N. Circuit vs. electribe 2 initial thoughts

Ted3000 · Post by **Ted3000** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:02 pm

I am now the proud, stupid owner of an electribe 2 and a Novation Circuit.

Here are some thoughts.

1. The twin Nova-class polysynths put the electribe's synthesis to shame.

2. The sequencing is faster and better on the Circuit.

3. The reverbs are much more lush on the Circuit.

4. The master low/highpass filter is great.

5. The ability to put 4 functions on a single knob is liberating.

6. Distortion compensation and multiple drive types is like a refreshing breeze.

HOWEVER

1. The electribe actually wins for ease of use. The screen menu and dedicated knobs are the superior interface.

2. The electribe's shallower paraphonic synthesis might actually offer more variety within a pattern - since you get up to 16 parts with insert effects. And 64 drum sounds are a little claustrophobic.

The most baffling Circuit tasks arrive when you get sick of the factory stuff and want to blank slate it. You have to register your unit, install a USB driver, run a firmware update mode, register for the web-based cloud backup, and get the editor running.

There are patches on the unit, but also a patch bank inside the editor. Which one are you tweaking? Good question. Also, "sessions" contain their own versions of the presets - so INITing patches might not get you a clean machine. Plus, the Session mode has it's own macro data - so clearing a session snaps all the knobs down to zero, and even a carefully edited patch might show up in a session as silent, until you mess with the macro knobs.

The multi-level hierarchy of patches, patterns, sessions, and the editor's internal patch bank versus your edits has made for a lot of confusion for me, and I haven't even tried to load my own drum samples.

In short: the Circuit requires a time investment if you want to make it your own. The electribe offers both less and more, but in a more straightforward way.

Still, it's nice to create a real unrestrained full blast synth patch and use it on a groovebox.

captain johnson · Post by **captain johnson** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:22 pm

Interesting! It does seem a bit fiddly piddly on the NC front but still a very decent groove box!

I totally agree with the simplistic aspect/strength of the E2. It's what appeals to me, I'd like to grow into complexity and get on with smashing out some music first haha. Sequencing volcas through it and using the audio thru is why I totally love the thing, on top of the tremendous drum capabilities it has.

apapdop · Post by **apapdop** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:08 pm

Can you pan on the thing yet?

circuitghost · Post by **circuitghost** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:19 pm

Nope. No panning. Doesn't feel like it's gonna happen either.

Ted3000 · Post by **Ted3000** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:38 pm

It's a very mono machine. Mono samples, monarual synth voices, mono speaker. Only the master delay and verb are stereo. (But it's a very clear and clean mono!)

Panning would be crucial if it had more parts. Would also be handy to hard-pan L/R for live processing. Make 2 pseudo busses.

1_inch_punch · Post by **1_inch_punch** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:32 am

Try this -

plug in with headphones -

Turn the volume knob to 2 o clock

get some fun going with the synths

nudge the volume up to 3 o clock

really - DONT try it. It will damage your hearing. That jump in volume is ridiculous.

circuitghost · Post by **circuitghost** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:58 am

Actually, one thing worth mentioning about the Circuit is that while the Electribe is a lot more limited in terms of the parameters you can access to build a sound, I still found that creating interesting and unique sounds with the Electribe came far easier. Korg's been clever about the combo of features to build a sound, and there's something about their VA engine that has sort of a suggestive sound to it that works well for my own personal taste.

The Circuit's amazing as a synth, the s**t you can do when you open the editor - but all the same, it has a very clean, very correct, very proper sound, even when you bend it. Note that my preference lies in other directions, so this is a personal thing, not a critique against the brilliant Circuit.

But I'd say that as far as features versus characters go, the Electribe wins in character. The Circuit's a bit like a Nord synth - sounds great, all system go and all that, but you can't pick it out in a mix or on a track. Perhaps you can't with an Electribe either, but I found it easier to make something that had its own character when I owned an Electribe.

scum · Post by **scum** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:50 pm

Any built in drum voices in circuit? Where is the list? I just need a good drum machine with lot of factory sounds, parameters to modify and effects to add and edit. Electribe drums suck, but I can tweak the sound. The Electribe was my best option. I mean - it depends what you need..

Ted3000 · Post by **Ted3000** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:46 pm

The circuit only has 64 drum slots, but you can replace them with your own samples. And you can drop in things other than drums.

There's not a lot to tweak. Pitch, distortion, envelope, level, stuff like that. And you only get 4 drum parts, no chokes for hats, no panning.

I always considered the drums as the electribe's strong suit. A big pile of well chosen samples, envelope control, tuning, choke groups, modulation, panning, groove templates, insert and master effect. Synthesis, not drums, was the lagging element on the electribe.

It just goes to show that when it comes to gear, there's no consensus. My favorite stuff is total junk to others, and vice versa.

Scoridd · Post by **Scoridd** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 3:32 pm

Absolutely, just to reiterate your point - I have actually thought it's the other way round. I think, on the E2, the synthesis is great and I say this as a DSI Tempest owner. Yes, it has it's limitations but it has character and you have 16 parts to play with, so thinking of sound design in a more modular way (ie. each sound only occupies it's part of the frequency range), you can layer and build some really impressive full-range productions. Couple that with motion sequencing and you're well away.

On the E2 - I liked the drum samples, they are good quality but I thought the variety was pretty limited, I always ended up going back to the 'electronica' kick, or whatever it's called. However, I've just bought an E2S to compliment the E2 so the E2S now takes drum duties - I'm v. happy with the combination. I really think that Korg's intention was to own both units (of course, more money for Korg) because when you have both, a lot of the limitations that previously seem crippling become none-issues.

Redmond Barry · Post by **Redmond Barry** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:30 pm

I've been reading a lot of love for the Circuit. And I'm personally deciding between getting a Circuit to compliment my E2S or the E2. I think Circuit's popularity has got to be at least partially because Novation has been supporting it strongly and they appeared to have released a product that's fully functional. So there's a lot of goodwill going into it.

I have become very accustomed now to the new Electribe workflow. Synthesis is very important to me even if its shallower, although dealing with paraphony though is becoming a little tiresome. . I need to have consistent controls available. Like if I want something simple like the LFO modulating pitch, I need to be able to perform that quickly and it seems the Circuit's knobs do different things? Or you can go into the computer and change them? I do like how I don't have to involve the computer with the Electribe.

It's tough to decide between the two. I don't like the synth sounds I hear out of the Circuit in the demos. But I didn't like the sounds I heard out of the Electribe until I designed my own. It is nice that the Circuit has the trails carry over for pattern changes.

mihata · Post by **mihata** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:43 pm

the love for the Circuit is because its a powerful, intuitive instrument thought to be played in a non-linear manner with everything just a touch away as opposed to the E2 which is different more rigid and step-by-step tool which also has it strengths. Novation's communication and great love for the product is just a bonus here and korg should learn big time.

mkell424 · Post by **mkell424** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:59 pm

Circuit rocks for sure but the electribe also has it's benefits.

My thoughts:

1. Cicuit allows you to chain sequences to make a song. Electribe is mysteriously missing a song mode.

2. Electribe has better presets.

3. Electribe has Ableton export and a memory card. With circuit you have to 1/4" into your computer and sample each part.

4. Circuit has superior knobs to tweak. Electribe is also built well but the knobs are small.

5. Electribe has a display.

o.w.t.m · Post by **o.w.t.m** » Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:52 am

it's a hundred quid cheaper and Novation seem interested in building a strong community with ongoing product support. Wins my vote!

timbeaux · Post by **timbeaux** » Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:03 am

I owned both of them and exchanged the Circuit for an JD-XI. Okay, I did it before the exchange of drumsamples was added and I felt a little bit sad that I exchangesd it. But at the end I am hapy that I changed. Now I mostly use the e2 for beats and plucked and fx sounds and sometimes some basses.

Why did I exchanged: Cause I didnt liked the editor for the circuit. For me it felt like I was really limited in terms of sound variety.

Now I am thinking of getting one again (especially you can now use the launchcontrol xl as extended control for it VIA USB #thumbsup). but first I need to get an TR8