Novation Circuit Rhythm Standalone Sampler and Groovebox
The Novation Circuit Rhythm is a sampling groovebox that builds a complete beat without a computer: record a sound from a phone, a turntable or a synth, chop it, sequence it across eight tracks and perform it with effects, for up to four hours on its built-in battery.
What sets it apart
- Direct sampling through a stereo input, plus internal resampling
- Eight sample tracks and 32 velocity-sensitive RGB pads
- Slice, chromatic, looped, reversed or one-shot playback
- Performance grid FX: Vinyl Sim, Beat Repeat, Gater, Digitiser and more
- Rechargeable battery rated up to four hours, plus microSD slot
- 5-pin MIDI In, Out and Thru, analogue sync output
From sample to beat, no screen required
Circuit Rhythm has no screen, and that is by design. Everything happens on the 32-pad grid and eight encoders: a pad lights up, you turn a knob, you hear the result. You learn the machine in a few evenings instead of digging through menus.
Plug a source into the stereo input, hit record, and the sample lands in time with your pattern. Each pad holds up to 32 seconds of audio, and each pack gathers 128 samples for 228 seconds in total. WAV and MP3 files can also be imported through the Components app.
Eight tracks, eight ways to play a sound
Each track can play its samples sliced, chromatically across the grid, as one-shots, gated, looped or reversed. The same drum loop can become a bassline played note by note, or a set of chopped hits you replay in a new order.
Eight macros shape the active track: pitch, start point, length, envelope, overdrive, high-pass and low-pass filters, and resonance.
A sequencer that lets the groove breathe
Record in real time with quantization on or off, or program step by step with micro-steps. Probability means a hit won't play on every pass, and Mutate keeps the pattern evolving. Each project stores eight chainable patterns per track, and playback can run forward, reverse, ping-pong or random.
Built for the stage
Grid FX fire from a pad while the beat keeps running: vinyl simulation, beat repeat, reverse, filter, gater, phaser and Digitiser. The master filter, with a centre detent, sweeps a section up and down like a DJ mixer filter.
Send delay and reverb, sidechain and a master compressor give the mix the pump and glue you expect from a finished beat.
Specifications
| Tracks | 8 sample tracks, 8-voice polyphony |
|---|---|
| Pads and controls | 32 velocity-sensitive RGB pads, 8 endless encoders, master filter |
| Sample memory | 128 samples per pack, 32 packs (1 internal, 31 on microSD) |
| Sampling time | 228 s per pack, 32 s maximum per pad |
| Import formats | WAV and MP3 |
| Sequencer | 8 patterns per track, 64 projects, 24 ppqn resolution |
| Effects | Delay (16 presets), reverb (8), sidechain (7), master compressor |
| Audio inputs and outputs | Stereo L/R input, stereo L/R output, headphone output |
| MIDI and sync | 5-pin MIDI In, Out and Thru, 3.5 mm sync output |
| Power | USB-C, rechargeable lithium-ion battery up to 4 hours |
| Dimensions | 240 x 210 x 45 mm |
| In the box | USB-A power adapter, 1.5 m USB-C to USB-A cable |
What it's for
- Sampling vinyl records and turning them into chopped loops
- Making beats on the bus, at the cottage or on tour, on battery power
- Adding grid FX live during a set
- Driving an external synth and syncing it over MIDI or analogue pulses
- Sketching ideas before finishing them in a DAW
Compared with other manufacturers
Other manufacturers make standalone samplers for beatmaking. Here is how they differ from the Circuit Rhythm:
| Manufacturer | Model | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Novation | Circuit Rhythm | Screenless, 8 sample tracks, built-in battery, full 5-pin MIDI |
| Roland | SP-404MKII | Compact effects-focused sampler with an OLED screen |
| Akai Professional | MPC One+ | Touchscreen and MPC workflow in a larger format |
| Elektron | Digitakt II | 16-track stereo sampler with a screen |
| Korg | volca sample2 | Pocket format, playback of imported samples |
Frequently asked questions
- How long does the battery last?
- Novation rates it at up to four hours. It charges over the USB-C port, which also carries MIDI and powers the unit in the studio.
- Can I sample straight from my phone?
- Yes. A phone output, a turntable or a synth plugs into the stereo input, and the recording happens inside the unit, no computer needed.
- Circuit Rhythm or Circuit Tracks: which one should I choose?
- Circuit Rhythm is built around sampling: eight sample tracks you record yourself. Circuit Tracks combines two synths, four drum tracks and two MIDI tracks.
- Do I need a microSD card?
- Not to get started: one pack lives in internal memory. A card, sold separately, adds up to 31 packs for projects and sound banks.
Avis clients
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