ADDAC106 T-Noiseworks (2020)

Four channels of gritty, unpredictable noise that crackle like a shorted circuit in the best possible way

Overview

If your rack’s been sounding too clean, too polite, the ADDAC106 T-Noiseworks is here to rattle the rails. Announced on March 31, 2020 by Lisbon-based ADDAC System, this 4-voice Eurorack percussion module doesn’t mess with subtlety — it’s built for snare snaps, hat sizzle, and experimental bursts that feel like they’re on the verge of collapsing into chaos. It’s not a full drum machine, but it doesn’t need to be; plug in a clock, tweak a few knobs, and you’ve got immediate, satisfying percussive texture that’s more character than calculation.

Each of the four voices starts with a noise source feeding into a t-network filter — a circuit type famously used in classic drum machines, known for its resonant, sometimes unruly behavior. But ADDAC doesn’t just clone the past; they twist it. Voices 1 through 3 use a pre-VCA t-network filter, meaning the filtering happens before the voltage-controlled amplifier, giving them a raw, unfiltered edge when needed. Voice 4 flips the script with a post-VCA t-network, aligning it more closely with the traditional architecture of ADDAC’s own T-Networks series. That makes it the final piece in that lineage, a kind of closing statement on a design philosophy that revels in analog unpredictability.

What you won’t find here is voltage control over the core parameters — no CV input for pitch, decay, or timbre switching. Everything is manual. That might sound limiting, but it’s also liberating. There’s no menu diving, no hidden functions — just four voices, each with a frequency knob, a decay knob, and a switch that changes the entire character of the sound. It’s tactile, immediate, and a little stubborn — the kind of module that forces you to commit to a sound and work with it, not around it.

And then there’s the mix. The summing output isn’t just a convenience; it’s a feature. With its own gain control and a switch between Normal and Dirt modes, you can blend the four voices into a clean composite or push it into lo-fi saturation that glues the chaos together. There’s even an audio input for external signal processing, letting you route other noise sources or modulated signals through the T-Noiseworks’ filtering and envelope behavior — a sneaky way to add texture to anything that can trigger a gate.

Specifications

Key Features

Timbre Switch: Hat vs. Snare (Voices 1–3)

The magic of the first three voices lives in the Timbre switch. Flip it to “Snare,” and the full frequency spectrum of the t-network filter passes through — think body, thump, and ring, perfect for snappy, resonant hits. Switch to “Hat,” and an integrated high-pass filter kicks in, scrubbing out the mids and lows, leaving behind that crisp, metallic sizzle that cuts through a mix. It’s not modeling real cymbals — it’s more abstract, more electric — but that’s the point. This isn’t about realism; it’s about character.

Voice 4: The Range Switch and Post-VCA Design

Voice 4 stands apart. Instead of a timbre switch, it gets a Range switch with Low, Mod, and High settings — a nod to the classic drum machine voice architecture that lets you jump between tonal zones quickly. More importantly, its post-VCA t-network filter behaves more like the original T-Networks module, giving it a smoother, more traditional decay envelope. It’s the most “normal” of the four, but that makes it the perfect anchor — a voice you can tune and trust while the others go off the rails.

Decay via Slew Circuit

There’s no dedicated envelope generator here. Instead, the decay control works by feeding the trigger into a slew circuit that shapes the opening and closing of the internal VCA. It’s a clever, minimal approach — no attack, just decay — and it gives each hit a natural taper that feels organic, even when you’re feeding it fast clock signals. The SLEW INPUT per voice lets you modulate this behavior externally, so you can morph the decay time in real time with CV, even if you can’t automate the knob position directly.

Input Mode Switch: Trigger, Mute, Envelopes

Each voice has a three-way switch that changes how it responds to incoming signals. In Trigger mode, any CV that crosses the fixed threshold generates a 1ms trigger — perfect for syncing to external clocks. Mute mode does exactly what it says: silences the voice, no questions asked. Envelope mode is the most interesting — the internal VCA follows the incoming gate or signal directly, turning the voice into a kind of dynamic filter follower. That opens up wild possibilities when you feed it audio-rate modulation or irregular pulses.

Summing Mix Output with Dirt Mode

The summing output isn’t an afterthought — it’s a performance feature. With its own gain control and a switch between Normal and Dirt, you can choose whether your four voices come out clean or crushed. The Dirt mode adds harmonic grit, softening the edges just enough to make the whole thing feel like it’s coming through a blown speaker or a tape machine on the edge of saturation. It’s the sonic equivalent of turning up the gain on a console until the meters just barely red — a little danger, a lot of glue.

Collectibility & Value

The ADDAC106 T-Noiseworks was listed by the manufacturer at 170€ (excluding VAT) for the assembled module, with a DIY kit version available for 108€ (excluding VAT). A 2025 review cited a price of 160€, suggesting minor fluctuations over time. Retail listings show some variation — a Reverb listing noted an original price of $159, while ModularGrid shows examples listed as high as $220.22, likely reflecting regional pricing or marketplace premiums. Used units have appeared with price drops, such as one listed at $150 after starting at $159.

There is no verified data on common failures, maintenance needs, or long-term reliability. Given the module’s relatively recent release and the absence of widespread reports, it appears to be a stable design, but long-term collector insights are still emerging. As the final module in ADDAC’s T-Networks series, it holds a niche appeal for fans of the brand’s analog filter philosophy, particularly those seeking hands-on, no-frills noise generation with a distinct personality.

eBay Listings

ADDAC System ADDAC106 T-Noiseworks (Black) EURORACK - NEW -

$229

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