The Best Grooveboxes for Beginners (2023)
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- My top recommendations for the best grooveboxes and standalone music workstations for beginners (either new music producers or people first getting into hardware) in 2023.
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00:00 Intro
00:36 Koala Sampler
01:46 Novation Circuit Tracks
03:33 Original Novation Circuit
04:32 Novation Circuit Rhythm
05:47 Roland MC-101
07:27 Native Instruments Maschine
10:03 Akai MPC One
10:43 Honorable Mentions
12:27 Probably don't buy the OP-1
13:27 What to keep in mind going forward
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Roland MC-101: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
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Always appreciate the knowledge you’re willing to share, Gabe. Thank you.
Thank you for making this video! Amazing how clear you provide all the info... superrrrr
Man it’s crazy I’ve been following for years now cause of the mc101. Happy to see how your channel grew and still putting out quality.
Great insight, especially for beginners! I’ve always dabbled with Groovebox’s while maintaining my DAW focus for my main work. For iOS, I found Drambo to be the most capable AND for Mac or PC I feel the Maschine Mikro is still very capable for a reasonable price. I mean, the Native Instruments world is huge and limitless. Similarly, Drambo on an iPad has no limits and works with all iOS music apps including Koala.
Thanks for this really great (informative as well as entertaining) video!
Your recommendation for the Novation Circuit Tracks made me curious. Have to check out this thing.
You are awesome keeping it simple and clear for everyone. thank you
I'd rate the Electribe higher for beginners, we use it to teach the basics and it works great. It's limited, but has a great, logical work flow and no hidden menus. Yes it's limited, but that's actually a positive in terms of a beginner experience.
Dude your content is excellent 👏🏽. Thank you very much this is extremely helpful!
If you don't know what to choose, then Circuit Tracks is almost certainly a safe choice. I've been having fun with it for a few years already.
been having a crazy amount of fun with the electribe 2 and a couple volcas. might have to pick up the electribe 2 sample as well.
I've been a DAW fanatic for ages, then I bought a Volca Beats.. now I'm drifting into hardware, I grew up on a U20, TG33, and an Oberheim drum machine.. wow I'm old! Thanks for this video, it really helped!
Do you make full songs, like you would in a DAW, or just 4 and 8 bar beats and loops?
@@JeffyG Right now, just beats.. soon I'll be getting either a couple more Volcas (bass and FM 2), or an SP-404... money willing!
@@JeffyG As soon as I have the rest of the hardware, I'll be recording live jams. Volcas into a micro-mixer in an M-Audio Duo ADC into my computer. Fairly retro.
MC-707 feels like a true Groovebox, it has faders, lots of options and feels like an instrument you can use to perform live. I got mine on the used market for 600$ it's a steal deal. MPC one is a great but you have to use the touch screen 90% of the time
I've had the Maschine Mk.2 for years and never really got into using it quite as intended and just basically used it for the knobs and pads and controlled the software with my mouse/keyboard. Just got the Mk.3 a few weeks ago and went through the three incredibly detailed tutorial videos they posted on CZcams, and WOW I never truly realized just how powerful and easy to use it is from the Mk.3 controller. I also have Ableton Live and Push 2, and while you can literally do anything as it's a full fledged DAW, Maschine is just so fast and powerful and easy to use standalone. I don't think anyone would really need much more from a groove box than it.
Currently using My Mk3 as the Brain of my studio with FLStudio21 alongside
The Step up fr Maschine MK2 to MK3 greatly improved workflow
this is very well presented and will help alot of people well done you:D
Gabe droppin KNOWLEDGE, definitely referring back to this next time im in the market for a groovebox.
I have a Circuit and really enjoy it. My groovebox of choice is an iPad with Korg Gadget (maybe with NanoKey controller for hardware control). That's what I always turn to first. It's a gateway to other stuff too. I'd also called the Roland JD-Xi a groovebox, even though it has a keyboard attached to it.
@Jaz tha Goron I did a whole album on it: music.czcams.com/play/OLAK5uy_lJPSmwpFuY-zs5GkRenaVk2Zk32jmAjy0.html&feature=share
and a video made on my iPad.
music.czcams.com/video/COqrxRgiWgY/video.html&feature=share
I think the Dirtywave M8 is a good honorable mention as well. It’s probably the most feature-complete groovebox listed (aside from the Maschines). And although trackers can be a bit daunting to someone who’s used to a DAW, I think that a tracker interface might actually be more accessible if someone has never made music before.
I’m a complete novice and this is the route I took. Really enjoying the M8.
A copy of Renoise can be had for a fraction of the price, and would be a great place to try out the tracker workflow before committing to an M8 or Polyend.
I have the headless version as I already had the polyend tracker (which I've sold), but even that is amazing fun plugged into a phone or laptop. Definitely worthy of a mention, good shout.
@@Mookae5 Absolutely, Renoise is a great, cheap DAW. And M8 can be run “headless” on a $30 teensy 4.1 too. Lots of great options to test before committing.
@@Mookae5 Renoise is how I got into trackers, even runs on a Chromebook!
Just bought an Akai Force. Watched a ton of vids including yours before buying so slipped right into it. Just like coding on computer i find all the button press muscle memory easy (my neurodivergent side I imagine). Like it a lot❤
Hi Gabe. Endorse the Circuit Tracks shout out. It is a great piece of kit. Works great with the Volca FM and MicroFreak. Yes, I live at the budget end of town. All the best. B.
Adding +1 on the Elektron Digitakt. They can be affordable if you find a used one. The MPC units were way over my head as a beginner (they still mostly are). Totally agree regarding the OP-1. I use it as a toy. A very expensive toy.
I sincerely think the Deluge is the best groovebox there is, but given its price tag I probably won't recommend it for a start... It is easy to get into though: No pattern limitations and no sample limitations you have to work around, and a fantastic and very visual sequencer.
Sold my Deluge to get a Circuit Tracks and a MC-101 for that price
For me I ended up settling on a MC-707 it was between it the Deluge, and a MPC when I went looking. The MPC when I was shopping around was before the newer plugins dropped for it was too sample focused for me and the Deluge's synth engines just didn't do it for me when I dug into it's abilities and the lack of a screen at the time was a turn off so I settled on the MC-707. Granted I very much fall into the bucket of I've got production experience and was looking for something to use with out having to get a computer involved hence why I was looking at stuff on the higher end of the groovebox market. So far I've loved my MC-707 especially since I started finally building the muscle memory it needs to some extent to get fast with, my only bitch with it is for some sample related stuff I'd like to do it's a bit lacking but I've been considering pairing it with a SP404 MKII for sampling duties.
First of all, congratulations for the channel! Nothing but amazing!!!
I’m looking for a groovebox for playing live melodic techno and some classic electronica, such as Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers. I’ll be connecting a polysynth, a monosynth, a mic, and, if necessary, a drum machine. My main constraint is time (easy of use), and not budget or gear size. Although I don’t have any experience with music production yet, I’ve been playing guitar in rock bands for the last 20 years. I’m also an intermediate pianist, and bedroom DJ.
As I live in Brazil, it’s almost impossible to find and test grooveboxes - most probably I’ll import directly from the USA. I’d really appreciate if you could give me your advice on choosing the most appropriate dawless gear for my needs :)
"rabbit hole"... Bought a Circuit Tracks "for fun" back in September 2022, then a Microfreak in December, a Crave in January as well as buying used pedals and old Alesis rackmount effects, a guitar in March, and now I have a Roland TR-8S in my Sweetwater cart 😅
Flip is a good App option as well. Andrew Huang's offering. Rhythm was my start and it's still a major part of my setup. Basically my drum machine.
Been loving the Maschine plus
Thank you for recommending Koala. A very good place to exxperiment and understand the basics.
its also free on windows!
I picked up a liven XFM late last year and a model:samples shortly after, honestly the duo is surprisingly powerful and capable. However, both have a bit of a learning curve, and the XFM can be quite unruly if you haven't taken the time to learn the workflow. After you figure it out though, it really becomes pretty easy to make a good beat. At less than $300 I do think it's a good buy, and I've learned a lot about FM synthesis just through owning it. Great video Gabe!
I still need to get into the Liven ecosystem, I definitely want to try the Lofi-12 at some point.
Thanks for the video, Gabe. I am glad I came across your channel. I am a newbie, wanting to get into making sample based, boom bap style beats. I thought about the Maschine MK3 or the MPC Studio II (which I notice you didn't mention - that's concerning for me 🤔). For the type of music I am looking to do, would you still recommend the MK3 by Maschine? Also, when you speak of latency, how would I know which computer to purchase that won't create latency with the MK3? Whatever help you can give me, would be amazing. Thank you kindly.
You are very honest with a particularly practical and rather refreshing attitude so your recommendations are most thoughtful, sensible and much appreciated. I am a fellow musician but mainly a keyboard, organ and piano player. However, I also have various other musical gadgets including 3 Korg Volcas (Keys, FM and Sample), 3 TE Pocket Operators (Arcade 20, KO 33 and Speech 35) and a Yamaha SU10 vintage sampler. Please keep up the good work.
I have bee using Maschine since it first came out...I now keep a maschine and MPC One on my desk.
I think Polyend Tracker should be mentioned too - it is pretty intuitive and beginner-friendly groovebox. It has a lot of fun features (FM-radio and random note and fx fills can get you quick and interesting results in a few minutes). And it also has everything to make full songs just on the device, without any additional gear.
Are trackers beginner-friendliy? I mean it's a scrolling table of data, right?
Not at all. LOL especially if you don’t understand music theory and production basics. It will read like Mandarin.
@@towerrunner4675 It's way more simple than it looks, you can clearly see which note, instrument and fx are set in exact step. Polyend made a really good job to make it as intuitive as possible (just watch some jams and reviews, you'll get a pretty good impression)
@@raulgorgulio9834 Will it teach you how to make music like Ableton/Maschine/MPC or even FL studio? Of course not. In this modern day you don't need a tracker even though I myself considering the new mini tracker. I have love for music since I was a kid for family reason I couldn't get really into music until last year and I dedicated alot of time and efforts and spent thousands $ to get hands on experience. I got my engineering degree 7 years so I know exactly how to figure out most of the things I have without a manual or reference but that takes longer unnecessary time so I watch some videos and be on my own. I believe the cheapest way to start is Garageband with very easy setup and comprehensive library and very good demos and tools for beginners which can spark your inspiration and not get frustrated from the get go. Starting from scratch on groovebox have different impact on different people but I can say most of them will get stuck on it and stop exploring especially if money is short.
Tracker on the other hand is just Raw Piano roll just like excel sheet which honestly beginner wouldn't even know what C2/F#3 and what velocity and FX to choose. MPK mini has keys/pads/knobs/cc enough to be able to have hands on with any daw and build database in your head with how actually notes and scale sound and even build a song from loops its okay, from there go anywhere you want get a tracker or even MPC X it doesn't matter. Keep in mind I'm talking about young beginners, if you know your way you know your way buy what makes you happy.
That's my 2 cents.
@@MS7.7 Comparing Polyend Tracker to old tracker software is a bit unfair. Maybe they share the same idea, but Polyend made a lot of effort to make it modern and easy to understand - every button has a label and you know exactly what will happen if you press something (and if you don't, there is an Undo button, so you can easily revert unexpected outcome). I'm a begginer myself, and I didn't have any problems with understanding the Polyend Tracker. The MC-101, for example, felt way more confusing.
My main point here is that the Polyend Tracker deserves more love, people hate it's tracker UI and claiming it to be as confusing as rocket science, and that turns a lot of customers away from the device. But in reality, it's the same piano roll, but in different view, and it takes only a couple of minutes to adjust to it.
Maybe it is not the best starting point for beginners, but I don't think that any groovebox is (maybe except for some POs just because they're cheap and fun, and Novation Circuit because it's also cheap on used market and simple to use).
Really good summary Gabe, thanks.
I started on the OG circuit and a PO-33 - but ultimately it was the OP-Z that really unlocked my enjoyment/skills in groove boxes. I'm still not sure what the next step is from the OP-Z it's so intuitive to me.
I picked up the model:cycles to see if the elektron workflow/sequencer was a worthy successor to the spark components of the OP-Z but in a more robust package and I've been really impressed. I may have accidentally ordered a model:samples too 🙈😂
the op-z is a machine with amazing capabilities but terrible build quality. The build quality comparison against something like a circuit is not even close.
@@randommcranderson5155 agreed, the build quality is atrocious. I got mine quite cheap (pre-bent!! 😂). I think TE are mad to keep pumping out all this toy crap, people are crying out for a grown up version of the OP-Z, elektron seems to be the way to go as I've become such a fan of conditional and per step variability. I don't feel the circuit sequencers quite measure up.
Although I never realised the circuits had probability on them so maybe I'm missing something here.
I can speak on the money pit of gadgets. For about 5 years I was buying a ton of hardware. So many that I rarely ended up using any of them. It was just another useless collection. Something I mistakenly have done my whole life. Buy & collect things, rarely use them because they are valuable/expensive/cool and it becomes more of a meaningless museum of consumerism. lol
When I hit hard times post Covid era I needed money and I will admit these gadgets to have a pretty decent resale value. They were all in such great shape (lack of use by me) that they sold for a decent value and saved my life.
But I did learn what workflow I like best. Of all the devices I had (30+) across all different brands, the Elektron Digitakt was my favorite device hands down. Especially with the most recent updates. Yes, that went recently, but I needed the money. I'll own one again this year for certain. Won't be repurchasing anything else besides another guitar. I still own like 6 DAWs and a ton of plugins so i'm pretty good regardless.
Gave! Great video as always! I would definitely mention pocket operators provided you can get them for a reasonable price. It's such a low entry point into hardware and a great way to tell if this is for you. Also if you are a complete beginner, it's a great introduction to step sequencing and unlocking creativity. I would recommend the PO 33 for it's sampling and slicing abilities and low price point for entry along with massive tutorials and samples available.
Thanks for another great video and inspiration in the Circuit Tracks realm.
Gabe, have you done something similar to this recently with DAW software? I feel like I’ve tried all the major ones except for FL studio, so I’d love to hear your comparative thoughts sometime. Enjoy the videos!
MC707 is a drum machine, a synth and a mixer with effects!
Hello Have, I watch you since you were...childxD your progress and other stuff like resting new Tous is on my opiniom great 👍
Also noteworthy is the 1010music Blackbox. It's a lot like the Circuit Rhythm, but has 16 polyphonic sample/midi (can be either) tracks instead of 8 monophonic, and only has on-board reverb and delay, rather than the Curcuit Rhythm's grid fx. It lacks the ability to param- lock everything per step internally (at least it did in the 2.0 firmware, not sure about currently...) but can of course be sequenced externally to do this. Like Novation, 1010music keeps updating the firmware and adding features. The current 3.0 song mode is quite powerful compared to Novation's rather limited song mode. The touch screen is not velocity sensitive, but it has a nice little slider on the keys page where you can adjust velocity with one hand as you play with the other. The sample slicing and granular synth options are very good, and it can act as its own midi host for usb midi devices.
great video, i appreciate your authentic opinions. i was hoping i'd see your thoughts on the SP-4040 MKII included, would have liked to hear your take on that compared to, say, MPC One
I've tried the SP-404 on camera (I still need to dig back into it), but it didn't strike me as beginner friendly as some of the other options here. That's definitely up for debate though, it has certain features that are very easy to use so people's milage may vary.
It's still less of a rabbithole than Eurorack is.
Modular you need to know what you want and is out there. Just starting out and adding without concept is expensive and often times ends up in disapointment.
GAS is so real with modular. I spent $4,000 on my system and still lusted after more
Euroracks are more rabbit holes than actual rabbit holes
Obviously true, low blow... but fair
True - I recently got a 707 which sounds fat and is fun, and found myself resisting buying an MPC after watching too much Bad Gear.
I'm a "beginner" but i know some things about music production.... I got the Liven LoFi12,.. on the one hand it's cool, on the other it is super deep and not user friendly, maybe just too oldschool to be comfortable if you are a beginner and just want to make some cool beats. I think i may get something like the MPC studio controller as i'm probably not taking it with me anywhere and it's basically the same as an mpc, just using your computer/daw as the interface.
2023 and I still work on my Roland MC-505 & Yamaha SU700 😅
It is more about budget than being a beginner. If finances allow check out the MC-707 and MPC One/Live 2.
As a beginner without a €1000 to spend have a look at MC-101and use it to compare other gear in that price bracket.
nice vid , what about polyend tracker and play, Deluge, Akai Live II, M8, 1010 Blackbox?
Really liked the video man! My only thing is i'm not sure Koala Sampler should really be considered a groovebox without a synth engine, onboard drum sounds etc. More like a sampler with a very simple sequencer a la Roland sp X0X range and earlier MPCs. Lends itself better to beatmaking and sample based stuff. Don't wanna sound like i'm trying to piss on your picnic or anything but just felt that could be a somewhat misleading place for new producers to start if interested in these things. Really enjoy your content so thanks very much and keep it up !
Ipad is the best groovebox of all time.
I have koala sampler version samurai, sugar bytes egoist, jamm pro ninja tune, Groove Rider 16, Triq Traq, , korg paid synths, CMI, Arturia, garage band and free stuff for Logic pro on iOS.
I think that no hardware sampler from Roland, Korg, Akai, Polyend, Elektron, Novation, Teenage Engineering, Pioneer, Sonicware, Native Instruments, will be able to give me so many things at the same time in a single machine with the best quality of materials and touch screen.
It's hard to accept but an ipad M1 is the most brutal madness and only with Logic Pro and Garage Band and allows you to have a condenser microphone to record voices and ambient sounds with great quality and realism in the ambient sound.
I have a lot of gear, but still enjoy Drambo on the iPad, while on the move.
I love my Circuit Tracks, but using the Syntakt a lot now, because of all the extra features. It feels like a groovebox to me.
Yeah I think it's a good one for someone who's more familiar with the ecosystem and really knows what they want.
Loved the video Gabe.... shame no mention of the MV-VerseLabs bud, but massively agree on the money pit point!!! I have at least four of the items you mentioned!! MK3, MV-VLab, MC-101 and 707. And I never give them the amount of love and dedication they deserve.
MV1 is awesome, but not a great beginner option, the work flow isn't intuitive and there's tons of hidden menus. If you know what you're doing, it's killer, kinda Ableton-like in its work flow (seq, section, song is a lot like triggering clips, then triggering lines of clips, then arranging), and it has great sounds, but I would not rate it a beginner device. I really wish the pads were a lot better too.
@@isolabeats4271 I agree it does take time to learn, however like any MPC you have to sometime delve in, and like all of us watch CZcams vids to get any satisfaction. But I will say something, I found the workflow more logical than the AKAI MPC X that I just sold. I simply couldn’t figure that one out. The pads on the MV are reasonable, but again there is only so much floor space the designers have to utilise on these tools, example AKAI force, the pads on those are small but for a reason. You talk of menu diving try using the MC-101 …. Ishhhh that hurts!!!
@@DM43685 don't have the 101 yet, but yeah it's a Roland thing for sure. The 404 is the same, there's tons of settings or features that involve weird combos of buttons, not logical at all. I have to say the MV1 is the harder one tho, pretty sure I still haven't found every menu! My Electribe 2 is the opposite, you can access every thing from the main menu, or use the pads as shortcuts. The pads are way better too. It's a lot more limited, but I love the simplicity, it feels more like an instrument than a Daw in a box.
@@DM43685 I don't know if I got a dud, but the pads on mine are terrible. Really hard, and don't often register hits. Compared to pretty much everything else I use it's pretty terrible. I use an external keyboard instead. It is still killer tho.
@@isolabeats4271 in honesty, I haven’t really checked, but when I get a spare 5 I might do a check between my Roland family to check the difference. Don’t have the 404, but I will add something, I wish Roland would add or design a bigger screen, I think that would solve a lot of issues all round. The largest screen I have is on the MC-707 but still I would yearn for a nice 5” led squared screen to see my work flow, the MV although states can connect to ZenBeats doesn’t and fails every time thus Roland fail in my eyes. I’m sure they will produce or make a MKII for us beat and song producers to poor our hard earned cash into 🤣
SP404MK2 with the pattern sequencing now available might be a good option too
Maschine its like alternative PC, very powerfull workstation.
Have u tried out the toraiz sp-16? I've been watching videos on it and it seems really intuitive and easy to use
Hello! good video! I still can't decide between buying novation circuit tracks or maschine mikro mk3.
The Maschine Mikro MK3 does not have faders or knobs, do you consider that to be a big flaw when doing live looping?
I've been using G-stomper Studio, a $20 android app that seems to have many similarities to the sequencer of the MPC One. I've never tried the MPC One... but judging from what I've seen on CZcams vids. I am considering buying one, but that is an enormous price gap. Along with Caustic and Ableton lite, I've scraped by pretty cheaply.
But I think my next step is going to Guitar Center and trying out some boxes myself.
I started on a MPC one and it’s great! There’s a little bit of a learning curve but really capable and is my main piece to this day
If it's within budget, I'd recommend an Akai Force. It's something the user can really grow with, instead of having to buy more gear later on. It can do the entire song creation process without a computer, including rendering a final .wav at the end... and I find the process quick and intuitive enough that I started and finished a song on my first day. Plus, the clip-based workflow helps people avoid developing a bad habit of getting stuck in loops.
I love the Force, although because of its depth and complexity, I don't necessarily feel comfortable recommending it to beginners, especially someone who has never made electronic music before.
@@GabeMillerMusic Yeah, for someone totally new who doesn't know the concepts yet, an Ableton style device could be a steep learning curve. It would be easier to start with a looper and a cheap synth, like a RC-505 and a Microfreak. Those are a ton of fun, and great for learning and practicing.
Actual useful comments
any thoughts on the sh-4d? i've made music on DAWs for years but i'm in no way a pro. that said, the circuit tracks looks interesting to me because i don't have a ton of money but i'm intrigued by the sh-4d and can probably get one at a little discount.
If I mention the Roland Tr-6s, the SMPLTREK & the Roland MV-1, would you say in your opinion that those are for “completely beginners..?”
OR would you even recommend them to a complete beginner..?
Also, I love your videos- they help me out a lot..
what about the roland verselab? or is that maybe a bit beyond the beginner stage? i have the mc101 but want to get just a bit deeper...
Is it a good idea to connect a groove box to a keyboard korg EK50? Can one of standalone groovebox devices be used as a sequencer / looper for making live edm music? Thx
Good call on the OP-1 field. That thing is worth $700 max. I think at the end of the day, just be happy with what you have and learn it well. There's plenty of music to make with any of these devices (and many more not mentioned).
Is it possible to use the Aerophone pro apps .aezl files in the Mc 101 so that I can use the sound I made in other wind controllers
PO-133 with pro case and big knobs here. Best value for the money. Used to make nothing but beats.
There's something about it that sparks so much creativity for me, I'm a sucker for the punch in effects too.
@@beatsnbrews Yep, playing with FX is the final step before I export drum loops back into Ableton.
Hi Gabe, what u recomend me for live sets?. I want sound like the complexity and swing of Floating Points and the punch bass of Boys Noize, kind of IDM bass with the detroit spirit. I have now a Roland DJ 505 with a very basic TR drum machine and one Roland Aira S1 for the retro caracter. I need the sound vibrant and move in a good workflow , design deeper my sound, save my pressets and i dnt know what equipment buy. Help please im really lost. A volca set? Maybe a modular system? what of these gears can have this features? thanks dude
Hey do your edrums connect to your grooveboxes an you can you do the drums physically?
When will Gabe get round to looking at the Roland SH-4d ? 😏
I bought the novation circuit tracks a few years ago but returned it in 30days. It was fun to mess around with but lack of any screen made it all too much hit and miss to use.
The polyend play is another groovebox thats got game.
I use koala sampler with my tiny lightning connected mic for field recording
Hello 👋 does the machine micro connect to pioneer XZ?
@GabeMillerMusic I feel that most beginners will get frustrated with the Maschine Mikro. I used to have one and it forced me to do a lot of menu diving, and that was a MK2 that had a screen. The Maschine would be my recommended starting point for NI, though I personally like the Akai setup better. Either the Maschine MK3 or One Plus would be what I would suggest. A Live II or Maschine+ if the person has money to burn. Good balance of features and both companies make good interfaces and software(more optional with Akai, but something worth considering). I actually still own a Maschine Jam I use for a control surface. NI also has the benefit of NKS integration, so third party plugins, I’m the computer, offer extra benefit as well.
yet here i am still using an OG Roland MC303 as the main sequencer in my studio 😂
i'm switching over from my electribe to the mc-101 because there's more great sound in the 101. the 707 was too much for me but the 101 is easier to learn.
I still love my mc 303 !
Speaking of the Groovebox, I have the original (?) Roland MC-303 Groovebox. Is that not a trip back in time???? :D
When you say you cant play samples across a keyboard on the circuit tracks, does that mean a midi keyboard or the pads?
Hey gabe, would you recommend an MC707 for a live setup? Currently running a digitone and sp404.
The 707 seems to fill any missing spaces live( other option is a syntakt or SH-04D)
I don’t make techno or house but weird trippy, glitchy, atmospheric, and video game/film soundtracks. Just leaning into the 707 but I don’t see a lot of love for it. Would love your a detailed opinion from you.
He has videos dedicated to MC-707. Just look in his videos or search YT for Gabe Miller 707. ✌️
When you want to try a groove box I think on Android g-Stomper Rhythm is a good Option
MC-101 is so good... so good.
One other key feature of the Circuit that sets it apart - Sidechaining. Holy crap, how are there still devices more expensive that don't have this feature?
brother, what would you recommend for a hip hop producer, looking to invite and make some cool samples . thanks!
I found the Roland Verselab MV-1 to be very intuitive. You can also record vocals and mix and master right in the box. I don’t understand why it isn’t a more popular option. It is intuitive and quite flexible.
I agree. Just got a Verselab MV1 and a Keystep 37. I'm in dawless heaven.
the unbelievably tiny screen was so frustrating I returned it within a week. kudos to you for being able to work with it.
Screen is unacceptable, should have the one of the 707, then it would be good
Thanks for this video. How about Sonicware Smpltrek? I hope you can review that gear..
Maybe eventually!
Electribe 2 is 1.6kg though, really want one to bring around but that's a bit heavy.
Don't leave us hangin!!
If you sold off the collection what are the 3 keepers??
My groovebox mention
Under 500 $
For Hiphop
Koala sampler
Po33
Sp404 mk2
Sonicware lofi12
For House
Electribe 2 hacked firmware
Volca sample 1 hacked firmware
Model sample
Novstion circuit rhythm and tracks
For Techno
Model cycle
Polyendtracker (little bit over 500$) or nintendo ds nitrotracker
Sonicware livenxfm
It depends what genre you want to do
Sample based hiphop beats are sooo easy but to do it on a volca sample its horrorbile difficult
I wish I could afford more but I am glad I at least got my synth Electribe 2 and have the Maschine plus. I think you should do a similar video but on just synths (preferably with keyboards). I’m just missing a decent keyboard synth like a microfreak
i think I'll get an electribe2 someday. but i always talk myself out of it.
@@jevogroni4829 Electribe 2 is so much fun, I always pick it up with its battery power and just jam out with it but I would strongly recommend using a micro sd card with an adapter so you can just take the micro card out leaving the adapter in the Electribe. I say this as I’m devastated that my Etribe sd card reader no longer works after all the ejecting and inserting.
Yeah I back the E2s, they're great fun. Quantize is always on, but they're great fun, and you can get some great results. I've managed to make it make great dub, hiphop, ambient and dnb, I don't quite agree with the dated sounds comment, they are what you make them. It's also a great sequencer for external synths etc.
@@isolabeats4271 yep I will stand by my Electribe and never part with it. I know it’s very dated but I love it
What is your recording set up for us viewers? Are you just outputing to good speakers and recording with a good mic?
at the end of the day for price / value there is nothing that beats an MPC One, which unlike the other cheaper solutions isn't a toy and actually capable of making decent detailled songs.
thank you! i wonder which three youd keep if you had to sell the rest?
I've been meaning to do a video on exactly this, but the quick answer is the Novation Circuit Tracks, the Roland MC-101, and the Akai Force (not mentioned in this video, but I use it a lot).
Thx Gabe for your wise talking, think it can help a bunch of people out there.
My 2 cent would be to just buy an entry level DAW and a controller of your choice either a keyboard or pad, the possibilities are almost endless, and it's dirt cheap.
Agreed! This is just for someone who's already decided they want to get into the world of grooveboxes.
What are your thoughts on the Roland SP 404 MKii for a beginner? Maschine MK3 first? Thank you for all that you do!
Personally, I'd go Maschine, but the basics of the SP404 MKII are pretty easy to pick up. I found it a bit difficult to make stuff that was more in-depth on it though. I'd say 404 for someone really into lofi and resampling, Maschine for someone who wants to get further faster with polished results.
@@GabeMillerMusic Thanks for getting back to me, Gabe! So appreciated! 🫶🏻
how is the mpc touch?
I guess you didn't have a chance to check out Polyend Tracker (and new Tracker Mini) and Play, which may be worth the look. Trackers are not everyone's cup of tea, but Play is pretty intuitive and has a lot of generative features, that beginners might like, it can also control midi devices, so can be a great starting point for bigger setup. Should have included them in the honorable mentions at least.
I've made multiple videos on the original PT, I just personally wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. It's a great device though!
@@GabeMillerMusic My point was more about the Play, it's a great beginner groovebox I think.
Personally I think you missed one of the best, the Pioneer SP16, has a P6 filter and 8 out mono outs. Joy to use and can be picked up cheap.
Only ever 2 menus deeps when diving.
I might try it at some point! It's hard to justify since I don't think they're making them anymore, but looking at it did make me realize where Roland got the idea for the Verselab design from...
@@GabeMillerMusic I think the MPC may have been late too with that 7 inch screen.
Issue is, no polymetrics.
Pads are great, screen works well, they're still selling new,
bad gear covers this but its about gear people sometimes do not like.Its fun but the tech talk does kind of loose me.Iam not a natural .I have an MPC One but i need a lot of time to get used to it which i never have so i might have to get rid of it.I come from djing and i tried DAW,s like Ableton but could not get into it then they expected serious money for their updates so i let them go .It seems Serato Studio especially after stems is currently doing it for me
Polyend Play is kind of a big miss on here, but still a great video
Where does the SH-4d fit on this list in your opinion?
it needs a new firmware including a kind of song mode and import your own samples to be a real groovebox, but as it is today is a real beast, it is going to be a classic.
instead of koala i would suggest Grooverider GR-16 or Korg Electribe Wave, or even Novation Groovebox as more close equivalents to HW grooveboxes.. and for full blown production Nanostudio 2 ;)
For those of us with ANDROID - these others are not available so... meh.
While I love Grooverider GR-16. it's not the best option for a beginner in my opinion. I was that beginner who had no idea what a groove box was and was frustrated with the app. I gave up on it and came back once I understood how things work. The key is a beginner and finding something that gets your pallet interested vs drowning in frustration. While Koala by definition is not a groove box, it's easy to use and is a great way to determine if you want to enter the rabbit hole or find something else of interest.
@@pesto12601 aah okay, different story :-)
As someone mentioned Better than koala, Korg gadget with the basic gadgets.
Hi Gabe, do you have any opinion regarding the Deluge? Feels a bit like a Circuit on steroids to me but I'd love to hear your opinion 😊
Deluge is definitely not for beginners, it’s a quite complex …
I’ve heard lots of great things about the deluge. Just know that it’s pretty complex/deep compared to the Circuit line, which can be good or bad depending on your needs.
But if you’re willing to put in the time to learn the Deluge it’s basically the best groovebox on the market for making full tracks.
Deluge has tons of functionality, actually not that difficult to enter basic tracks with lots of capability for fleshing out full songs. I have problems staying oriented as to where I am in the song and I notice other people (eg Free Beat) encounter this as well. The biggest hurdle with Deluge is the price ($1400 gulp), I find the OLED screen is worth the extra price, but obviously not something a beginner would want to dive into blindly.