Circuit Rhythm hardware overview

32-pad playing grid – a 4 × 8 matrix of RGB pads. Depending on the view selected, the grid may be “split” into logical areas with different functions.

Master Filter – rotary control with a centre detent and RGB LED: controls filter frequency of the entire mix, like on an analogue synth. It is always active.

Macro controls 1 to 8 – eight multi-functional rotary encoders, with associated RGB LED. The availability and function of these controls varies with Circuit Rhythm’s various views: however, the panel legends describe the encoders’ functions when in Sample View, Note View, or any other track-focused view. The movement of Macro controls in performance may be recorded and replayed.

Master Volume – Controls the overall level of Circuit Rhythm’s audio outputs.

Most of the remaining buttons select the 32-pad grid to display a specific View. Each View provides information and control of a particular aspect of a particular track, pattern or sound selection, timing adjustments, etc. Note also that several buttons have an additional ‘Shift’ function, indicated on (or above) the button by a legend in a smaller font.

Many buttons - including • Record - have both a momentary (long press) and a latching (short press) mode. A long press will temporarily display that button’s view, but only while the button is held down. When released the view will revert to whatever it was before the button was pressed. A short press on a button will switch the grid view to that programmed into the button.

The Record button is a special case as it does not invoke an alternative grid display, but its momentary action allows rapid punch-in and punch-out of Record Mode.

Track buttons: Tracks 1 to 8 – a tap changes the grid display to Sample View for that track; a press temporarily displays Sample View for that track, but on releasing the button the grid will revert to the View and track that was visible when it was pressed.

Step buttons: Note, Velocity, Gate, and Probability – these switch the grid to further Views, and allow the parameters of each step of the pattern to be individually entered, deleted or modified, for the currently selected track. Note that Probability is the Shift function of the Pattern Settings button and that Micro Step is the Shift function of the Gate button.

Pattern Settings – switches the grid to a View that allows adjustment of pattern length, playback rate and direction for the currently selected track.

Step Page (1-16/17-32) – selects whether the Pattern for the currently selected track is 16 or 32 steps in length. When a 32-step Pattern is selected, the colour of the button legend changes when the sequence is running to indicate which “half” of the sequence the grid is currently displaying. You can choose to have a 16- or 32-step Pattern on any track.

Sample Rec – opens Sample Record View: this view can be used to record new samples to Circuit Rhythm via the audio inputs, or from the internal mix.

Patterns – opens Patterns View: lets you store multiple patterns for each track, and to join them together to make a pattern Chain.

Mixer – enables the Mixer View, where you can mute or adjust the level of each track making up the sequence, and to pan each track across the stereo image.

FX – opens the FX View; lets you add reverb and delay effects to each track individually.

Record and ▶ Play – these two buttons start and stop the sequence (Play), and enter Record mode (Record). In Play mode anything you play on the grid will be heard; in Record mode, anything you play will be heard and added to the sequence.

Sample – opens the Sample View for the currently selected track. Each track may select from 128 samples, arranged in eight pages of 16 on the two lower grid rows.

▼ and ▲ - these two buttons have different actions (and colours) depending on the currently selected View, e.g., in Keyboard Note View they let you shift the pitch of the keyboard pads up or down by one to five octaves. In Sample View, they scroll through the eight pages of samples.

Tempo and Swing – Tempo lets you set the BPM (tempo) of the sequence, using Macro control 1; Swing alters the timing between steps to change the ‘feel’ of a pattern, using Macro 2 for adjustment. In this mode, Macro 5 adjusts the level of Click track.

Clear – allows deletion of individual sequence steps, Patterns, Projects, samples or stored Macro control movements.

Duplicate – operates like a copy-and-paste function for patterns and individual steps.

Save and Projects – let you save your current Project and open a previously-saved one.

Shift – Several of the buttons have a “second function”, which is accessed by holding down the Shift button while pressing the button in question. It is also possible to configure the Shift button’s action as a toggle function; this is done in Setup View (see Setup view). In this case, a single press engages and latches the second function, a second press disengages it.

Outputs - L/Mono and R – Circuit Rhythm’s main audio outputs on two ¼” TS jack sockets. Max. output level is -9.57dBu. With no plug in the R socket, the L/Mono socket carries a mono mix of L and R channels.

Sync – a 3.5 mm TRS jack socket supplying a clock signal of 5 V amplitude, at a rate proportional to the tempo clock: the actual ratio can be set in Setup View. The default rate is two pulses per quarter note.

(Headphones) – connect a pair of stereo headphones here. The main outputs remain active when headphones are connected. The headphone amplifier can drive +5 dBu into a pair of 150 ohm stereo headphones.

MIDI In, Out and Thru – three MIDI connectors on 5-pin DIN sockets. Allows external equipment to be triggered by Circuit Rhythm’s sequences, or external controllers to trigger Circuit Rhythm’s sequences and to alter samples, Grid FX and FX parameters. Note that the MIDI Thru port may be configured in Advanced Setup View to act as a clone of the MIDI Out port: see Advanced setup view for details.

Sample In L/Mono and R - mono or stereo external audio inputs for recording samples into Circuit Rhythm. The inputs are unbalanced on 1/4” TS jack sockets.

– USB-C port. This is also the DC power input to the unit for external powering and battery charging. A Type C-to-Type A cable is supplied with the unit. Connect to computers to interface with Novation Components. The port is MIDI class compliant; connect to other devices supporting MIDI via USB to transmit and receive MIDI data. Also used for firmware updates. NOTE – Circuit Rhythm’s USB port does not carry audio.

microSD – insert a compatible microSD card in here to save or import Packs.

– “soft” on/off switch; to prevent inadvertent power up/down, a press of approx. one second is needed to turn the unit on or off. The button has an LED which lights green to indicate that the internal battery is charging.

Kensington MiniSaver – secure your Circuit Rhythm to a suitable structure if desired.