Compact jam on Circuit Tracks & MicroMonsta 2

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

Sometimes it's nice to go back to the basics. The Novation Circuit was my entry point to the world of hardware in 2018, and while I've mostly moved on from the Circuit, it's so nice to go back to sometimes. Here, I'm using the Circuit Tracks—a worthy successor to the original, thanks to its additional two sequencing tracks—for two synths and drums, plus as the sequencer and mixer for the additional voices from the Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2.

The MicroMonsta 2 is one of those handy devices that does exactly what you need when you need it. It's super small and fits in any table setup, is bitimbral, has effects, and most importantly, sounds pretty good. Here, I stumbled into a sort of arp/pad crossover thing (thought I was recording a mono line, and accidentally recorded some pleasing polyphony) and, thanks to the hands-on filter control and its reverb, got me a lot of movement. For the second voice, I thought I'd demonstrate the less polite side of the MM2, and I love how huge the bass sound is. I only wish the MM2 were more readily available for those who want it!

Together, this little setup gives me four voices of synths, drums, effects, sidechaining to the kick, and some performance options. It was a great reminder of why I fell in love with grooveboxes, and why I love hardware in general.

Thanks for listening.

Novation Circuit Tracks - two synths, four drums, effects, mixing
Audiothingies MicroMonsta 2 - two synths with effects, routed into the Circuit Tracks

Performed and recorded live to a stereo output, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"