Dynacord Add-One

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 1 Mbyte of memory and can be upgraded up to 8 Mbytes.

ADD-One
Add-One with Add-Drive
Manufacturer	Dynacord/Fast Forward Designs
Dates	1985-1987
Price	£3000[1]
Technical specifications
Polyphony	8 Voice, 8 Dacs
Timbrality	8 Part
Oscillator	1 Oscillator/Sample per voice
LFO	LFOs triangle saw square sample and hold
Synthesis type	Samples
Filter	8x Low pass resonant (self-resonating) Analog CEM 3389 filter per voice
Storage memory	1Mbytes[2] upgradable to 8Mbytes
Input/output
External control	MIDI, CV, Pads

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
• 
  Easter Egg
• 
  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

• Jeff Porcaro who appeared on the printed marketing material promoting the ADD-One
• 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.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
5. "Dynacord ADD-one rare drum machine". Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
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.