Sample. Make beats. Perform.
Circuit Rhythm is a versatile sampler for making and performing beats. Record samples directly to the hardware, then slice, sculpt and resample your sounds effortlessly. Capture your groove quantised or off-grid into the sequencer, and layer up across eight sample tracks. Invigorate your live set with performance FX: embrace imperfection with lo-fi tape, stutter your mix with beat repeat, and more. Integrate Circuit Rhythm into your studio, or unplug and create anywhere utilising the built-in rechargeable battery.
Making beats, made easy
A powerful and flexible sampler
Find your groove with no limits to your sound. Make beats with high-quality artist sounds out of the box, or plug in your phone, turntable or synths into Circuit Rhythm and record sounds directly to the machine with perfect timing to seamlessly slot into your beat, then process and resample them.
With eight flexible sample tracks you can immediately play back samples however you choose, whether you’re making basslines and melodies, punching in drum grooves, or beat-matching breaks from vinyl.
The perfect performance tool
Bring killer highs and drops to your live sets with a DJ-style master filter and immediate control of a wide range of fully performable Grid FX. Embrace imperfection with Vinyl Simulation & Digitiser, stutter your mix with Beat Repeat and Gater, turn back time with Reverser, and explore new timbres with Auto-Filter and Phaser for a truly dynamic sound.
Make music, anywhere
Bring beats to life wherever inspiration strikes you. Circuit Rhythm’s portability makes it the best friend of the beatmaker on-the-go. With a built-in rechargeable battery and microSD card for expandable storage, you can create, perform and store full length beats all in one place.
Optimised for studio integration
Circuit Rhythm integrates easily into any studio setup. With full-size MIDI IN, sync out, and audio in, partner Circuit Rhythm with your favourite hardware or software and create music without resistance. It’s the perfect modern beatmaking sampler and drum machine to complement your studio workflow.
Take control of your samples
Get hands-on with your samples with controls for distortion, slope, high and low pass filters, and more. Send tracks to lush delay and reverb for huge sounds and make your beats pump with side chain. The master compressor glues your mix together, so your beats are fire every time.
Introducing the Circuit Rhythm Sample Expansion Pack
Explore new genres and create incredible beats with the new Circuit Rhythm Sample Expansion Pack. We’re introducing six new sample packs which include over 550 sounds, spanning vinyl cuts, soul chords, beats and organic instrumentation. All come royalty-free, so you can get started building new tracks with Circuit Rhythm, at no cost for owners and directly downloadable from Components.
Manage your music with Components
Novation Components is Circuit Rhythm’s online companion that makes it easy to back up and manage your projects, samples, and Grid FX templates in one convenient place. Designed to work seamlessly with your device, you can keep your custom sample library organised with cloud back up, and make the most of sample packs available to download and use in your productions.
Sample and resample
Record samples directly to the hardware, then slice, sculpt and resample your sounds effortlessly. Perfectly time your sample lengths for easier chopping and make your beats hit right on time.
Slice, reverse, loop, play chromatically, and more
Playback samples however you choose, whether you’re chopping straight from vinyl, making basslines and melodies, or punching in drums.
Match beats in perfect time
Speed your samples up or down with Beat Match to get drum breaks perfectly in time with your project and make your beats flow seamlessly.
Perform with grid FX
Invigorate your live set with performance FX and take hands-on control of every Grid FX parameter. Embrace imperfection with vinyl simulation and stutter your mix with beat repeat.
Create complete arrangements
Store patterns and muted track states to Scenes to quickly build an arrangement for your beat.
Eight sample tracks
Make beats with eight sample tracks, each with their own 32-step patterns, chainable for up to 256 steps per track.
Seamless beatmaking workflow
Go from a sample to a complete beat with ease using the powerful and hands-on sequencer.
Go off grid
Capture your groove quantised or off grid into the sequencer, and keep your beats evolving with probability and pattern mutate.
FX on everything
Douse samples in lush reverb and delay, make your mix pump with sidechain, and add punch with the master compressor.
Comprehensive connectivity
Connect to your studio with full-size five-pin MIDI in, out, and thru, and analogue sync out. Sample to mono, or monitor through stereo out or with headphones.
Never stop creating
Insert a microSD card to save and access thousands of samples and projects.
Go further with Novation Components
Novation Components is the online companion that lets you load samples and back up your work.
Compare Circuit
Circuit Rhythm joins Novation’s growing Circuit family, and takes after the original Novation Circuit, launched in 2015, bolstered by amazing new features. To compare Circuit Rhythm alongside Circuit and Circuit Tracks and to find the groovebox with the right features for you, check out our comparison page.
Tech Specs
Sound Engine & Sequencer
- Maximum Polyphony (8 voices)
- Recordable Samples = 4096 (128 samples x 32 Packs [1 internal Pack / 31 Packs on micro SD Card])
- Patterns (8 patterns x 8 tracks x 64 projects x 32 Packs)
- Max Sampling Time (228 seconds per Pack (32 seconds max per pad))
- Import Format (WAV, MP3)
- Pattern Sequencer/Step Sequencer
- Resolution (24ppqn quarter note)
- Pattern length (1/32 note to 64 bars)
- Recording method (Real-time Quantization on/off, Programmable Step Sequencer with Micro-steps/Probability/Mutate)
- Playback direction (forwards, reverse, ping-pong, random)
- Effects (Delay Send with 16 presets, Reverb Send with 8 presets, Side Chain with 7 presets)
- Grid FX (Vinyl Sim, Beat Repeat, Reverse, Filter, Gater, Phaser, Digitiser)
- Sample playback (Slice, Chromatic, One-Shot, Gated, Looped, Reverse)
- 8 macro knobs (Pitch, Start, Length, Envelope, Overdrive, HP Filter, LP Filter, Resonance), Master volume
- Master Filter (High/Low Pass)
Product Hardware Specifications
- 32 RGB backlit velocity-sensitive pads
- 28 RGB backlit tactile click buttons
- Power button with charge status LED
- Rechargeable battery (up to 4 hours battery life)
- Expandable Storage (slot for microSD card (sold separately) for 31 extra packs)
- USB-C socket (power delivery, charging, MIDI)
- Kensington MiniSaver slot
- MicroSD card slot
- 3x MIDI DIN (In, Out, Thru)
- 3.5mm sync out
- L/R Sample In Pair (for recording samples)
- L/R Audio Out Pair
- Headphones out
- 8x endless encoders with RGB indicators
- Master volume pot
- Master filter pot with centre detent
Software Compatibility
- Circuit Rhythm is class compliant so it will work with any modern Mac or Windows PC.
- Load and backup packs, samples, Projects, and Grid FX with Novation Components online or using the standalone application.
Included with Circuit Rhythm
- USB-C cable, USB power supply, Safety information.
Power Requirements
- USB bus powered
- Built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (up to 4 hour run-time). Charge via USB-C port.
Product Dimensions
- 240mm length x 210mm depth x 30mm height (40mm height including knob caps)