Novation Circuit Rhythm
Novation Circuit Rhythm £360
Hot on the heels of the impressive Circuit Tracks, Novation add a sampler to their groovebox range. Si Truss gets into the rhythm
CONTACT WHO: Novation WEB: novationmusic.comKEY FEATURES I/O: Eight-track hardware sampler with one-shot, gated and loop sample modes. Feature reverb, delay, sidechain, bi-directional filter and master compressor effects, plus 16 punch-in Grid FX. I/O: Stereo pair of 1/4” jack inputs, stereo pair of 1/4” jack outputs, headphone out, MIDI in, out and thru (also usable as a second MIDI out), USB, analogue clock out, microSD port
THE PROS & CONS
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Features all the excellent sequencing tools of Circuit but with expanded sampling capabilities
Grid FX are a lot of fun and useful for live performance
Portable, lightweight and well built
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Occasionally feels like you’re wrestling with the lack of a screen
Sampling is monophonic, despite stereo I/O
Regular readers will know our fondness for Novation Circuit. The British brand’s fun, intuitive little groovebox packs a shocking amount of potential into its diminutive frame, with the inclusion of two polysynths, a four-track sample sequencer and – as of the recent Circuit Tracks update – multiple channels of external sequencing. Now Novation are further expanding the Circuit rangewith Circuit Rhythm, a new counterpart that ditches the original’s multi-functional ethos in favour of a focus purely on sampled grooves.
Hardware-wise, aside from a lighter coloured top panel and some slight variations in how controls are labelled, there’s very little to distinguish Tracks and Rhythm. This latest instrument is housed in the exact same chassis as its sibling, which is once again thin and fairly lightweight without feeling flimsy. The interface layout is also identical – keeping the 8x4 bank of pads that handle sequencing, flanked by navigational and transport buttons, with a bank of eight macro parameter rotaries along the top. An identical internal battery sits inside, offering around four hours of battery life. Even the rear panel I/O is the same as Circuit Tracks, with a stereo pair audio output, stereo input pair, MIDI in, out and thru, analogue clock output, microSD card slot and a USB port for both power and connection to a computer. Despite the visual similarities though, in use there’s a lot that’s fresh about Circuit Rhythm.