My brain tells me MPC
My heart tells me Analog Four
7 Likes
Also, I just got the Analog Four so itâs too soon for me to tell how Iâd rank that one. And it looks like I might switch off the car for commuting and do the bus or the train. In that case Iâll be trying the M8 which I expect to be brilliant.
1 Like
Yeah M8 for me, so easy to compose full tracks from scratch and be done. Other boxes are great for fun messing with loops, but when it comes to actually writing a song M8 is my go to.
11 Likes
There are a ton of really phenomenal groove boxes available these days. I own a bunch of them and I donât want to take anything away from any of them. The groove box you have or gel with or whatever is, by definition, the best groove box.
But my first love is and will always be the EMX-1. A ridiculously clear menuing system, huge number of drum tracks, really aggressive VA, and I donât know itâs the drive through the tubes or what but the output just shakes the fillings right out of your teeth. And itâs beautiful just to look at. It was my first groovebox and really my first hardware synth so Iâm biased, but I love that thing.
14 Likes
Maybe a bit more robust than a conventional groove box but it fits on my lap ; ) but, ima say Emu Command Station is a real solid contender.
4 Likes
MC-707
itâs got limited sample time, but thatâs why i have an octatrack.
The only other down-side is a lack of VST controller beyond Zencore, which is shit.
Otherwise, this is like Rolandâs greatest hits, in a box.
5 Likes
I would say for me, either the Dave Smith Instruments Tempest, or the OP-1.
Not the most fully featured, but fun as hell and both served me incredibly well for an extremely long time.
But if you want to be objective about it, probably MPC One/Live/X.
5 Likes
The easiest and most productive groovebox is probably the Korg EMX-1. Itâs limited but focused yet itâs still possible to produce complete tracks despite its limitations, and it has an interesting synth engine.
I think each groovebox is special, itâs pointless to try to name âthe bestâ. The RS7000 has MIDI effects, the MC909 has a lot of controls on its panel, The MPC Live and Force have a lot of tracks, polyphony and plugins, the Deluge has an open source OS, the Toraiz SP16 has analogue filters and probably the best sounding realtime timestretch function of all grooveboxes, save from the Push 3, the Analog Rytm has scenes and macros, ⌠some grooveboxes are better for jamming while others are better at making full songsâŚ
but I think a groovebox should be fun to use, easy to work with, and provide a lot of controls on its UI to minimize menu diving.
10 Likes
The best groovebox is the one you make the most music on. For me, itâs the OP-Z.
Tiny yet equipped with a ridiculously powerful sequencer. And the distortion is extremely good.
11 Likes
Digitone, hands down 
10 Likes
maschine
4 Likes
I had most of what the market provides, M8 is the only device still in my possession.
For me it is by far the best groove box that does not need any extra devices attached. As long as you donât count the Push3 as one, because that one would beat the M8!
7 Likes
MD or M8?
I have hard time to choose.
5 Likes
Akai MPC One
2 Likes
This pure analog signalpath desiged groovebox with selected wooden sides (all sides!). The groovier the player is the better its responds:
16 Likes
Iâm actually gonna have to go with the Maschine+ if weâre talking standalone.
This is a comparison between the features and its ease of use.
The features is that it has no sonic limitations- a vast variety of synthesis methods, sampling and manipulation. Lock states. And the composer on it is absolutely excellent.
Its fun and intuitive to use if you need one thing that does everything.
8 Likes
The Roland MC909 for me, closely followed by the Yamaha RS7000.
Of the boxes that have followed since, Akai MPC Live is the best imo, although itâs a lot more powerful than what many may think of as a Groovebox.
Hopefully, Roland can eventually take the best parts of devices such as the MC707 and the SH-4d (I know itâs not a Groovebox but itâs a great device) and create something - with at least 16 tracks - that truly rivals and surpasses their own MC909.
G
4 Likes
I have had quite few (mostly Akais and Elektrons) but kept only two.
Machine+
Deluge
4 Likes
Im voting on par ot, dn
Itâs a difficult question to answer because so much of what you define as âbestâ depends on what you value and prioritize, what your goals are and perhaps most important, what kind of music you want to make.
If you like tencho and related genres, and you value the ability to jam on it live while still having the flexibility to record that jam into separate track stems for final production in the daw, a Syntakt is hard to beat. Itâs all synthesis (no samples) but it can sound pretty wild and diverse. Not saxophone-and-piano diverse but rather lush-to-harsh diverse as far as synthesis goes: drums, pads, leads, bass, risers, effects, glitches, it can do it all - simultaneously across 12 tracks. Itâs also one of those grooveboxes with its own distinct sound and that feels as much as an instrument as a groovebox. The Digitakt has similar qualities, but it uses samples instead of synthesis, and with fewer tracks. The ultimate Elektron Digi box would do both samples and synthesis, but that doesnât exist yet in this neat little form factor.
If youâre more of a producer and want granular control of all aspects of the song like automation, mixing, etc while still having the ability to do all of that in the groovebox, and if youâd rather not choose between samples vs synthesis, and youâd like to still keep things reasonably affordable, my vote would go for the MPC One. It can pretty much do it all. Is it as fun as the Syntakt and does it have its own character? Iâd say not really. The MPC is more of a production tool than an instrument. But as far as grooveboxes go, itâs extremely capable.
If you really value portability and imagine yourself making music outdoors or on the go, then neither of the above will be a great fit. My GAS-infused choice would have to be the Polyend Tracker Mini with its built-in battery, microphone and tracker-styled sequencer. Probably not as fun to jam on as the Digitakt, but then again you can actually take the PTM with you. The Digitakt really isnât portable as itâs built like a tank and is meant to be in your studio or on stage, not really in your backpack.
Grooveboxes I would place much lower in this list include Roland products, including, ironically, those products with the literal word âgrooveboxâ on them. The MC-101, while great sounding, is not fun to use. Roland seems to have a way of designing workflows and interfaces that make you want to throw their gear out the windows. Same with the SP-404 MKII (technically a sampler, not a groovebox). But then again if youâre into lofi, the SP might just be the perfect groovebox?
Then finally we have the top of the groovebox food chain, the Ableton Push 3. Is it even really a groovebox? Ableton tries to market it as an âinstrumentâ, but thatâs clearly just marketing. This is a production tool and a very capable midi controller with full Ableton integration. The Syntakt is far more of an instrument if you ask me. But the Push 3 is arguably the most capable standalone groovebox money can buy - and you need lots of it. If the MPC felt a bit like a daw in a box, the Push 3 takes that up a notch by including the most popular daw in the industry in the box! But it doesnât really become limitless unless you also buy a Live Suite license, bringing the total cost up to north of $2500 - prohibitively expensive for a standalone groovebox.
So which one is the best groovebox? Obviously the Syntakt. 
14 Likes