Novation CIRCUIT TRACKS - NEW improved design, MIDI SEQUENCER & audio inputs!

[@BoBeats]

circuit rhythm is coming later this year, I think Novation will have some info about it... So Circuit Tracks? For you? Yay? Nay? And yes it is in stores now: (US) imp.i114863.net/0kgRJ and (EU) redir.love/4kIaa6oq (affiliate links)

[@SwiftDreamer]

So wait, is the novation tracks available now for purchase?

[@charleszaman7666]

Can you send the click track out of a separate out with the new feature? E.g. if I was working with a live drummer could I send that click to their head phones without sending it out with the rest of my signal? If so is it easy to change the tempo or is it a guessing game?

[@tomfenn7149]

Sorry Bo, but again I'm a little nonplused. When I read that it still needs to be paired with a computer to load certain things (inc samples), I started to glaze over. It's also quite pricey -seeing that an extra 100 bucks gets a Polyend Tracker, and a 150 less gets one of those mind blowing Sonicware 8-bit grooveboxes, both of which have a unique sound, but Novation is again just a bit too clean and 'digital' as you rightly state. Happy to be proved wrong of course, but so far it's not sending me. So, nay here for me.

[@MrBasic]

Ya, it is for me. The upgrades fix my workflow issues with the other one. Simple synth engine controls, separate midi. If I get more comfortable with my MC-101 I still won't be getting it, so time will tell whether I need it or not.

[@anakamhi7097]

Yay!!!

[@GabeMillerMusic]

This looks even better than I anticipated. Really pumped to give this a go.

[@BoBeats]

Novation should hit you up imo!!!

[@vertigev]

Did you get yours??

[@silver127]

You have so much participated in sells for Novation, thanks to yours great vids. You should have one for free and send with a thanking letter from Novation.

[@fuzbeats]

I'm a bit surprised too. Your channel is so focused on circuit. If I were novation and I had only three units for review to spare, then I would give you, bobeats and trinez a unit. (maybe one has to pass for cuckoo when he decides making a new pack for it) 🤣

[@legitimatefrenzy]

Best bet it's gunna be crazy to see you control the mc101 and your other circuit with the tracks

[@gerhardbergher4040]

Great video Bo. The comments alone are an amazing insight into how impossible it is to please all the people all of the time. Novation seem to be on a cool track (pun intended) - relatively low cost, high feature set, easy to use and if they continue to develop their own volca-esque device ecosystem...I reckon they’re on to a winner. Keep making this content!

[@nunyadambidniss]

How about running it through a portable hybrid tube amp ? That'd likely help it sound a bit better :)

[@alexakalennon]

Now, I started looking into synths and electric music for the last year or so. The circuit was on my list, now theres a new one.... Crazy Thumbs up

[@alexakalennon]

@@DanielC__ I appreciate your concerns But fear not, I understand your point, especially for musicians/artists in these times, when noone is aloud to perform, And money aside, it damn hurts not to be able to play for an audience while Corona. I m playing piano, keyboard and organ, guitar, bass and the drums. And I'm practicing the cello for a year. And yes I m singing too. For 26 years now. Still eager to learn more than rock/ pop/funk. Looking into jazz and classical music. And oh my, I love winds, but I can't play the sax or trumpet. So I thought a more experimental sound for the keys would be interesting. The beauty of it is that there is always something new to learn. appreciation to those who love to make handmade music, even if it's electronical. STI All the best, Alex

[@joshvishnu6900]

That intro track is brilliant!

[@TheRealTeebz]

I've been stuck in Arturias world so long I had no idea a new Circuit came out. Nice sounds. OMG it's basically a whole new instrument. Tight rhythms Bo.

[@sugarhigh4242]

It was just announced today I believe. First I heard of it

[@williamshaneblyth]

sound is the same as old one as its the same 2 synth with 6 voices each

[@kcat80]

the leaks were real! awesome stuff! really like how much more of a live performance tool this version can be. the sd card slot, sidechaining and battery would come in really handy for gigs.

[@r4x2]

Sounds great! The Pulsar and Circuit make a good team, just add that Polybrute on your left on top and that's an insanely killer setup.

[@ericlecuriste]

What a quality video Bo ! Congrats for all your work

[@CherryGhost5]

Bo and a new Circuit: All is right in the world

[@te-zo3ti]

Fantastic review. One of the best done youtuber reviewers I’ve seen. So many explain half the time and demo the other half - bad style. This explains a bit 1 then demos bit 1, very logical. No waste. Circuit Tracks on way now. I’ve had Roland, mc, several groovy boxes but this one seems to accomplish a lot without the more complicated workflow multi level menus. Quick workflow. Combine with other gear, fx, semi modular, etc

[@BoBeats]

thank you!

[@MistyMusicStudio]

Ohhh I kind of need to have it after hearing everything you've done with it haha. You had some really awesome jams here, hope you put some more on spotify for us soon ^_^

[@dantel666]

I was thinking about pulling the trigger on the original circuit not long ago, but I’m glad I waited because this unit seems way easier to integrate into a hardware/eurorack system due to the individual midi tracks. Definitely going to be grabbing one of these now.

[@darrickkeels6387]

Another great review. Great job as always Bo!

[@georgeray3492]

Well done! Love the added Midi tracks and the audio processing. Now I have to choose between a stand-alone sequencer, with a drum track that I wouldn't use, or a Circuit Tracks with a synth track I may not use....

[@buxycat]

Hey Bo. I've been looking at a lot of channels covering a lot of equipment I've been interested in. Amazon UK had a limited time deal on the Circuit Tracks (a third off retail!). Your's was the first review I clicked on. I just like the way you do your videos and I have come to trust your opinions on other equipment I was thinking about. I went ahead and ordered it, reassured by your enthusiasm for the Circuit Track, so thanks!

[@BenCoeMusic]

When I first saw the specs I kind of thought “that doesn’t really seem like they changed anything” and I was kind of disappointed, watching your review I’m understanding that maybe they added exactly enough, enhancing and filling out the best features of the circuit to really make it close to perfect for its users. I feel like they did the exact same thing with the launchpad line last year, and I’m really happy to see them reaching a point that these neato tools for electronic music control can really be refined and feel like high quality instruments all by themselves. Great review as always, thanks, Bo!

[@JonathanRCross]

Love the fact they've labeled the control knobs. No more accidentally detuning the cr4p out of your synths by mistake

[@mungewell]

The control knobs are configurable, so you can use Components (or Midi) to set them to whatever parameter you want to adjust in a patch.

[@JonathanRCross]

@@mungewell ah I saw the labels and assumed they were fixed vs default suggestions. I'd prefer them to be fixed. But good that they are still assignable. Unless the creator has been sensible like light finger so that there's consistency across the patches then there's still a risk of accidental carnage 😂

[@mewraz]

Really digging all the jams you make in this video!

[@deepvibez]

Nice video, My brotha Bo Beats, man i love the jams that you make, always TOP BEATS from you! :)

[@BluffMunkey]

Possibly one of the best updates I've seen to anything for a while. I'm tempted......

[@benjaminbrand3714]

Y’all have no idea how excited I got when I woke up to this!!!

[@JDSoundsets]

Great video as always, loving these updates to Circuit I think it's in my 'Basket' :)

[@wflinner]

thank god they added labels, one of the main reasons for selling my circuit a few months ago was that I could never get into a workflow because I never remembered what I was changing with what knob

[@williamshaneblyth]

lol the labels man nothing its not locked in at all not different than you writing a label on the old one

[@wflinner]

@@williamshaneblyth I mean that wasn’t the only reason I got rid of it, and also I have a thing with writing/putting labels on gear where I just don’t like the look of it. My main reason for getting rid of it though is that the grid/pad workspace and workflow just wasn’t for me, and I’d rather have someone else own it than let it collect dust on a shelf.

[@williamshaneblyth]

@@wflinner absolutely not for everyone what setup are you using now

[@wflinner]

@@williamshaneblyth I originally got it to sequence my few hardware synths at the time, but it was swiftly replaced with a keystep pro which is exactly what I wanted in the first place, it just happened to come out after I bought the circuit 😭

[@williamshaneblyth]

@@wflinner keystep pro would be good to play the internal synths I have a 4 zone controller board I use 1 zone for internal sounds 1 in my controller board 1 for microfreak and other 2 can control the wavestate and or the other circuit synth. Not forgetting my daw sounds

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

I just saw proper MIDI ports and labels on the knobs and that was enough of an improvement for me. I hardly use my Circuit anymore but I'm not selling it. It was my introduction back to hardware. This new Circuit Tracks is slimmer than the OG so it can fit in my travel bag even easier. 4 hours of battery time while I'm traveling. This could be an addition then. Great video Bo

[@subuntu]

Watched parts of the video jumping through... Placed order ;) Now to watch it fully.

[@kemasolar]

Now we want the updates that this circuit tracks has for our oldie novation circuit!!!! come on novation; dont let us down!!!

[@MattGreerMusic]

I love the sleak new design. Looks great. Built in battery is very cool. Don't think I'd miss the built in speaker. The Rhythm is the one that I'm waiting on.

[@HerroVincey]

Just ordered mine two nights ago and I'm so excited!! 😆

[@edwinbrown9951]

Good review Bo. Your videos are always top notch. Thank you.

[@roryjineffect]

Been waiting since last night for this

[@automatonpilot5040]

🤣

[@jthorpe4droid]

This is cool, I will be getting one with these upgrades especially with the midi tracks, that is how I've been using my existing circuit sometimes.

[@michaelfalcone2520]

A cup of coffee to you for your hard work! Thank you!

[@avrilcadabra]

Thats a nice upgrade, looks ace to sit on the couch with the battery and I love how it has the labels on the knobs now. That was the reason I never got the old one. Guess I don't have a lot of reasons not to get one of these.

[@mkpatashnik]

I like the new dedicated midi tracks functionality the most. Also, the sequencer and workflow improvements looks great. I've really enjoyed the sound of the Minilogue and the Pulsar and I love the fact they were sequenced from the Circuit.

[@beatnickaudio]

Nice vid Bo. SO KEEN!

[@peterknowles3198]

Cheers Bo. Very informative video as always. My Circuit Tracks is on its way.

[@BoBeats]

hope you enjoy it Peter! Let me know how it goes

[@peterknowles3198]

@@BoBeats cheers. Will do👍

[@DominicMGeehan]

Bo I saw you on the Simply Synth page acting all surprised about Novation launching a new Circuit and it made me doubt if it was launching. Now I see this. 😂

[@BoBeats]

Gotto keep it secret ya know ;)

[@MikeButle]

A whole sh*t load of us are freaking out right now lol. Mine will come a lil later. Thanks Bo

[@sr7bbird]

I just my new circuit tracks today, i can die happy now.

[@danielpad1103]

When i heard the rumors from that polish Synthpage about these Releases, my first thought was: I hope Novation has its No.1 Circuit Guy in mind :D Mr. Bobeats! I am glad you did the review! I got my Circuit in November as a Birthday Gift from my Girlfriend. Yeah a little late to the game here :D But it was and still is brilliant (And your Tutorials helped a lot ;-) ) The update is pretty awesome! How about a Video using the old and new one together? :)

[@GraemeMarkNI]

Polish synth page?

[@danielpad1103]

@@GraemeMarkNI i just read some news about the leak. and there was a store or website mentioned. i dont get it together ^^

[@MiCtiSilen]

W O W ... thank you so much ! NEW Novation Circuit coming ... GOOD LUCK YOU AND EVERYONE ! New inspiration and sound will be good ...

[@dangrimmy]

I just bought the old circuit around 3 hours ago... I have impeccable timing

[@All_Together_Now]

i ordered one literally two days ago, wtf is up with us lmao

[@All_Together_Now]

question is, do you think we should return ours and order the new one?

[@dangrimmy]

@@All_Together_Now can't return mine as its second hand. I think regardless I'm going to keep it to see how I feel about it, but that comment from Bo about how the tracks is better if you want to use the circuit as your main sequencer really hurt. Ouch.

[@stagnatic]

Same. Though new one is preorder only, who knows when it will deliver.

[@RottenMechGaming]

Great review and I love the product. Really enjoying probability, although I had it on the beatstep before, its much easier to use on the Tracks and the workflow very fast. I think they have done well here, I would just argue for a bigger range of inputs, two more midi tracks and internal recording of summed songs that you play live. I think I am asking for too much, however maybe a "Circuit Pro" in the future.

[@AndyTanguay]

Two MIDI tracks that then come back in to be mixed in...BRILLIANT. Thats worth it right there for me.

[@gadd1111]

That track is bangin' man!

[@gladstone3532]

I loved the first Circuit for sequencing external gear but ultimately sold it ( I’ve actually owned two!) because of its limitations. When I heard they were updating it I felt sure mk2 would have sampling capability. Such a shame that it doesn’t! The Circuit sequencer is still my favourite I’ve tried, but Circuit Tracks doesn’t make it onto my gear wish list. Thanks for the review Bo! Long time watcher, first time commenter.

[@Tobes1100]

I'll definitely be buying one this year, ooh and the Pulsar such a nice machine!

[@hatsyuki]

Awesome! Thanks Bo

[@deadthmach1]

Thank you Bo! Spot on review.)

[@Onelychild]

Very cool! It sounds great. Thank you for sharing this.

[@davidcooke779]

Just having the labels on the knobs is a huge improvement. It always bugged me that I didn't know what each knob was going to do.

[@nestorparedes2996]

Great!, i have waiting for your review

[@alifeinyellow]

Sold on it. Thanks, Bo.

[@ГлебПолищук-с8о]

Man, your orange techno machine sounds awesome!

[@BoBeats]

it is great!! Instant industrial sounding techno

[@tasos8102]

"Feels more 2020" what a harsh comment 😂

[@BoBeats]

😅😅😅

[@cresshead]

real midi ports! .. yeh!!!

[@Johnnisjohnnis]

There goes my number 1 pickup line. 😢 "Do you want to see my blue dongle? 😉"

[@AlienRegalia]

Studio is looking 🔥 Bo

[@dingusito40]

Man, right as I was about to snag an MC-101. Now I’m not really sure which groovebox I want again. Idk lol, nice to have options. This thing looks so dope.

[@janbpunktde]

Awesome review :) Too bad I just invested into a MicroFreak so the new Circuit has to wait -.-

[@Dan47839]

Since there’s no screen how do you select packs from the sd card and know what your loading?

[@RadekPilich]

It's going to be managed through Components.

[@SHINdanny]

@@RadekPilich Is it possible to change the BPM in the Tracks without extrenal gear, or only with Compenents software?

[@tonigrg2392]

@@SHINdanny it's possible just with the circuit by itsself, if it thats what you mean. it got a tempo button where you can change the tempo i think with arrow buttons. you can see your bpm on the lid pads :-) its like the numbers are drawn by the individual lights. magic! ^^

[@SHINdanny]

@@tonigrg2392 cool, thank you for your reply. It was the only option that came up to my mind when I asked myself how the h....

[@BrokenBeats94]

Essentially it’s worth getting if you don’t have a Circuit already. I love my Circuit but I do have an issue with the fact that I moved it around in a satchel at university and the unit got dusty so when i noticed it freaks out unless I hit the side of the unit and it stops 🤷‍♂️ Fantastic piece of hardware though and this has some great improvements

[@Sequencer_JY]

Great product review!

[@Sey_Les]

I was hoping for a more powerful synth engine, if that doesnt sound too crybabyish

[@BoBeats]

I think we all were :-)

[@Sey_Les]

Ur awesome bro thanks for doing this. Stay up ☝️

[@ldmdesign5610]

Me too

[@luminousbrilliance1711]

The idea is to Midi sync much more powerful synths while utilizing the effects returns. I think everything will be OK. :-)

[@Sey_Les]

@@luminousbrilliance1711 wanna donate me a powerful synth lmao jk bro

[@thom-alphaxiii-5106]

nice review Bo , as always ,can we load old circuit projects in the new one?

[@aliendigena1886]

¡Fabulosa máquina! Gracias por el vídeo.

[@beejayOne]

Yay for me! I'm not sure yet whether i will keep my legacy Circuit or sell it, but i think i don't need two Circuits around. At first i thought that its bad to have the headphone out on the backside, BUT it gives one major advantage: You can now sit on the sofa with the Circuit on the lap without having to fear breaking the plug =) So in total it's a plus for me. I also LOVE the Midi outs, so i dont have to sacrifice a Synth voice to use external gear along with it.

[@JohnDoe-jz7bj]

Wow that Pulsar-assisted minimal techno kicks ass! :)

[@oliviermissal8739]

Instant buy for me !!! Was waiting for this for a while now, 👏🏻

[@Joel-re1jz]

Looks like a lot of possibilities for live sequencing especially with the Packs that could be used as separate sets. Keep the external groove going while loading the next pack.

[@enigmasounds]

Hey Bo - is there anyway to backup my old Circuit session/projects and then import them into Tracks? TIA

[@BoBeats]

Yes i think so. I think you can save presets and samples individually to your computer and then just re-upload to a tracks pack

[@enigmasounds]

@@BoBeats Thanks, and keep up the great work!

[@DopamineOverload]

There's no way to back up projects and load them into Tracks. You can back up the samples and the patches, though. But the patterns/projects... nope. I found out the hard way.

[@enigmasounds]

@@DopamineOverload Thanks Chris and me too...but still a great bit of kit!

[@darkuniversesound]

Hey Bo, thanks for the comprehensive review, as always! 👍👍 Quick question - is pattern chaining still implemented in the same way as OG Circuit, now that the Scenes are involved? The old format of going back and forth, chaining pattern 1 three times in a row followed by pattern 5 twice and pattern 8 once? That was very good, does pattern chaining still function in this way in the new unit? Can you chain the Scenes out of numerical order as well? 🤷‍♂️🤔

[@Charlie_Echo]

Thanks Bo! Looks great :) Do you happen to know if old Circuit packs can be added to the Circuit Tracks? I have bought and created a bunch of packs on my current Circuit and it'd be a pain to have to recreate them all...

[@thebeefsteakmahoney]

I really like the new look of the Circuit and that it has an internal battery, I wonder if the Components software will be able to run on an Ipad at some point. Also can the synth tracks still be used to sequence outboard gear along with the two dedicated midi tracks?

[@mikeexits]

Oddly timed, with your Circuit appreciation video. Coincidence? :P Either way, well played haha.

[@sanderblom]

You didn´t see him winking in the previous video? ;-)

[@nothingmemorable486]

Hi Bo nice review. I regret selling my original Circuit all the time so I will definitely be grabbing a tracks at some point. One thing I would like to know that might hasten my decision to buy is what happens to this thing when it is plugged into a computer, ie are the audio inputs and outputs available inside a DAW?? Also, is there audio over USB ie can the tracks/channels be recorded individually over USB?? Thanks loads Craig

[@BoBeats]

No audio over usb

[@nothingmemorable486]

@@BoBeats Thanks Bo...... Thats a shame. I need a new mobile interface and I thought wouldnt it be cool if the circuit could double as basic I/O for my computer and I didnt have to keep two boxes in my bag. Perhaps the Rhythm will do it!!!

[@dinogoldie9716]

Does it have audio-over-usb? If so, is the audio-over-usb a single master track or each of the 8 tracks separately?

[@morten1]

It doesn't. But I really hope and assume it could come with a future firmware update. Not sure if possible

[@abelmartinez208]

very impressive! convincing me to get a circuit even more now! lol

[@samprock]

"It's still Circuit" :) well for $400 I expected a Standalone Push 3 from it LOL cool review Bo!

[@edwinbrown9951]

:^) When you're opening the box, you look like a kid at Christmas. :^)

[@edwinbrown9951]

Can't imagine keeping everything about this gear under your hat until today. I'm not sure if I could have done it.

[@cresshead]

here we go!

[@damienwoods5744]

Nice to see the all cardboard packaging. 👍

[@Madmohawkfilms]

Can you Mixdown to the MicroSD card? Memory expanded allowing longer samples? Thank you

[@mungewell]

Knew you'd be 'in the loop', great video! A little disappointed the synth engine is the same as original Circuit, but that probably makes a lot of sense for compatibility. The loading of sound packs/configs from SDCard is interesting, can you confirm whether these are the same SysEx files used by Components? This device would fit nicely into my minimal system; I can see that the Midi tracks could control my UNO-Synth/UNO-Drum and use the Circuit's synth for lead(s) with better samples(/capability) overlaid. I'll have to dig into the Effects engine further.

[@danpreston564]

Hmm. A Circuit that takes in to account all the updates and builds hardware to suit. Well that answers one of my main gripes with the OG.

[@BoBeats]

Saw your comment and thought: Dan will be pleased

[@BadBeard]

Great video as always Bo! Did you by any chance test if original Circuit projects / packs are importable? Since the engines appear the same, I would hope so. Thanks for your work!

[@dodgyd55]

Now it's the case of trying to get my hands on one!

[@johngannon]

Having consistency in the knobs is almost worth the price alone! Did they increase the amount of samples you can include? The originals 60 seconds prevented loop-heavy creation.

[@foodstampz]

its sd card now ..so yes very much so

[@johngannon]

@@foodstampz Have you seen the actual spec? It's not listed on their page and keep in mind the Roland TR-8s has an SD card and only 10 minutes of time available for samples.

[@andreulucio5630]

Thanks for the video Bo! One question I couldn’t find an answer for in the documentation. Can I set notes from an external keyboard? I mean press a step and set its note from an external keyboard like you can with electron devices? Thanks!

[@sugarhigh4242]

Really nice overview. I just got the original over Xmas, and just starting to get into sequencing other gear (microkorg mostly). Track's improvements look really significant, and I like the hardware redesign. If they can get sampling through input in a firmware update that's a killer. I'd like to see a little more on the microSD and other improvements to sampling. Another killer would've been an improved synth engine. There's a few mod destination params that could even spice up the existing engine. Overall I'm not dying with envy yet but a couple firmware updates could push it over the line. It looks great, and I definitely would've waited for this if it was confirmed last year.

[@pekkagronfors7304]

Are Synth1, Synth2 and Drums routed to MIDI out? If this is the case, you can double up Synth 1 and 2 with external synth or use Circuit Tracks with 4 external synths.

[@SHLDMusic]

Yesss!

[@Hhyperspace]

Haha with this and the Rythm they have next it's clearly going after the Elektron Model series. And Novation was actually able to make it fully portable without batteries which Elektron kinda failed on. This just crossed my mind. Wow!

[@DocBolus]

Looks good and I will definitely upgrade but it may be a while before I do.

[@bbailey0625]

Hey Bo, Im new to circuit. So can u load melodic samples in the drum tracks? Also, can you edit samples on the Circuit Tracks? Maybe this is why the Rhythm is coming. I may be waiting for the Rhythm

[@BoBeats]

You can load melodic samples but its not ideal for playing them because tuning is very basic and they are monophonic sample channels.

[@doctordissident]

Amazing walkthrough and review. Gonna have to buy one now! 🙄😅

[@chukah9484]

wow simple way to add probability sequencing per step very interesting as an Elektron fanboy. I assume the previous alternative to doing this w/ external sequencing was the digitakt/tone? Seems like a good combo with the pulsar I am still in line for one.

[@fuzbeats]

How are the sample features? Like the old one? A knob dedicated to sample startpoint would be such a big difference. Are the old circuit packs compatible with the new one? Thanks for the review... And thank you "selling" me the old one 😂 so much fun

[@BoBeats]

Sample features and all sounds are compatible from What I can tell

[@fuzbeats]

@@BoBeats that's nice to gear... I mean hear 😁

[@tobiasbraun7635]

Thanks for the video. Very straight and good explained. I wanna use the Circuit as a master divice for a dawless set. Two questions: Can I still control external gear from the two synth tracks too? And is it possible to choose the led colours for each track?

[@brianvhaaren1204]

I sure hope you can use the 2 synth tracks to control external gear, cuz that was all I did with my Circuit (before selling it and buying a Model:Samples) If you could control 4 midi tracks with the new Circuit... I'm getting one for sure

[@Coasterdude02149]

I've watched a few of your videos on this and really like what I've seen. Just getting back into electronic music so this is going to sound like a dumb question but can I import my old Linn drum samples into this? Either way I think I'm going to get this just because I like how you make it look fun. Really like your channel!

[@ltplounge8318]

Hey Coasterdude, you should be able to import whatever samples you want via the sd card or through the components app. You can then assign said samples to any of the 6 tracks (2 synth + 4 drum). Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

[@Coasterdude02149]

@@ltplounge8318 Thank you. I'll give that a try when I get it. It's sold out currently so Iv'e put my name on the list to be notified when they get more back in stock.

[@ltplounge8318]

@@Coasterdude02149 No problem! I'm on that same list! Again, you port any sample you wish via the Components app.

[@dinogoldie9716]

Have they improved the pan setting? Have they now introduced pan-per-step settings or is it still the old set-and-forget pan-per-track?