy. For mangling short samples into dense clouds, go for the new version. The catch is that banks created with the old firmware may exceed the new memory limit, and those need manual editing on a computer.

Historical Context

When the ADDAC 112 launched in 2021, the Eurorack granular field was already crowded. Mutable Instruments' Beads had set a high bar for elegance and efficiency, Qu-Bit's Nebulae offered lush, evolving textures, and Instruo's Arbhar brought a raw, lo-fi aesthetic. The 112 took a different route. Instead of minimizing controls or abstracting parameters, it used a knob-per-function layout and a visual interface that felt more like a standalone granular workstation than a modular module. Its closest relative might be the Waldorf Iridium, but in a 45 HP Eurorack format. ADDAC, a Portuguese company known for bold, functional designs, positioned the 112 as their most ambitious module to date. It arrived when modular users wanted deeper integration between digital processing and analog control, and it offered extensive CV modulation options and real-time visual feedback. It was not the first to combine looping and granular synthesis, but it was the first to make both equally central, equally performable, and equally deep.

Collectibility & Value

The ADDAC 112 isn't vintage in the traditional sense. Production began in 2021, and it's still actively supported. It has already earned a cult following among modular enthusiasts who value hands-on control and visual feedback. On the secondhand market, prices hover around $500 - $580, depending on condition and whether the original box, SD card, and cables are included. Units described as "mint" or "barely used" often command closer to $600, especially with custom-colored panels (a factory option in red, green, blue, bronze, or silver). The bigger cost is the time spent managing firmware. Buyers should assume they'll need to update to the latest version (1.9.2 as of 2025). That requires a proper USB data cable (not just a charging cable) and a Chrome browser for bootloader updates. Some users report issues with Windows drivers, requiring third-party tools like Zadig to force the correct driver installation. Firmware conflicts are another risk: a used unit with old banks may not load them on newer firmware without editing. Service technicians observe that hardware failures are rare, but software instability (crashes, frozen screens, unexpected shutdowns) is common enough to warrant caution. For studio use it's a powerful tool. For live performance it demands backup plans. When buying, test the screen, check the firmware version, and verify that all knobs and jacks respond. Avoid units with a history of random shutdowns unless you're prepared to troubleshoot.

eBay Listings

ADDAC ADDAC112 VC Looper Granular Processor Modular Synth Mo

$1,278

ADDAC ADDAC112 Looper / Granular Processor EURORACK - NEW -

$909

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