Novation’s Circuit Tracks: the best value hardware on the market?

Since its launch in 2015, Novation’s synth-and-sample groovebox, Circuit, has grown from an already impressive compact instrument into one of the most versatile devices about. When it first arrived it was already powerful, with two digital polysynths and a four-track sampled drum machine onboard, but subsequent firmware updates have doubled down on the flexibility and then some, adding user sample-upload, a full desktop editor for the synths and advanced sequencing tools like micro-timing.

Now Novation have launched Circuit Tracks which – despite the new name – is essentially a straight sequel to the original Circuit. Keeping all that we loved about the original but packing in even more powerful features.

Like the original, it features two six-voice digital polysynths and a four-track sample-based drum machine, all built around a pad-based sequencer grid equipped with eight multi-use macro rotaries. As before, there are effects onboard too, with reverb and delay