Novation Circuit Tracks: Groovebox Sequencer With Synth Tracks, MIDI Tracks And Drum Tracks Electronic Music Making

Product Information

Novation have reverted from TRS MIDI jack connectors to traditional DIN ports, and have even added a Thru which can act as a duplicate Out. Like the original, the highlight of Circuit Tracks is the slick, approachable and surprisingly versatile sequencing workflow. The output is definitely a bit low, I suspect it is a firmware feature to preserve headroom and prevent clipping.

Keep everything locked into your groove with the acclaimed step sequencer, or get off the grid with microtiming control, probability and pattern mutate, and more. Not only that, you will be able to take advantage of being able to customise the groovebox further with exclusive sound packs and presets. If the Circuit Mono Station had better firmware with stronger sequencing features it would have sold exceedingly well. With compact, hard-wearing, and high-quality build ­– and a built-in rechargeable battery – you can make the most of its numerous features wherever inspiration strikes you. As you’d expect, it comes with a bunch of prebuilt samples that mostly cater to electronica of various flavors (especially the drums), but you can tweak them to your whims and customize the drum engine samples to your taste (so you can have cymbals, orchestra drums, etc.Two MIDI sequencer tracks let you control and program your external equipment from drum machines to effects units. Having them there though means that improving music makers have plenty of options to grow – whether exploring sound design with the polysynths, creating unusual rhythms or incorporating external hardware. This setup made the original a dark horse for sequencing external MIDI synths, particularly for live performance, bolstered by the flexible pattern saving/chaining.

In fact, those two synth tracks – and the drum tracks – all output MIDI too, so you could happily drive multiple polyphonic instruments from Circuit Tracks in a live setup. Alternatively, you can use the microSD card to save thousands of synth patches, samples and projects. I bought a CT and initially really enjoyed it, but ended up gravitating towards a Polyend Tracker as it seemed to offer a bit more control and flexibility. Components is Novation’s “online companion”, letting users create their own patches, load up samples, save templates, back up projects, and more. Whether as a convenient and portable tool to sequence a live setup, a portable synth and drum sketchpad or an all-round studio workhorse, Circuit Tracks has a lot going for it.Its simple, instrument-like nature makes it a great option for learning or traditional musicians to begin producing electronic music without hassle in the way of complex software or music theory. But it passes the “fun and in use” test fairly well, especially if one of your goals is to avoid getting distracted by the gazillion things you can do on a Mac or iPad. Connectivity, build, and layout have all seen huge updates while still maintaining the famously simple workflow of the OG Circuit. Comprehensive connectivity - Connect to your studio with full-size five-pin MIDI in, out, and thru, and analogue sync out.

Each sample track has Pitch, Decay, Drive, and Tone controls, which work great for drums but can be limiting for more in-depth sampling. Now Novation has released Circuit Tracks, which despite the new name – which is intended to differentiate it from the underrated Circuit Mono Station and forthcoming Circuit Rhythm – is a straight sequel to that original groovebox. I don’t have an extensive idea on what is in the market to compare it against, as this is my first device ever.One thing of note is that I haven’t really looked at the SD Card format–I suspect that will come with time, and unlock a lot more variety off it without needing to use Components at all. Because of this, other competing devices such as the Electribe or MC-101 may better serve those looking for polish or tweakability in a synth engine. One of the frustrations of the CT was the lack of sound design beyond macros and blind browsing a limited subset of synth patches. It’s meant for creating “the song” on the fly by manipulating the patterns and scenes while playing the music. Like the original Circuit, the Tracks has two on‑board synths (using the same Nova engines) and four sample‑based drum voices, all played and sequenced in various ways via a 4x8 velocity‑sensitive pad matrix.

There’s a slightly revamped sidechain tool too, which can apply ducking to synths and external inputs driven by drum tracks. Connectivity: The Tracks improved massively over the OG Circuit in terms of connectivity, and it shines here even when compared to competing devices. I’ve got custom artwork on these from Half Sumo Collective… I hope you guys dig them as much as I do.Unlike its Launchpad controllers, though, the grid isn’t used primarily to play clips in a DAW–it’s first and foremost a sequencer interface, split between 16 steps and an input section (that spans two octaves of a configurable scale) or devoted to a single purpose (sequencing, notes, changing parameters, etc. Create anywhere - The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to four hours of battery life, so you can make beats on the move. We got the Tracks because we wanted a mix of a standalone device that my kids (and myself) could use to make electronic music without a computer and something that would play nicely with other instruments, and so far it’s lived up to its promise–you can just pick it up, take it to the couch and noodle away the afternoon with headphones, which is a pretty decent endorsement.