Description

Introducing a limited edition re-release of this iconic electronic instrument in Eurorack format. This module is a tribute to the pioneering work of Dutch musician and instrument maker Michel Waiswisz (1949 – 2008), who first invented the Cracklebox with Geert Hamelberg in the late 1960s.

The Cracklebox was a small, handheld device designed as a way to explore new sonic territories. It was one of the first electronic musical instruments to use circuit bending techniques in the creation of electronic music. It allowed musicians to manipulate and control electronic circuits in real-time, creating a wide range of unique and experimental sounds. Waiswisz used a circuit from a toy piano as the basis for the instrument, and then added a series of touch-sensitive pads that were connected to the circuit. When a player touched one of the pads, the circuit would be completed, producing a crackling sound.

The Cracklebox was probably the first commercially available portable self-powered alternative ‘keyboard’ analog electronic instrument with inbuilt loudspeaker. In the 1970s about 4000 Crackleboxes were built and sold by STEIM in Amsterdam. Nowadays many people refer to the The Cracklebox as the archetype of ‘glitch’ or ‘circuit bending’.

In the decades since its invention, the Cracklebox has continued to be an important and influential instrument in the world of electronic music. It is still in use today, and is considered a classic example of the potential of electronic music to create unique and innovative sounds.

This Eurorack recreation includes a 9v battery, swappable through the frontpanel; this allows to isolate the current flowing through the user’s fingers from the Eurorack frame PSU, protecting the user from undesired electrical shocks. ADDAC also removed the internal speaker and use a transformer instead to isolate the output signal.

The output generated can be used as an audio, as a gate or a CV signal. When using it as a CV source, due to the specific qualities of the signal, users may want to send it through other modules such as slews, sample and holds or quantisers to tame/control it’s peculiar CV output.

Controls:
– The module features an on/off switch to turn off the 9v battery (remember to turn it off when you turn off your Eurorack system).
– A Power Starve knob reduces the 9v voltage feeding the circuitry changing its overall timbre/pitch
– An Output Gain knob to control the output volume.
– A Boost switch to add more presence to the signal.

More information on Michel Waiswisz and the history of the Cracklebox can be found HERE

Specs:

• Width: 12HP
• Depth: 55mm
• Power Consumption: 20mA +12V, 20mA -12V
• 9v battery required (not included)

ADDAC708 – Build Document