Novation Circuit Tracks - SonicLAB Review

We've been fans of the original Novation Circuit here - Nick bought one for his live setup and we often recommend it for people wanting a simple computerless music creation instrument.

The new Circuit Tracks, replaces the original Circuit and adds some new features and bakes in much of the Firmware updates that the original Circuit received. Indeed, we know there is also a roadmap for the new Tracks too.

Editor Nick takes a look at the new model.

#soniclab #novation #circuittracks

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00:00 Intro and new features
04:19 Longer samples
06:07 MIDI tracks
09:37 Firmware Gate and Probability
14:15 samples, click etc
17:35 Components editor
21:37 Scenes
23:45 Recording MIDI CCs
25:42 Sidechain
27:00 Synth presets
28:40 Conclusion



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[cokecl]

You hit the nail on the head with the sample one shot, It made sense with 60s of sample and only 4 knobs with the OG circuit, but now with 3 minutes and 8 knobs (4 unused) all that extra time is not that usable. I've been asking for them to add at least a sample start parameter, but it would be great if they added release time too in another knob and made the samples respond to gate if you want. The great thing with the current way of working is that you can keep samples playing from one project to the next...

[dinogoldie]

16:45 The second of the four active macro knobs in a drum track controls sample length/cut. If you don't want to sequence another sample to choke the preceding one, simply use the second macro knob to shorten the sample for that step.

[cybermortal]

Great review as usual. It's a cool machine, very happy with it, but there are some ways it could be better as Nick mentioned (e.g. 8 microsteps instead of 6, better fx section). I have heard that Novation did a lot to improve the original circuit over the years with updates so hopefully that will continue with the Circuit Tracks.

[dinogoldie]

Dear Firmware fairies: How about pitch-quantise for samples? Also, how about additional functions (e.g. bitcrusher) on the 4 macro knobs which are currently inactive on drum tracks? Also, please add mixer state to Scenes. Thanks muchly.

[ian]

That jam after the intro was gorgeous, nice job.

[Volcaniced]

You are still able to use Synth 1 and 2 for MIDI like with the OG Circuit. So you can connect now 4 external Synths.

[winddealer]

Nick made a great point about the current lack of Program Change capabilities. Maybe I'm wrong, but ironically all three of the "devices" pictured in the video; Novation Circuit Tracks, the KSP and Roland MC-101 are incapable of transmitting a user definable midi program change externally over the midi channel of your choice. "In todays day and age...", you'd think Midi Program Change messages would be basic "table stakes" to ante up to the bar. Nope, that type of capability is a thing of the past. All three vendors must be outsourcing their code development to the same lowball 3rd party developer. Anyone know of midi controller that does support "real-time" front panel midi Program Change messages? Such a feature would provide more value each of the products and flexibility to users. Caveat emptor.

[_c_y_p_]

I don’t say it but I often think how this dude here has contributed his whole life to electronic music and its tools. Nick is pretty much the gate keeper, Im happy with that, love the guy.

[dinogoldie]

The Circuit always had 64 drum/sample slots. It's the preset slots that have doubled (from 64 to 128 per machine state).

[aorakis]

great video ! Thanks !

I'm wondering where to start in the hobby as a complete newbie ! (my only experience was dj-ing back in the days with some different devices (turntables-serato, cdj mk2, midi controler on traktor 2, and Ecler Nuo 2 and 5 as mixers)

It's Such a long time i have this little dream of making some of my own music, and maybe i'm the "so called" 40 years olf crisis, but i might wanna try to jump into it ...

Would the novation circuit tracks a good start ?

Or would the MC -101 a better (even if harder to dig into) (i'm not really afraid about it) options if i had to have only one Device ?

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Also, if the late plan (if i'm doing fine and liking the experience) is to have a couple of machine later on : Would the combination of the Circuit tracks and the mc-101 a suffisant combination ?

Therefore, wich one you recommand to start between those two ?

Or any other cheaper option than the mc-101 to get along the novation CTracks ?

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Last but not least, i've got the opportunities of having the MC 707 for the same price as a new MC-101, and even if i like to have a minimal footprint for those devices, i'm wondering if that mc 707 alone would do it instead of the mc 101 ?

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Hope you'll read me !

Take care and keep the good content On !

Very useful !

Cheers from belgium !

[DmitryPuffin]

I am playing live shows with original Circuit, and its the only groovebox that really allows me to improvise during live for hours.
I am collecting money to get Circuit Tracks, because it will be awesome upgrade. They added features that I really need.
The only downside is that you cant transfer sets from original to new.

[dinogoldie]

Notable omissions from this review were the pattern settings page and the mutate function. You can set different playback directions and clock-syncs per pattern. You can also mutate patterns. Odd you didn't notice/mention this new set of features.

[dinogoldie]

24:55 I agree the FX section seems a bit underdeveloped. Instead of presets and send amounts, I would have preferred the ability to set/automate delay/decay/feedback amounts on a per-step basis.

[dinogoldie]

10:11 Re SD card storage. You can store 32 machine states. Each machine state = 128 patches, 64 samples and 64 Projects (fka "Sessions"). These machine-states are Circuit packs compiled/edited in components then stored on the card in (imo) a weird proprietary way. You can't transfer individual patches/projects/samples on the fly; it's per-pack.

[midierror]

This looks perfect for taking into the woods, onto the beach or into space! I'm a big fan of the grooveboxes

[stephanmobius]

Novation, if you are reading this...PLEASE bring back the Nudge-Feature.

[mattryan]

I always thought the og circuit was cool, after watching this I really want one of these badly. I wonder if I can hook up my Roland drum kit to this

[dinogoldie]

You also forgot to mention that the Circuit Tracks now allows you to change MIDI/sync settings on the fly. With the OG Circuit, you could only change MIDI settings in a boot menu. This is useful if you've got more than two external synths hooked up and you want to switch between them. The Circuit Tracks also has a sync-out socket which the OG did not (for connecting to volcas 'n such).

[iesDude]

My Circuit OG broke recently, so Novation sent me a TRACKS as replacement for free. Happy to have both of them now ;-) Thanks Novation

[SRDhain]

Great review 👍

I'm astounded that so many standalone grooveboxes don't allow you to record pitchbend or modulation stuff from a keyboard. I've still got a device that allow you to do that & over 16 tracks, with built in sound engine and all manner of real time control. It's called the RM1X.

I suspect it has something to do with increasing the implementation to include cv & gate, where realtime modulation changes would be harder to implement.