Looking the knob labels for Circuit Tracks I’m wondering if there is a new synth engine onboard. I’m not sure why they’d label them like that otherwise when they usually occupy macros.
Maybe even an simple analog mono synth based on the BS2?
A bass, a guitar or a synth are quite different from a sampler 
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Brilliant news… I sold my Circuit a while back and really regretted it, so much so that I was going to buy another before Christmas but couldn’t find one… I was hoping this could mean only one thing… Hooraah… I actually emailed Novation just a few days back trying coax them into giving me a heads up on a new one… by Christ they’ve only gone a made two of em… haha.
I love the fact it doesnt have a screen… too many of those blooming things in my life!!!
I do hope its possible to connect a launch control xl like you could with the original but without needing a USB hub…
I am very excited
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Editing on the first Korg ES-1 was horrible even with a (digit) screen. Imagine without…
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Time for some speculations… 
I am really excited about this one
Given the fact that there is no display, i could imagine that this one is very much like the 404.
Just sample to a pad with no length limit, as it is streamed to the sd.
Trimming samples with a rotary should be much better than on a 404.
Resampling which includes the sequencer, the pads and the input, Not sure if that is possible on a sd…
Pretty much i hope for an SP-404 with the nice sequencer from the circuit
Right now i am using op-z… Recording from youtube over usb and chop on the device. than i record to the sp-404…
Novation did a great jobs with all the updates on the first circuit. But somehow i didn’t used it enough and sold it.
Elektron did a shitty job with overbridge and sample-management… i was so frustrated that i sold the digitakt… And having only 8 samples per pattern isn’t enough. Having a drum maschine and make use of the other tracks is awesome but i prefer having a single device on my knees before falling asleep…
The only downside is when it will be like this, i maybe never use the sp-404 or the op-z again
But to be realistic… it seems that a lot of people wish for other things.
So let’s see what i will be…
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Speculation.
I reckon there may be an app or something allowing us to use our android or apple devices as the screen … I wonder if the Circuits have wifi or bluetooth.
I am holding out for that extra USB slot myself.
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speculation
no third party software needed, it can sample & edit on his own…
after , it will be in the component for extra function
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Please may it work as an audio interface too.
And please may it have multiple USB tracks so it can simultaneously record each track into my DAW like the Roland Boutiques do.
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I’ll be the first to agree that the ES-1 (screen and sound combined) was an overall awful experience to use. I’m still wounded by my experience with it, as it was my first go with a sampler.
But I don’t think it is fair to predict that the Circuit Rhythm experience, from what we know about the existing Circuit products experience, will be anywhere near the same or worse.
For one, there are a lot more pads and dedicated buttons. But most importantly, there are encoders, not pots + 1 big numerical jog dial. The encoders on the existing Circuits change color/hue/saturation as they are adjusted. That is a display of visual feedback, once you get right down to it.
When I am editing on the OT, yea I am zooming in and scrolling a fair bit, but when I get down to the final few turns of the encoders I’m not just looking at the screen but using my ears to know I’ve got the edit cursor where I want it. In fact, I’m using my eyes only to confirm that the changes my ears are hearing are being made with the physical knob. The screen is visual feedback that my edits are accurate. On the Circuits, you also have visual feedback. Will it be as great as a Digitakt or OT for that granular display? No. But I doubt it will be horrible or anywhere near the experience of the ES-1.
And who knows, maybe we get a new and unique era of funky swing timed beats that are thanks to the lack of graphical precision on the new Circuit Rhythm.
I expect many will turn those encoders until they “sound right” and move on with sequencing so they can get that beat moved out of their brain and into their speakers. The same way MPC swing defined so much hip hop because it just sounded good, the Circuit could do the same. OP-1 was similar in this regard as well.
I’m optimistic that people many years younger than me will find fun ways to exploit this limitation for their own creative expression.
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It was my first shot at a Sampler too. I still have it, in its box. I never sold it, thought It would be a fraud. 
Maybe that’s why I didn’t go the Sampler path until the DT arrived. Some wounds take longer to ill.
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Has anyone of you actually played a Circuit? It’s brilliantly executed. Novation’s gonna nail this one and bring their best ideas from the Launchpad sequencer to boost.
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My wife had the OG Circuit through the firmwares before and after the sample import update.
But sold it before the subsequent microtiming and panning updates, and those were just the tip of the iceberg. It was a solid tool, the only thing I didn’t like was the Nova sound engine. It’s a bit dated now.
That’s why the Rhythm is a bit exciting, especially if it can sample in stereo and not sum to mono.
You gotta think Novation knows that would give it a leg up on the Digitakt.
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it will be the first sampler by novation…
And they have employees that create their music with Electron and old MPC machnines. I am sure they have enough people around to find a productive and working way
Seems, as if Ricky had to do another „My small Live Setup“ video soon
I just hope they implement a better project storage system. Each session has a variety of sequence blocks, but syncing it with Elektron patterns is a huge pain. I ended up just using sessions with my CMS, but I quickly ran through the number of available sessions.
I know this ask is a little Elektron-focused, but I think other devices follow a similar pattern organization methodology.
I enjoyed the original Circuit. I have a thing for grooveboxes, and the original was fun to play with. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the internal synth engine, but, it’s not like it was unusable either. When they updated it to be able to load user samples it really turned a corner for me. Which is why I am excited for this new Circuit Rhythm. I love the screen-less formfactor.
And, looking at the interface of the Circuit Rhythm, it looks really well layed out, and I can already envision myself playing it. It’s all right there. And they packed a lot in.
Some other loose thoughts:
- Above “Projects” is "Packs. That would be great if you could set up your own kits for easy access.
- Above “Duplicate” is “mutate”. Mutate would be great with samples. I think I mentioned this earlier, but if using mutate in conjunction with probability seems like great fun.
- I am curious what FX might be in there. Side chain is a nice one there.
- I wonder if the “external in” will run through FX? Could be cool to sidechain the external input.
- Stereo sampling would great.
- I love the full size midi, and 1/4" ins. I hate dongles and adapters.
- Hopefully swing per track.
- While I don’t see any envelope controls, they could be added. “Shift + Start” for attack, “Shift + Length” for decay.
- On the OG Circuit, you could assign functions to the knobs per patch. Could be cool to be able to assign shift functions as you please to the knobs, such as fx parameters, etc.
The circuit is definitely a great product. My friend has been trying to get me to try his, and the sequencer looks really fun, but I for some reason do not get along with the interface. On the other hand another friend of mine has one and he can play live on it for hours. The first year or so he had it, he brought it everywhere, playing it on his lap with a little JBL speaker…and he has no idea about synthesis or sampling, he just uses the built in sounds…But he has great taste and can make great stuff with it.
Also Calc at Novation seems to be keen on the Elektron workflow (he made that OT Novation Launch control vid), so maybe they will use some Elektron style ideas for these ones.
And yeah, the synth on the Circuit was another reason it didn’t click with me. The drum version looks very interesting. Sampling is a great upgrade as well. Wonder if it has FM like the new Rolands? Or maybe they will use a hybrid of the old Novation Drumstation? In the end, music will be made. Sounds fun.
That how you recognize a great machine. It’s not the “sound” or the features. It’s when music is made.
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Love it
“Dated” is perception only
Edit: no offence
Yep. There’s no accounting for taste.
We’re all different, and we come to our tastes via different paths.
It’s not my favorite V/A. Sounds like the X-Station 25 I used to have and just got tired of listening to for 10 years.
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