Making Music with the Circuit Tracks, Volca FM 2, & Volca Keys

I make synthwave / retrowave from scratch with the Novation Circuit Tracks, Korg Volca FM 2, and Volca Keys.
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00:00 Intro and Setup
02:09 Beat 1
08:38 Beat 2
17:30 Outro
My current favorite music production gear:
MPC One: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Circuit Tracks: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Circuit Rhythm: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Roland MC-101: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Arturia MicroFreak: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
ATH M40 headphones: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Edited by Coastland Creative: www.coastlandcreative.com
Note that some of the above links are affiliate links, which give me a commission (at NO extra cost to you!) if you use them to buy something.
Website: GabeMillerMusic.com
Instagram: GabeMillerMusic
Soundcloud: Soundcloud.com/GabeMillerMusic1

[@88Fitzy88]

Hell ya that’s my setup too!! I added 2 small 4ch mixers to each input of the tracks, midi 1 out to volca keys, midi 2 out to the NTS-1 and volca fm2 with an external keyboard all packed together inside a briefcase!

[@MrTanukiD]

Sounding good. Great little set up for sketching out ideas.

[@mattmehoy7867]

Man this sounds so good. i just picked up a circuit tracks to go along with my Volca keys. Your content has been so helpful

[@dracul74]

Great stuff. Dawless jamming is great fun. So many cool grooveboxes these days.

[@joninio6542]

Gabe, you are a Godsend. I literally got my FM2 3 days ago and my midi cables arrived an hour ago. I have been searching for the Tracks to FM2 midi configuration and going nuts! Then I come onto KZbin, do a search and your vid pops up in first place, posted just two hours ago. And, within two minutes you've given me the answers. Genius. I've watched loads of your vids out of curiosity, but this one got me Subbed! Thanks a million.

[@flrn84791]

Manual? :D

[@joninio6542]

@@flrn84791 😁RTFM? MDR. I was searching for the manual 🤓

[@orchidsvoid]

Really cool video. Thanks for sharing ❤️

[@ricardobaigorria2342]

Maravilloso!!! Felicitaciones desde Argentina Campeón

[@musleman8]

Love it. So inspiring

[@micheal2489]

Learning a lot from your in depth channel Thanks

[@Modrunnermusic]

I just sold all my Volca to make room for modular. Circuit tracks isn’t going anywhere. Inspires me everytime i pick it up. Your videos helped me decide which groovebox to go for 😊

[@pelvinsjamz]

Love this 👍😎. Would love to add this hardware to my collection

[@georgesbahia]

J'adore votre façon de faire ! Bravo.

[@johnchesters81]

Around the 6 minute mark you get an almost 303 sounding tone out of the keys. Great stuff.

[@kejo703]

I have Circuit Tracks, Volca FM2 and Volca Bass. Now I also have Tascam Model12 which has a built in recorder-12 in/out. Takes it all to new level.

[@robert3045]

Brilliant!

[@ChrisRobify]

Every time I watch you play a circuit I want to buy one again!

[@abstractmodule4574]

I use a similar setup except I have Volca Bass and Keys with the tracks. Amazing combo.

[@elsantoproductora]

I would love to see a "Circuit SQ" Imagine an 8 track midi sequencer with 8 audio inputs, sidechain and usb multitrack recording. It could be the brain, mixer and fx processor of your dawless setup. Thanks for the video!

[@maninblack9000]

You make great tracks with minimal equipment!

[@flrn84791]

Someone had to make a video about it :) Similar setup here, Keys+FM into Tracks, into Rhythm for samples and the effects. The cable issue is only an issue because yours are too long :D I use angled short ones for audio and midi that fit perfectly, can only recommend.

[@haezrdrive]

I’m trying a similar setup, but with my Electribe 2! Controlling Volca Bass, FM2, Sample 2 and JX-08 but not nearly sounding as good as this 😅

[@jordans5218]

Was going to try this setup next

[@GabeMillerMusic]

It's a good time!

[@jackphoton]

I'm surprised Novation hasn't patched that latency issue you found (whenever that was now). Perhaps with the next firmware they will. I use my Tracks and Rhythm as stand-alones and haven't plugged them into the internet for any updates in the last few months.

[@baltimega]

You can use presets in components to map the knobs to the Volcas. They have one premade oreset for the volca fm 1, I'd assume it works for the 2 as well. There's one for the keys as well.

[@robert3045]

yea this way you can even automate the volka from your circuit record

[@lorrenaelliott161]

Nooooo waaaaay? Need to investigate components- only used to select thr fx then they did the update which meant I wasted my time lol …. Didn’t know you can other stuff with midi gear not just up/downloading patches

[@bistrobmusic]

When I asked my guy at Sweetwater about the FM2, he told me there were about 250 people ahead of me waiting for one.

[@dracul74]

Love Sweetwater… I waited 6months for my Sp404mk2 and about 3 for my J6. Lots of backlogs. I want a fm2… but think I will wait for used.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

OOF.

[@blkrbbt]

I went through Adorama... they only get small lots, so you get them coming very couple weeks

[@gabbaIO]

Mine is coming tomorrow... when I looked again, Thomann had 1 B-Stock... this was like a sign from the universe xD

[@mrz80]

What a difference a year makes. I'm starting to see them pop up used on Reverb for not-crazy prices. Pounced on one a couple weeks ago. Really neat little box especially for a fan of the whole 80s synth sound scene.

[@JakeSweeper]

"Speaking for myself, and I am unanimous in this", I like DAWless setups where at most, if there is a computer, it's way off to the side and is just recording the feed. Fan of Rickey Tinez's Compact Creations vids and I hope he gets some out.

[@incaroads001]

Yeah. my guy at sweetwater called me in May telling me that I wouldn't get mine (fm2) until the end of summer. he wasn't lying. But now that I have it, I have been using it and my nts-1 with the circuit for interesting experiments. the nts-1, however, is annoyingly quiet.

[@Imetalman2000]

Man I wish the Volca FM2 kept the 5 pin midi jack. I hate needing to find correct type A or type B trs connector. This is why my NTS-1 is collecting dust.

[@trentweber5026]

Could you show how to use a midi keyboard with the circuit tracks. Maybe the Akai mpk mini plus?

[@joshjaren5408]

Great video as always, Gabe! I've been thinking about getting a Keys 2 (when they're available), in the meantime, I've been rocking a freak and wavestate (with a Bladerunner-esque patch) into the Tracks for a pretty fun setup. I really need to work on taking my Tracks to the next level, I admittedly don't utilize scenes as often as I could.

[@flrn84791]

What do you find wrong with the Keys? I wasn't aware they were working on a Keys 2.

[@joshjaren5408]

@@flrn84791 - Whoops - FM2, that is. :)

[@flrn84791]

@@joshjaren5408 Haa makes more sense :D I can recommend the original FM though, I find it already good, with full size midi. Only difference is the number of voices though, but for me 3 is not a deal breaker on that kinda setup.

[@unclemick-synths]

@@flrn84791 and the unofficial firmware on the FM1 fixes a bunch of issues. I mean to add a MIDI out to mine so I can export to my TX7.

[@charlarge3555]

Love your videos. When are you going to showcase an SP 404 MKii, please.🙂

[@fuguroo]

How do you deal with the fact that the Volca audio outs are stereo but the Circuit Tracks inputs are mono? What sort of audio cable are you using to connect them together? TS, TRS, or TRS to TS?

[@germanmanfredi]

hello! nice video! I want to buy the novation track. But I need to ask first: does Circuit have a separate sequencer for each instrument? Something similar to the active step of the volca? I also wanted to ask: the volca keys being connected with midi allows you to use the Portamento control.

[@jorgerezg3686]

Excellent!! i have a question do you use sync ouptuts in circuit and volca to sync them?Thanks!! Cheers!

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I didn't in this case, but I'm pretty sure you can.

[@jorgerezg3686]

Thanks!! Cheers!!

[@davebrazewell8719]

I've noticed that few people use the track's encoders with the 2 midi channels. Why is that ? I've not had much fun with them personally, even after trying to create my own templates...I find that the encoder movement or position is relative rather than absolute so saving the automation doesn't give repeatable results ... Or is that just with the gear I'm using ?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I mostly just don't even think to use them tbh. Since the synths I choose have knobs I just reach for them by default. That, and you have to set up the CC's, and I just can't be bothered.

[@morty8353]

amazing as always! I have a question, which Midi adapter you can use, to connect the Volca FM2 to the Circuit Tracks? does the one that comes with the microfreak ok or needs to be a different one?

[@patrickm.4469]

He said Type A towards the beginning of the video

[@psider3239]

This was really good. May I ask, how many hours in total it took you to make the full track, including the patches and full arrangement? It takes me about 40h, it looks like you do it much much faster.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Thanks! I didn't make the Tracks or FM patches (I just tweaked them to fit with what I was doing), but that full session was a couple of hours long. If I was to expand those into full songs, it would take a good bit longer.

[@mrz80]

You say "80s cheese" like it's a bad thing. Throw some cool guitar riffs over this and it's the sound of my early adulthood. Gotta get me a Tracks.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Nah it's not a bad thing at all, I like to lean into it from time to time!

[@koskey06]

For around $300 give or take if it's worth it.....but preferably less as it's my first......what would u recommend as a all in one for a first step that will allow me to learn but also grow if I stick to it? I dont have unlimited funds and pretty sure I will stick with it/ like the hobby....bit still not sure. I mean do i save for a mc 101 or even a little better, or just get a volca fm 2 or other volca, modle cycles, electribe, circuit tracks, etc? Cheaper is better but dont mind saving up/paying a little more for a big leap in quality/function.

[@kingabdolbig4306]

dear gabe please help me . i have bunch of stuff like korg minilogue. looper boss rc 505 and other things . but i cant make sound like this clip. what can i do? need volca and novation?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I think it's mostly about learning to make the specific synthwave sounds and mix them well rather than specific gear. This video might help you get your head around some of that with the gear you already have (especially the minilogue, it's great for synthwave): kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ64iouNgLN9g68

[@kingabdolbig4306]

@@GabeMillerMusic thankyou so much i dont miss any of your videos😘 just last question ... do i need necessary pc and special ABLETON? Hope not 🙌 thank your for helping me

[@beatstationfrankfurt]

Hello, I have a question: how do you get the long melody what you play 4min15 into the Novation circuit tracks? If I do that with my device, then I only get 16 or 32 steps. 😅From what it looks like for you, is this a longer sequence that you recorded? How do you get that in there? Can you help me please😅😅😅

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I show how to chain patterns for longer musical passages at 3:24 in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqvLhZaXbZyrp7csi=_8AvzCAcMmwJkXM4 And you can slow down a pattern to half or even quarter speed, which I show near the end of the same video under the pattern settings section.

[@beatstationfrankfurt]

Thank you and a great Start 2024

[@beatstationfrankfurt]

the topic is called chaining patterns up to 128 steps i try and is easy to use or prepare you can add that I think is very good thank you again for your help

[@treyhudson73]

Hey man, can you just move that setup for a minute, I need to dust the table...🤯

[@flrn84791]

Have everything velcro-ed to a piece of wooden floor :) fits in a keyboard case, really easy to transport... and dust underneath eheh

[@treyhudson73]

@@flrn84791 I've been contemplating a fold out case to hold Tracks and Rhythm together. The key was to get 1ft right angle TRS cables.

[@flrn84791]

@@treyhudson73 I got mini jack angled TRS cables for the Volcas on Thomann, the ones for camera actually, with springy kinda cable. Then angled TS between Tracks and Rhythm, no need for TRS then.

[@blkrbbt]

What scale are you in? I wanna synthwave like Gabe!

[@GabeMillerMusic]

If I recall correctly, it was mostly just the default minor scale. Glad you dug it!

[@7milejulio]

How much do you charge for tracks and are you up for a new music style? Detroit Ghetto tech.

[@repinekb]

Please write in detail what cables and how you connected FM2 to Tracks. What settings have you set on both devices. It's actually not an easy task to connect them, as there are problems with cables of different types and settings in the devices themselves. I think a lot of people will appreciate you. Thank you friend!

[@TheOriginalEUrban]

I'm still waiting to see you connect ALL of your machines into some kind of synth-Megazord.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

That sounds like WAY too much of a pain, but this does give me some tangentially related ideas......

[@mrz80]

Kind of like when Florian did one of his "ALL the Bad Gear" jams? That would be fascinating to see.

[@MrJackal43]

DAW sucks for ACTUAL musician’s … for non-musicians well…. 😂

[@KotyBarMaster]

In my opinion even better is to pare the circuit tracks with garage band or any synth app than volcas. There are bunch of different sounds to explore. Moreover, after mapping circuit knobs with key parameters of garage band one can get excellent music tool :) What do you think Gabe? @GabeMillerMusic