Novation Circuit Tracks article
Novation Circuit Tracks for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A step-by-step guide to getting started with the Novation Circuit Tracks — recording drums, programming synth lines, adjusting sounds with macros, and saving your work.
Getting started with the Novation Circuit Tracks is straightforward once you understand the basic layout and signal flow. The device is designed for immediate use — most of the controls are physical, labelled, and respond without menu navigation. A beginner can have a first beat and synth line running within minutes of switching it on.
The First Power-On
Connect the Circuit Tracks via USB-C to a laptop or power bank, or insert 6 AA batteries. Connect headphones to the headphone jack (3.5mm) or the stereo output to a speaker or mixer. Press the power button. The device loads the last session automatically. If this is a new unit, it loads Factory Session 1. Turn the master volume knob (top right) to a comfortable level and press play — the preset pattern will run immediately.
Understanding the Four Sections
The 32 pads divide into four sections during play mode:
- Drum pads (bottom left 16 pads): launch drum hits in real time or navigate drum pattern steps.
- Synth Track 1 pads (top right 16 pads): play notes for Synth Track 1.
- Synth Track 2 pads (bottom right 16 pads): play notes for Synth Track 2.
- Session / pattern navigation (pad colour indicates active pattern).
Hold the Note or Step button to switch between real-time playing and step recording mode on the active track.
Recording Your First Drum Pattern
Press the Drum track button to select drums. Press the Step button to enter step mode. The 16 pads now represent 16 steps. Press a pad to toggle a hit on or off at that step. Use the four drum track buttons to switch between the four drum sounds (kick, snare, hi-hat, perc) and add hits to each. Press Step again to exit step mode. Press Play to hear the pattern loop.
Recording a Synth Line
Select Synth Track 1. Press the Note button. The pads now display a scale of notes. Press Scale to choose a key and scale that suit the drum pattern. Hold record and press pads in time — the notes you play are recorded into the current pattern. Press Note again to exit. Press Play to hear synth and drums together.
Adjusting Sound with the Macro Knobs
The eight macro knobs across the top control pre-assigned synthesis parameters for the selected track. With Synth Track 1 selected, turning the Filter Cutoff macro opens and closes the filter in real time. Adjusting these knobs while the pattern plays is the primary means of live sound shaping. Each preset has different macro assignments — the top line of the Components app shows which parameter each knob controls.
Saving Your Work
Hold the Save button and press a Session pad to save the current session to that slot. The Circuit Tracks saves automatically when power is removed, but manual saving is recommended before switching sessions to avoid losing work. 32 session slots allow complete sets to be saved independently.
For a full feature overview, see the Novation Circuit Tracks guide. When ready to buy, the buyer's guide covers the key considerations.
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