For those of you asking about the MC-707, MPC One, etc, you can check out the previous video in this series: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a7RdfsVm0duXd4k.htmlsi=EjF7qkxPx4RBO8jz

Deluge! Yay! Some quick tips that I would give myself if I would start learning the device now: 1) Take some time right at the start of your Deluge journey to just create some kit presets that have the drum sounds you want to use. 2) Consider grabbing some synth presets for Deluge online, the default patches are not that great for how good the device can sound. Boards of Deluge presets are excellent, but perhaps not your style. 3) Mess around with resampling and sample slicing early on. Resampling is THE method for getting the most out of your CPU, layering sounds and baking FX into a sample. It is a core skill if you want to export your tracks. Slicing is just plain fun and can get you some inspiring results. 4) The sidechain parameter is an awesome tool that has many uses. There are some pretty detailed settings you can get into for getting that perfect pumping in your tracks. 5) There are three different Low Pass Filters types that you can specify for everything individually, including the main mix. The drive filter type on the main mix is a good trick for mixing with a bit of saturation. 6) Whenever you're loading or saving a song, synth or kit, remember that you can use the pads as a QWERTY keyboard and quickly type in a name of a preset, song or sample. Just make sure you have the 3.0 overlay or panel, so you know which button is which key.

You need to give the Deluge a retrofit treatment, believe me you will love it!

At last! You have the Deluge in your hands. There is no rush, at least we know that we will be able to have your opinion about this little gadget, it really is what you were missing.

The answer, for me, was the Deluge. I really hope you like it as much as I do.

It’s so wild, you’re 100% the best groovebox synthtuber, your specific interest in them means that you’re evaluating them for what people actually buy them for, which is standalone or mostly standalone playing and composing. However, our tastes are the complete opposite. I don’t like synth wave or monstercat-core bass music at all, I loved the Tracker and SP404mk2 (especially the SP404mk2), and didn’t jive with the m8 or circuit tracks. But you’re so good at reviewing and so thorough, I watch every one of your videos straight through. That’s the mark of a good gear KZfaqr, I think.

I appreciate the honesty! It actually makes it more informative when you say where your gap of knowledge, interests lie. Much appreciated 🤘🏽

Really happy to see you finally have yourself a Deluge, but I completely understand the time involved in learning it. I hope you're able to gel with it over time! Shameless self plug - I've got a full video manual on my channel that will help you learn it inside out, but of course I'm not the only one, there's tonnes of great resources out there. Hopefully this proves useful to you. I haven't even tried any of the open source stuff yet, so I kind of feel like I'm in the same boat again 😅

I LOVE IT! For me, the portable “one machine” that I can carry anywhere is still my Roland MC-101 too! If I need a little more and can carry a little more, then that is the VerseLab-MV1. Sometimes both. Admittedly, I don’t do sampling much. I’m more into the synth engine. Usually I carry the MC-101 and a small MIDI keyboard. For recording, I carry the BOSS Micro BR 80. I will also sometimes carry my Volca Keys and all 4 of the Roland Aira compact series (S-1, T-8, J-6, and E-4) my Korg NTS-1 and the MC-101 since they all fit in my huge laptop bag. That way I can have one bag to carry but have a lot of options to keep me entertained. 😂

Before watching the video, my thought was: "Push 3". After listening through the video, that is still where I think you might want to go next. At least I know I do. It's so funny hearing your reasoning on some of these things, because I recognize and agree with so many of your thoughts. For example, I've literally had the exact same thought about different teams working independently at Akai to put the MPC experience together! 😂However, there is a key part where you and I might have slightly different needs, and that's in the portability department. To me, it's about portability around the house, not the need to put something in a backpack because when I actually do travel for work, I just don't have time to make music because travel typically involves packed work schedules. Also, every time I've prioritized smallness over tactility (MC-101, etc), I've realized just how important the size of an instrument is to me. The M8, as capable as it might be, would never work for me because it doesn't have a single knob! Same with the Polyend Tracker Mini, great on paper, but I wouldn't love jamming with it. There's a minimum size beyond which point it gets fiddly and annoying, which is the last thing I want when trying to unleash my creativity. In my experience, sitting with the MPC Live 2 in my lap, in bed, actually felt great. Sure, it could have been a little lighter, but it was never an inconvenience. That insight opens up new possibilities. To me, grooveboxes are mainly about that creative spark at the initial phase of the process - going from zero to a good song embryo by making music with an instrument-like experience. The rest of it is honestly quicker in the daw. What I always struggle with regardless of groovebox (and I've tried the MC-101, SP-404 mk2, MPC One+Live 2, Syntakt, Digitakt, Digitone) is that waterfall-like transition from in-groovebox to in-daw. I passionately *hate* having to export stems and move on to mixing with printed audio. That's typically when I realize that the sound I chose for that pad doesn't sit well in the mix and has to be redone. This is where the Push 3 comes in. It's standalone and battery-powered, which is super important to me (even though I just move around the house, I do move around!), it's very playable as an instrument with plenty of good knobs and buttons, it has enough tracks to get an idea going, it sounds really good and polished, and it has a quick step sequencer *and* drum pad workflow. On top of that - and this is the key differentiator from eg the Akai products - it means I no longer would have to export any stems because the transition from groovebox to daw is entirely seamless. Once in the daw, all the midi and automation data is still there, completely unchanged. You can even record a live jam (for that mandatory youtube video) and if a sound doesn't end up sitting well in the mix, or you got some knob twist slightly wrong, I can just change it in Live without invalidating the recorded jam. So yeah, I think I'll eventually get a Push 3. Just wish it wasn't so damn expensive, especially with Live 11 Suite. PS. I might disagree with you about one more thing: that the SP-404 mk2 is "objectively good". I think what we can say is that the SP has objectively bad UI. You mentioned that maybe you would feel differently if you tried it again - I assume you most surely wouldn't. I've given it enough tries to know that I don't like that workflow, and given your very similar proclivity towards polished sound and a fast workflow, I'm pretty sure you will never like it either. My SP is going up on sale shortly to save up for the Push 3. Not sure I could ever sell the Syntakt though, I love it too much. But maybe, just maybe if I sample enough drum sounds into the Push, I might end up not needing it anymore. We'll see. Anyway, thanks for the video, it seems we're possibly groovebox soulmates. 🙈😅

Its been awesome watching your musical journey, and your Circuit demo's and tutorials I still reference to this day. I think as people evolve their needs change and I'm sure yours has as well. As long as music is an escape and not a chore, you will find your perfect flow and maybe the perfect device.

One of your best videos. Thank you for the content. I’ve watched for years your videos get more and more professional. I value and agree with you reviews. Thank you again

Great job Gabe. I appreciate the effort you put into these reviews. It really helps me out.

just discovered your channel last week and my circuit tracks is arriving later today lol, really enjoy your content and perspective/advice!!

Great take on the force. I personally use the force daily and its my daily driver. it really gets the job done. minus portability its really a phenomenon of a machine.

The quest that never ends haha 😅 Really been enjoying the journey

Excellent video; so informative!

As someone on the very, very casual side of things, the Dirtywave M8 has been a godsend. The minimal controls and nearly pocketable size make it perfect for me, and the tracker workflow just works for me. As you noted, the inclusion of built-in synths on top of its sample playback is just absolutely wonderful. I don’t have enough time to learn too many different pieces of gear, so having something so portable and “powerful enough” has just been wonderful. Trash80 is just amazing, and his M8 is amazing.

Just ordered my third Deluge. I wanted to buy it when the OLED came out, but Teenage announced the OP1F. So I got the Field. But now I'm ready for it, especially with the Open Source Community Firmware which has most of the stuff I asked for as feature req. I've been through almost exact journey as you, but there's no perfect Groovebox. The M8 is my preferred one so far, but I miss finger drumming and Live Playing. Logic Pro on iPad is also awesome!

Once again, a cat who is wise beyond his years. Solid advice dispensed. It's never about the gear. Stay safe and do you!

Thanks for the video! Hesitated for about a year, but now waiting for my Polyend Play to arrive. Had Maschine mk2, Electribe sampler 2 and MPC1000 in the past, but this one looks so promising for glitch-hop and maybe breakcore at some point.

The 1010music Blackbox is also something to consider. For years it's the center piece of my creative process with daily changing other gear around it. It's very portable, can sequence external stuff, has a ableton like clip based workflow, samples in mono, stereo and multisamples. It plays samples as tempo synced loops, as polyphonic instruments, as granular material, as sliced fragments. It's got a song mode, I could go on for some time...

You, Ziv and Jeremy from Red Means are my internet music happy place. You do whatever the hell you want. Presonally, I'm along for the ride. Devices are neat and all but it's your insight is why I am subbed and continue to watch. I think I'd be most interested in your Push 3 review due to the MSE. It seems fully capable of riding the line between synth engine and sample based.

Really appreciate you taking the time to lay out your thoughts and considerations about these devices. You communicate clearly and it's a pleasure to listen to your line of thinking and analysis. As for the gear - as you can see from the comments folks have their favorites and can't resist declaring "The One" :) It's all about having fun in my book and learning how to be creative after decades of merely being an "engineer" ;)

Great video Gabe - I think my own groovebox checklist aligns fairly close to yours. I remember a video you did a while ago about "low friction" devices - for me that's key. I have my professional career taking most of my hours, so when it comes to music, I want low friction, flexibility and fast workflow. I'm glad to see you have a Deluge - it definitely does require time invested to learn it. The community firmware (Deluge firmware is now open source!) is currently in Beta, and looks phenomenal... so the Deluge has a good future ahead! Also glad to see the M8. The workflow on this is incredible!

Very fair assessment and overview!

I have the mighty MC707. Due in part to one of your reviews. It's awesome.

Been using MC-101 couple of days now and I love it already ❤

Gabe is the God of groove boxes! I have been in a similar journey without the budget, freebees, or talent but Model Cycles and Circuit Tracks are a great fun learning experience leading up to my choice which would be the Digitone.

I always appreciate your videos. I love how you breakdown pros and cons based on workflow. Do whatever inspires you. While I enjoy the gear videos, I also like your creative song building stuff too. Anything I can learn from another person's production decisions is great. As for where I have landed, my main 2 devices are the MC707 and the 1010music Blackbox. I've recently decided to commit to learning better the 707 workflow and it is paying off. I finally learned how to marry the 2 devices to let the Blackbox handle all my guitar or vocal sampling and leave the 707 for the amazing tones it is good at. Being able to take sound pack tones on the go with my iPad and Zenbeats is nice (though they should fully integrate with the 101/707). All that being said, as much as I like dabbling on good iPad apps and synths, a part of me really craves an MC101. The thought of leaving the 707 as my brain/hub on my desk and carrying around the 101 as a portable version seems killer. I do have a rip cord and battery for the 707, so I can take it to the park, but it feels nowhere as portable as the 101 would. Keep up the good work at whatever pace you deem good!

I’m a bit surprised you didn’t give the MV-1 more of a chance. Add a portable battery and you can get 12 hours on it, and it’s easier to arrange full songs than the MC-101.

Thanks I loved the video

Your thoughts have always been insightful enjoyed your content for years now haha. Id like to see you do videos on using boxes together. Like what's are so groove boxes that work well together ? I've enjoyed pairing my digitakt with my 404mk2 lots of fun

I've been on the groovebox hunt since high school with the mc303. Its been a long road. I've never actually found one which I want to produce entire tracks on though. I currently use the M8 in a hybrid workflow with my DAW. I think its easily the best device for the money on the market and sounds unbelievable. Its really an amazing achievement for a single developer.

I still have my novation circuit. I love the fact it has a built in SPEAKER so its super portable also not very heavy.

How dare you 😂! The Polyend Tracker is probably the best standalone groovebox along side the MPC and the Force. I honestly think that the AK Force & Poly Tracker are the most underappreciated devices on the market.

Enjoyable video, Gabe. You're doing yourself a disservice though of coming this far with all of these devices and not trying out the Push 3. Ticks all of your boxes perfectly (sans size).

Thank you, dear Gabe for the insightful overview. Some ‚entries‘ I‘d like to try one day, like the M8. You know it, the Syntakt is my favourite because of all the reasons you mentioned (I don‘t need polyphony ;) ). I aleady played complete live sets just with the Syntakt ^_^

I can't wait to see what you think about the Deluge. It is pretty amazing. It does so much and very fun to use once you take the time to learn how to use it. I also have the MC-101 and take it with me when I travel just because it does so much and is so light.

THANK YOU! I also was obsessed with finding the "right" groovebox. I'm still not sure which of my devices is exactly that, but I realized that I liked old school samplers the best aesthetically.

Im so happy the deluge finally showed up. its definitely encourages an arrangement style which i love. no other device really has a good DAW style arrangement setup. it may be a bit limited in terms of the internal synth (people can get it to sound good including me, its just a bit hard to work with because the full capability is a bit hidden) but I only own one of these devices and these videos helped me pick which one I want and I can happily say that I think I picked right.

I went through most of the boxes in the video. Currently sitting on my desk is the Deluge and MC-707. And i'm leaning towards the 707. I like the Deluge sequencer, the size, internal battery, quick workflow. BUT i like to play the 707's pads and it's possibilities. Especially the synth engine and real sounding instrument sounds makes me enjoy the 707 more.

MPC One is really the end all for me. I do love my SP-303 and my Digitakt as well though.

love your honesty! I see most of the things similar, m8 is a one man show, that's why it's super tweaked out with super quick firmware bug fixes and even more features. while I love my mpc live 2 cause as it turned out, it was exactly what I needed and it's now the main piece in my setup. But the m8 with my lsdj background, I neeeed it!!^^

I own every single groove box on the market, so do many other people. Do you know what I've discovered? For me and I suspect many others as well is that if you can pick something up, have fun, ease of use, portability, cost, etc .... that it has given me the most joy. Right now, I am absolutely loving my EP133 KO 2 and Roland Aira S-1. I have thousands and thousands of dollars in gear, I can afford it but, it's still a lightly bitter feeling in many ways. You absolutely do not need to spend a lot of money, that I know for a fact.

I feel you about life getting in the way and creating intermittent workflow. Still I'm glad you still play with the 101 especially since the update. There is just so much you can do with it now the mind still boggles.

I don’t know, man. I think people would be super happy with watching you actually construct tracks and go through the actual workflow of your creative process. I don’t think that’s something people would be bummed with you uploading.

Gabe, I'm adding to the crowd screaming DELUGE...then you go and fetch one out! Mate, it's a beautiful, beautiful thing and I hope you fall for it.

I know your weren’t thrilled with the Verselab but I bought it after my 101 and find it’s really an amazing box that although quirky, once learned can easily make complete tracks. I use it more than I thought I would. I use my force more and my mpc a lot. It seems I have most of the same boxes as you. But I wanted to mention that imo the verselab definitely is worth a mention

For me out of all my kit its the Deluge at the moment, utterly stunning machine very simple to use once you understand the short cuts etc.. I use it to also multitrack sequence my Microfreak stellar for a very nice combination for sound exploration..

Whatever you choose, some will be agree and others will be disagree. Personnaly, you and Knarf, guiding my first groovebox buying untill a circuit tracks. After 10 month, i turn to the mc707, helped by some of your vids and some other excellent users on KZfaq. Thanks

Deluge is amazing the open source has really pushed the device to the next level as well. Using the latest night build and man is it wonderful!

The Deluge was my answer: Went from MPC One (Returned) -> Roland 707 (returned) -> Deluge. Never looked back, same reasons, same purpose, it does have the Electron, my-way or the high-way stuff, but once you learn it.

I’d love for you to try out the new Woovebox, Gabe. Looks like a Pocket Operator on steroids that still fits in your pocket. I’m having serious GAS issues with that one.

Utilizing the Loop function on an MPC Main page Track 01>Transpose set to 1. Program 001>Warp samples> Global tab>note on. Samples tab>pad loop on. For different drum loops, including them in the same mute group to alternate back and forth helps with the brainstorming that I would have when using a 404

Really looking forward to seeing you cover the push 3

You've got all the cool gear already, now more grooves and tracks, please; you rock, man. If you get into Push3/Ableton, that's clearly not groovebox land anymore, but whatever you want, man.

I was on the same thought with the sp-404 mkii… I walked away from it for a couple months, then recently I went into a deep dive with the 404 and have been completely smitten by it. It’s just a totally different approach to the Groovebox concept. I’ll second the MC-101 (dollar for dollar it’s the best thing on the market) I sold mine for an MC-707 upgrade because I liked it so much, but that totally loses the portability factor which admittedly I should have thought through a little more. Great video.

Have you seen the Woovebox? It's smaller than a pocket operator, has 16 buttons and 1 clickable knob, but it's feature list is insane. 16 tracks/channels, each of which can be exported seprately as .wav stems, midi out on all channels independently, both sampling and internal oscillators, polyrhythmic sequencing with each track set to different lengths, oscillators capable of fm, multiple lfos, interesting onboard fx, probability and a huge list of conditional triggers, an internal battery, with 10 hour capacity when not using bluetooth, scale quantization for notes and chord following for other tracks in-scale, 2 polyphonic tracks, sample slicing, per note param locks. That's just scratching the surface. about $250 to order. For a project essentially made by 1 guy, it makes you wonder why the feature sets of established companies' grooveboxes are often so paltry.

I personally have slowly settled on a MC-707 and a TR8S which is such a recent acquisition this was my first night jamming with it and I need to get the cables I need to use it with my MC-707. I wish I was joking but I got offered a TR8S in mint barely used condition for 500$ and I couldn't pass it up with the introduction of the CR78 ABM stuff to it pushed it fully over the edge for me personally. Thankfully both where bought used so I'm only out about 1100$ which for as much power as the set up is all ready bringing to me I'm not seeing any new addition to my hardware stable for a while.

Maschine Mikro and Live is great together. Use it as a plug in for drums/synth sounds and also as a controller for Live. Very flexible powerful workflow.

I like your neon 80's style of showing the gear. It has that 'Tron' look to it. I think I've decided that a laptop and a cheap keyboard are the best 'groovebox' for my couch creations. I like the idea of a groovebox but in the end I find them harder to work with than just opening up the laptop and playing.

I use Maschine MK3 and the Maschine JAM in Ableton with Clyphx and use the DAW to automate tempo changes. It integrates well and it is fast to switch between instances and also controlling Ableton's transport and mixer.

I've been through a similar journey and, after owning and selling many of these devices, I've realised that the only option that ticks all the boxes is a small laptop with Ableton. Cheaper than anything on the list, way more portable than most, large screen, works perfectly sitting on the sofa without being plugged in, slips in a bag but could run a live set and does literally everything. If you really need pads, add a launchpad but using a keyboard and mouse is so much easier. Everything else that is simpler to use is way too limited. Everything that has anything approaching the same functionality is hamstrung by a way less usable interface. You said at the end of the video that it's all about tradeoffs - but there's no tradeoff with this set up.

I started my groovebox journey with the Circuit Rhythm as a supplement to my loop pedal and other instruments. But ended up replacing both my looper and Rhythm with the Deluge. Which for me has been an ideal device. Your videos were super helpful when learning the Rhythm. So I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the Deluge.

I have a lot of the same boxes. When it comes to trying to get your head around the Deluge, I can not recommend the tutorial series by RSKT enough. It’s really amazing. I chatted with him and I think he creates educational videos for a living (my memory ain’t the best). Watch his videos with the Deluge in front of you, and try to follow him, step-by-step, pausing the vids to explore. My Deluge was fairly neglected before I did his coarse. 2 cents deposited.

LOVE my MPC Live Mk.1. It's big, but manageable and I love the workflow. I also just ordered a Woovebox, which should be here soon. Talk about a contrast in portable size. :)

Currently, testing Sampltrek. Love the live looping ( though it has to be set up, god damn at least its there Roland!!! ) and the Ableton song structure. Although internal speaker and mic are bare bones basic I absolutely love the option as I have no space for extra cables. SP404 still offers bigger pads and MC101 massive amount of synth sounds but I am slowly starting to love that thing. What I do not care for is micro USB and not being able to adjust the chop after the initial one you do to load it into the track. Lets see what updates will bring. Thank for your good work kind sir.

Something to consider. If you were to take a Digitakt, make it smaller, battery powered, and use velocity sensitive pads… You’d have a LoFi-12 XT.

The problem with groove boxes is that almost all have a poor song mode. That is why I like using Logic on my laptop now.

I highly recommend the deluge, but I use it with friends... mc101 and controlling ableton. The deluge is awesome to do live sets as well. Rechargeable battery is incredible, and the sequencer is the best I've ever seen

Excited by the selection I see on the thumbnail here……

MC 707 is almost perfect for me. I wish it was more robust in it's build... steel chassis and sturdier knobs and faders, overall larger internal RAM, and some refinement to solve parameters controls... Like dialing in EQ settings!

Love following your journey here! I've been on a similar one, though not as extensive. I've recently sold my mpc live 2 and just picked up the push 3 as someone who's barely touched ableton, and I've been having a blast. It's definitely less portable (probably as big as the force and a bit on the heavy side), but you could certainly use a laptop bag with a decksaver if it's wide enough. There are certainly some downsides in standalone, like being unable to make instrument chains on the device (please ableton 🙏), but you can import existing chains, and no arrangement view but its just as easy to import the project over wifi to the pc to do finishing touches there. Plus, the mpe pads feel super satisfying to play. I'm still only scratching the surface with it but i can see myself using this for quite some time. I wish the battery life was a bit better, though i can deal with that since i usually won't use it standalone for more than a couple hours at a time. Thanks so much for all the work you do putting these videos together, it's been great following along, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on gear in the future!

Great stuff! I am older and have space (luckily :) ... so keeping several grooveboxes is what I do. For several years I went completely dawless, but am now hybrid (probably 75% outside / 25% inside the box). For me I like to do 4 songs on one device and then switch. I find switching gear inspiring, but at the same time I don't feel like I need to buy stuff all the time. Funny thing is it took me years before I tried Elektron... well that was a mistake... lol. I know own several and really love them. I am especially surprised by my love for the digitakt. I have several stereo samplers... but something about the Digitakt just inspires me to try new tricks. I have the mc 707... strangely enough I mostly use it as sampling source.... tons of great sounds... while it is easy to build patterns on it I don't enjoy that there as much. I'll always keep my OG mpc live (got it the first week it came out). My sp404mk2 is also used... but mostly for resampling and or as an effects unit. Lots of other honorable mentions... but I feel like the Electron A4 doesn't get enough love... imo the price is silly for a new one... but I grabbed an OG version on the cheap and the sounds are super!

I actually got both novation circuits tracks and rhythm and they are just so much fun. Are they professional enough? Maybe not. But they are just so quick to dial and to interact with. I'll get a push 3 eventually i think.

My favorite piece of gear is the MC-101 ; I am actually trying to pair it with the TR-6S. Sure the MC-707 could fulfill my needs, but it is not portable. There is also the MV-1 but I am not yet convinced. My second favorite piece of gear is the Model:Cycles. Certainly it sounds particular, but it is so powerfull !

Love these ! A bit surprised you didnt mention Machine Plus as its standalone. I use it with a powerbank and its great now as it has matured with its firmware

I found my two best ones: Octatrack Polyend Tracker They’re simply top tier for me, 8 tracks, resampling, stereo, cv and midi sequencing and the “mechanical” feel to them and simple complexity of having to think in a specifically structured way

Nice extensive overview. 🙏 Would've been nice to link the previous parts in the description... just a suggestion. For me, it's a combination of the Roland TR-8S and the Elektron Octatrack and Digitone, it solved all the major problems I've had, I'm using the TR-8S for beats and matter effects, controlled by tracks 1-4 on the OT plus its large FX capabilities, and the Digitone on tracks 5-8 for melodic purposes, and of course also there, the OT effects, inspired by the one and only @EZBOT, who is an absolute genius on those Elektron machines. 💪

Now you're going to have to do part 4 with the Polyend Play+ and the Yamaha Seqtrak. Plus if you're returning to the laptop, maybe the Push 3 standalone needs a shot. And you still have to announce that the new winner is the Delly, especially with the new community firmware.

If only Yamaha would make a modern version of their QY series that had VA, FM and the classic sequencer functionalities and would be compact and portable, that would be a killer. Main issue I have with the Force and the new Push standalone is the price - the device needs to be REALLY fun to use and be somewhat groundbreaking in it's workflow, otherwise the laptop still wins. The most fun I've had in recent weeks is the Octatrack, combined with other gear, like the MPC Live/Blofeld/MC-707. There's something really weird in it's workflow that keeps drawing me in, even though most folks have serious PTSD from using it. \o/

still on my mpc live 2 and barely touch ableton. I haven't experienced too many issues with it, but i tend to use it more as a hardware synth sequencer than an entirely in-the-box groove box.

Akai Force is my favorite all-in-one device I have ever owned (buying gear since 1995). Yeah, it has lots of jank, and annoying aspects to its workflow, but it allows me to sit down with just one piece of gear and make full tracks that sound how I want them to sound.

I have tried all grooveboxes since the first one. I settled for Push 3 standalone. It’s expensive, but imo the best option right now.

First of all, I really like this kind of quick comparison videos. Especially when they confirm my biased opinion on the gear that’s being reviewed 😉 Which this time isn’t the case, but hey… still thanks for the effort 👍🏻 and I really like the style you use! Of course we could debate on the definition of a ‘groove box’ vs. a sample workstation, drumcomputer and/or the widespread range selected… But, what I really don’t understand is why people consider the Akai Force a ‘stand-alone device’ (yes, I know semantics) and even prefer it over, for instance, a Push (or your NI) controller attached to a Mac Mini running Ableton (or MPC software or optional add-ons) with a similar workflow. For me, both Elektron devices should be considered ‘standalone devices’ with a typical HW interface and creative workflow. And, if you take the Roland definition of a groovebox into account they tick most of the boxes, too. But hey, simply my opinion… thanks again for sharing yours!

I do use Machine as a plugin within Ableton and it makes my workflow way easier. No issues at all apart from Machine's transport controls won't work while running Machine as a plugin within Ableton

As someone who has followed a similar journey to yourself. What I really wanted was a Circuit 2.0, as I always found the Circuit to have one of the fastest workflows for actually starting up and getting something done. I was incredibly disappointed when the Circuit Tracks turned out to be a Circuit 1.1 and not something that added any meaningful extra features (it really needed at least 2 more synth engine slots, and meaningfully longer samples not just 2 midi tracks) The Akai Force is the closest I have found to a "Circuit 2" so far, though you obviously lose a lot of the speed and simplicity of the Circuit, but gain huge numbers of extra tracks, effects, samples etc

FINALLY someone who understood how crazy good the Force became… That’s simple, to me this is the most powerful and capable AKAI machine. The Force does absolutely everything the others MPC do, and add BIG features like the wayyyyyyy better pads, workflow, “Arrangement” function… I have an MPCX, then I bought a FORCE… I don’t use the MPCX anymore.

I feel the Polyend tracker mini sounds perfect for gabe and would make for a great video

The mc 101 is perfect for on the go and powerful to. I probably would like the force as a desktop setup.

@Gabe, when you first featured the FORCE I was excited cuz I thought that you would love it... Then you kind of abandoned it in your videos & seemed more drawn to the mc101/707 and the novation drum machines. I'm glad that the FORCE finally grew on ya, & that you see the strengths in it. It's definitely my go to groovebox & is at the center of my studio.

Hi, I enjoyed your take on all these grooveboxes, do you think that e.g. Akai Force would be a good choice to create a Dj set if one decided not to use a laptop for that?

Maybe a total different direction - but how about an iPad with Korg Gadget (for the engines) and additional controller like the nanoKontrol or nanoKeys? I've been following you for a while and was on the search for a dawless hardware groovebox thing. I ended up with the maschine+ which i recently sold because it did not work for me. I had pretty much the same "whishes" you mentioned in your vid: portability (making music on vacation or in bed), getting rid of a full laptop or the feeling of sitting in front of a computer. Tactile options - in my case optional with the nano-Series. Good sound quality, working with samples, etc.... The ipad does all that for me. There is a load of additional synth apps to experiment with when you are looking for a different sound. etc...

Wow, you brushed off the Tracker like it was less than lethal. I recently purchased the Polyend Tracker Mini, and it is an amazing device. It has 5 synth engines, 1 of them being a drum machine and they all have granular controls that let you modify the sounds to fit any situation or track. I really think you should take another look at the Tracker. Maybe look at the Mini for portability AND power beyond measure. I have fallen in love with the mini and am actually looking forward to learning more about music theory with the Tracker Mini. Especially considering the price of the Mini compared to the M8 which is just a Teensy with some decent software.

Hello, I want to know how the ableton push 3 compare to the other grooveboxes in stand alone mode

for soviet post punk like the style of molchat doma ploho or buerak what should i buy to make that kind of music?

I love hardware, and 3 months ago I would have said I vastly prefer to make my music out of the box. Recently bought an Oxi One to be able to sequence across formats(on a single grid i can see digitakt and eurorack sequences, my eurorack bass module harmonizes with the minifreak ect). It may not make sounds but it has become my favorite groovebox ive ever owned, when paired with a macbook air and ableton. I'm sampling ableton into my digi far more than i did before. I have a mimic of my hardware rig set up as a template. On the go I'll sketch out some ideas; controlling and sequencing the session with the oxi. Once I'm home, I just have to jack the oxi in via 2 cables and everything translates over to my rig.

I use the Maschine Mk3 in ableton!!! I only use it for live sets, you can set an ableton channel to the machine software and make some really interesting things!! But there is still the same problem you say: to produce you need yo export the maschine stems to work in your favourite DAW

Interesting video. There was me hoping for a revelation only to find that my mc101 is still up there. Now what I would like would be an eight track mc101 but reaper lets me get around that limitation. Life causes dynamics I took a very long hiatus from music to go do engineering, family etc and prioritising is important . I also find that I’m happier when I’m making music rather then tinkering with gear but it’s easy to get lost in the tools. Actually many years ago I was on the verge of a career in music but I took my mother’s advice and went and got my degree first, still not sure if I should have 😀 Anyhoo, I’d love to see more videos on production and song writing as well as the gear. And in a semi related note I’m selling off all the gear that I don’t use and I think I’m going to use the proceeds to buy a Woovebox….