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As someone who works all day in an elevator pressing pads and listening to repetitive elevator music when I get home and I want to relax I only use my DAW with big display and mouse + keyboard.
Totally fair! I work on audio with a computer for a living, so the only way I can bring myself to make music on my time off is without a computer. To each their own :)
The Circuit Tracks is the centerpiece of my studio for pattern-based music. I use it to drive four external synths via MIDI and I input notes with a MIDI keyboard. You can pre-chain the patterns before you hit record and it will record your keyboard playing continuously across all the patterns unquantized. Combine four tracks of that, all routed back into the device via the audio inputs, processed with the effects, over the four drum tracks, and you can lay down some pretty great musical ideas without ever having to touch a computer.
I clearly haven't read my manual well enough but how do you get the 4 external synths instead of just 2? Are you routing the 2 internal synth tracks out?
@@jnhutchinsonYep, exactly. Then you can either just turn the volume down on the internal synths, or if you leave the volume up, it will layer with your external synths.
[For everyone]: The thing that's really cool that isn't that obvious is that each of the 16 pads doesn't represent 16 notes, there's actually 96 notes, because each pad holds 6 consecutive notes. So if you recorded a 16-step pattern and you could move your fingers fast enough on a MIDI keyboard, you'd actually record 96 consecutive 1/96th notes. You can even go in afterwards and edit, delete, and correct them if you need to on the Micro Step page. As a hardware sequencer, the Circuit Tracks works really well.
Novation makes by far the most friendly and inspiring small grid controllers to enable musicans instead of slowing them down with hard choices. I love this video and love Novation.
These reviews are utterly classic. Laugh out loud pause and read memes, memories of classic synths we all got so excited over and the reality that no one will listen to our bleeps and bloops anyway. You voice our entire subculture. I love it.
Circuit is incredible. The OG is what got me started 7 years ago. Tracks a significant upgrade, MIDI channels extremely useful and pair perfectly with Micromonsta. The sequencer is extraordinary and incredibly underrated.I have much more ‘professional’ gear MPC One, Digitone and Digitakt. Yet I almost always choose Circuit. Ease of use and inspiration, this is what this is about. Stock sounds okish but there are incredible sound packs out there for all genres and they showcase how powerful the Nova engines are, even by today’s standards. OG was a classic for good reasons. Circuit is at centerpiece of 80 percent of my songs. Not sure what more one could ask for, the price is worth for the sequencing part alone.
I do use it a lot, but there are a lot of easy improvements that could be done to make it a lot better. Also the delay isn’t that great, it can’t even do 1/8th dotted properly
It was the first thing I picked up after a volca, as well. It was the perfect place to start...accessible and friendly, while able to get some fun stuff done. Like you, I have much more 'pro' gear, but I'm probably in over my head TBH. Noodling on the Circuit was where I maybe should have stopped.
This one is an underrated gem. Fine lads at Novation just stripped everything groovebox never needed - pianos and violins and millions of settings, and filled it to the brim with everything that brings the groove. The only machine of nowadays that i can call a GROOVebox, not just a synth with pads (like MC707\101\Electribe2s\SeqTrack etc).
I fully agree. Easy to use out of the box. Yet if one learns it truly well, then it becomes a creative extension. The sequencer extremely fast, visual and deep. It is a concept that proves that less is more. Sure, MPC which I also have, beats it in sound quality and flexibility, but MPC is a huge investment even for people who are experienced and it is not an inspirational tool.
This is one of my favorite pieces of gear. It's so easy to get an idea sketched out on it and offers enough to make some okay jams in a single box if you want to flesh it out. The dual midi channels are a great addition as well.
Bad Gear needs to team up with a brewery, and make Bad Beer - The World's Most Hated Audio Booze. It's going to tick all the, "I'm getting too old for this s**t!" boxes.
a combo of Circuit Tracks, Rhythm and a mc 101 has helped me to really ENJOY making music again, sure there are loads of limitations, but forcing yourself to really think about how to achieve a thing pushes you forward and is so rewarding.
I like a various combos of Circuit Tracks, TB-3, Korg Volca Mixer/Aira MX-1, System-1, SH201, EricaS LXR-02 Drum Synth ,1010music Blackbox, Dreadbox Hypnosis, etc. 😊
It's still one of the only "dawless" things I like. I feel like so much other equipment makes you spend so much time in menus that id rather just make those edits with a computer. The menuless design is a ton of fun to play and actually *can* speed up your workflow instead of slowing it down.
@@phatplates Yes it was, I also got a Circuit OG and a Novation BassStation2 with the MC-101 and the Circuit Tracks in trading the Deluge Non-Oled ;-) Deal!
Awesome piece of equipment for both beginners and people with a bit more experience. What the Circuit Tracks does, is get you away from the screen. You can get some great ideas down, then export them to a DAW later on if you want to build on it. It's an addictive piece of kit.
One of the most underrated grooveboxes. It has much greater depth than it appears at first and surprisingly versatile once you load in custom synth patches and samples.
The Circuit Mono Station didn’t get the love it deserved and is sadly out of production. Combine this - like in the meme - with the Tracks and the Rhythm, and I’m sold. Maybe a more sophisticated synth engine for the VA parts and a screen - yeah I know it’s somewhat destroying the Circuit concept, but we know how useful it is for sample editing/slicing or at least see controller labels and values, for example on the Elektron devices.
Love the video. I came very close to getting one of these but went with an MC101 instead, which I’ve since upgraded to an MPC one ( with which I spent most of the afternoon realising that I don’t have a clue how to use MPC 3.0, but I did eventually get eight bars of passable drums sequenced). I think it’s a good machine but is probably well overdue a serious upgrade.
Entertaining video, as usual- you're right that it is a beginner standalone device. After a few Volca's- I bought the OG Circuit which really got me into understanding the fundamentals of music production, I then got the Tracks for the two dedicated MIDI tracks. Ultimately, I tired of the synth engine and decided to go with the (more pro level) Digitakt- which was quite a jump technically, but so much more flexible and pro-sounding. The Circuit is definately a great way to get into production and the price point is amazing for the power of the device. I liked the battery power so that I could take it anywhere (though I found a sunny day in the dark made the button lights impossible to see!)
I started making electronic music last year and bought one of these. Paired with my microbrute and some distortion this thing makes all sorts of awesome screeches I'll never show anyone. Super fun though. :) Today's ep was excellent, thanks!
Went to a Circuit Rhythm from Volcas and it was such a perfect bridge to get me ready for more.....comprehensive gear. Thanks Novation and thanks for the memories King Florian!
Most inspired box ever, I love the way you can in minutes make demo. Chord programming is insanely inspiring. Had OG twice years ago, and some time ago took Tracks. Internal (and external) sidechain is killer feature, since you can mute volume and it's still work! The only real downside of the box is Midi implementation. You can't switch nor scenes nor patterns via midi. Great pair to tour Digi/Syntakt
Love my Tracks. It's a really good, compact and powerful master brain and drum machine for live use and I use my OG Circuit as a soundbank, sequenced from Tracks (bonus: using the onboard FX on the OG so I can run a couple of other synths - Mono Station and Roland S-1 - on their own sequencers, clocked from Tracks and taking the audio from Mono Station back into Tracks for FX and sidechain). I get on fine with the onboard synths, I'm becoming quite adept at Components and the Novas are fine provided you don't stick slavishly to presets. MAJOR TIP: regardless of what pack you have installed, DO NOT rely on their factory sessions for choosing patches!!! I've scrolled through a certain designer's sessions and patches and, when you go to start a new session the patches do not correspond with the sounds you hear in the sessions. And I don't mean wildly tweaked, I mean completely different - a monophonic bass where there should be a light, floaty pad, etc. I absolutely feel ripped off over this but that's not the fault of the unit, which really is pretty excellent. The inevitable death of the internal battery doesn't worry me because I always run it off the mains when playing live. I do think it feels flimsy next to the OG though, and I prefer the older pads. So it's not perfect - what is? - but it's pretty damn close at the price.
My mate and I have the tracks,og,rhythm and mono station in our jam setup I love the tracks What about doing a European tour Florian?Playing all the wonderful goodies you have given us through the years on stage Backing tracks with a bit of tweaking ?
I LOVE my Circuit Tracks. It's a perfect Couch Groovebox. I got the Rhythm at the same time and feel closer to the tracks and use it a lot more. If you pick up some Patch packs for it, it's reeeeaaallly good.
@@AudioPilz it's really fun! The effects block is a bit different, but having all 8 tracks at your disposal is great. Here's a jam I did with it not too long ago. ruclips.net/video/UHQEBW7oLuE/видео.htmlsi=9UA-EHxJ8dvA9Vt3
@@AudioPilz I would enjoy seeing such a review. I have both, and the Rhythm is a different (better?) beast: you can easily record samples from your other synths and use them for some granular sampling. Also, the effects are nice, so please give it a try!
As an original circuit user, I think it was totally worth the upgrade. I think the storage increase and scene modes were worth it alone. It was incredibly difficult to build a whole set with the original circuit, but the tracks really opens what you can do. Sure, it has a lot of limitations, but for the price and ease of use nothing beats it.
Even when the Circuit first released, you’re going to be hard pushed to find a groovebox that friendly to use for less than 300. The form factor makes it so easy to get ideas flowing and the fact it has a synth editor so you can load up your own patches is super helpful. I used a Circuit for a live soundtrack remix of 28 Days Later at university to mixed results, but it was great to use!
Had the OG Circuit. Love it ❤. Eventually upgraded to Tracks and love that too. No more worries about running out of space for songs nor having to decide between synth/samples packs. Missed the built in speaker & replaceable batteries of the OG. Enjoyed the Circuit Rhythm but I still feel burn that you still can’t play samples chromatically on the Tracks! Actually you can but through a hack. Eventually I got a Deluge. Crazy powerful machine. Deluge is the “pro”version of the Circuit, but the UI can’t compare to the Circuit. Simple things such as testing & selecting synths / samples are so simple & quick on Circuit. Fun too!
Love this device. I had an OG then bought Tracks. Great usability. But there is a big problem, there is a delay on the audio inputs which interferes a lot when synchronising with other devices. No information anywhere, but you can fine tune side-chain, master filter resonance, reverb length, etc. via midi NRPN.
Ooooh I love it when I have the bad gear! I got the Tracks to basically be a fancy metronome w/ quick beat and backing to practice guitar with. Works quite well for that. Super simple to use and powerful enough for the price and what it is.
Very good timing with the release of Ableton Move :) This is the OG music sketchpad. So fast and intuitive. I was so hoping for 4 synth track when this was announced. Oh well, I will have to wait for the Novation Twin Peaks :D
My OG circuit is now just a small glorified midi controller/sequencer at this point. I really hate not being able to edit the synths, macros, or anything really from the unit itself. If they just added a screen to the 8 macros like on the ultranova it would be killer. The ultra "simplicity" ultimately hampers it from being truly great.
My Circuit Tracks is hooked up to Blofeld, Roland Aira S1 and Arturia Keystep. The setup can handle anything from quickly sketching a track to a two hour live performance. It's so intuitive it makes jamming fun. If Novation make a Circuit Tracks Pro, that will be an instant buy.
I love this groovebox. Punched my samples from only daw days, and got another beast. Eq per channel on drumtracks are bit weird. Only downside as i see it that you cannot edit reverb or delay params at least trough software editor. Chorus/flanger would be appreciated :)
You know what I really hate about my Circuit Tracks (and my Roland T-8 as well, when we're at it): Even at full brightness you can't play it at sunlight. When I sit in my garden I can't even tell if my unit is switched on or still off (The T-8s "display" is readable but the sequencer LEDs are useless in sunlight)! The TB-3 has no problem there and my Korg Volca Sample 2 with its eye-lasering bright red LEDs just chuckles silently... And yes, even sitting in the shadow of a pavillon or a tent on a festival changes nothing there, believe me, I tried!
Yes, I saw the pale, almost invisible backlight color of the pads. The worst thing thou: The LEDs can shift in individual color brightness which leads to slight color changes. I guess they drive the LEDs with very low power for longer battery life, but don't have a good calibration process. In 2 or 3 years I'll be so pissed off by this, that I yell "Ach scheiss drauf!", open up the device and try to mod the LEDs for more power output, combined with a separate power supply just because I can...
Idk how much the UI-concept has changed towards the Circuit Rhythm but I just love that box. I got the Rhythm to replace my crappy drum machine and immedietly fell in love with it. I think I'm using it way more on the couch on in my bed then in the "studio" (which is only 2m from my bed anyway. I also can't afford a couch because I make music). I love how I can sample some synth voices, take it with me to sketch a live set, plug it back in at home and directly use the synth-sample tracks as midi tracks on my Crave/Edge combo. The only thing really bugging me is how it is absolutely unusable in direct sunlight.
Yes, exactly this. I even sent a feature request to Novation. The presents switch almost instantly when selected, so they could do it. The occasional small glitch when flipping a patch would be kind of a feature to me.
I never saw the need to upgrade, I still break out the OG Circuit for some noodling every six months or so. One of the few bits of gear I have where I really got my value for money :-)
I have a like new (hopefully - seller made sure to showcase the silica bag in the listing!) OG Circuit coming any day now - $160 US - thank you for making me feel less guilty about this purchase - I didn’t spend $160 - I saved $239!
I used to have an OG Circuit but somehow the wall wart's tip was also the same I had for a higher voltage device and it just fried it. Novation said there was nothing to do about it... Still it was kinda fun while it lasted.
I never expected to see Sean Connery in a synth meme and then read it exactly like he spoke. My dull day has been brightened. 😂🔥 Great video, as always.
I love my Circuit Tracks, but some of third party packs I've downloaded have sounded much better than the factory one. I only got into making music in my mid forties and I found using a DAW was super unsatisfying, nothing tactile about. I can use it to externally sequence or control a Volca Bass and Keys and take advantage of the onboard effects, and then I have a Minifreak fed unsynched directly to my mixer to noodle overtop. It lets me use my computer for gaming while I live stream some Dad-techno and Dadwave to torture my buddies on discord between rounds. Tons of capability and versatility for around $1200 all-in for the set up is letting me avoid wasting retirement money on GAS. Honestly some of the limitations are freeing for creativity. With a DAW I would be stuck in analysis paralysis and overthinking everything instead of just experimenting. Just about every banger has started as a happy Bob Ross accident. Great video as always!
Greatest groovebox of all time. While the factory sounds aren't very good, the packs from Limbic Bits, Krzysztof Steplowski, and A Force Truly Evil let it sound phenomenal.
Though an MPC is my "centerpiece," the Circuit Tracks is a great unit. I think you're partially right about how little was improved from the original. But killing that wasted space taken up by the sidechain tracks that I never once used and replacing them with dedicated MIDI tracks was worth it (as well as inputs for them so you can do sequenced mutes, add delay/reverb, and eliminate the need for a mixer). It's just a well thought out device, and even if the onboard Mininova synths aren't real great, they're good enough to write tunes on and I can shove the Circuit in my backpack. Plus, they made it thinner AND put full size MIDI ports on it. Including a Thru!!!
Tried but couldn't get into its' screen less UI. Sold it to buy a Polyend Tracker. Which will now be sold to fund an Ableton Move. I think the Move currently has the best elements of the Circuit Tracks and the Polyend Tracker.
Haha, whenever you feature something I've been eyeballing I get equal parts worried and excited about it: still definitely want to pick one up, can't resist the dual Ultranova engines purring beneath the grid!
Just today I lend out my original Circuit to a friend who expressed his interest in drum machines. Fun little machine to get something quick going but the new versions never tempted me. On the contrary when I want to use my Deluge I first feel the need to watch 3 hours of Loopop video's just to remind myself again how the bloody thing works and after an hour I craw back to Ableton or Reason.
I had the original, had the Rhythm (2 of them at one point) and have sold them all, but only regret selling the original, mostly because of the way it handled chords when sequencing external devices.
@@nerdslapper9361 It has the main features of both the Circuit Tracks and Circuit Rhythm (and even some from the Polyend Play) combined, is from a popular brand, an easy workflow and is priced competitively.
I was (and I guess still am) a beginner who bought the Circuit Tracks at launch. It’s indeed a device that has a well designed UI and sequencer. What lets it down are a few things. There is the feeble built in synth (unless you like retro 90’s sounds). The total dependence on the clunky components mechanism to manage samples and presets is a pain. The lack of a display makes it impossible to use the same sounds on more than one project. Tthe almost total absence of firmware upgrades makes me feel like I have been screwed, especially at the relatively high price.
I've been searching for this review a year and a half ago before I bought myself Tracks... Finally it is out! Anyway I love it first of all because of it sequencer... Don't really know now whether I want to buy myself some electron device... The ability to play and record here is the best part of the device I think. One minor drawback in my opinion is that if you change scale on one track it will change on all others... Most time it's ok. But when I'm using a midi track to external controll my drumbrute impact when I change chromatic scale to any other some drums dissapear as the note they are assigned to is not in a particular scale
I had one, and i absolutely loved it. Until i got rid of it cause loosing two voices unless i also used my Microfreak and Volca Keys, which wasn't always possible on the go or convenient (only having one desk during the time at uni in my tiny flat) just negated the box part of the groovebox. I think it's the only device i'd need if it would let me use the midi-tracks as synth engine tracks. The workflow is spectacular.
@7:57 That is EXTREMELY similar to my situation in my bedroom where i compose protracker mod files in my netbook (instead of the boxes have the infamous ikea little table but we are there)
I love the circuits (even the Monostation). If Novation brought out a eurorack Circuit sequencer for 2 monosynths and 6 drum triggers, I would develop a Eurocrack addiction just like [snaps fingers] that.
Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel*
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz
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🎉
where do you find these memes?
As someone who works all day in an elevator pressing pads and listening to repetitive elevator music when I get home and I want to relax I only use my DAW with big display and mouse + keyboard.
Underrated comment!
As someone who works all day in front of computer I want to relax and use something without screen :p
Comment of the week;)
guess you have your ups and downs
Totally fair!
I work on audio with a computer for a living, so the only way I can bring myself to make music on my time off is without a computer. To each their own :)
"whatever crappy CPU was cheapest during the kickstarter campaign" :D gold!
😀
"bad screen" vs "good screen" - that was my exact thought process that stopped me from getting more musical gear
The Circuit Tracks is the centerpiece of my studio for pattern-based music. I use it to drive four external synths via MIDI and I input notes with a MIDI keyboard. You can pre-chain the patterns before you hit record and it will record your keyboard playing continuously across all the patterns unquantized. Combine four tracks of that, all routed back into the device via the audio inputs, processed with the effects, over the four drum tracks, and you can lay down some pretty great musical ideas without ever having to touch a computer.
Nooooiiiccce
I clearly haven't read my manual well enough but how do you get the 4 external synths instead of just 2? Are you routing the 2 internal synth tracks out?
@@jnhutchinsonYep, exactly. Then you can either just turn the volume down on the internal synths, or if you leave the volume up, it will layer with your external synths.
[For everyone]: The thing that's really cool that isn't that obvious is that each of the 16 pads doesn't represent 16 notes, there's actually 96 notes, because each pad holds 6 consecutive notes. So if you recorded a 16-step pattern and you could move your fingers fast enough on a MIDI keyboard, you'd actually record 96 consecutive 1/96th notes. You can even go in afterwards and edit, delete, and correct them if you need to on the Micro Step page. As a hardware sequencer, the Circuit Tracks works really well.
There’s a computer inside this midi controller-like box, don’t ya know 😉
The Circuit has to be the fastest single-box UI to actually create some music in a matter of minute
Agreed!!!
apart frm an actual instrument that you can just play?
Their way with pads and knobs are one of a kind
Do u count time spend on editor?
M8
Novation makes by far the most friendly and inspiring small grid controllers to enable musicans instead of slowing them down with hard choices. I love this video and love Novation.
True that! Thanks!
These reviews are utterly classic. Laugh out loud pause and read memes, memories of classic synths we all got so excited over and the reality that no one will listen to our bleeps and bloops anyway. You voice our entire subculture. I love it.
Thank you so much!!!
there are 8 patterns per channel, there are 4 more per channel after pressing the down arrow ;)
Thanks for the heads up!!!
@@AudioPilzyou press the down and up arrows to see patterns 5-8
And you can halve or quarter the playback speed of a sequence if you've got a really really long chord progression.
Circuit is incredible. The OG is what got me started 7 years ago. Tracks a significant upgrade, MIDI channels extremely useful and pair perfectly with Micromonsta. The sequencer is extraordinary and incredibly underrated.I have much more ‘professional’ gear MPC One, Digitone and Digitakt. Yet I almost always choose Circuit. Ease of use and inspiration, this is what this is about. Stock sounds okish but there are incredible sound packs out there for all genres and they showcase how powerful the Nova engines are, even by today’s standards. OG was a classic for good reasons. Circuit is at centerpiece of 80 percent of my songs. Not sure what more one could ask for, the price is worth for the sequencing part alone.
👍👍👍
I do use it a lot, but there are a lot of easy improvements that could be done to make it a lot better. Also the delay isn’t that great, it can’t even do 1/8th dotted properly
It would be EPIC if Novation would implement patch flipping.
@@minimal3734 sadly it will not happen
It was the first thing I picked up after a volca, as well. It was the perfect place to start...accessible and friendly, while able to get some fun stuff done. Like you, I have much more 'pro' gear, but I'm probably in over my head TBH. Noodling on the Circuit was where I maybe should have stopped.
This one is an underrated gem. Fine lads at Novation just stripped everything groovebox never needed - pianos and violins and millions of settings, and filled it to the brim with everything that brings the groove. The only machine of nowadays that i can call a GROOVebox, not just a synth with pads (like MC707\101\Electribe2s\SeqTrack etc).
I fully agree. Easy to use out of the box. Yet if one learns it truly well, then it becomes a creative extension. The sequencer extremely fast, visual and deep. It is a concept that proves that less is more. Sure, MPC which I also have, beats it in sound quality and flexibility, but MPC is a huge investment even for people who are experienced and it is not an inspirational tool.
👍👍👍
This is one of my favorite pieces of gear. It's so easy to get an idea sketched out on it and offers enough to make some okay jams in a single box if you want to flesh it out. The dual midi channels are a great addition as well.
Nice!
By far the best control of velocity and note length of any groove box I've seen. Which is a big quality of life consideration.
Agreed!!!
Bad Gear needs to team up with a brewery, and make Bad Beer - The World's Most Hated Audio Booze. It's going to tick all the, "I'm getting too old for this s**t!" boxes.
Great idea, thanks!!!
a combo of Circuit Tracks, Rhythm and a mc 101 has helped me to really ENJOY making music again, sure there are loads of limitations, but forcing yourself to really think about how to achieve a thing pushes you forward and is so rewarding.
I tried pairing my OG Vircuit with MC-101 and fairly hated the experience. It's like too much groovebox kills the groove.
I like a various combos of
Circuit Tracks, TB-3,
Korg Volca Mixer/Aira MX-1,
System-1, SH201,
EricaS LXR-02 Drum Synth
,1010music Blackbox, Dreadbox Hypnosis,
etc. 😊
Nice!
Perfect timing for us to compare to the Move
Yes, looking forward to getting one of these!
4:52 Dorian on the Delorean? Lol! Florian you've outdone yourself this time!
Thank you so much!!!
@@AudioPilz the slide was primed perfectly, I don't know if I would have caught it otherwise.
You're a fan of Florian's Dorian DeLorean?
The dawless jammer vs the jamless drawer meme hits right in the feels. Ouch
Nothing personal;)
Gabe Miller is in shambles rn 😂
I think he can take a joke;)
Where was the gabe miller reference? I must have missed it
@@Modrunnermusic there wasn't a reference to him, but he is well known for being a big fan / power user of the Novation Circuits
@@rorz999 yeah, I follow his channel, his videos led me to going with the tracks!
It's still one of the only "dawless" things I like. I feel like so much other equipment makes you spend so much time in menus that id rather just make those edits with a computer. The menuless design is a ton of fun to play and actually *can* speed up your workflow instead of slowing it down.
👍👍👍
Sold my Deluge for a Circuit Tracks and a Roland MC-101 with no regret, the Circuit Tracks is amazing!
👍👍👍
That was a helluva trade off😂
@@phatplates Yes it was, I also got a Circuit OG and a Novation BassStation2 with the MC-101 and the Circuit Tracks in trading the Deluge Non-Oled ;-) Deal!
Awesome piece of equipment for both beginners and people with a bit more experience. What the Circuit Tracks does, is get you away from the screen. You can get some great ideas down, then export them to a DAW later on if you want to build on it. It's an addictive piece of kit.
Word!
You nailed it. This is so basic and cheap, yet it covers a lot of ground. I will never get rid of it.
One of the most underrated grooveboxes. It has much greater depth than it appears at first and surprisingly versatile once you load in custom synth patches and samples.
True that!
The nova engines are great but can only show that with third party packs.
Would love a “pro” version of the Circuit.
Same here!
Imagine if Novation made their version of a Deluge. This is what I want.
The Circuit Mono Station didn’t get the love it deserved and is sadly out of production. Combine this - like in the meme - with the Tracks and the Rhythm, and I’m sold.
Maybe a more sophisticated synth engine for the VA parts and a screen - yeah I know it’s somewhat destroying the Circuit concept, but we know how useful it is for sample editing/slicing or at least see controller labels and values, for example on the Elektron devices.
@@milk_bath Deluge is the pro circuit tracks
With guitar jacks and stereo sampling
Love the video. I came very close to getting one of these but went with an MC101 instead, which I’ve since upgraded to an MPC one ( with which I spent most of the afternoon realising that I don’t have a clue how to use MPC 3.0, but I did eventually get eight bars of passable drums sequenced).
I think it’s a good machine but is probably well overdue a serious upgrade.
Agreed!!!
Entertaining video, as usual- you're right that it is a beginner standalone device. After a few Volca's- I bought the OG Circuit which really got me into understanding the fundamentals of music production, I then got the Tracks for the two dedicated MIDI tracks. Ultimately, I tired of the synth engine and decided to go with the (more pro level) Digitakt- which was quite a jump technically, but so much more flexible and pro-sounding. The Circuit is definately a great way to get into production and the price point is amazing for the power of the device. I liked the battery power so that I could take it anywhere (though I found a sunny day in the dark made the button lights impossible to see!)
Thank you!!!
Finally the Tracks!! I will stand by the Tracks over any electron box.
❤️❤️❤️
One of the most sarcastic intros to an episode ever at 0:24 😂 Loving it 👍
Thank you!!!
@@AudioPilz I am a big sarcasm aficionado 😉
I started making electronic music last year and bought one of these. Paired with my microbrute and some distortion this thing makes all sorts of awesome screeches I'll never show anyone. Super fun though. :) Today's ep was excellent, thanks!
Thanks!!! Nice setup!
Went to a Circuit Rhythm from Volcas and it was such a perfect bridge to get me ready for more.....comprehensive gear. Thanks Novation and thanks for the memories King Florian!
Thank you so much!!!
Most inspired box ever, I love the way you can in minutes make demo. Chord programming is insanely inspiring. Had OG twice years ago, and some time ago took Tracks. Internal (and external) sidechain is killer feature, since you can mute volume and it's still work!
The only real downside of the box is Midi implementation. You can't switch nor scenes nor patterns via midi. Great pair to tour Digi/Syntakt
Agreed!!!
Love my Tracks. It's a really good, compact and powerful master brain and drum machine for live use and I use my OG Circuit as a soundbank, sequenced from Tracks (bonus: using the onboard FX on the OG so I can run a couple of other synths - Mono Station and Roland S-1 - on their own sequencers, clocked from Tracks and taking the audio from Mono Station back into Tracks for FX and sidechain). I get on fine with the onboard synths, I'm becoming quite adept at Components and the Novas are fine provided you don't stick slavishly to presets. MAJOR TIP: regardless of what pack you have installed, DO NOT rely on their factory sessions for choosing patches!!! I've scrolled through a certain designer's sessions and patches and, when you go to start a new session the patches do not correspond with the sounds you hear in the sessions. And I don't mean wildly tweaked, I mean completely different - a monophonic bass where there should be a light, floaty pad, etc. I absolutely feel ripped off over this but that's not the fault of the unit, which really is pretty excellent. The inevitable death of the internal battery doesn't worry me because I always run it off the mains when playing live. I do think it feels flimsy next to the OG though, and I prefer the older pads. So it's not perfect - what is? - but it's pretty damn close at the price.
OG fan here too
My mate and I have the tracks,og,rhythm and mono station in our jam setup
I love the tracks
What about doing a European tour Florian?Playing all the wonderful goodies you have given us through the years on stage
Backing tracks with a bit of tweaking ?
Nice setup!!! Great idea❤️
the minimoog had macro knobs 🤯
The music you made at the end sounded amazing👏
Thank you!!!
I couldn’t heat up the proverbial pop-corn so quick.
It was about time that Bad Gear was about Tracks!
Well played, Bad Gear. Well played.
Always a pleasure;)
The best way to input chords , velocity and gate. So hooked on this way that all the rest make me not want to
Agreed!!!
I LOVE my Circuit Tracks. It's a perfect Couch Groovebox. I got the Rhythm at the same time and feel closer to the tracks and use it a lot more. If you pick up some Patch packs for it, it's reeeeaaallly good.
I really need to give the Rhythm a go!
@@AudioPilz it's really fun! The effects block is a bit different, but having all 8 tracks at your disposal is great. Here's a jam I did with it not too long ago. ruclips.net/video/UHQEBW7oLuE/видео.htmlsi=9UA-EHxJ8dvA9Vt3
@@AudioPilz I would enjoy seeing such a review. I have both, and the Rhythm is a different (better?) beast: you can easily record samples from your other synths and use them for some granular sampling. Also, the effects are nice, so please give it a try!
As an original circuit user, I think it was totally worth the upgrade. I think the storage increase and scene modes were worth it alone. It was incredibly difficult to build a whole set with the original circuit, but the tracks really opens what you can do. Sure, it has a lot of limitations, but for the price and ease of use nothing beats it.
👍👍👍
Yaaaassss, the little box that got me hooked on synths!
❤️❤️❤️
Even when the Circuit first released, you’re going to be hard pushed to find a groovebox that friendly to use for less than 300. The form factor makes it so easy to get ideas flowing and the fact it has a synth editor so you can load up your own patches is super helpful. I used a Circuit for a live soundtrack remix of 28 Days Later at university to mixed results, but it was great to use!
Nice!!!
Had the OG Circuit. Love it ❤. Eventually upgraded to Tracks and love that too. No more worries about running out of space for songs nor having to decide between synth/samples packs. Missed the built in speaker & replaceable batteries of the OG. Enjoyed the Circuit Rhythm but I still feel burn that you still can’t play samples chromatically on the Tracks! Actually you can but through a hack.
Eventually I got a Deluge. Crazy powerful machine. Deluge is the “pro”version of the Circuit, but the UI can’t compare to the Circuit. Simple things such as testing & selecting synths / samples are so simple & quick on Circuit. Fun too!
Super interested in the Deluge!
Love this device. I had an OG then bought Tracks. Great usability. But there is a big problem, there is a delay on the audio inputs which interferes a lot when synchronising with other devices. No information anywhere, but you can fine tune side-chain, master filter resonance, reverb length, etc. via midi NRPN.
Agreed!
got mine circuit og a month ago for just 800RMB (about 110USD), love it.
These are SOOOOO cheap!
Ooooh I love it when I have the bad gear! I got the Tracks to basically be a fancy metronome w/ quick beat and backing to practice guitar with. Works quite well for that. Super simple to use and powerful enough for the price and what it is.
😀
Well, that's one weirdly shaped Ableton Move
True that!
I love my Circuit Tracks! Nice to see you finally jamming with one!
Happy to hear that!!! Thanks!!!
I see what you did there...with Ableton Move's release. This is a precursor episode to Move. Well played, sir, well played.
Pure coincidence;)
"bad screen" vs "good screen" - that was my exact thought process that stopped me from getting more musical gear
Yeah, it really is a thing
Very good timing with the release of Ableton Move :) This is the OG music sketchpad. So fast and intuitive. I was so hoping for 4 synth track when this was announced. Oh well, I will have to wait for the Novation Twin Peaks :D
Pure coincidence;)
I love my Circuit Tracks, it's almost always at the centre of my setup, orchestrating everything.
😀😀😀
0:23 - 0:42 that burn was hot enough to ignite a star XD
;)
My OG circuit is now just a small glorified midi controller/sequencer at this point. I really hate not being able to edit the synths, macros, or anything really from the unit itself. If they just added a screen to the 8 macros like on the ultranova it would be killer. The ultra "simplicity" ultimately hampers it from being truly great.
Yeah, these synths are limited
My Circuit Tracks is hooked up to Blofeld, Roland Aira S1 and Arturia Keystep. The setup can handle anything from quickly sketching a track to a two hour live performance. It's so intuitive it makes jamming fun. If Novation make a Circuit Tracks Pro, that will be an instant buy.
Nice setup!!!
I love this groovebox. Punched my samples from only daw days, and got another beast. Eq per channel on drumtracks are bit weird. Only downside as i see it that you cannot edit reverb or delay params at least trough software editor. Chorus/flanger would be appreciated :)
Mod FX would be awesome!!!
I am working on a track on the OG circuit with a iPad chaser on a zoom R16. I like Novation
Nice!!!
I use mine for many things - recently it serves as mixer for signal split from guitar when some pedals have no wet\dry oprtion . I love it .
Nice approach!
Very inspired by you, I finally got an Arturia Beatstep Pro. Haven't gotten it yet though.
Also love the Ecco the Dolphin vid!
Nice, thanks!!!
There’s so much capability in this small package, Teenage Engineering secretly wishes they had made this device!
Not sure if it's profitable enough for TE;)
i was impressed by the preset patterns. i nearly got one but the workflow boggled me a bit as i am not used to novation clobber
novation clobber😂😂😂
You know what I really hate about my Circuit Tracks (and my Roland T-8 as well, when we're at it): Even at full brightness you can't play it at sunlight. When I sit in my garden I can't even tell if my unit is switched on or still off (The T-8s "display" is readable but the sequencer LEDs are useless in sunlight)! The TB-3 has no problem there and my Korg Volca Sample 2 with its eye-lasering bright red LEDs just chuckles silently...
And yes, even sitting in the shadow of a pavillon or a tent on a festival changes nothing there, believe me, I tried!
I tried too. I'm the shadow of a tree and the right angle it works. But jamming on a synth is really not the right activities for sunny days
That is true! Few a times I took it outside to enjoy sun and jamming just to realize… haaa crap! But it is quite good for the price.❤
Welp, no daytime festival gigs for that piece of kit.
Had similar issues next to the video lights
Yes, I saw the pale, almost invisible backlight color of the pads. The worst thing thou: The LEDs can shift in individual color brightness which leads to slight color changes. I guess they drive the LEDs with very low power for longer battery life, but don't have a good calibration process. In 2 or 3 years I'll be so pissed off by this, that I yell "Ach scheiss drauf!", open up the device and try to mod the LEDs for more power output, combined with a separate power supply just because I can...
Love your vidéo dude ! Please review Roland MC 909 😊 🎉
Thank you!!! Great suggestion!!!
What I like most about @audiopilz is that he actually makes bangin music. Bo too!
Now all that's left is for you to review the Audiothingies Micromonsta 2 and you've reviewed my entire synth setup. Great video!
Thank you!!! Great suggestion!!!
If only they’d sell me one
Hehe same story here! :D
I have to buy more Gear to make sure my "Bad Gear Bingo card" stays exiting. :D
Mm2 is pretty great although I have trouble internalizing the right buttons for saving and loading for some reason.
@@ZetaCarinae Yea that definitely took me a while to get down. :D
Idk how much the UI-concept has changed towards the Circuit Rhythm but I just love that box. I got the Rhythm to replace my crappy drum machine and immedietly fell in love with it. I think I'm using it way more on the couch on in my bed then in the "studio" (which is only 2m from my bed anyway. I also can't afford a couch because I make music).
I love how I can sample some synth voices, take it with me to sketch a live set, plug it back in at home and directly use the synth-sample tracks as midi tracks on my Crave/Edge combo.
The only thing really bugging me is how it is absolutely unusable in direct sunlight.
Sunlight is the enemy;)
bruh... i take rhythm on the beach, hiking, literally everywhere :D and after some time i get used to it and really start to feel the rhythm going
I made an entire album around the Circuit Tracks. I truly love it, but it’s a shame there’s no patch-flipping.
Yes, exactly this. I even sent a feature request to Novation. The presents switch almost instantly when selected, so they could do it. The occasional small glitch when flipping a patch would be kind of a feature to me.
Nice!!!
I never saw the need to upgrade, I still break out the OG Circuit for some noodling every six months or so. One of the few bits of gear I have where I really got my value for money :-)
Nice!
OG Circuit and TB3 - that was my setup for live performances for couple years 😀
Love to see this combo in first jam ❤️
Nice!!!
I always enjoy watching these videos.
Thank you so much!!!
Love my Circuit Tracks! It's essentially the 3rd (keys) and 4th (drums) member of my band 😘
Nice approach!
I have a like new (hopefully - seller made sure to showcase the silica bag in the listing!) OG Circuit coming any day now - $160 US - thank you for making me feel less guilty about this purchase - I didn’t spend $160 - I saved $239!
Love the OG!!!
omg that 3D dolphin is that Ecco
Yesssssss
I used to have an OG Circuit but somehow the wall wart's tip was also the same I had for a higher voltage device and it just fried it. Novation said there was nothing to do about it... Still it was kinda fun while it lasted.
That happens to the best - I feel you!!!
I never expected to see Sean Connery in a synth meme and then read it exactly like he spoke. My dull day has been brightened. 😂🔥
Great video, as always.
Thank you!!!
I'm genuinely sorry you had to go through this experience.
I love my Circuit Tracks, but some of third party packs I've downloaded have sounded much better than the factory one. I only got into making music in my mid forties and I found using a DAW was super unsatisfying, nothing tactile about. I can use it to externally sequence or control a Volca Bass and Keys and take advantage of the onboard effects, and then I have a Minifreak fed unsynched directly to my mixer to noodle overtop. It lets me use my computer for gaming while I live stream some Dad-techno and Dadwave to torture my buddies on discord between rounds. Tons of capability and versatility for around $1200 all-in for the set up is letting me avoid wasting retirement money on GAS. Honestly some of the limitations are freeing for creativity. With a DAW I would be stuck in analysis paralysis and overthinking everything instead of just experimenting. Just about every banger has started as a happy Bob Ross accident. Great video as always!
Greatest groovebox of all time. While the factory sounds aren't very good, the packs from Limbic Bits, Krzysztof Steplowski, and A Force Truly Evil let it sound phenomenal.
Thank you!!!
My first piece of gear to gain the honor of a Bad Gear showing!!
❤️❤️❤️
This gear was my firts door to enter in the Electronic music creation, after i've take a mc 707 and now i wait my polyend play plus to arrive 😁
Great gateway drug!
Though an MPC is my "centerpiece," the Circuit Tracks is a great unit. I think you're partially right about how little was improved from the original. But killing that wasted space taken up by the sidechain tracks that I never once used and replacing them with dedicated MIDI tracks was worth it (as well as inputs for them so you can do sequenced mutes, add delay/reverb, and eliminate the need for a mixer). It's just a well thought out device, and even if the onboard Mininova synths aren't real great, they're good enough to write tunes on and I can shove the Circuit in my backpack. Plus, they made it thinner AND put full size MIDI ports on it. Including a Thru!!!
Sidechain wasn't my thing either here...
Superior video! I've ... Never (maybe once) used a Daw. 😂 started in an Arp now I'm here (Solar42 and Arp)
My music just goes "whoooooosh" with delay
Nice!!! Thank you!!!
I've been obsessed with the Yamaha tenori-on lately and it seems like it was so ahead of all this
I really have to give that one a try!
Looking forward to Ableton Move
Same here!!!
It's ticking all 4 channels 😂
This cant be a coincidence. I have years without buy any gear. Yesterday, I bought a Circuit tracks, and just now I see this video.
Great minds...;)
Tried but couldn't get into its' screen less UI. Sold it to buy a Polyend Tracker. Which will now be sold to fund an Ableton Move. I think the Move currently has the best elements of the Circuit Tracks and the Polyend Tracker.
Super interested in that one!
Love the first two jams, man.
Thank you so much!!!
Haha, whenever you feature something I've been eyeballing I get equal parts worried and excited about it: still definitely want to pick one up, can't resist the dual Ultranova engines purring beneath the grid!
👍👍👍
Fantastic workflow. Crud sounds.
Sad but true
Just today I lend out my original Circuit to a friend who expressed his interest in drum machines.
Fun little machine to get something quick going but the new versions never tempted me. On the contrary when I want to use my Deluge I first feel the need to watch 3 hours of Loopop video's just to remind myself again how the bloody thing works and after an hour I craw back to Ableton or Reason.
Deluge can be quite a challenge;)
I had the original, had the Rhythm (2 of them at one point) and have sold them all, but only regret selling the original, mostly because of the way it handled chords when sequencing external devices.
OG FTW!!!
_"because of the way it handled chords when sequencing external devices"_ ***** What do you mean?
The OG Circuit got me into Grooveboxes. Love them, but now I wonder if the Ableton Move will take its place.
I'm asking myself the exact same thing
I don't see how it could.
@@nerdslapper9361 It has the main features of both the Circuit Tracks and Circuit Rhythm (and even some from the Polyend Play) combined, is from a popular brand, an easy workflow and is priced competitively.
I was (and I guess still am) a beginner who bought the Circuit Tracks at launch. It’s indeed a device that has a well designed UI and sequencer. What lets it down are a few things. There is the feeble built in synth (unless you like retro 90’s sounds). The total dependence on the clunky components mechanism to manage samples and presets is a pain. The lack of a display makes it impossible to use the same sounds on more than one project. Tthe almost total absence of firmware upgrades makes me feel like I have been screwed, especially at the relatively high price.
Components is HELL!!!
I've been searching for this review a year and a half ago before I bought myself Tracks... Finally it is out! Anyway I love it first of all because of it sequencer... Don't really know now whether I want to buy myself some electron device... The ability to play and record here is the best part of the device I think. One minor drawback in my opinion is that if you change scale on one track it will change on all others... Most time it's ok. But when I'm using a midi track to external controll my drumbrute impact when I change chromatic scale to any other some drums dissapear as the note they are assigned to is not in a particular scale
Yes, scale management is weird...
A video on the Woovebox would awesome. Would really love to hear your take in that!
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
I loved my OG Circuit. It got me through a few years of taking the bus too and from to work.
Nice!!!
i'm 51 seconds in, and this is already my pick for best Bad Gear all-time! Dawless 4eva 😍👏🌌
😍😍😍
I had one, and i absolutely loved it.
Until i got rid of it cause loosing two voices unless i also used my Microfreak and Volca Keys, which wasn't always possible on the go or convenient (only having one desk during the time at uni in my tiny flat) just negated the box part of the groovebox.
I think it's the only device i'd need if it would let me use the midi-tracks as synth engine tracks. The workflow is spectacular.
👍👍👍
Oh boy, another piece of gear I love featured here.
Nothing personal;)
Try out some of my fm patches in a few of my packs.. will open it up a bit more 😊
😀
@7:57 That is EXTREMELY similar to my situation in my bedroom where i compose protracker mod files in my netbook (instead of the boxes have the infamous ikea little table but we are there)
Nice approach!
I love the circuits (even the Monostation). If Novation brought out a eurorack Circuit sequencer for 2 monosynths and 6 drum triggers, I would develop a Eurocrack addiction just like [snaps fingers] that.
Monostation is awesome!
Ive performed many times with the OG circuit. Amazing pieces of kit. Working with limitations is a good discipline.
Just realised how much Ive spent on Novation over the years.
Nice!!!