Novation Circuit Rhythm: Slicing, Chopping, and Crafting Beats with Digital Precision

Dylan transitions into demonstrating the slice mode, a central feature for anyone interested in granular sample manipulation. By toggling from keyboard mode to slice mode, each pad on the Circuit Rhythm becomes a trigger for a distinct snippet of the loaded sample, offering a grid of instant access to different sonic fragments.

The video showcases the flexibility of this mode—not only can users repitch samples in keyboard mode, but slice mode allows for precise adjustment of start points and fine-tuning via shift-modified controls. This granular editing capability is essential for crafting dynamic, evolving patterns, and it’s presented as both intuitive and powerful within the Circuit Rhythm’s interface.

With the sliced sample prepared, Dylan demonstrates how to establish a musical foundation by tapping in a tempo that fits the sample’s implied groove. The workflow then expands: a kick drum is selected and sequenced on the first track, followed by a snare on the second, quickly constructing a classic backbeat to anchor the sliced melodic material.

Switching between tracks and modes, Dylan shows how the Circuit Rhythm’s pattern chaining enables longer phrases, moving from single-bar loops to four-bar melodic sequences. This flexibility is crucial for building more complex arrangements without leaving the hands-on, pad-based environment.

Throughout, the focus remains on creative flow—sequencing, recording, and layering are presented as seamless processes, with the device’s architecture supporting both experimentation and structured composition. Novation’s groovebox ethos is on full display: everything is designed to keep you in the zone, not lost in menus.

The final segment highlights Circuit Rhythm’s deeper sample manipulation capabilities. Dylan loads a breakbeat, uses beat matching to sync it with the project tempo, and slices it for further creative rearrangement. The workflow remains consistent: select, slice, and sequence, with the device handling time-stretching and repitching duties in the background.

Sidechain effects are introduced as a way to add movement and professional polish, ducking melodic and breakbeat tracks against the kick for rhythmic clarity. Further tweaks—distortion, filtering, and grid FX—are applied to individual samples, demonstrating how Circuit Rhythm’s digital architecture supports both subtle refinement and bold, performance-oriented sound design. The result is a track that feels both organic and meticulously crafted, all within the confines of a compact groovebox.