The Novation Circuit has been one of my favorite new pieces of gear in a long time, which is impressive considering all the wonderful new gear out there these days. It’s almost perfectly designed for what it is: both a curl-up-on-the-couch music sketchpad and a serious sequencer for playing electronic music. This isn’t a review, but I’ll just say that I’ve found it to be very intuitive to use, capable in both its sounds and sequences, and just a pleasure to hold and use. You should all get one. My only real problem with the Circuit is that I want more: I’d like to make it the centerpiece of my non-computer setup and I need it to do a little more, since I don’t feel like buying four of them. So, this is an open letter to the geniuses at Novation, with a few requests for changes to the Circuit, and then a big request that the Circuit get a big brother. Let’s call it the Circuit Pro.

Here’s my Circuit wishlist (in priority order):
* Ability to edit a single pattern while multiple patterns are playing (i.e. editing doesn’t follow the playing pattern)
* Make note gate time shorter than a single step
* Allow a macro knob to be assigned to oscillator waveform in the patch editor
* Squeeze in a couple more drum tracks
– Assign a midi controller number to each macro in the patch editor, send knob movements as controller data
– SH-101/JX-3p sequencer-style programming (i.e. you play notes and they get entered in one step at a time, with rests and ties possible). Ideally, be able to do this while the Circuit is playing
– Open firmware a la the Launchpad Pro
– Switch modes between 2 synths/4 drums to 0/8 or 4/0 configurations
– Another synth LFO

Here’s what I want in the Circuit Pro:
* 16 tracks in total, 12 drum and 4 synth
* 16 knobs, so that level, sends, etc can be 1-to-1 with the tracks
* 16 macro controls available in synth programs
* Everything from my Circuit wishlist of course
* More sample memory
* Load samples directly with USB drag-n-drop; SD card slot
– More patterns and/or sessions
– More control of drum sound parameters (ideally editable like the synths)
– 2-4 additional audio outputs
– More wavetables in synth oscillators
– Play loaded samples in oscillators
– Finer control of effects settings, maybe a second delay effect
– A couple of analog trigger outs linked to drum tracks

WOULD TOTALLY BUY.