10 surprisingly powerful features in the Novation Circuit Mono Station
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
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Here's a full and in-depth review of the Circuit Mono Station by Novation. It's a great sounding analog synth, and in many ways goes where no other analog mono synths have gone before, including multitrack sequencers, paraphonic capabilities and control and much more.
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NOTE: Occasionally I’ll try out affiliate marketing and include affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links. The content of this clip is entirely my opinion, and was not paid for or dictated in any what by the company creating the gear. Without addressing the particulars of products shown here as they might be under NDA, gear shown on this channel may be either sent by the manufacturer, on loan for review or bought at a discount.
![[Eng Sub] NOVATION CIRCUIT TRACKS standalone groovepad and midi controller](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YIpeM-0ak30/mqdefault.jpg)
This is the best watch-and-learn tutorial by a mile!! I would love to see another more in-depth exploration (which you hinted at) now that there have been some useful firmware updates...
^this please!
I'm glad I watched this again. I viewed this video before I got a Mono Station (got it 2 weeks ago) but was already getting a bit frustrated with it. I thought, hey, I'll bet some more loopop might help. Yes, it did. I was thinking while watching, how does he know all this stuff? And you know what? I will bet that he reads the manual. I think I will try that. Thanks again, mister.
I need you to create a series of videos explaining sound engineering and synthesis... an entire electronic music how-to. Just this one video explains things better than many I've seen and this is only about the Mono Station, not even design. Love it! 🎼🎶🎵🖤
Thanks! That's kind of what my book on Patreon does, but noted!
One of the best resources for understanding the possibilities of the CMS. Great to refer back to from time to time. Thanks Loopop!
Man, I absolutely love your musical intros with the unit you're about to review in each video.
But this time the penguin cafe orchestra outro was a real extra treat!
And great review as always, of course.
Dude - your overview videos are amazing. You are really good at this! I’m blown away by this mono station. I was about to buy an Electribe today but this video may well change my direction. It seems like novation is doing a great job innovating right now. While I do love korg (I own a minilogue and a monologue) the accessibility of the synth functions combined with the simplicity of the circuit here is really special. Seems great for a sketch pad with extra oomph- whereas the one thing that has stopped me from getting an electribe already is the ease of use or instant accessibility. Again - love your videos.
Chris Ronan you should get the circuit instead it's awesome!
ended up with the electribe and i love it… but i continue to be surprised at how good the circuit is… i may end up with a mono station.
Chris Ronan can you sequence stuff like you can with the mono station ? filter cutoff step sequencing for example
So thorough! Thank you for the lesson. Just scored one these for 100 bucks. So versatile 😮
Mmm stolen
Best sonic reviewer hands down👏🏾 love timeline info.
Leon Ardos thanks.... (blushing)
Most in-depth and most useful presentation for this device. Thanks!
great work as always--just saw your Patreon and book and will be getting today; thank you!
*** two things for new users that I've just run into: 1) video mentions that to disconnect the envelope from amplitude you need to turn the depth knob; you must turn it counterclockwise (clockwise won't do it); 2) if you don't have an updated firmware, the combo of "clear" and a "depth" knob move (@ 9:15) will not clear the modulation--worth mentioning even now as (some?) new units just going out still have old firmware that this important move doesn't work with
Thanks for the comment and your support!
This video is very helpful Thanks! I wachted other video’s of this channel and you really know your gear and can clearly explain how things are working. Awesome job(s)!
This is so handy thanks! I've just got into all of this kind of music and got myself a mono-station as a special offer and really needed something like this to get me started!
Yes, the best instructional synth videos on YT! I always learn so much in 15-20 minutes.
Was never considering this box before this video, but now...
Really like the outro sequence, btw.
Thanks so much ;)
I got this! Its a awesome synth for bass!
Wow I have never heard anyone sounding so happy and excited while talking about patches and LEDs :D
I love your feature videos and tutorials, always great to see different perspectives of the goodies and tricks inside.
Pterrordon12 thanks for the comment - I'll keep making them then ;)
Easier the best video for this machine. No surprise though, you're always on point.
Nice tricks! I was playing with Mono station for a month quite tightly and thought I know most of it but still discovered a few treaks I was not aware of: changing pattern starts, using glides, swing sync and practical use of mod seq (it's not so intuitive to use short pattern lengths and high speeds there) and the same for param locks (I was aware of them but could not imagine what I can do with that). Thanks a lot for sharing!
The video I've been looking for!
By far the best demo!
Loopop! Mate/Star....I own two of these n bored n this came up (its not like I havent watched lol) but heck yeah those sliders are rock solid...for live stuff....ooooo....YES...why didnt I get that use lfo but for some things .....ahhh thats why we need you LOOPOP Ya Star....Happy Holidays....me thinks you just had yours...peace n love n MUCH THANKS from all of us lol!💗🙌🍻
That sequencer is crazy powerful with the parameter locks! I wonder why it wasn’t more populara
Oh my god the scale/transposition feature sounds like the music to a 16-bit JRPG
Your demos are really excellent
thanks man,that was very helpful
Really lovely video! Super considered - super helpful!
Excellent. Thanks for sharing!
18:58 This is one of my 5 little reasons why I didn't end up selling it or trading it in for something else. It was quite a surprise to me especially considering I paid like $250 or $260 CAD for this synth on Kijiji. At the time it appealed to me as a portable makeshift groovebox (despite the aesthetically repulsive multicoloured look of a 90-s toy LOL). But listening to a piece of music made on CSM it's difficult to not appreciate just how varied the sequences are and (if you're the composer of said piece of music) - how little time or effort they took to program. All that in this super-minimalistic machine which lacks even as little as a tiny LCD screen. Years later I still go back to its sequencer rather often and it's super useful thanks to its GATE/CV/CLOCK ports.
Aah!!! PCO outro for the win!!! 👍🏻 👍🏻
Great video, thanks for the info
the best video about this device , in combination with the user's manual from novation everything becomes clear ...
For those interested ( even if you have other synth than this one ) in the "circuit mono station"'s manual there's many pages about every details you need to know to understand in depth what substractive synthésis is about ( from page 59 ) , even if we already use and understand most of the notions needed build sound in synthesizer , this synthesis course in this manual reprecise a lot of notions that
makes everything clear in mind . i am not that deep into synthesis (worked for 6 years just with a volcabass for my bass synth) , since LOOPOP tutorial on Pigments , and then on other synths , i decided to invest in a synth a spe higher than this great volca , and this monostation is a little Big Synth , will defo download your book of electronicmusic ideas , big up Loopop !
love Novation stuff @loopop
I feel that if this had a patch bay so it could play with other semi modular or modular synthesizers..... it would have been a home run!
nice you chose that one !
Thank You for the excellent tips and overview of such a powerful little synth,
I love the MonoStation.
I recently got a Peak and want to marry the two but I'm not sure how to do that just yet.
I'm assuming the MonoStation can capably drive other synths,
I'd love to see a video on integrating sequencers/synths together.
Would love to see Novation make a Circuit *Polystation* in the future,
such news would elicit a shout of joy from me.
& that kind of news is what the world could use right about now.
Great video, thx!
excellent video
I was just about to take a photo of mine and sell it, as I bought it from Novation at half price, but thought I'd watch this first. The closing sequence alone is enough to make me seriously reconsider this decision. There's way more potential than I gave it credit for. Previously I'd only had it out of the box for a couple of hours, but now I'm looking at my MB2s and wondering which will suit my needs best. At this point I'm not entirely sure what's gonna end up in the classifieds, cos I can't afford to keep both. I know what I'm going to be doing for the next few days anyway!
it's a synth you can play in the dark.
it's the synth that plays itself in the dark, while I learn about synthesis while I watch, or trail and error the knobs.
it's the synth that also triggers the arpeggiator in Omnisphere in some very unusual ways.
it's the only hardware synth I own that doesn't have tuning 'quirks"
Just traded a Toraiz AS-1 for one of these. I like the cv stuff and the seq
Thank you indeed
Nice! Ain't that "Perpetuum Mobile" by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra at the end? Tasty selection.
TheEstateOfHoHu thanks! Yes it is - a great tune, works well duophonically, not to mention with a sequencer that can handle 15/16...
you can use parameter locks on the circuit aswell.thanks for that!
One thing I figured out on my own (didn't recall reading about it in the manual or hearing you mention it in the video unless I blanked out at that time) is that by default, the ENV is pre-routed to AMP. If you select ENV and AMP and turn the knob to the left, it disabled it and changes the AMP to gate mode (like the SH-101).
A few things I hope they add are the ability to change the SUB OSC to different waveforms and octaves, and the ability to colour code patches like you can sessions. Overall I've been so happy with the mono station as it's an awesome companion to the OG Circuit.
the feedback loop idea is amazing although you should've used a different sound to demonstrate it. chaos can be subtle to speaker-blowing powerful, and carefully combined with the ring mod, noise, etc. there's a lot of timbres to be explored with can't be done with standard analog oscillators and filters.
feel free to link to a video showing this!
You should have your own synth classes . I guess you do though youtube . Great clear and easy to comprehend video . Awesome work !
Would really like to see the Mono Station sequencing external gear, via MIDI Out, CV Out, Clock/Sync Out.
The new firmware, 1.2? supposedly allows for Notes in the ModSeq thus giving the Mono Station 3 full sequencers!!!
The second LFO with mod sequencer would be perfect if it was possible to record mod depth directly into mod sequencer instead of osc 1 sequencer. Would be great to have a new feature allowing this and switching between sequencer mod depth source by pressing Shift + Amp (to stay consistent with 1.2 features switching layout). Shift + Filter will then of course switch on retriggering of mod sequencer with each note haha :)
a new circuit ?!? i didnt see it coming !
if it have more features than the previous one for a fair price, i bet it will be a success!
Snorky Mescaline it's different - not a new Circuit, it's a combination of the Circuit sequencer and the Bass Station analog synth
Ho i see it know ! I understand how they can come out with that ! Seems a good move from Novation.
They seems to have adopted the circuit design as a new standard.
I can see a circuit 2 coming next with more sample based capabilities, more tracks...
Even if I didn't like the video, I'd still have to give you a thumbs up for Perpetuum Mobile.
Awesome ending with Avicii R.I.P.
This demo made me bid on one...and maybe a stupid question from a newbie on synths, but can one make a long drone going with this? - maybe even a paraphonic drone? ;)
yes and yes - I don't remember how.... but I'm sure it's possible... enjoy!
@@loopop i won the auction.. ;)
@@loopop As far as I can tell, the drone/tie-over functionality of the OG circuit (under shift+Gate) is not present on the MS. You can slow down a pattern by a factor of 4 though, so that may alleviate the issue a bit.
I'm obviously missing something, but I really don't understand how you've got this connected. I understand you have the line out connected to the audio in for feedback (which is a brilliant idea!), but other than that, the only connection I see is the power. So, how exactly is this making any sound?
Oh shit, just saw that there's a headphone jack at the bottom!
I got one of these recently. the drum kit in the first sequence?...from the monostation? (I dont see any other gear or even a cable out) and that final sequence...scratching my head how it sounds like 3 tracks. oh well. This is old, who can remember...
It’s all using the mono station for sure. Note audio comes out of the headphone output in the front
Hi Loopop, what a perfect dive into the possibilities of the CMS. I‘m in a difficult decission between the Mono Station or the Bass Station 2. Which one did you recommend in which case?
There's no right answer IMHO - it's an individual choice based on what you want/need/will inspire you to play
Great video! Have this unit and cant wait to apply this once I get back home.
Btw, Why do you have that 1/4 bridge from audio in to Out?
I explain in the video - to apply feedback
@@loopop if you're taking the audio output and plugging into the input, how are you hearing anything?
bahhhh, now I see the headphone connected, nevermind!
This video made me buy this little beast. Great video, as always! I especially loved the feedback trick using the Line IN and OUT. One little technical question regarding this before I try it myself however: did You use a TS or TRS cable? Is this important information not to damage the device? Thanks!
Thanks! If I remember correctly I used a TS but please don’t blame me if smoke starts coming out of your synth .... :/
loopop thanks for the prompt reply! Going to look into this. I will post any update here.
Got a reply from Novation on their YT channel. In short: “Absolutely safe”!
Cool - thanks for sharing!
Extra points for the random Seven Nation Army in the middle of the demo
i am not able to initialize the Patch of my mono station .. the Patch button does not blink when i press shift .. Plz help
Would it have killed them to put a small LCD display in the unused space top left? Would make navigation etc a lot easier. Using the pads as a makeshift 'screen' is a gimmick
That Output is 'pseudo-balanced' and they don't mention whether to input is Stereo or Mono. Should I use a Mono or Stereo patchcable to connect the Input and Output for Feedback?
It's a shame I can't find this model anymore
When someone good at properly programming electronic instruments they video demoes for... they begin things off by playing a well programmed example of something of the best performance, scope, sound & features of it, at the intro. I'd put this guy in my act if he was living locally... Good programmer = Good demos...
Hi Loopop, I would like a MFB Tanzbär 2 tutorial for Christmas please.
I would love to give such gifts but I've looked at the manual and explored one for a few days, and regardless of how good it may sound, I frankly just found it too difficult to learn and use, with and without a manual. Could I have figured it out? Sure. I prefer to focus on more approachable alternatives.
@@loopop Understood. That famous German logic is nevertheless godamn tangled in Tanzbär 2. I shall rely on my own explorations with it. The nice thing is how good it sounds at all steps of the convoluted workflow.
@@girlinagale ha to give some credit to German logic I’ve reviewed very well designed and documented German instruments like Iridium, Maschine and Ableton Live.
This thing looks so rad. How do you think it would pair with my Novation Launchkey 49?
Pretty sure all novation products are made to work with each other beautifully...
Do you have a vid on using a key step with the mono?
So thats Where the music to commodore 64 games like ghostn goblings came from.. sweeet
Really good video. I have a question. Can you use the automation sequencer to put different LFO rates on specific steps? I want to make a dubsteppy lead/bass line that has rhythmic "wubs" at different points in the sequence and then, if I change the melody, the LFO rhythm stays the same for the new pattern. Is that something the Monostation can do?
Yep. Or use the parameter locks as shown at the end of the vid.
Oops! I accidentally hit the dislike button on my rather cramped phone screen instead of the like button.I hope it may have cleared when I pressed it a second time? Thanks for taking the time to explain this alarmingly good little synth - your clear presentation is perfect for a synth rookie such as myself.
And the drums are where?
Strange when it's called groove box and yet the drums are either hidden beneath the complex systems, or they are simply not the core emphasis supporting the sound synthesis like a true groove box should do.
Pretty machine though but big big big shame that there isn't any significant drums to bring it's overall score up.
Hi, could you compare TB3 and Circuit Mono Station? Thanks
Great Intro vid to mono station I have a couple of Q's tho. What does Mutate do? and how do you nudge notes in a pattern?
Richard E Stuart Thanks! Mutate randomly reaaranges the notes but does it permanently (unlike the random playback mode which doesn't make permanent changes). There's no nudge like in the "regular" circuit to my knowledge
I see, thanks for the quick response...,I see, I wondered what happened to all my patterns, I was thinking that was a random feature for all the settings....hmm that probably needs to be less destructive I think, or I need to take more care. Surely there is enough space in pattern settings for a left and right nudge buttons? there are 4 unused. I feel a feature request coming on!
can you MIDI map the knobs to software synths? and does it have different pages so you can have up to 40ish MIDI mapped knobs like in your Novation Groove Box vid? thanks
Too bad they ditched sample playing ability. In my opinion, sample playing would have put this over-the-top and been an automatic buy for me. I now have to go with the plain circuit.
Agreed. I wouldve been happy sampling an 808 and 909 there and holy moly this thing wouldve been AMAZING!
I'm going to respectfully disagree. This is almost a Bass Station II synth with the Circuit format and killer sequencing. The new OS adds patch flipping to the P-lock options. Quite frankly at this price point, this kicks ass. Hell, you could always get a Volca Sample and clock it with the Mono Station if you really need sample playback. Otherwise, complaining that a synthesizer doesn't have sampling capabilities is kind of silly.
@@eddievanheinous666 Is using the word "silly" respectful? I hear you but I feel like circuit plus mono station plus sample playback would have been something I couldn't resist. Also they already have these things in the regular circuit so not so silly to think it could be included.
@@gammalikeveryultra The point of saying "respectfully" prior to saying something that could be misconstrued as being disrespectful is to point out that that isn't the intention #themoreyouknow
What were you using for the audio output here?
I forget - either the line or the headphones
@@loopop no the question is: what is that black cable loop you have put on the top left?
@@giobifasoli I explain it in the video - it’s a fun feedback trick
Another question; there isn't a reverse saw as lfo wafeform, but maybe we could have a reverse saw if the mondulation 's amont is negative ? i like reverse saw on a filter, it give that cool pump effect...
Thomas Billiou yes of course you can modulate all the LFO waveforms with negative or positive depth - sidechain all you want ;)
Another top video. I know this as a mixer section, but does it have a mixer section the the original circuit, where you can mute patterns for when jamming?
John Chesters thanks very much. There's no mute button but you can lower the volume of each of the six different sound sources to zero, so it's effectively the same thing
Thanks for confirming 👍
just one thing,if you plug the output in the input,from where do you get the sound out from??
If you look at the bottom left, you see the headphone jack symbol and his line out. It is 1/8" - I use a cable with a 1/8" jack on one end and a 1/4" jack on the other end for my mixer.
Nice! How did you recorded the audio while you had connected the audio out to audio in?
There’s a headphone output on the bottom
Is there a full version of this cover of perpetuum mobile somewhere??
no sorry
Great video man, but gotta ask, how the heck did you record this with the only visible lead going from line out to external in?!
What am I missing? *slightly embarrassed*
Thanks! You’re missing the headphone out on the bottom
@@loopop Ah, thank you! As you can guess, I'm not (yet) an owner of one of these, even though they're currently on sale for a very reasonable price. :-)
How do I live record a pattern longer then 16 steps?
Can I play it like you, and then use it as a fx module and put it in my fx chain in the mixer? Can I do it simultaneously?
En Marta Ordowska if I understood correctly then yes
This device could have been absolute best if it had the ability to (re)sample the synth engine into it.
Hi. In this video you say that there are eight modulation destinations but I'm only seeing six destination buttons in the Modulation Matrix section. What am I missing?
It’s been a while since I made this but I don’t recall any mistakes otherwise I would have posted a correction in the description. What minute in the video are you taking about?
My bad th-cam.com/video/u8s2j-LjbcA/w-d-xo.html - I didn't realise that independent assignment of 2/6 destinations to Oscillator 2 adds up to 8 destinations. Thanks.
Cool!
expect more growth, i'm taking a screenshot of the subcount for later reference.
How many shift commands? Peace 🛸🎶👽✌🏻👍🏻Christo
Good
Anyone know if you can record motion sequencing into an empty slot and play the synth notes over the sequence (as with the minilogues)?
Just tried it. It works fine.
How are you getting audio without using the line out? I see you have line out plugged into audio in and the power supply hooked up but nothing else, I'm a little confused.
There's a headphone output in the front
@@loopop oh duh! No reviews seem to mention a headphone out, only the line.
Is this a replacement for the Circuit? Or in addition to...
it is a different beast with similar sequencer.
Is there any concern with feeding back into itself getting too hot/strong and potentially damaging the circuit? I'm basing my fear on a friend frying his mixer doing the same thing during a noise set.
first, I don’t want to take responsibility for anything.... So don’t do it if you don’t feel comfortable with it. That said, it’s an audio input so I have no problem plugging line/headphone level audio into it. Keeping my fingers crossed...
@@loopop that's fair. i'll just look into it more and use cheap mixers for frying till then (; great video by the way
Thanks ;)
can you record automatizations of the parameters without input notes?
yes
If i am on paraphaonic mode 1, and i only play with the purple keyboard, do i can hear the two osc like a classic mono synth with two osc ?
Thomas Billiou yes
11:15 how on earth do you play the 2 OSC together? On mine when I hold a note on OSC1, and also play a note on OSC2 the latter steals it and I can only hear OSC2. Paraphonic mode is on, firmware 1.2 . I just don't get it
did you find a solution?
@@errorkit Same problem?
@@Turbo_TechnoLogic mine arrives tmrw - so you didn't found one?
@@errorkit Well honestly at that time no, and I haven't used it much since then in a way that I would need this. But I will give it another go and you can also report if you succeed
@@Turbo_TechnoLogic solved it. Had the Same Issue - you have to activate the Retrigger Env Option. (Press Shift + PWM so PWM is lit) - no "voice stealing" effect which was just the reTriggering. Let me know if it worked!
can this also be used as a groove box like the circuit?
No
Nice one thanks for that, is there any particular reason you have the audio output routed back to the audio input connector.?
yes it's for feedback as explained in the video
Please, this machine and the clock in out is compatible whit my tr-606? (Sorri my english)
You can sync with analog clock in/clock out (one 3,5 mm jack each) at rates of 1,2,4,8,or 24 ppqn. It is even possible to run any or all of the three sequencers at different speeds relative to the internal (or external master) clock. So even if your drum machine for some strange reason doesn't support any of those rates, there is a workaround. Also supports Midi-Din and Midi-USB.
What else do you need to run the Mono station cause I️ only have a computer
Haizen Forero you don’t need anything - not even a computer
Creating loopback from output to input looks promising - however is it going to damage your input on high volume/filter resonance levels or is it safe to do?
I believe it's safe but you do this at your own risk...
Thanks for this! I’m wanting to have my Mono Station and Circuit communicate a bit more than just the sync clock. Any suggestions on some routing that would help them compliment each other better? Also if I use the audio input it basically means I can’t do anything with osc1 other than a 16 step drone
Aaron Garcia I wouldn’t route the input - do bass on Mono Station, pads melodies and drums on circuit and you’re all set ...
Hey Loopop, Do you know how to do a factory reset? For some reason i cant record automation anymore. Hoping a reset wil fix it
No sorry... check the manual
@@loopop Thanks for your reply. I found the problem.. stupid mistake. Im having heatwave problems. THNX!