Woovebox: step-by-step guide and brief review

Here's the #Woovebox (www.woovebox.com), an incredibly accomplished mini #groovebox. This video will guide you through every step necessary to create a track, using the synths and the sampler and external synths. There's also a short review / opinion piece in the end. Table of contents:
00:00 hi
00:23 what's in the box? (hardware overview)
01:55 song mode, tempo adjustment
02:21 output volume
02:27 selecting tracks, track roles
02:47 creating a bass drum track
03:25 adding a hihat track
03:39 adjusting velocity and other note properties
03:59 adding a clap sound
04:10 crash cymbal, and conditional statements
05:02 adding a bass track
05:24 selecting a bass patch (sound)
05:46 adding effects to a track
06:20 adding an arpeggiator track
07:15 chord track
07:54 beat divisor
08:16 editing sounds (synthesizer parameters)
08:54 adding prerecorded samples with the Wooveconnect page
09:20 auditing your samples
09:47 adding a sample kit to a track
10:22 adjust the amp envelope for your samples
10:34 adding effects
10:45 demo 1 (I know it's awful, don't tell me ;-)
11:30 things to consider!
11:51 demo 2 (full track at • Synth improvisation: A... )
13:12 verdict / pros & cons
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Some bands / artists I've been following for a long time are (among others) Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Pet Shop Boys, Archive, A-Ha, Yes, Porcupine Tree, John Mellencamp, Jean-Michel Jarre, Metallica, Peter Gabriel and Perturbator. So my music will kind of sound like those (without ever reaching the greatness of those artists, of course). :-)

[@vroteg]

Sadly unlike you said in the video there is no physical midi in. Which is a deal breaker for many including me. Shame. As I’m looking for something like this to complement M8.

[@mr_floydst]

Oh, did I say that? Let's pin your comment then - thanks for pointing that out!

[@FreeBeat]

Great video! Love seeing other creators finally getting their hands on the Woovebox :) It's a beast of a groove box and best of all, the creator is extremely accepting of any and all feedback, and seems very dedicated to constant firmware updates. Again, great job!

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much! Yes, I saw your video a couple of weeks ago (everyone did). ;-) This is an incredible piece of musical gear, and that it's made by a single developer is just ... mindblowing. I mean, all the peripherals (how the firmware is updated, the web page, the documentation) is very well made and leaves nothing to be wished for!

[@Congasjones]

Thanks to you too @FreeBeat for your videos -if it wasn’t for your first one , I would never of found this amazing groovebox❤️

[@Wooveboxing]

Btw here is how to quickly and easily setup a 64 step pattern: 1. Go to the pattern page 2. Enter the context menu by holding WRITE and pressing the encoder 3. Select Chn. 4 and long press the encoder to validate (The Woovebox will automatically link 4 patterns together) 4. Then I usually enter live record mode by holding WRITE and pressing PLAY, and then playing something Once you've done it once or twice it becomes second nature and you can also create 8 bar and 16 bar patterns. I'll have a video on that later this week if you want to see it in action!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for pointing that out! Please feel free to link your videos here for some additional audience. KZbin is a collaborative space (the more people talk about a particular topic, the more views everyone gets) I'll certainly do some more videos in the future. :-)

[@Wooveboxing]

@@mr_floydst Thank you and looking forward to your future videos

[@DrRSPMD2010]

That’s really an amazing pocket synthesizer, I will order one. Thanks Floyd for your very useful video.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching!

[@thefumigator]

FM + FX + VA + SEQ + Sampler + etc etc in such a tiny box, with midi in and out. Amazing. I'm sold

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching - I agree, this is just incredible. Ivo, the creator of this box, told me he invested 3 years of his life into this, pondering every line of code regarding it's impact on DSP resources.

[@mksln]

You always sell yourself short Floyd, that's a nice simple track as well as an awesome tutorial, great stuff as always! 👍

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for your kind words. I felt I needed to drop that line so certain people know a video creator can't compose a "fire track" everytime a synth is explained. :-)

[@Wooveboxing]

Awesome video!

[@mr_floydst]

Awesome box! :-)

[@mk500]

Love the way you explained and presented this fun box! Very entertaining.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks so much!

[@_mickmccarthy]

That's a very powerful little device!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching - yes, it is. The first time I noticed that playing the chords also changes all the other tracks put a huge smile on my face. :-)

[@wiggesobk]

Nice video. I will definetly rewatch this when i got my woovebox.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you! Hope it will be useful. :-)

[@roncordell]

Cool that you picked one up and it's very intriguing! While the display is limiting I get tired of peering at tiny OLED screens to read them which I can't do without glasses anyway. Also interesting commentary on how adherence to UI convention and form (once learned) makes it much easier to use - this is a perpetual challenge (I'm looking at you, Roland) for which some people have a knack for creating such user interfaces and the rest of us struggle at it. I looked at the Woovebox when folks were commenting about it on a recent video you published and was tempted then. But I have so many bits of hardware to learn and explore that I'm going to let this bit of GAS pass for now.... no, really! Seriously... (goes and checks on Woovebox availability) ;) - Whew! Safe through October at least...

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for your comment! The maker of this box clearly has spent a lot of time thinking about the user experience and design principles. Once you grasped the general idea, you can operate it blindfolded. But man, I spent a week reading the (excellent) documentation and still had some questions. Oh, and I bought myself some varysight glasses last week. I can feel your pain. ;-)

[@mksln]

@@mr_floydst Actually its interesting that you mention that it can be used without looking at it! As visually impaired musicians might be a great audience for the Woovebox in that case, as there are not many grooveboxes that can be used without looking at the user interface! and I see people with visual impairment consistently asking on forums, reddit, etc about getting modifications to allow using both computer and hardware devices for them.

[@GazRendar]

Cool! You've been picking up some fun new gear lately. I've been on the fence about the Woovebox since I saw FreeBeat demo it a few weeks ago. Might be a great little device that fits in somewhere between a PO-33 and an OP-Z. Definitely looking forward to seeing more videos about it before I make a final decision to buy one or not. Great break down vid. Thanks for putting in the chapters to make it easier to jump back and forth.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks! I saw Freebeat's video as well (I think everyone saw it) ;-) You're right in your assessment. This wraps all the POs into one comfortable package and then adds in even more functions.

[@geoffclapp5280]

It's like a groovebox from the 90s squeezed into a pocket operator format. I don't really miss my MC505 lol. I think that if they could put a real display like 128/52 dot LCD and build a UI it would be worth $250. As it stands, I imagine myself trying to read a pdf on my phone to do simple things and having a bad time.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching - you're not wrong there. ;-) It really depends on what you're looking for - using a phone to create music is possible, but ultimately frustrating because the UI is never precise enough for playing music accurately. You're right about reading a lot of documentation before getting a grasp of this instrument, though. This is one tough cookie.

[@The_artist_called_The_Engineer]

Well I just ordered my Woovebox. I agree I don’t lie the buttons and display so my first task while I wait patiently for delivery will be to design and print a nicer front cover. Won’t fix the display but I understand that the computer interface may make up for this…

[@mr_floydst]

Congrats! Well yes, the user interface is pretty sparse here. But it's really quick to learn so you can mostly use it without even looking at it.

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

I haven’t seen you in while Floyd! I hope you’re well! I just got the black box and Roland SH-4D so as cool as this product is, mama would would kick my tail for spending anything on what I believe to be already be the best two pieces of a work station ever made. I like the size of this and would be really handy stuck in the hospital or something like that, which unfortunately happens more often than I’d like! Oh well, as Joe Pesci said in My Cousin Vinny, I got to be honest with you, I really could use an ass kickin! lol, I am going to get one because with little effort it’s a great writing tool!

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! I hope you're doing well? Going to hospitals shouldn't be routine... And yes, this is so small and yet so packed with features, and the chord tracks are so musical.

[@firstandlast4415]

@0:20 love your impression of Cuckoo. 🙂

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Ah yes, I love Cuckoos videos. Wasn't aware I lifted that from him (not intentional) :-)

[@firstandlast4415]

Love the Computer World Kraftwerk type music by the way. Great video.

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

I think this is a winner.

[@mr_floydst]

I think so, too, and man, this is well-deserved. (There is no big company behind this, it's the work of one single person)

[@unclemick-synths]

Cool gadget. Seems a bit better executed than PO.

[@mr_floydst]

Yes indeed. I think the POs were a big inspiration here, but this box really takes the concept to another level.

[@HotDumpsterCrab]

It’s a really cool idea, but I can’t read the display and $250 is a bit too much. If it had a nice screen it would be a no brainer.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! I think you're right with your assessment on the screen, but I think the price is really okay. For example, you'd had to buy _all_ the pocket operators and then you'd still not be able to do all the things this box does. The chord track is the star of the show for me personally. ;-)

[@Congasjones]

Plus it does everything! Sequence midi sampling synth etc ❤

[@mk500]

This would have been SO much better if they had opted for 14 segment display modules instead of 8 segment; and it wouldn’t have ruined the aesthetic. And they have the budget at $250.

[@bornach]

And the nice screen didn't waste half the real estate on cutesy animations of sewing machines, submarines, factories, etc

[@HotDumpsterCrab]

@@mr_floydst That’s true. I do still want one, but I’m visually impaired so I’m afraid it’ll be too difficult for me to navigate. Would you say you can get along with using only muscle memory like with a pocket operator?

[@nerddub]

looks pretty cool, and feature packed for its size; although deciperhing the UI via 7 segment displays is pretty terrible to the uninitiated, an OLED with readable text prompts would be much better, IMO

[@mr_floydst]

You're right, that would have been helpful. But learning the UI is quickly done due to it's strict design principles. You can navigate it eyes closed after an hour or two.

[@nerddub]

@@mr_floydst nice, thanks for the reply!

[@41Vega]

I think it’s cost cutting, adding an OLED screen to this would jump up the price a bit I would think.

[@zdravkodimitrov]

This is the Deluge all over again, but with 1/10 of the buttons. As the makers of that groovebox learned, a small full rez screen makes all the difference.

[@mr_floydst]

Judging from viewer comments so far, the screen seems to be the biggest point of concern...

[@Congasjones]

Hi great video and cool to see some love for this outstanding groovebox-what was the set up for the midi? Thanks

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! It was just Woovebox MIDI OUT into PEAK MIDI IN. The Rolands just stood around there for occasional button mashing. ;-) (Audio daisy chain: Woovebox->S1->J6->ZOOM R20 recorder)

[@Congasjones]

@@mr_floydst thanks

[@cooksoni.a]

WOW. This is look AMAZING. I want to buy it, and I want listen to the music and dance the night away. Okay?

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching - I'm afraid I just handed out the last dancing permit for today and now I'm closing my office. ;-)

[@arcanics1971]

Interesting little box of wonder. Not for me, but fascinating all the same. Also, hey there wee yella sub! You the boat of boogie!

[@mr_floydst]

I placed it there for you to spot. Perhaps I should turn this into a challenge in my upcoming videos ;)

[@AppliedCryogenics]

Not cryptic enough. Needs one LED and one button, with a morse code UI

[@mr_floydst]

Well, you're not going to believe this :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGTXameZmrJ7gNE

[@Hakucho64]

I see you like Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, etc. Have you listened to Faithless? They're more than just "God is a DJ". Try their album Outrospective.

[@mr_floydst]

I have listened to all their albums so many times. Oh. Snap. There goes my Baseball Cap. ;-)

[@Alex23092709]

0:45 Not LC, but LED display

[@mr_floydst]

You're right, obviously! Thanks for pointing that out.

[@mohawkmikeandfriends2257]

Cute device but the price and display are deal breakers for me. Even if it had a small oled it would be tempting but probably a pass from me. I am.not a fan of menu diving workflows and I would get fristrated way before i had something usable. Still great to see a new product come out with this many features, but would need to be half the price for me to get my wallet out. Im way too cheap for this to just be a curiosity/toy

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! I think the screen is a reason of concern for most people in this comments section. The menus here are absolutely flat, though, there is no "diving" needed: One button=one function. But it's a steep learning curve at first for sure.

[@kolajam1143]

MIDI IN and Out 3.5mm jack ? ?

[@mr_floydst]

3.5mm MIDI out, plus Bluetooth MIDI in/out.

[@gctechs]

I wish they would stop using these 7-segment displays in the music gear, once and for all. A version with an OLED screen and two encoders please.

[@humfreee]

Yup, I'm really hoping this is a success so that they make "Woovebox XL" with a better UI because the sequencer/synth/sampler functionality that's packed into this device is unmatched by existing grooveboxes.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching. You're right, a bigger screen would make things easier a lot. (Though -as I said in the video- after some days, you don't look at the screen anymore because the workflow follows the same guidelines whereever you are)

[@bigbizz118]

Just a p033 but instead of giving me something different you give me the same thing. Just could have gave it a old Nokia screen

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching my KZbin video! ;-)

[@clown134]

how do people justify this price? it's like 30$ worth of actual hardware .. for 250$ like at what point does a 500% profit margin become ridiculous?

[@clown134]

and before some keyboard warrior flames me or whatever , I understand labor is involved in this process, but if it were sold for something like $80 they could sell a million of these things to people who would love them make just as much money and be able to give the product to so many more people rather than just privileged KZbinrs and established artists

[@clown134]

it's just obvious who the intended target market is, for a product which would obviously be of great value for like, amateur hobbyists rather than KZbinrs who can fit 300$ into their budget for a quirky toy

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! This box was developed by one person only over the course of over 3 years, and he wrote all the software from the ground up. The value is not in the hardware, but in research and development. So for example, let's assume a programmer earns $60k a year, that's $180k to recoup. So roughly 1000 devices need to be sold to break even. That's only a quick and dirty calculation ;-) Plus you really need to compare it to other devices in that price bracket. You'd need to buy 3 or 4 Volcas for example and then you'd end up with a cluttered desk, a lot of cables, lesser sequencers and lower polyphony.

[@mr_floydst]

I can understand your frustration and I can understand that $250 is a lot of money and not everyone can throw that amount of cash at a seemingly toylike looking music gadget. Thing is, despite is miniscule looks, this is really not a toy and I hope my video shows why. The next best thing to compare this to is the Novation Circuit tracks, which costs $350, and that instrument is lacking many of the functions the Woovebox has. If you have the time, you can build MicroDexed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHfZo5V8rMSWhsk - this will land in the price bracket you're thinking of and is equally tiny and portable (if you 3D print the case)

[@mikolasstrajt3874]

Software development is hard. This thing clearly has barebones hardware but very powerful and sofisticated software which was a lot of work to put together. Also - even with barebones hardware it's probably bit more expensive than 30$.