And yeah, I forgot about the fact that you can set start and end points of the pattern itself. You definitely can’t do that on the Digitakt. You can also transpose your entire pattern up or down an octave in keyboard mode with the arrows, which can be handy.
I don’t disagree that the Rhythm has a lot of features that that can make it more interesting for live stuff than the Digitakt. But I think if I were putting together a set I’d probably go for the Digitakt just because of the quirkiness of the way that projects work on the Rhythm.
This is a little gripe of mine. It’s cool that the Rhythm can match the tempo when you move from one project to another. But I wish that I could just turn that off. The fx tails you can get moving from project to project can also be pretty unpleasant.
It’s kind of a shame because there’s so much potential there.
I think that the direct jumps between projects could be amazing but I usually get little gaps in audio and the aforementioned artifacts when I try it. If Novation were to tighten this up, and let us turn off the tempo matching, I think then I would switch to using the Rhythm for my little beat sets.
The Digitakt can do a version of this but it’s a pretty convoluted process that involves a MIDI loopback. It’s also less powerful. That said, it sounds better.
Agreed. The rhythm is still young, I think, and maybe Novation will be generous and will provide a new update soon. I sure want to get a sidechain and fx for the inputs. One can only hope. LOL
I sold my rhythm and ordered the ko2. The ko2 has poly midi sequencing and scales. If novation transferred that from the tracks to the rhythm I would stick with the rhythm. If they just included something like a midi-mode that would have been enough.
Yeah, I can’t afford to jump ship just yet. But I’m where you are. I’ve been thinking about selling my Rhythm for a while now. And this is where the money might go.
The PO is also super portable. It has a lot of the same kind of sequencing power that the Rhythm has. But it doesn’t have most of the shortcomings. A few glaring exceptions right now are the fact that the PO can’t resample, loop samples, or play them in reverse. But I also really doubt that these things won’t be fixed in the first firmware update.
I like your MIDI suggestion a lot. I’ve got a big old wish list myself. I’ve actually share my thoughts with the fine folks at Novation. But I highly doubt any of that is going to be implemented by the time I’ve got a spare 300 dollars…if ever.
If they add those sampling options to the ko2, it would bury the rhythm.
I miss the ‘old’ novation, where they used the og circuit as a playground and give us unexpected features with each firmware version. That innovative side has gone little by little. I just don’t care about their whole launchkey/launchpad lines of products, but they keep pumping them out.
I think the Play could’ ve been very appealing if it had audio inputs. That’s where the Rhythm kills it, IMO. On the other hand, the KO2, looks awesome but past that nice design, I don’t see much to compete against the Rhythm. I firstly must admit that I have only seen the TE video. But I still believe that Novation could up their game, and release a new firmware update with those desirable functions that have so far been neglected. We’ll see.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a Rhythm, I just like it and want to see it grow.
I just bought a Circuit Rhythm from the Long & McQuade near-giveaway sale. I had a specific limited application in mind for it, but the unit is far more flexible in on-board sequencing capability than I originally thought.
I only had a few minutes with it so far, having had to wrestle it out of the hands of a curious member of my household, so I can only report that the build quality is impressive.
Don’t sleep on the Rhythm, I think it’s a fantastic sampler. But then I’ve always clicked with the Circuit workflow going back to the OG, and like that it doesn’t have a screen.
Picked up a Rhythm a few weeks ago, and I’ve been getting familiar with it as time allows. I previously owned a Tracks, so I haven’t been starting from scratch, but of course I’d lost some context since I sold the Tracks.
I think that the Rhythm is a triumph of interface design, in a way that the Tracks, which I liked a lot, can never be, because of their synth engine compromises. It’s limited in many ways, but if none of those are deal breakers for you, I think that this is an incredible sketchpad, and I hope that Novation’s approach becomes an interface design standard in the way that other models like XOX sequencing and Elektron trigs have.
So far there’s one glaring, awkward decision that I keep running into. I suspect that it’s more a matter of my failure to acclimate myself than a design failure, but I’m interested to hear what other folks think.
Once a default sample has been chosen for a track, choosing a new default is as easy as short-pressing another sample, while choosing a sample flip target requires a long press, followed by a destination toggle. This seems obviously inverted to me. I should have to be clear that I want a different default, and casually selecting a (temporary) alternative should only impact the arrangement if I complete the operation by identifying the sample’s destination…or so my thinking goes.
Anyway, this is a small niggle with an amazing tool that I’m pretty taken with. I expect that I’ll keep the Rhythm at least until it’s factory battery dies.
Yes, I checked his video earlier today. It was ok. I like his approach to Youtube.
Like most of us, I saw the launch of the EP-133 K.O. II and thought about getting one but then I saw a lot of the quality issues and began looking for alternatives in the same price range. This device wouldn’t be my main sampler, just something fun to sketch with or throw in my bag for an excursion. Instead of the K.O. II, I looked at the Model:Samples and the Circuit Rhythm and I decided to get the Rhythm.
I was immediately impressed by the build quality of the Rhythm and it’s really fun to use. With its feature set, you really get a lot for the price and I’m glad I made the decision to get it. Yes, it has an interesting way of dealing with samples but it’s not a dealbreaker for me.
I think your Rhythm videos are really good and a must-watch for anyone jumping into one that plans sample-based production. I appreciate it for it is. I have a lot of other samplers that serve their purposes but this one is very portable and very immediate. Of course, you won’t get 20 hours of battery life with it but 4 hours is still a respectable amount of time.
I think Teenage Engineering made a mistake by releasing the K.O. II with a lot of those quality issues but it also looks really fun and I’d be open to trying it out once it’s a proper solid device.
TBH if the Circuit Rhythm had polyphonic tracks and a few of the user requested updates it would beat the K.O2 hands down. That said, as it is I still prefer the CR, it has a better workflow and more features, soundwise there is little between them. K.O2 is a bit buggy and a much simpler yet less intuitive device, the only advantages are polyphonic tracks and stereo samples (I can live without stereo samples on a device like this though).
For this type of device, I can also live without stereo samples. I’m also not missing the polyphony. I guess it comes down to what one is willing to work with. The ease of use and portability of the CR make it very useful for me. I can grab it from the studio, take it to the couch and quickly bang out some ideas. I threw it in my bag last week (with a Decksaver of course) and did some quick work while visiting family. I have ZERO concerns about the build quality and it feels more premium than the price would suggest.
I agree. I was a little surprised by how easy it is to sample Using it for what it is and what it’s capable of is when it really shines. I think expecting features from other devices is what lead some people to disappointment. The inputs being able to feed the Grid FX is also a plus
They really show what can be done with samples on the Rhythm.
Using it for what it is and what it’s capable of is when it really shines. I think expecting features from other devices is what lead some people to disappointment. The inputs being able to feed the Grid FX is also a plus