Start something
Whether you’re a producer, a musician or you just want a quick and easy way to play, Circuit will do something for you. It’s a starting point for your music-making; jam with Circuit’s synths and samples, sync or sequence other devices, or unplug everything and start something anywhere.
“Novation hit it out of the park. Circuit is fun, affordable, intuitive and it keeps getting better.”
– Audio Newsroom
Make beats
Use two six-voice polyphonic Nova-heritage digital synths and four drums – with independent pitch, decay, distortion and filter controls – to build a beat. Flip in your own samples for complex and changing rhythms on the fly. Make your beats move with micro-steps, mixed up pattern lengths per part, and swing. Then hook up to your other MIDI devices and have everything play along.
Make Tracks
You have four parts. Synth 1 and Synth 2 are a part each and Drums 1 & 2 and Drums 3 & 4 make up the other two. You can create eight Patterns per part, per Session, and mix, match and chain in any way you can imagine for endless, complex and evolving tracks. Then add or switch patterns, record automation on macro controls or FX, and change your drum pattern lengths to switch it up as you go, even while playing.
Load in samples
You have up to 60 seconds of sample time, shared across 64 slots. Then, Sample Flip lets you select a different sample for each step in a sequence across all four of Circuit’s drum tracks. You could have both a kick and a snare on Drum 1, for example, leaving you three more sequencer lines for whatever sample insanity you can think of.
Connect with anything
Send MIDI to other synths, or synchronise and jam with other drum machines, grooveboxes or your DAW. 3.5mm MIDI jacks make daisy-chaining Circuits together easy – including Circuit Mono Station which opens up a whole other world of analogue filth. Connect to your computer too and sync with your DAW, access the synth editor, and keep your firmware up-to-date for the latest round of new features.
Helping you find your new sound
Music making is all about the journey, and we’re always looking for new ways to inspire you along the way. That’s why we’ve created the Sound Collective. Receive free versions of the most innovative software instruments and creative FX from developers we admire, as well as discounts to help you make the most of third-party software, exclusive to Novation customers. All you have to do is register your Novation gear, and one offer will be featured in your Novation account every couple of months.
All you need to make music – anywhere
Compact – and with a built-in speaker – you can produce whole tracks anywhere with Circuit and six AA batteries. In the studio it will work alongside your standalone synth gear and run in sync with your music software too. Circuit is all you need to inspire, create and play new tunes.
Key Features
Ideas in seconds. Tracks in minutes
Circuit inspires, straight out of the box. It combines a two-part synthesiser and a four-part drum machine with a 4×8 RGB velocity-sensitive grid-based sequencer, which will have you finding new musical directions and creating electronic grooves in no time.
Always learning new tricks
Want to get the latest updates for Circuit? Simply head to Novation Components, log in and connect your Circuit to your Mac ® or PC running Chrome® – there’s a downloadable standalone version too
Stand alone
Compact and battery-powered, Circuit truly stands alone. You can create entire tunes from scratch without a laptop, then save them and play them back live. You don’t even need speakers, because it has a one built in. Of course, Circuit will plug in to your sound system and work with your computer and other synth gear too, via its line outs, USB and MIDI ports
Legendary Nova sound
Building on our true Nova heritage, Circuit delivers cutting-edge sound with production-ready monophonic and polyphonic patches and tons of character for easily creating deep basslines, epic leads and warm pads.
Build ideas quickly
Embrace a new way to make music. Circuit’s split grid shows your steps and notes at the same time, so you can sequence and play while seeing exactly what’s going on. Build up your parts quickly and easily, either by programming each step or capturing your performance in real time.
Combine simplicity and experimentation
Use simple streamlined modes to keep your harmonies, rhythms and melodies locked in time and key while you make riffs, hooks and chords. Or start experimenting for some serious sequencing exploration.
Looking for the perfect beat?
Velocity-sensitive RGB pads let you quickly build expressive drum beats, by step sequencing or playing the wide range of drum sounds. Define your sound with total control over pitch, decay, distortion and EQ.
Easily tweak your sound
Sculpt your sound using eight macro knobs allowing you to subtly tweak or completely transform each patch. Then add movement and rhythm by recording or sequencing your performance. Delve deeper into sound design with Circuit Synth Editor.
Build whole tunes with effects
Create an entire tune, then add space, depth and energy to your music with built-in effects. Sidechain your synths to the kick drum to get them to pump. When you’re done, save your tune to one of 32 slots
Tech Spec
Product Hardware Specifications
- 32 RGB backlit velocity sensitive button grid
- 28 RGB backlit function buttons
- 8 Continuous pots with RGB indicator LEDs
- Dedicated filter and volume pots
- 1/4″ jack sockets for left and right outputs
- Two MIDI sockets (3.5mm jack sockets with MIDI din break-out cables)
- USB B 2.0
- Front-mounted 3.5mm jack socket for headphones
- Integrated speaker
- Rubberised knob caps
- Rotary controls secured to the chassis with metal nuts
- Power supply connector
- Power switch
- Battery compartment for 6x AA batteries (included)
- Kensington Security Slot
Sound Engine
- 2 Nova synths
- 4 Part drum machine
- 6 Note polyphonic per synth
- 64 Synth patches
- 64 Drum patches
- 8 Synth macro controls (Control up to 4 parameters with one knob)
- 4 Drum parameter controls (Pitch, Decay, Distortion, Filter)
- Mixer view with levels and mutes
- Master FX with individual track sends
- 16 Delays
- 8 Reverbs
- Sidechain effect (7 types and off). Triggered from Drum 1
- Hi-pass / low-pass master filter
Sequencer
- 32 Sessions
- 6 Tracks per session (2 Synth and 4 Drum)
- 8 Patterns per track (Synth 1, Synth 2, Drum 1&2, Drum 3&4)
- 16 Demo sessions
- Real time record (notes, with velocity and automation)
- Auto-quantise notes to steps and automation to 6 events per step
- 50 Automation parameters (up to 4800 events per pattern)
- Internal tempo range 40 – 240
- External synced tempo range 30 – 300
- Swing 20 – 80%
Real Time Performance
- Full range velocity scanning and record. Editable to 16 levels
- 16 Scale types and chromatic transposition
- Synth expand view doubles playable area
- Drum expand view allows real time drum record
- Octave (input) and pattern octave (edit)
- Pattern length and nudge
- Configurable pattern chain
- Session instant switching and queued switch
Editing
- Velocity and gate per step
- Multiple gate lengths per step (via real time record)
- Automation edit per step
- Clear step, automation parameter per pattern, pattern, session
- Duplicate step, pattern
Software Compatibility
Ableton Live Lite 9 is included
Circuit will also work as a standard USB-MIDI controller.
Power Requirements
- Circuit can be powered using 6x AA batteries or a power supply (both included). It can not be powered via USB
- Maximum power consumption 12V DC 600mA
Product Dimensions
- 240mm width x 200mm depth x 35mm height
OS Compatibility
macOS 10.12 Sierra
Yes
The Circuit itself is fully functional and supported with macOS Sierra however there is a known issue with the standalone Isotonik editor. Find out more at https://support.novationmusic.com/hc/en-gb/articles/212322925 .
Mac OSX 10.11
Yes
Mac OSX 10.10
Yes
Windows 10
Yes
Windows 8
Yes
Reviews
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