Industrialectric System-46: a dystopian nightmare wrapped in disaster and pedalled as a synth of chaos
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Is it a synth in pain or some kind of pedal from a bad dream? We do know that it’s an input tracking analog VCO with single and dual wave-bent harmonic voices and deconstructive core. Just don’t press that switch!
System-46
The demo videos start off with the gentlest of sounds, the tinkling of poetic rings and the purity of tones. Then, someone clicks System-46 out of bypass and all hell breaks loose. The experience turns intense, dangerous, like the rantings of a troubled mind, waveforms being created and destroyed, ripped apart and refused. An analog VCO? My arse! This machine is an animal and should be put down.
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Ok, take a breath, let’s get into the details.
System-46 is an analogue oscillator that generates tones in response to an input signal. So it tracks the input of a guitar, microphone or some other source and locks onto the phase to match the pitch. The signal from the VCO is then split into a single or dual harmonic voice. Each voice has a dual amplification stage followed by a pair of waveshapers that can be controlled by waving a light (or shadow) at a pair of light-dependent resistors. There might be some Ring Modulation involved, some pulsing tremolo and a “System Stability” dial that will take you over the event horizon. Flip the “Disconnect” switch and it stops worrying about the input and becomes its own source of chaos.
It’s cruel, chaotic and brilliantly alive with the madness of a sack of cats. It’s industrial distortion through generational overload and is liable to strip away any desire you may have had for a quiet life.
System-46 is the bastard child of possibly three PLL (Phase Locked Loop) synth harmonising oscillating fuzz pedals and Industrialectric’s own 4046-M. Andrew from Industrialectric says the System-46 goes far beyond that one into a much thicker infinity of sound. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have been known to dabble in this gear.
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So, if you want your Eurorack to sound bad-ass or possibly apocalyptic then this is the pedal/desktop effects box for you. Available now for $529 Canadian.
More information from Industrialectric
- Industrialectric website
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3 responses to “Industrialectric System-46: a dystopian nightmare wrapped in disaster and pedalled as a synth of chaos”
*Peddled?
Ah, it was a bit of play on words you see – “pedal” as in it’s a pedal and using that to suggest the pushing of a product (to peddle). I know, there are no depths to which my wit will not stoop.
That sounds HORRIBLE! Not in a good way……