Korg Forums

1_inch_punch · Senior Member Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 314

my initial experiences with the mininova software editor were absolutely horrendous. soon as anybody mentions a pc editor for a piece of hardware that experience fills my mind. Naw thanks.

if people love this go for it - I dont want this for the ES2.

But nothing will happen anyway so get used to it as it is.

if you can't then move on.

Tarekith · Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:45 pm Post subject:

I got my Circuit last week, and just posted a video review if anyone is still curious about it:

https://youtu.be/hZfyL9-hoOA
_________________
Erik M.
InnerPortalStudio.com - electronic music mastering

musicmagus · Approved Merchant Joined: 27 Jul 2015 Posts: 235

I just got one too. Played around for a couple days and today I dove into the editor to create a patch from scratch. This thing is going to be a lot of fun.

Octatrack + E2s + Circuit = FUN!

studioviper · Joined: 15 Mar 2015 Posts: 1 Location: United Kingdom

1_inch_punch · Senior Member Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 314

hmm if you wanted to dload the standalone editor for mac - you have to upgrade to OS El Crapitan?

Tarekith · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 6:23 am Post subject:

No issues with El Cap here, I wouldn't let that hold you back Smile

_________________
Erik M.
InnerPortalStudio.com - electronic music mastering

Spheric El · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:25 am Post subject:

I use an old white Mac book for basic utilities.
It's on os 10.6
This won't work?
Would I be able to update the OS on this old machine ok?

Tarekith · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:32 am Post subject:

I'm not familiar with those older MacBooks at all, so not sure. Sorry!
_________________
Erik M.
InnerPortalStudio.com - electronic music mastering

circuitghost · Full Member Joined: 25 Feb 2015 Posts: 196

Great review, as always.

I've only played with the Circuit for a few hours, doesn't own on myself. The reason for this, apart from me being in gear rehab, is that while it's easy and fun to get something out of it that sounds pretty cool, it doesn't sound like anything I haven't heard from somewhere else already. I love what Novation is doing and the Circuit is a great sign of things to come, but even Dapayk (who I consider somewhat of a magician when it comes to cramming stuff just out of single box) makes this sound like something that I'd want to earn, to get to that skill level and write that kind of music.

Novation's sound is smooth, professional and very much like many other synts out there. So is the Circuit. So it's great for a many things, but character, it has not.

Now, for character, I mean instruments such as the OP-1, the Analog Rytm, the early Electribes, the Octatrack, Tempest, Volca Beats and so on. So it comes down to taste, of which you don't have to (and most likely won't want to ) share mine.

But I just like it when you can tell there's something coming out of a groove box, that's more than just smooth production values.

Spheric El · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:09 pm Post subject:

Fair and interesting point.
Something my subconscious may of felt but i hadn't rationalised.
I like the look of the sequencer. It actually reminds me of kaoscillator in a way.Those square pads coming up with many variations for the sounds.Scale and key, plus patterns.

robotunes · Junior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2009 Posts: 78

circuitghost · Full Member Joined: 25 Feb 2015 Posts: 196

I think the most interesting comparison between the Ciricuit and the Electribe, is the difference in receptions.

The Electribe is like "Bleedin' crap machine, I hate it with its sixteen tracks, great VA engine, fx on each channel, master and kaossilator live pad, sequencer, samples and oscillators, battery powered, velocity-sensitive pads, portable form factor and sync features and updates that have fixed a lot of things. I hate it. Damn you Korg for putting a price tag on it that means I can afford on it, too. Damn you."

And the Circuit: "I can't believe how much I love the Circuit with its quite ordinary drum sounds on four channels, its two-track synth engine that's not distinguishable from any other modern-sounding instrument at all, its limited editing features and standard effects. Goddamit, it's a great piece of gear."

But it is a great piece of gear! Because Novation told us exactly in the right way, before we found out the details on the Circuit, what it was. They positioned it perfectly, aligning our expectations accordingly, and once we got to try it, it was everything we imagined Novation might've meant with "Start something", and then some.

Whereas Korg went: "Whoa. All these channels. These features. These voices. These effects. These awesome things of legendary greatness. All from the legacy of the Electribe. Yours for the taking."

And that gave us all the wrong images, which is a damn shame, because the Electribe is a great piece of gear, one of the best to come out in a long time. Whereas Novation gave us all the right images.

Tarekith · Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 4:30 pm Post subject:

Expectation might have something to do with it, afterall the Circuit didn't have a bunch of predecessors like the Electribe. Personally I think the Circuit gets a little more love right off the bat because it's just easier to use and.... well, I think it's more fun to use too. That's just me though.

Surprised to hear people saying that the Circuit effects and the synth engine are average and boring sounding (or too polished) though. Yeah you only get a delay and reverb, but they are full of all sorts of weird modulations and other things that I've never heard myself. Kind of reminds me of my Strymon Timeline at times.
_________________
Erik M.
InnerPortalStudio.com - electronic music mastering

circuitghost · Full Member Joined: 25 Feb 2015 Posts: 196

Could be that most demos out there just make a point of how the Circuit is able to create minimal techno tracks and still sound good.

They're pushing its abilities as a tool for making a solid track, not as a tool for designing interesting sounds to go with it.

As opposed to many Octatrack demos (not perhaps a relevant comparison, but still) - you can make classic, good-sounding stuff with it, that could've come from anywhere but just happened to come from one Elektron box. But a lot of musicians tend to warp it to insanity, which really shows its depths.

Perhaps those Circuit demos will eventually go into stranger territories as well, to show the instrument's potential as a tool for designing interesting sounds in a groove box format.

What we all want is something like the Tempest done for 2016, anyway.

Spheric El · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:19 am Post subject:

Again ,really nicely put CircuitGhost with..
The Electribe is like "Bleedin' crap machine, I hate it with its sixteen tracks, great VA engine, fx on each channel, master and kaossilator live pad, sequencer, samples and oscillators, battery powered, velocity-sensitive pads, portable form factor and sync features and updates that have fixed a lot of things. I hate it. Damn you Korg for putting a price tag on it that means I can afford on it, too. Damn you."

But I have to repect Tarekith saying the Circuit sounds the best and is his favorite groovebox.
We would probably all make brilliant ,individual music with it and if the E2 s voice stealing is as bad as I've read, there seems little in it between them spec wise.