Imagine if you had something the size of an OP-XY, Elektron Digitone II, Ableton Move, Roland TR-6S/MC-101, or UNO Synth PRO X. Assume it's digital, but analog is fine too.

1. What synth architecture would you want cloned across the grooveboxs' multi-timbral 8-16 tracks? Assume the groovebox will have sequencing capabilities, song mode, etc.
   
2. Would you want a screen based workflow where the knobs change what they do based on what mode you're in (Elektron/Push/Move)? Or something more static (UNO Synth PRO X)?
   
3. Anything else you would want? Let us brainstorm our dream hardware groovebox!

I was thinking about Bitwig's Polymer which lets you swap an oscillator, a filter, and an envelope generator on the fly along with their flexible modulation system to give yourself as much modulation as you need. But, I also like the simplicity of the UNO Synth PRO X.

Would be curious to hear other peoples opinions on what they consider to be their top synth architectures of all time that they want in a multi-timbral groovebox with 8-16 tracks.

Beautiful post

For me grooveboxes are the great release for immidiate creativity and song creation

But …. And however no company has truly made a groovebox SINCE the mc 909 or Yamaha rs7000 to compete with a modern daw

The mpcs do come close but they are really far off

The op xy ticks a lot of boxes but fails sort of efx and proper sampling

For me I’d like to see Novation come out with an actual groovebox with a screen

And for Korg to take their gadget theoried iOS app and MacBook app as a serious hardware unit

Isn't the AWM2 engine in the SEQTRAK? Have you tried it?

What about them sets them apart for you compared to the more modern grooveboxes? I am going to watch some videos to learn more about them, but the oldest groovebox I have tried was the Yamaha QY700 and although it was feature packed, it was pretty clunky to use.

For a small box like this I'd much prefer the synth architecture to follow the screen like on the MPC, using 16 qlink knobs. Add another 8 programmable knobs below the screen like the soft knobs on the Virus TI and 8 buttons below the knobs. 8 buttons above the screen as well. This way you could easily navigate quite complex synth engines without any problems as long as the software side of the UI is well thought through. Obviously there wouldn't be much muscle memory to take advantage of with such solution but you won't get much of that to speak of with small boxes like this anyway.

crucial to have continuous play/record operation, no stopping.

I think analog groove boxes are still a bit nonexistent, despite there were some attempts. The most close comes the Tempest and Analog 4. Tempest has super versatile engine (btw still with 2 digital osc full of samples and waveforms, so technically it's hybrid engine ). A4 is a bit less nice sounding, but with effects and its sequencer it delivers more "groovebox experience" than T.

So I would love to see something like Tempest II from Sequential with 8 voices, knob per function, maybe a bit of sample capabilities to feed oscs with more personalised data. Add digital effects (actually I think 2 slots per track are better than 2 sends ), better way to automate things (like sound per step / p-locks ) and more memory for patterns / projects / samples and you got perfect analog groove box.

It can be a bit pricey though.

Otherwise all other things are already exist in one form or another, Digitone II is amazing and it definitely will have more engines with time (I assume it would benefit from some kind of "transwave" / "short samples" engine to make even more organic sounds in the direction of Ensoniq / Kawai / early workstations ).

Forward thinking sample based groovebox would be cool. Yes, they are here, but each has some strange limitations and I'm not sure why it's like that. Something like Rossum's Assimil8or paired with Elektron sequencer or just modern Ensoniq ASR10 with proper sequencer is so desirable...

my2c
: )

For me the JD-Xi is the closest to a perfect Groovebox. To really make it perfect it would need a larger screen, an encoder for quicker selection of values on the screen, a few more knobs (ADSR), and a song mode.

Also I wouldn't mind if the mini-keys were replaced by pads but the mini-keys are ok for me, too.

The real analog mono synth of the JD-Xi is a really nice touch, at the beginning I thought the sound of it was nothing special, but the more I use i the more I find that it has it's own character and works really well for basslines.

The PCM based drum engine of the JD-Xi sounds great too, it's like having all of the classic Roland drums machines in one box.

My ideal would be a move style controller for drambo

Just one AI engine that can generate anything from wavetable, VA, FM to analog, vocals, heck even a gospel choir

Like Synplant 2? Or writing/talking to an onboard AI that makes the patch for you?

Side note, someone made an MCP server for AI LLMs that can create patches for Elektron Digitone II from text:



And the open source code is here: https://github.com/zerubeus/elektron-mcp

I quite never needed to refer to their manuals to use the IK Uno synths and Drum. I think IK are very good when it comes to lay down a simple and logical user interface.

I would like to see an improved RS7000 with a bigger screen, including piano note editing, several synthesis types and effects on all tracks.
Yamaha could easily do that.
Instead they give us the Seqtrak, which is difficult to operate, has no screen and no real onboard patch editing. They're such a strange company.

The closest to a perfect groovebox now, is the Polyend Tracker +, imo.

Isn't that kinda their trademark?

I know people that had brown hair when the rs7000 was released, there still asking for an update and are now grey and balding, making you wait while aging isnt very well