The Woovebox UI is Genius

The Woovebox UI is Genius
When the Woovebox was first revealed, a lot of folks assumed that its tiny size combined with massive feature list would mean a TON of endless menu scrolling. Of course, anyone with a Woovebox now knows that this isn't the case, but I wanted to make a video discussing why I think that the Woovebox UI is absolutely genius. Mapping what are essentially menu options to hardware buttons is one of the best UI choices I've ever seen, and it works so well on this awesome budget groovebox! Enjoy the video :)
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[@ndguardian]

Yeah, I've got to agree. It's not perfect, and I kind of agree with some who say maybe a different type of display would have been helpful to better understand what parameter values are, but that workflow. Once you've got it down, it is surprisingly quick and it becomes obvious it is very well designed. Hats off to Ivo!

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah I still can't get over how freaking fast the workflow is once you get a handle on it!

[@rygelxv]

I totally agree on this. One thing more: this thing is so fantastic for sight impaired persons. I'm getting old and need reading glasses for almost everything nowadays - but not the woovebox. The Segment Display is bright and clear, and the rest - is memory muscle. Its just there. I love it.

[@galactictapes]

It's one of the reasons I'm still on the fence about the m8. The display looks like it would be hard on my old man's eyes.

[@FreeBeat]

That's awesome, and definitely something I hadn't even considered. Although you also nailed it by mentioning muscle memory. One can get insanely fast on the Woovebox with some practice and repetition!

[@rygelxv]

@@galactictapes, they have implemented a big font mode on the m8, which helps a lot. You do a lot with muscle memory there also, so for me this is still okay. The m8 really is a great machine, too, and completely different. I love both of them.

[@stevenrichards7200]

Helpful vid. Like your style too

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much!

[@Congasjones]

I’ve had mine since first released and my real problem with it is I need to learn how to use all its functions but every time I pick it up to learn a feature , I get into a groove and then see 2 hours of my life disappear 😅

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah hahaha that still happens to me and I've had mine for over 6 months!

[@galactictapes]

Couldn't agree more. To be honest, I hated it the first 24 hours... and now it is my favourite device ever. Got it last Thursday, I'm half way through writing an album with it lol Mixing is quite nice as well, since the page stays the same, and volume is on button 1... So easy to go back and forth to mix a song.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah mixing is fantastic with the Woovebox! I'm so glad you came around to it, looking forward to your album!

[@SonicVibe]

What changed after first 24 getting used to ui? I know I have heard some great tracks ya did with it thinking 🤔 about pulling the trigger on this device

[@firstandlast4415]

You say one guy, i.e. Ivo but there is Reneé too.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah I believe that's his significant other. He did mention he had family helping to pack orders when the launch rush happened lol.

[@DavidDeLuge]

Great video. I’ve watched a lot of videos on this device and this is the first time I’ve seen the UI explained. I might have to get one 😄

[@FreeBeat]

It's lightning fast, I love it!

[@luvinfunvan]

This is the best explanation of the Woovebox UI available thanks for making this.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much!

[@steveedwards4495]

Hi free beat, I'm having great fun with mine but not having any success in connecting midi. Tried tablet, laptop and phone with midi WiFi apps and nothing works. Can't believe I've got to spend another £60 on a dongle to connect to anything to achieve important updates or use samples? Severely limiting if that's the case. Can't remember anything mentioned about possible connection problems before? Was this unit designed to be used with the CME WIDI bud pro from the start? Maybe it should be included in the box if so 🤦‍♂️

[@vertigev]

I love my Woovebox but man, the encoder drives me nuts sometimes..

[@FreeBeat]

Are you on the latest firmware? The last few updates have helped it quite a bit.

[@vertigev]

@@FreeBeat Yes, it's still unpredictable to me.

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

Sound similar to the Korg -Logue series that makes use of the sequencer buttons to navigate the menu. Still getting used to it on my Minilogue XD that I got Sinevibes plugins that has more menu diving than I did on my Monologue. Those Sinevibes plugins also got me considering finally adding a NTS-1 since I can use the ones I already have on it as well. Was interested in the Woovebox yet it was out of stock. Maybe next year.

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@marcelocg]

One thing that scares me a bit with tiny devices like this is a thing that made me sell my PO-33: after 2 days I just couldn't remember how I came to that point in the project, like where the samples were, tracks, etc. How do you like the process of coming back to the Woovebox a few days later and recover an ongoing/unfinished project?

[@FreeBeat]

Honestly the Woovebox is pretty good at that once you get a handle on it (that's something that frustrates me with gear too). When you're in a song, switching patterns is quite easy (hold play, press 1-16). If you want to check what's on a certain track, you can actually solo it if you need to, just by switching to it (hold value, press 1-16), then performing that same shortcut again. I've found it pretty easy to resume projects! I'd rank it pretty highly in that regard.

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

Wow!

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@steveedwards4495]

Been eyeing these up since they were announced but looked a bit, fiddly to get around. This explanation of the ui helps loads. Shame they out of stock, might get tracker mini while I'm waiting.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah the UI is the BEST part of the Woovebox IMO. It's just so well thought out!

[@evankeal]

Is the display flashing randomly, once you start spinning the knob, a little distracting or does it help? The one thing that I cant gauge well by video is how much the knob is turning to increment by one value.

[@FreeBeat]

I honestly don't really notice it, probably one of those things that's different for everyone.

[@darwiniandude]

Thanks for making this video! I've used mine mainly as an extra sound engine for my OP-1 Field so far - receiving midi over BLE from the Field - and haven't looked into the documentary much since _before_ my unit arrived. Anyway this video is, in many ways, a better overview of the device than the more in-depth videos I think. Makes a lot of sense. Oh wait, I'm meant to be arguing with you to drive engagement - sorry about that. :)

[@darwiniandude]

Oh - and since I mentioned TE gear, I think Woovebox (for me at least) is a far more useful product than the new EP133 KOII or whatever it is, the one with build quality issues.

[@FreeBeat]

Glad you liked the video! Thanks so much for watching :)

[@SvenFx-22]

You sold me. I ordered and excitedly waiting

[@FreeBeat]

Awesome, have fun with it!

[@SonicVibe]

How do you like it ?

[@brandontrevor2306]

just today i realized that i dont just have 16 patterns per track but also 16 sequences per pattern! insane

[@FreeBeat]

What do you mean?

[@brandontrevor2306]

i was mistaken. that wasn't right at all

[@AlexanderShelestov]

What have you done - I've just ordered one! Should be at my place before X-mass.

[@kevinaaronson]

Same here, put myself on the list after his last video and bought it this week lol. Can't wait to get my hands on it, I might send my EP 133 back!

[@BIG1TOWER]

Where did you order it from?

[@FreeBeat]

Haha I hope you love it!

[@ryejack]

Great video! One that I'll likely re-watch in about week. I decided to give the Woovebox a try and it's currently traveling through the mail.

[@luvinfunvan]

Nice one! Excited to try one of these.

[@FreeBeat]

I hope you like it!

[@wiggesobk]

Nice video man!

[@steveedwards4495]

Any idea when these will be available bud?

[@FreeBeat]

I'm honestly not sure, I know some people have been able to buy them from the site recently. From what I understand, you can sign up for an email when they're back in stock.

[@steveedwards4495]

@@FreeBeat done mate. Just wondered if it's weeks or months 😁👍

[@ryejack]

@@steveedwards4495 After I signed up for the mailing list, I think it was about a month before I got the purchase link email. Wasn't too horribly long.

[@nsiivola]

I've really mixed feelings about the Woovebox. Any display that could display proper letters would be a huge win, though. OLED or even just a small dot matrix display. I really struggle reading the letters from the 7-segment display. :( Another bit I don't enjoy is the connectivity story. 3.5mm MIDI input would make it play much nicer with other gear, and allow me to never care about Bluetooth MIDI which seems to hate me. Importing and exporting audio via Wooveconnect is also a bit of a pain... I also find the website manual really hard to navigate. ...but for the price and size? Gold. Pure gold.

[@shix13]

I'm not a fan of the LED display either, i'm in the queue to get my Deluge upgraded for this exact reason. That said, while the cost of a mini OLED screen is probably not that much more than the 4 digit LED bars, i think the impact to the battery life is the design decision. The battery must be incredibly small in this thing and adding a multi-watt load was probably a deal breaker. IDK pure speculation .. but the fact that i can carry this thing around EVERYWHERE is awesome. AND it's not so flashy that people want to bug you about what you are doing. :)

[@nsiivola]

@@shix13 LCD dot matrix displays are very power efficient, though...

[@darwiniandude]

I'd enjoy more segments, for sure. 16 segment LED display would be fine. But with familiarity you can read the appreciations. A reading learning curve similar to Palm OS's writing learning curve with Graffiti. (A 90's PDA with hand writing recognition that required to write with a simplified alphabet) Bluetooth midi would annoy me more if I didn't have the OP-1 Field, which I'll admit most people probably don't have, especially given the price difference with the Woovebox. But it's small, rechargeable, and can connect to multiple BLE devices at once, like a BLE dongle plugged into my controller keyboard, and the Woovebox. I can also use is as a speaker for the Woovebox, or record Woovebox audio to tape. But for a "pocketable" take-it-anywhere hardware DAW, I think Woovebox beats everything.

[@FreeBeat]

The 3.5 MIDI input to me really speaks to the fact that the Woovebox was designed to be a standalone device first. I know most electronic musicians love to connect all of their gear together, but I personally really enjoy using most grooveboxes standalone. Thanks for watching!

[@bubba101010]

But can it do fivelets?

[@FreeBeat]

You can adjust the micro timing of each step, so technically yes, it would just take a bit of work.

[@bubba101010]

Good point, as long as at least one of the notes in the fivelet was a rest …. :-). I wish more electronic gear did more than end rhythmic sensibilities at 16th notes and maybe some flams and ratchets. There are three apps for drummers that I have that do all manners of tuplets and much more. Is it time someone tried to put more rhythmic power into these machines? 🤷

[@sodiumlights]

It really does seem like such a cool instrument but the visibility of the screen is what would give me pause for thought as the machine is begging to be travelled with, and not being able to read the display clearly is the dealbreaker.

[@FreeBeat]

Honestly after a while you don't even really need the screen except for values. That being said, I've never had a hard time reading it, but I know people can struggle to see 7 segment ones like this sometimes.

[@sodiumlights]

@@FreeBeat can you adjust the brightness of the display?

[@gctechs]

It needs an OLED screen and preferably a second encoder.

[@FreeBeat]

Not at all IMO.

[@firstandlast4415]

@@FreeBeat it works without OLED, true... but then again that was said of the Deluge. OLED gives you wings, no?

[@krazywabbit]

what you need and what it needs are two different things

[@CmdrMic]

I am much more likely inclined to buy this, than TE's PO-33/2, a.k.a EP-133. Overall, turning knobs and or patching via cables or virtual ones preferred. The display is fine, like the MicroGranny; for comparison, the West Pest uses 4 LEDs to display binary messages. LOLz. Nice vid, Bro.👏😎👍❤👍😎👏

[@gctechs]

@@krazywabbit lol, no I do not need it at all

[@nottaller1993]

so it’s a pocket operator

[@FreeBeat]

What? Not at all lol

[@nottaller1993]

@@FreeBeat Well it looks like one, and it reminds me of the UX but on a much higher level with many more options

[@darwiniandude]

At first glance, Woovebox is ticking all the pocket operator boxes. Then you realise it's Absolutely packed full of crazy power. Notice in this video he shows that every sound channel has adjustable compression parameters? It has real side chaining too. Plus get this - with it's audio input, external audio can appear in the synth architecture where an oscillator normally would, eg at the start. So you can go hardware midi out into say, an old Casio home keyboard... then bring the audio from the casio headphone jack back into the Woovebox, and that is your sound. Each note in a programmed bassline pattern will send midi out to the casio, and the audio will come back into the Woovebox which you can shape with envelopes, filters, effects... Teenage Engineering (probably quite intentionally so) do NOT put this level of depth and power into any of their music gear. And I say that as a big fan of many of their products. The developer of Woovebox wanted to make a pocketable late 90's electronic music production studio. And I think he's achieved that goal brilliantly. I like my PO-20 Arcade, don't get me wrong. But I could easily explain all there is to it to my 7 year old. There is nothing wrong with gear being simple, but Woovebox is on another level entirely.

[@nottaller1993]

@@darwiniandude I'm totally into it. I've been using my POs lately and already love my OP-Z, so to see this workflow packed with more features makes me want to order it. Too bad it's out of stock. and the biggest holdout for me is the lack of a speaker.

[@darwiniandude]

Same. Wish it had a speaker. It does come with a compact hard case though which from factory has a short Y cable in there, however I've been able to fit wired earbuds into that space instead, which works well. @@nottaller1993

[@Purrrelll]

It is because you can’t buy them.

[@darwiniandude]

A couple of people above claim they did buy one yesterday, probably they had a small number of units left in stock and this video finished them off, lol. Just get in the email queue - he's really fair that way, when there is stock he sends the emails in batches and there is a time period where you can order (36 hours? can't remember) and then any that don't get bought the emails go to the next in line. So it's quite fair. Unlike Sony with the PS5's where there was no queue and stock goes instantly to scalpers etc.

[@darwiniandude]

Like seriously, I pay for PS+, I own a PS4, PS3, PS2, have bought titles digitally for many years since 2009 or so... So should've had an email system where I could just go in a queue and then get an email and opt to buy one within 48 hours or so.

[@FreeBeat]

A little confused as to what you mean. What is because you can't by them?

[@bigbizz118]

For the price it's not worth it

[@FreeBeat]

Care to elaborate on why you feel that way? (no judgement, just curious)

[@bigbizz118]

​@FreeBeat too long to type I'll start with record time has it increased in storage or can it be rest

[@bigbizz118]

@@FreeBeat I have a po33 for every genre with all different drums so i don't have to keep changing but the problem mixing and taking have to use one just for sampling so no space is lost

[@FreeBeat]

@@bigbizz118 Oh I see. The Woovebox is intended to be much more synthesis based than samples based. It does have a sampler of course, with some neat sampling and audio in features, but the Woovebox really shines when you combine that with its awesome synthesis engine! So yeah, if you only want to use samples, the Woovebox has a lot less value.