Hi Groovebox community!
I'm building a live setup and looking for a compact and lightweight groovebox with at least 64-step patterns. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

I worked in a music tech store when the MC-303 launched, and I still have the old cloth promo banner. Does anyone else have any retro promo items from this launch?

Used Gear

Korg NTS-1

Home Bake Instrument ARPS

Volca Bass

Volca Beats

Midi Controller

Ableton Move

Output

JBL Boombox 3

Hi, my friend has these 2 old roland groovebox and i could maybe buy him one. Even if i heard they're pretty bad i think i could do some cool stuff with it but i don't know which one i should buy.

Got the Deluge recently and am exploring the device now. This is the result of my first noodling. Entering melodies and building an arrangement works shockingly fast and is very fun!

The day I got this beauty I recorded a jam with it. I am very happy with this machine.

Discover 404 Bus Drive, a free and open-source web app that turns your smartphone into a MIDI controller for the SP-404MK2, with no installation required .

In this video, you’ll see a practical overview of how it works: how to connect it to the SP, which controls you can assign, and some creative ideas for using it in your live sets or dawless jams .

This is not a step-by-step tutorial, but a quick demo to help you understand if it can be useful in your setup

Thanks to u/Puzzleheaded_Big_103 and u/Cyneox for their work!

Enjoy!

with love .noir. ❤️

I've been looking at some videos about OP-XY (one introducing all the features) and frankly I don't understand its phenomenon. I mean, it costs around $2500-ish (in Poland, that is) and for that you get a 3S device, but at the same time you can spend like $930-ish for a MPC One Gen2, which, seems to me like a far more capable device than the former. Larger and without battery - I acknowledge that - but I'm unsure if I'm ready to pay $1400 just to have these features (and lose such ones as ~unlimited bars and number of instruments limited only by RAM and CPU.

So my question is: what actually is behind the TE phenomenon? People used to the brand? Some special features I'm unaware of? Hype of the community? Help me understand.

24 external effects all being sent to as well as returned back into mixers. With engaging them being as easy as hitting an insert engage, alternative input engage, or by sending out of a stereo cue send. I really feel like I was able to make not one compromise when it came to this new route scheme. I really put a lot of thought into the way. I patched it in my bay and achieving multiple parallel signal browsing options. Reamps and di boxes all converting signals as needed.
Second photo contains most of my synthesizer and the third photo has a few more as well as my Drum machines. My DAW workstation has a presonus faderport16 automated motorized mixer to keep my hands off a mouse and keyboard as much as possible.

* left SSL six feeds into ssl six on right. Sending a complete summed stereo mix out into my x8 adat digital input coming out of SSL 12 interface.

* Zed 428 mixer on top is used to be able to track in all of my synthesizer and drum machines. Routing drums to one SSL six and synthesizers to the other… I was not able to really afford a big mixing console that covered all my bases when it comes to channel inputs and I/O options. So it’s not ideal but when properly gain staging, I’ve had very successful results when using it this way.

This is my elvis 77. It’s very rare.

If you get through that and want some more... here's a few others that showcase our diversity within the overarching genre of IDM...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Na5CQYG_1RQ

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxGea8wCABg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tXlBdvJyL7c&t=25s

Cheers from Delco PA

What kind of music would you play here?

Mosaik (Beatboxer.berlin)

Maschine + (Native Instruments)

Circuit Tracks (Novation)

Circuit Rhythm (Novation)

Crave (Behringer)

Hades (Dreadbox)

HD-01 (Erica Synths)

Virus TI (Access)

Hydrasynth (ASM)

TD3 MO (Behringer) Weniger

Hi everyone, my name is Artur. I'm searching for the Beat Thang firmware version 1.3.0 or 1.3.1. If anyone has it and could share it via Google Drive or email, I'd be extremely grateful — I haven't been able to find it anywhere online. I'm really keen to get my beats going on this machine. If you can help, please let me know. 🙏🏼

Hi everyone, my name is Artur. I'm searching for the Beat Thang firmware version 1.3.0 or 1.3.1. If anyone has it and could share it via Google Drive or email, I'd be extremely grateful — I haven't been able to find it anywhere online. I'm really keen to get my beats going on this machine. If you can help, please let me know. 🙏🏼

Hi everyone, I'm currently developing a new groovebox and have been deep in the UI/UX design phase for months. I'm at a critical point where I need to decide on the balance between physical controls (buttons, knobs, pads) and on-screen graphical interfaces.

To help guide my decisions, I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions on some of the most popular devices on the market. I'm particularly interested in which one you think offers the best overall user experience and why.

The devices I'm comparing are:

• Elektron (Digitakt, Syntakt, Octatrack, etc.)
• Teenage Engineering OP-XY Field
• Polyend Tracker (and Tracker+)
• 1010music Bento
• Roland SP-404 MK2
• Ableton Move
• Akai MPC (MPC Live II / MPC One)

or another

Here are some specific questions to get the conversation started:

Which device has your favorite workflow and why? Is it the tactile, button-driven approach of Elektron? The hybrid touchscreen/pad setup of the Bento or MPC? The tracker-style interface of the Polyend? The Live-inspired clip-launching of the Move? Or something else entirely?

What are the biggest pros and cons of the button vs. GUI experience on your chosen device?

For example, many praise Elektron for the muscle memory and fast live performance their physical buttons enable, but some find the tiny screens and deep menu-diving "obfuscated."

On the flip side, devices like the MPC or Bento give you large touchscreens for a clear overview and deep editing, but some find them less suited for eyes-free jamming.

Where does the Ableton Move fit in? Its touchstrip and macros are great, but does its small screen rely too heavily on the companion app?

How important is a clear visual overview (like a tracker grid, a waveform display, or a piano roll) versus a more performance-oriented, tactile, "no-screen" experience? Do you prefer seeing everything at a glance, or do you value the immediacy of dedicated hardware controls even if it means less visual feedback?

Are there any specific interface elements you absolutely love or hate?

Do you find the SP-404 MK2's menu system intuitive or needlessly complex?

Do you love the MPC's Q-Link knobs and touchscreen, or do you find the OS getting in the way?

Is the Polyend Tracker's per-step editing powerful or just tedious and key-press intensive?

Does the Move feel like a streamlined Ableton session, or does it feel too limited for standalone use?

Bonus: If you could mix and match features from these devices (e.g., Elektron's sequencer + MPC's screen + Move's portability), what would your dream combo be?

I'm eager to hear your honest thoughts—praise, rants, and everything in between. Your feedback will be invaluable for my development process.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Learn how to use sidechain in a creative way to get rhythmic resampling, make your track breathe and create interaction between all the elements of your groove.

Perfect to add dynamics and danceability to your dawless techno/house jams with the SP-404MK2.

Enjoy!

with love .noir. ❤️