I got my Cirklon at the end of 2022 after close to a 5 year wait. As luck would have it, I actually ended up winning a Perfect Circuit contest for the Torso T-1 a few months later. Having just gotten the Cirklon and having owned most of the most enviable sequencers out there (Pyramid, most every Elektron, other hardware I’m now forgetting, lots of eurorack, and too much software), I figured I’d sell the T-1. But I actually found it to be the perfect complement to the Cirklon. The Cirklon is very deliberate, setting up routing and parameters in advance and designed to make tracks with high complexity with a lot of gear and maybe a more old school approach in how it can favor multitimbral or rack gear. The T-1 on the other hand is more immediate in approach, easy to just sort of pick a few pieces of gear and assign them and twist some knobs to get an interesting sequence you maybe wouldn’t have otherwise found. That said, I use the Cirklon daily and find it to be the solution for me that other sequencers weren’t in the past, but on those days I just want to make some mutant techno or explore a different approach I do appreciate plugging the T-1 into my midi patchbay and seeing where it takes me.
Great to hear someone with one of the modern sequencers, appreciating that each are like instruments, and have their place and time in a particular set up. I enjoy the T1 and the OxiOne quite a bit. What I'm hoping to achieve with the Cirklon is something suited for live and deep control / manipulation. I find that the magic of the T1 is its simplicity; it's not as much a generative tool as the OxiOne or Cirklon. It seems perfect for drums and getting a few melodies and voices going to build a track around. The other two, on the other hand, strike me as the type of devices that add color, depth, and texture to what the T1 can do. The Cirklon, seemingly capable of doing all of the above, though with a bit more of a learning curve, appears as the ultimate performance tool. I'm curious if its forced constraints on how you set up tracks initially will impact the outcome of finished compositions. At least I've heard it is great at that.
I love the combination of the Cirklon 2 and the Koma Komplex. Both powerful, but the depth of the Cirklon is unmatched and the Komplex is quick to get stuff going and still flexible.
As a Cirklon user, I can attest to needing to take time to learn the machine and even now, after 8 years with it, I am still learning what i can do with certain features and indeed discovering features I have never explored before. I have to respectfully disagree with you, for me, Cirklon is actually a lot of music making fun. For my fairly substantial time investment, it has paid me back many times over. if you haven't made it to pay back, IMO it's a question of either investing more to get there or giving up now. I would suggest you go more, especially if you're an IT guy as lots of logic to play with and the results are worth it IMO.
100 to all of this. I'm definitely in that period where I'm trying to figure out if the time & money investment is worth it for me. The answer will be different for everybody.
If I want to control, say 16 tracks on the Digitakt, would I create an instrument for each track, labelled "Drums", with a dedicated channel? Or would I create a single instrument then have each track between the Cirklon and Digitakt mapped to the same channel?
I don't know much abou the Digitakt but you can do either or some combo. Makes sense on things like drums where you may want multiple sequences (kick, snare, hi-hat) pointed to the same drum track. Depends on what makes sense for your setup?
What is that thing you have to mount your pedals on? I've been searching forever for somehting to mount them on - other than a shelf. I've always considered the Cirklon as unobtainium - so why bother? And yeah... screw the menu diving. I bought a SQ-64 and used it for a while and now it sits in some drawer somewhere. I own a MachineDrum (the original) and I can just sit down and get things done immediately.
I think its just a regular pedaltrain board, nothing special. Understand about the sq64 and perhaps I'd do same if the cirklon didn't have unique capabilities. Still, Cirklon v1s are avail used and cheaper -- wish I had gone that route TBH.
I have my name on the Cirklon list because a powerful and useable modular sequencer take up too much space in your skiff. In the meantime I am using Oxi One which I like it just needs 16 gates and CV instead of the 8.
That's a good shout -- modular sequencers should have CV in, for the most part. I have a Mutable Marbles but I'd say in general, I didn't go modular because for me, modular output is harder to control and compose with. Seems to lend itself to exploration but trying to sculpt that down is a challenge.
@@MKDVB love my Erica Synths Black Sequencer that shares many features of Cirklon for modular and Winter Modular Eloquencer so good for eurorack sequencers!
try a vector sequencer, does 80% of cirklon (and something that cirklon doesn't do, like free gate arp, more cv ins) it's smaller, cheaper and easier to work with.
I bought an Oxi One recently hoping it would replace my Cirklon but it's super lacking in so many areas. So many things that are so simple to do on the Cirklon it simply can't do.
For sure, the wait is ridiculous, but if you can, I'd recommend just putting your name on the wait list, and forgetting all about it, that's what I did and when my name came up, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to buy it.
Bluearp dm mk1 does what you want. You change keys all the other synths change key with you. I also hate computers so i go dawless into a tascam model 24
If you can solder, the MIDIbox Seq v4 is at least as powerful, much easier to build than it looks like, has many more features broken out to dedicated controls (depending on the panel design; the V4+ layout is kind of Cirklon inspired has more menu diving than the older layouts), and pretty inexpensive depending on the choices you Make for the enclosure. I went with milled aluminum for a standard front panel and self-designed rear panel and it almost doubled the cost of the build (but it was still only around $600 total). I've looked at the Cirklon a lot over the years. It's obviously a really high quality sequencer but even if the price and wait time weren't prohibitive there's just too much menu diving for me (and I'm a big Octatrack user, so that's saying something). Those buttons seem really nice, though.
Thanks for the tip. I'm very basic when it comes to soldering. Cirklon probably isnt more menu divey than Octa but Elektron boxes are more intuitive and consistent which helps alot.
I love Elektron gear in general, even though I think I work best with only one in my rig. But the Elektron sequencer isn't enough for the way I like to flow.
@juliaseppi2205 definitely a reasonable suggestion. I feel like it's one of those situations where I want to be absolutely sure because it's not easy to get hands on ine and it can do things no other hardware seq can do.
@@MKDVB The way I see Cirklon is that I don't think its meant to be fun. Yet its a power house for sequencing. I've had mine ten years now and I wouldn't say I've mastered it yet it does everything I need and more. I'd say give it some time before you decide. Anyways I'm never ever going to sell mine, I'll probably do an upgrade on it to version 2, cheers.
I'm on your side, brother, but you unlock the potential of any device only after you remove the protective film from the screen.
You don’t get frustrated with Cirklon. Cirklon gets frustrated with you. Specially the v2.
I got my Cirklon at the end of 2022 after close to a 5 year wait. As luck would have it, I actually ended up winning a Perfect Circuit contest for the Torso T-1 a few months later. Having just gotten the Cirklon and having owned most of the most enviable sequencers out there (Pyramid, most every Elektron, other hardware I’m now forgetting, lots of eurorack, and too much software), I figured I’d sell the T-1. But I actually found it to be the perfect complement to the Cirklon. The Cirklon is very deliberate, setting up routing and parameters in advance and designed to make tracks with high complexity with a lot of gear and maybe a more old school approach in how it can favor multitimbral or rack gear. The T-1 on the other hand is more immediate in approach, easy to just sort of pick a few pieces of gear and assign them and twist some knobs to get an interesting sequence you maybe wouldn’t have otherwise found. That said, I use the Cirklon daily and find it to be the solution for me that other sequencers weren’t in the past, but on those days I just want to make some mutant techno or explore a different approach I do appreciate plugging the T-1 into my midi patchbay and seeing where it takes me.
Great to hear someone with one of the modern sequencers, appreciating that each are like instruments, and have their place and time in a particular set up. I enjoy the T1 and the OxiOne quite a bit.
What I'm hoping to achieve with the Cirklon is something suited for live and deep control / manipulation. I find that the magic of the T1 is its simplicity; it's not as much a generative tool as the OxiOne or Cirklon. It seems perfect for drums and getting a few melodies and voices going to build a track around.
The other two, on the other hand, strike me as the type of devices that add color, depth, and texture to what the T1 can do.
The Cirklon, seemingly capable of doing all of the above, though with a bit more of a learning curve, appears as the ultimate performance tool.
I'm curious if its forced constraints on how you set up tracks initially will impact the outcome of finished compositions. At least I've heard it is great at that.
I have both as well. What do you sequence with the Torso vs Cirklon, drums?
@@VINYLCRATE Hapax is my favorite but have not tried the others
I love the combination of the Cirklon 2 and the Koma Komplex. Both powerful, but the depth of the Cirklon is unmatched and the Komplex is quick to get stuff going and still flexible.
As a Cirklon user, I can attest to needing to take time to learn the machine and even now, after 8 years with it, I am still learning what i can do with certain features and indeed discovering features I have never explored before. I have to respectfully disagree with you, for me, Cirklon is actually a lot of music making fun. For my fairly substantial time investment, it has paid me back many times over. if you haven't made it to pay back, IMO it's a question of either investing more to get there or giving up now. I would suggest you go more, especially if you're an IT guy as lots of logic to play with and the results are worth it IMO.
100 to all of this. I'm definitely in that period where I'm trying to figure out if the time & money investment is worth it for me. The answer will be different for everybody.
If I want to control, say 16 tracks on the Digitakt, would I create an instrument for each track, labelled "Drums", with a dedicated channel?
Or would I create a single instrument then have each track between the Cirklon and Digitakt mapped to the same channel?
I don't know much abou the Digitakt but you can do either or some combo. Makes sense on things like drums where you may want multiple sequences (kick, snare, hi-hat) pointed to the same drum track. Depends on what makes sense for your setup?
What is that thing you have to mount your pedals on? I've been searching forever for somehting to mount them on - other than a shelf.
I've always considered the Cirklon as unobtainium - so why bother? And yeah... screw the menu diving. I bought a SQ-64 and used it for a while and now it sits in some drawer somewhere.
I own a MachineDrum (the original) and I can just sit down and get things done immediately.
I think its just a regular pedaltrain board, nothing special. Understand about the sq64 and perhaps I'd do same if the cirklon didn't have unique capabilities. Still, Cirklon v1s are avail used and cheaper -- wish I had gone that route TBH.
Thanks for this
Have you used/tried/considered a modular sequencer ?
I have my name on the Cirklon list because a powerful and useable modular sequencer take up too much space in your skiff. In the meantime I am using Oxi One which I like it just needs 16 gates and CV instead of the 8.
That's a good shout -- modular sequencers should have CV in, for the most part. I have a Mutable Marbles but I'd say in general, I didn't go modular because for me, modular output is harder to control and compose with. Seems to lend itself to exploration but trying to sculpt that down is a challenge.
@@MKDVB love my Erica Synths Black Sequencer that shares many features of Cirklon for modular and Winter Modular Eloquencer so good for eurorack sequencers!
try a vector sequencer, does 80% of cirklon (and something that cirklon doesn't do, like free gate arp, more cv ins) it's smaller, cheaper and easier to work with.
does it have polyrhythm and interpolation like Toraiz Squid?
I bought an Oxi One recently hoping it would replace my Cirklon but it's super lacking in so many areas. So many things that are so simple to do on the Cirklon it simply can't do.
the 3+ year waiting list is the most frustrating aspect of the Cirklon! No other sequencer has this much hype and wait.
For sure, the wait is ridiculous, but if you can, I'd recommend just putting your name on the wait list, and forgetting all about it, that's what I did and when my name came up, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to buy it.
Process not product is a healthy mindset for sure
Bluearp dm mk1 does what you want. You change keys all the other synths change key with you. I also hate computers so i go dawless into a tascam model 24
Spend more time with it bud. Once you get the muscle memory and can navigate the UI the Cirklon becomes more Fun
sold mine. very happy with an Oxi One
If you can solder, the MIDIbox Seq v4 is at least as powerful, much easier to build than it looks like, has many more features broken out to dedicated controls (depending on the panel design; the V4+ layout is kind of Cirklon inspired has more menu diving than the older layouts), and pretty inexpensive depending on the choices you Make for the enclosure. I went with milled aluminum for a standard front panel and self-designed rear panel and it almost doubled the cost of the build (but it was still only around $600 total).
I've looked at the Cirklon a lot over the years. It's obviously a really high quality sequencer but even if the price and wait time weren't prohibitive there's just too much menu diving for me (and I'm a big Octatrack user, so that's saying something).
Those buttons seem really nice, though.
Thanks for the tip. I'm very basic when it comes to soldering. Cirklon probably isnt more menu divey than Octa but Elektron boxes are more intuitive and consistent which helps alot.
Your right. Its work like sitting behind a desk. No spontaneity.
I find it quite fast to work with. Once you have your head around it I think it’s as easy to use an Elektron unit.
Elektron is the way to go
I love Elektron gear in general, even though I think I work best with only one in my rig. But the Elektron sequencer isn't enough for the way I like to flow.
Just sell it and move on ?
@juliaseppi2205 definitely a reasonable suggestion. I feel like it's one of those situations where I want to be absolutely sure because it's not easy to get hands on ine and it can do things no other hardware seq can do.
@@MKDVB The way I see Cirklon is that I don't think its meant to be fun. Yet its a power house for sequencing. I've had mine ten years now and I wouldn't say I've mastered it yet it does everything I need and more. I'd say give it some time before you decide. Anyways I'm never ever going to sell mine, I'll probably do an upgrade on it to version 2, cheers.
Awesome closing statement