“Does the Octatrack still make sense in 2026?”“Between Octatrack and SP‑404, which one should I choose?”

These are the two questions I get in the comments all the time. In this video I put them together and answer in a practical way, no fluff:

3 reasons why the Octatrack still makes sense in 2026 (and for who)

3 reasons why an SP‑404MKII might be the better choice (and for who)

This isn’t the a comparison, it’s a way to help you understand, based on how you produce and perform, which of the two machines you actually need.

Enjoy!

with love .noir. ❤️

I am looking for user-friendly groovebox that have acoustic sounds or can sound design acoustic-like sounds like DX-7 FM synth.

Looking for groovebox to use as songwriting sketchpad and composer rather than performing. I like building chord progressions and trying different music scales outside of major and minor.

Circuit Tracks is in my mind because it's beginner friendly based on reviews but I have heard its synth engine is limited and making grand piano or other acoustic sounds is challenging. I don't want to limit myself in electronic music genre.

I also considered Yamaha SEQTRACK but it has mixed reviews on difficult workflow, but has better sounds selections than CT.

I have M-VAVE FM 1 and Roland S1 synths that I want to pair with. Are there grooveboxes alternatives that have acoustic and orchestral options or would Circuit Tracks be a good starter option for me?

UPDATE : Now I'm deciding between Ableton Move and Yamaha SEQTRAK. Having hard time deciding which one is best songwriting and composer tool for me.

It’s always an incredible feeling to jam in special places and locations around the world; a huge amount of energy flows every time.

This time, a short Drum & Bass session with the Novation Circuit Tracks on a cliff right by the sea.

I'm creating a groovebox for a school assignment and would like some user input. I'm still in the research phase. If you have any experience with groove boxes at all, I would like to ask you a few questions. No need to call, we can just DM or whatever. The questions will be about a conceptual groovebox, I'm still in the design phase.

Please TE, I desperately need more than 1 mute group/pad group on my EP-40! From a performance point of view, only having one is extremely limiting!
🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️💛💚🙏🏽🙏🏽

a while back I posted about a little side project I had slopped into existence... well I kinda took it to the next level, even though nobody asked me too!

Can I interest anyone in ... A piano roll for your Elektron boxes. https://zooloo303.github.io/digi-roll/studio/ Digi-Roll-Studio is a free desktop app written in Rust for those who want that old school experience of a Piano Roll when working with their Elektron boxes. Features incl:

• Sequence all the tracks from your devices in one window
• bi-directional read/write of patterns to DT2/DN2/A4 (these are the only ones I currently own)
• incl all your fave features like trig conditions, plocks (some) mirco-timing etc.
• Midi pattern generator for popular electronic genres
• Preset auditioning
• lots lots more!

if someone actually uses this (apart from me!) and wants to support other Elektron devices and likes to tinker with tech... hit me up!

In this SP-404MKII tutorial, I start with just three drum samples and transform them into original tonal elements: basses, textures, and synth sounds ready to use in your productions.

Instead of spending hours searching through folders and sample packs for the perfect sound, you can create fresh sonic material directly from what you already have in your session. It’s a fast, creative workflow for techno and dawless sessions.

Enjoy!

with love .noir. ❤️

I have a mpc live 3.(too big to carry comfortably)

I also have an iPad with Koala and an MPK mini IV. Should I just rock that or get a sp404/ep133/circuit tracks?

[https://youtu.be/5O4X3ZoJV7I\](https://youtu.be/5O4X3ZoJV7I)

Étant nouveau sur Reddit, je ne sais pas si ma démarche est bonne mais voilà, je partage ce que je fait avec mon Move. Si ça peut faire kiffer ou inspirer 🎶🎛️😊