AudioPilz vs. Novation Circuit Rhythm: When Meme Gear Gathers Dust

AudioPilz wastes no time giving the Novation Circuit Rhythm a proper verbal kicking, declaring it the poster child for useless meme gear. The review opens with a blunt assessment: after the original Circuit’s roaring success, Novation seemingly phoned it in with a follow-up that reeks of corporate laziness. The Rhythm, despite its shiny box, is accused of being little more than a recycled Tracks with a handful of tweaks and a hefty price tag—hardly a recipe for excitement.

The device’s uninspired grey paint job is likened to the dust it’s destined to collect, and AudioPilz makes it clear that this groovebox is all style, no substance. It’s the sort of gear you buy when you’ve got too much time, too much money, and not enough sense—perfect for the shelf, less so for the studio. If you were hoping for a revolution, you’re in for a reality check.

Diving into the features, AudioPilz takes apart the sampling workflow and the much-touted sequencer. Sampling is capped by archaic limits—228 seconds per session, 32 per pad—making it feel like you’re back in the early days of digital hardware. Editing samples with no screen is an exercise in frustration, and the interface is as friendly as a bouncer at closing time.

The sequencer, while boasting four patterns per track and up to 32 steps, demands that you sacrifice tracks for MIDI control—hardly a creative paradise. Features like Sample Flip and non-quantised recording try to pad things out, but a lack of filter envelope, real time stretch, and even a single LFO means the creative possibilities are about as exciting as a Monday night at the local. You get the sense AudioPilz is holding back a snigger every time the Rhythm claims to be innovative.

The review goes for the jugular on design choices, especially the stubborn refusal to add even the most basic screen. AudioPilz points out that the 4×8 pad grid is left doing double duty as a cryptic display, which is about as clear as a foggy morning on the Thames. Sample slicing works, but only just, and the lack of a scale mode for chromatic playback is a missed opportunity.

Playback engines are strictly monophonic, and the filters are described as plastic-sounding—hardly the stuff of legend. The handling of loops is branded archaic, trailing behind even crusty old MPCs. In a world full of slick, powerful grooveboxes, the Circuit Rhythm feels like it’s clinging to the past with white-knuckled desperation. If you want a modern workflow, look elsewhere.

The verdict is as subtle as a flying pint glass: AudioPilz isn’t a fan. The screenless UI might be charming on the OG Circuit, but here it’s just more hassle than it’s worth. Critical features are missing, sample playback is as basic as it gets, and the whole package feels stuck in the 2010s. Even die-hard Circuit fans will struggle to love the Rhythm on its own.

Sure, it might add a bit of spice to a bigger setup, but with used MPCs, Digitakts, Electribes, and OP-Zs floating around for similar money, why bother? AudioPilz dreams of a future Novation box that finally gets it right—a fusion of tracks, rhythm, and a Monostation, with a screen, for crying out loud. Until then, the Circuit Rhythm’s best trick is gathering dust.