How to make FULL SONGS on the Novation Circuit

[@GabeMillerMusic]

If you want an updated version for Circuit Tracks, I've got you covered: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIK5aIZ4ZqukmZo and kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6LHfn5unsqgqqs

[@NovationTV]

Another great vid! Nice work, Gabe 🙌🙏

[@amberdean1263]

These kinds of tutorials are so valuable. I've been stuck in "loop syndrome" for way too long now and I'm working on studying arrangement and how to build my patterns into full songs (I'm using Elektron hardware but the concepts are mostly same.)

[@Antonio_Ortiz]

You singlehandedly convinced me to get a Circuit. Did not disappoint and it's nice to get away from the DAW's every now and then. Excellent work. Your channel is my go-to for any Circuit info I need. Thank you.

[@cruepprich]

Well explained, Gabe. I like how you are able to work within the limits of the circuit.

[@CraigHinrichs]

Sounds amazing and really cool. I wish the 80's was a cool as this sounds. They were good, really they were but no one appreciates it when they are in it. Like right now.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Yeah, the good stuff gets remembered and passed on, and the less good stuff usually gets forgotten. I didn't grow up in the 80s but this retro futuristic style of music has really captured my imagination. It's kinda timeless.

[@nik-khealcrosby581]

Totally agree bro. I grew up in the 80s. Three songs that carries a lot of SIM. The song how does you feel. Round rabbit. Tainted love

[@djofortunato5799]

It's funny I'm a little late to the game (got a used Circuit for $200 - early bday present to myself) & in a week have about 7 grooves I've been mixing & arranging. Only 2 days ago did I discover that patterns can be extended downward to empty slots to give you 32 bars. As a Lifelong composer & arranger of live instruments, this changes Everything. Thanks Gabe - this helped confirm I can truly arrange "albums worth" of material with this thing 👌👍

[@maninblack9000]

One of the best Circuit Demo ever!

[@Isti115]

Man, you are making the Circuit look awesome, just like Red Means Recording does with the OP-1! Congratulations! :)

[@pedroconforti]

Hey, thanks a LOT man. It is such a logic and efficient workflow but I've been having a learning block with the Circuit so far and you have really cleared up how to easily make very powerful changes in a track, playing the arrangement live. Bless on you!

[@tomblaze2]

I have been weighing GOing with the new Novation Circuit Tracks or the Korg SQ-64 into my Korg Volca Sample/Korg Triton --- I have been looking for someone to show how they make 'SONGS' and not just live jamming patterns - THANKS BRO - Novation owes you free products for life at this point

[@nik-khealcrosby581]

Great job bro. You have convinced me. I’m going to get a circuit in a couple weeks. Again great job I was watching your video. And applauding damn you killed that shit great job bro respect

[@Mentalknave]

This sound is really what im looking for, im a rookie and the circuit is my first gear. Learn so much about making music from videos like this!! Keep spreading your knowledge man!!

[@peterb9466]

After this great tips. I have grabbed mine circuit and fired it up since along time. Thanks! 🌟👍

[@scottfarrell1906]

Such a banging tune.

[@gracengeier1149]

Even novation gives you the attention you deserve! sweet

[@tronlady1]

This reminds me very much of ultravox, fade to Grey and yan hammer, Crocketts theme!!!! This young man is ridiculously knowledgeable, talented and articulate. It would appear he has also invented a time travel device in order to study and write such 80s…..ness?! ♥️

[@tubeMonger]

Just got my Circuit. It took only half an hour to create something sensible. Thanks for sharing this video because I was wondering whether it'd be possible to make a song with the Circuit.

[@markymark627]

80s italo vibes, nice workflow tips .

[@FrankyGun]

Thanks so much for tutorials like this one, teaching fellow musicians how to get more out of those machines. Very valuable video - love it! I bet thos 5 dislikers have never shared any of their "secret' knowledge with anyone, respectively - given such a mindset - they simply have nothing to show... Always embarasses me to see thumbs down (even if a few) when I see a valuable video like yours. Looks like there are people out there who thrive on being unhappy. Good that you are different! Love and light from sunny Thailand, Franky

[@sr7bbird]

just when i thought i knew every thing about my circuit , you showed me something new.!! you just blew bo beat"s channel of the map!! i really appreciate your time and effort showing us this. (hitting subscribe button now)

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Hey, Bo's my dude, no need to badmouth him. Glad you dig the video tho.

[@quore11]

This is the best tutorial ever I watched!! thx for help

[@clowntopus]

Excellent video...I can connect a synth by MIDI and some guitar on the input and make loops with both?

[@pyratellamarecordingstudio1062]

So basically there's no way to sequence it to be able to multitrack record the song in a daw? You'd have to just kinda solo each part separately and build it again in the daw? I want to use this for full songwriting, but I want to be able to mix everything in my daw because I can make stuff sound larger than life in pro tools.

[@amandadianneactress]

Could you do an updated video with the Circuit Tracks and how you would incorporate the new way of chaining and scenes to make a song?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I've got you covered: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIK5aIZ4ZqukmZo and kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6LHfn5unsqgqqs

[@foundatlantis]

great tutorial, excellent format and easy to understand. good work dude :)

[@jamessong2569]

Wonderful tutorial and sounds great! Thanks.

[@Quandris]

Great tutorial, rad track too!

[@Elkesar1]

Super cool! Thanks!

[@margotmuller2893]

great work - thank you!

[@SanplerVarondaro]

gracias saludos desde tijuana muy buen video

[@MilwaukeeMax]

Hey, dude! Your videos are great !

[@homerdus9668]

Thanks great tutorials, still valid for many of us. Would you have a solution to implement 6/8 metre (time signature) , it seems not to switch smoothly between two session (that both has 6/8). It didn’t run to the end of patterns (and it’s steps) of previous session , instead handover happens in the middle of session, resulting weird drum beat. I implemented 6/8 by making pattern length 12 steps. If you got energy this kind (time signatures) of tutorial is till missing…some songs even change the metre within a song…

[@sherylbaker9025]

please do one of these for circuit tracks

[@thomasekman4548]

Great sound... now you just have put in the singing 👍🏻

[@mascarimedia]

Sounds great.

[@jthunter4933]

Great stuff!! Keep it coming

[@omarpervaiz]

OK I really enjoy your demos! Wondering if you've done an onboard speaker test? More a guitar player wanting to build ideas on the go. Also have you checked out the new SeqTrak?

[@venytocamelo2818]

Awesome.

[@kurtklingklang5918]

Thanks for the video. It would be good if you were able to have a session including chained patterns run through and then go on to another session - if there's a way to do that already I haven't found it.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

No prob! If you're referring to chaining sessions, there isn't a way to do that. I like the live jam aspect of the Circuit though, so it works out for me.

[@Limite777]

Eres un máquina!! al circuit deberían añadirle la opción de marcar toda la secuencia de una canción en la vista session. Me encantan tus canciones con ese sonido de los 80s. Un saludo desde España.

[@KazmaHD]

Gabe! I need your help, I just got a Circuit and my device is stuck on Synth 1. When I try to make steps and sounds through Synth 2 or any of the drums, I have to keep their respective buttons depressed. When I release these buttons, the Circuit takes me back to editing Synth 1. Hopefully you can help me out here!

[@krisgakakrisqu0717]

GENIUS!

[@alexcookson5662]

How do you change and save the parameters in the same colum?

[@mikehemens9359]

If you've got a moment I'd greatly appreciate; I got a circuit and when a sequence is playing I cannot adjust the pitch on drum 2. It reverts back to the bottom of the scale after a bar. Hopefully I just accidentally have it on some setting that's changeable. If ur busy I fully understand, best regards.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

It sounds like you accidentally recorded pitch automation, which happens if you're recording and adjust a parameter. Erasing the pattern will erase the automation, or you could automate it on purpose to bring the pitch of the kick up.

[@mikehemens9359]

@@GabeMillerMusic 2nd time you've helped me, I'll 'pay it forward', thanks again.

[@Raiden8535]

Does anyone know how to reset sessions. I messed one up and I liked the original

[@matsewunderlich]

Seems to be big fun to work with this setup 👍😎

[@GabeMillerMusic]

It really is 😎😎

[@grmusicnyc]

Hey Gabe! I'm just curious, is this produced with the on board samples and synth engines or did you load in samples from outside the box? First day with the circuit tracks and I'm trying to get my head around it ( your other video for beginners and intermediate users was very helpful! Thanks in advance

[@GabeMillerMusic]

In this case, I used a preset and sample pack I got off of Isotonik. The synth tracks can only use synth patches, but you can load whatever sounds you want into the drum tracks with the Components editor (which I also did a video on).

[@grmusicnyc]

@@GabeMillerMusic Thanks Gabe! I really appreciate your help. I usually do orchestral production so this is all pretty new to me. Great channel!

[@notyouagain1428]

I learned nothing but you did say a lot big words , congratulations.

[@SamiTakayama]

This is great! Thanx man :)

[@williamshaneblyth]

i dont own a circuit. I do alot of live playing and am wondering is there anyway apart from simply recording to audio, to record what you just did in some sort of automation. you complete the song at the end with hands on changing filters etc and it sounded amazing. can you record that to the unit itself and then simple hit play ? . Id create a song on it and play along with other instruments keys or my guitar. I could only hit a pad for a split second on occasions to maybe change a section of the song that would be fine for me but I expect this doesnt work like that or not ?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

The Circuit is a pattern-based device, so any automation only applies to the pattern it was recorded to. And you can chain patterns, but only up to a point, definitely not to the point of a full song. You do have to trigger new patterns and sessions (and do some degree of knob turning) live and record that.

[@FaOut]

Cool tips

[@jvm1962]

Hi Gabe. Great stuff, congrats. I was planning to go for a Launchpad Pro MK3 mainly as front-end to Ableton Live, but now hesitant as Circuit seems to me a more complete solution, standalone portable and actual music instrument. Any word of advice from your side? (my current setup consists of an oldie Korg Wavestation, Casio CDP-S350, plus Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 and guitars).

[@GabeMillerMusic]

That really depends on what you want your working style to be... Do you want a full studio setup, or a small, compact setup? Both will be great to work with, just different. And the Circuit forces a bit more minimal of a production style, which is worth keeping in mind.

[@jvm1962]

@@GabeMillerMusic Thanks, Gabe. I ended up buying both. :-) Still waiting for the Circuit delivery.

[@healthyhappyhero]

Hey Gabe, after chaining patterns together, is there a way to unchain them? I think I see you do this in the video but I can't figure out how. Thanks

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Just select a different pattern and it'll break the chain.

[@MrTR909]

If I understood well, there is a preset on sounds to use, beside I guess the synths. Can one load other sounds or sound packs or is one stuck with build in sounds, my las question, it says circuit has some kind of a 60 second sample space, what is meant by that?

[@MatthewHyatt]

You upload your own samples but the banks only accept 60 seconds total per synth.

[@WillieCarpenter17]

Do you have any videos that start from scratch and help us beginners learn how to create the loops and patterns we need to reach these steps???

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Check out Payton Carter's video on that topic, he did a much deeper tutorial on that topic than I have: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZyylaiBba6CobM

[@flipmacyt]

Hi ! Is it possible to record into the circuit all cutoffs and effects you generate with upper nobs ?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

For any synth parameters like cutoff, yes, which is super useful. For reverb and delay, I don't think so.

[@jeffreybarton1297]

Hi Gabe, great video! I'm having trouble, however. I'm trying to record a second pattern, and I'm finding that if I choose a different sound on the second pattern, it alters the first patterns synth sound to the second patterns. Also, if I chain both patterns together, it alters the patterns of both, including the drums. I thought that each pattern was independent of the other? They seems to interact and alter everything.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Patterns are independent as far as the notes and automation they contain, but the synth sounds themselves are controlled by the tracks, not the patterns. If you want synth sounds to swap out in the middle of a song, you have to save two separate sessions, then switch between those. Switching between them works exactly like patterns, except they are truly independent.

[@jeffreybarton1297]

@@GabeMillerMusic many thanks, Gabe! I shall give that a go :-)

[@brentboudreau4360]

Hi Gabe, I just got my hands on a Korg Electribe 2, but I find it very confusing to record patterns or rhythms....should I of gotten a Circuit instead?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Only if you want to. I hated the Electribe for the first day or so until I got over the learning curve. Now it doesn't feel complicated at all to me, but it took me a bit of time to figure it out. I'd say check out some videos by Woody's Piano Shack and try to stick with it for a bit.

[@brentboudreau4360]

@@GabeMillerMusic okay, thanks Gabe.....I just don't have a lot of patience....I'll check out Woody's videos :)

[@DeejayRach0]

Very Cool!!!!!

[@TheDarkVoid]

you should make a song with the *otamatone!!

[@igby.gonzalo]

This is probably a dumb question, but where would one get sound packs for this puppy?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Isotonik is a good place, and there's one you can get for free via the Novation Components site.

[@igby.gonzalo]

@@GabeMillerMusic Ok sweet! Thank you! Really new to this and your videos have become my go-to for things! Thank you! ❤

[@ChrisLeeW00]

Yeah this slaps

[@stanmarsh912]

Thanks so much man. Ive been slowly learning on my curcuit but I didnt know how to use patterns but now I know. Opens up a whole new realm for me. Btw.. Have you ever heard of the hotline Miami games? I think youd really dig the soundtracks.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Glad to help! I haven't played the games, but I have listened to some of the soundtracks, which I dig.

[@rygelxv]

Did you, by chance, do some Hotline Miami Tracks? I´m sure i´ve heard it somewhere

[@GabeMillerMusic]

No, I wish. My stuff definitely takes inspiration from that kind of music tho.

[@partizan555555]

Hi, a great video. Do you know if it is possible to chain sessions?

[@krisgakakrisqu0717]

U are a true master of this machine

[@johnchesters81]

Hey Gabe, thanks for such a helpful video. Have you ever thought of doing a video series on how to put together a synthwave track? More along the lines of theory rather than sound design. Like drums, bass, chords, melodies...and your thought process?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Glad you dig it! A video that shows my approach to synthwave composition decently well is this recentish one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXaYYpqXqLlmibs

[@boymatmat]

Do you use Any of the 4 packs or any other pack? Or did you make your own

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I've used multiple packs in the past, the one in this video is Delorean Dream by Yves Big City.

[@YoursTrulyChris]

The first shall be looped

[@itsmorphinetime]

I have a question regarding the Synth tracks. In the beginning, you stated that you're not even using the second Synth track, and yet there seem to be layered synths. Is it it the same sound just sounds different because of the octave difference? Or are there different synth sounds stacked on top the single Synth track?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

It's the second thing... It's one synth sound, the melodic parts just sound different because they're on different octaves.

[@itsmorphinetime]

Gabe Miller Music ah got it! Judging from your videos that I’ve watched, it doesn’t seem like the 2 synths are that limiting, but it does seem like you have to work around that limit. So does that mean that in a single pattern you can only have two synth sounds only?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

There are only two synth tracks, so yeah, only two synth sounds per session. It definitely requires you to be creative, but I've rarely found it limiting

[@itsmorphinetime]

Gabe Miller Music i gotta say I keep coming back to this song and I’m just super impressed how layered Synth 1 is to make all those parts on just Synth 1 sound differently. Is it just the octave that’s making such a huge difference in sound? You wouldn’t happen to have a video of you creating this song would you?

[@zulou2315]

thumbs up just for the first 60 seconds 👍

[@Fuaaaark]

Where could I get these awesome retro futuristic sounds to my pad? 😏

[@GabeMillerMusic]

If I recall correctly, for that song I used the "Delorean Dream" pack by Yves Big City, which is sold on Isotonik. It's great.

[@Fuaaaark]

@@GabeMillerMusic awesome! Do you know of any 70s disco kind of jam sound packs that sound groovy and you would recommend?

[@shawnryc7347]

How do you duplicate sessions

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Save the session you're in into a different slot. It's more like a save as than a duplicatation. Be careful tho, it'll save ove whatever session used to be there

[@djrodrussell3363]

Just to be sure, this device is a stand alone, you don't have to use a PC?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Correct!

[@RaveKev]

Thumbs up for the CATAN

[@alphanumeric1529]

Where'd you get the 80's synth patches?

[@j.veroni]

I can hear what you’re doing here but the transition from the first chords into the arpeggiated melody is clunky. Do you think that’s the difference between patterns and sessions...

[@playingoutofscale6647]

Very nice! +1 sub :)

[@orangevst]

This track could have made it to night rider

[@aalever]

How to make all Daft Punk songs in one go

[@alphanumeric1529]

Track is cool, but the mix is choked and opaque. I own and love the Circuit, but it does have a tendency to do that. I think it is the fx on the Circuit, as well as the overall sound. Also, it is a production issue, meaning the problem can be ameliorated somewhat by shortening the releases on synths, not using onboard fx, or just really short tails on delay and reverb, and using tighter drum samples. The opaqueness problem will still remain, however, and kind of relegates this device to the toy category. You can get around this issue by tracking out all the individual parts, and putting the song back together in a daw with proper eq/comp as well as fx like delay and reverb on each part. But that kind of misses the point and the major strength of the Circuit, which is its easiness, fast workflow, immediate results. Individual outs would change that entire equation, and I would have paid for them, and I've spoken with so many others who would have as well. It's up to Novation to decide, is the Circuit to be a toy or a tool?

[@foodstampz]

I agree..ive thought about getting more..but now im hooked on the blackbox..maybe i can still use Circuit somewhere in the mix

[@Elkesar1]

Naaaaah it sound cool. Clean your ears.

[@arkhanyc247]

Sorry but this is still a loop. Adding and removing tracks from an already existing loop doesn't make a song for me. You need more variety regarding the notes and/or the rythm. I guess that's a matter of tastes or maybe because of the circuit limitations... Still, nice vid.

[@DayflightTrok]

Not understandable

[@MariaTD3]

Not very pedagogical. You need to explain better what you do, your hands are all over/everywhere and I can’t see what buttons you are pressing. Slower please, and press the buttons very visibly and tell us what buttons you press and why,

[@sammydreamz9788]

Nah it's still a looper , not worth the price tag on a new device unless you get it used for half the price maybe then . It's not a tool it's more of a looping toy , you can finish full songs on many good phone apps these days , this circuit is complete rip off .

[@WordSmith369]

its arpeggio not arpaigeio

[@MariaTD3]

Not very pedagogical. You need to explain better what you do, your hands are all over/everywhere and I can’t see what buttons you are pressing. Slower please, and press the buttons very visibly and tell us what buttons you press and why,