r/Grooveboxes

Im looking for a groove box that is portable, im making hip-hop, RnB. Now keep in mind i am on a budget of maximum $350-aud.

My first techno beat with the XOX custom firmware!

808 + 909 + dual 303-style bass synths + sampler — all packed into this tiny $50 groovebox.

Can it acid? Absolutely! ☢️

https://preview.redd.it/jal22rn5lguh1.png?width=2670&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7b3a11b22288b8bb6295666bc77ee634fb2d8ac

I’ve been building Ngoma, a free drum machine that runs in the browser: https://ngoma.pages.dev

It’s built around hand percussion from real traditions: Afro-Cuban, West African, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, North Indian and Southern European rhythms, plus some electronic sketches. Each track can have its own length, so parts drift in and out of phase, Reich-style. You steer it more than you program it: roll the dice on one drum, add a variation, morph between two saved states. On top of the drums there are a few layers (pad, bass, lead (based on Mutable Plaits), texture) and patchable modulation (“wires”).

Some things under the hood that might interest this sub:

• The drums are synthesized in Web Audio. The shakers and claps are physically informed models (after Cook’s PhISEM and the STK shakers), and the tabla voices are tuned to the near-harmonic modes of a real tabla.
• Microtiming comes from research rather than a generic swing knob. The jembe feel follows Rainer Polak’s measurements, the samba feel follows Naveda et al. (2011).
• Morph works across grids, so you can glide from a 12/8 bembé into a 16th-note son clave. During the morph the old grid keeps playing as a “ghost” until the new one takes over.
• The lead has a tape looper built as an AudioWorklet.
• Capture records the last bars as WAV plus MIDI of the hits that actually played, aligned to the bar line, so you can drop it straight into a DAW.
• Share links store the whole set, with a small URL shortener on Cloudflare Pages Functions and KV.

To be upfront: I’m not a professional developer. I built this with a lot of AI-assisted coding. There’s no AI in the sound itself: every note comes from patterns, rules, randomness and whoever is playing.

To be upfront: I’m not a professional developer. I built this with a lot of AI-assisted coding. There’s no AI in the sound itself: every note comes from patterns, rules, randomness and whoever is playing.

Where I’d love your input:

1. Glitches. Under load (especially with the pad on) I still get occasional dropouts. I’ve removed allocations from the audio thread and offer a “Stable” mode with a larger latencyHint. What else would you look at first?
2. Morphing between grids. Is the ghost approach the right one, or would you gradually warp the timing instead?
3. Feel. If you know any of these traditions, does the timing sit right? Where does it sound off?
4. Getting lost. Where did you get stuck in the first five minutes?

It works best on desktop Chrome; mobile isn’t there yet. If you make something, hit “Share this set” and post the link. I’d love to hear what people do with it.

If you found yourself that with each new firmware update you have to learn how to use its new features practically from the scratch, here is a personal tip how to do it much faster. For me the fastest way of learning is hands-on using the unit and making concrete beat/song on it. Prerequisite is that firmware of your choice comes with some manual (so far all of them that I checked have it).
Using AI chat of your choice, like ChatGPT for example, give it a prompt (this is example for the latest Sloop 2.5):
"Learn and understand features and functionality of my MVAVE FM1. Link to manual is here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isod89/sloop-fm1/refs/heads/main/GUIDE.md

Based on your learning give me step-by-step instruction how to make a nice R&B song."

It works unbelievably well!

Below you can find step-by-step instruction how to make a Soft House beat, using the latest features of Sloop 2.5 with accent on using web editor part (which is really great and becoming more and more and integral part of beat creation process in Sloop). You can accomplish it from start to finish in 10-15 minutes.

(Remark: see it as appendix to the manual to figure out faster how things work and what is possible. Not for cutting the corners on creativity and your creation process.)

Here it is ----->

I’ve read the updated SLOOP 2.5 manual. Let’s make a warm soft-house beat at 116 BPM, with Rhodes chords, a soft bass, and a subtle melody.

We’ll use the FM-1 and the web editor, because some new features are edited through the browser.

New feature in 2.5	How we’ll use it
PHYS engine	A gentle melody using MUTED GTR
Drum synth, SYN1–SYN4	A custom, softer drum kit
Drum delay send	A subtle echo
Piano roll	Precise chord entry and note lengths
MIDI export/import	Exporting individual patterns for your DAW
Song page in the editor	Arranging sections into a song

Other additions include the NOISE engine, 153 factory sounds, MIDI CC control, bulk DX7 patch import, and 48 kHz USB audio.

Correction to my earlier instructions: the current manual calls the scale button SEL, located between FX and ENV. SELECT is a separate knob.

1. Connect the device and prepare a project

1. Connect the FM-1 to your Mac with a USB data cable.
2. Open the SLOOP editor in Chrome or Edge.
3. Click Connect and allow MIDI access.
4. If you have work you want to keep, open Projects → Backup → Save a backup.
5. Stop playback.

Create a new project on the FM-1:

1. Tap GLO, then SAVE.
2. Turn SELECT to find TOOLS.
3. Turn KNOB 4 — NEW one click, then another within approximately 1.5 seconds.

Under Settings in the editor, set:

Setting	Value
BPM	116
Global SWING	0
CLICK	OFF
SYNC	INT

We’ll add swing only to the drums. Leave REC off: we’ll enter notes directly.

2. Create a softer custom kit — new in 2.5

Open Drum synth in the editor.

1. Choose an available SYN slot, such as SYN1.
2. Under Start from, select D.HOUSE, then click Copy.
3. Name the kit SOFTHOUS — eight characters.
4. Enable Play on change to hear your adjustments.

Start with small changes to the existing kit:

Sound	Adjustment
KICK	Reduce CLICK slightly for a softer attack
KICK	Shorten Tone DECAY if the kick rings out too long
CLAP	Shorten Noise DECAY slightly
HAT	Lower Out LEVEL slightly
OPEN HAT	Shorten Noise DECAY so it doesn’t wash over the next beat

These are suggestions to adjust by ear, rather than factory settings from the manual. Leave the other parameters unchanged for now.

Click Store on the FM-1, then Use on the drum track.

Saving your project and storing your SYN kit edits are separate actions.

3. Program the drums

In the editor, select track 4 → Sequencer → Grid.

Set:

• LEN: 16
• DIV: 1/16
• SWG: 12
• Roll: x1

Click the following cells in the grid. Select the appropriate Level before entering each instrument:

Instrument	Steps	Level
KICK	1, 5, 9, 13	NORM
CLAP	5, 13	SOFT
HAT	3, 7, 11	SOFT
OPEN HAT	15	SOFT
SHAKER	2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16	GHOST
RIM	12	GHOST

Press PLAY.

You should hear a steady kick, a clap on beats two and four, and a gently swinging shaker. In SLOOP, SWG 0 means straight timing; 12 gives a small amount of swing.

4. Enter Rhodes chords using the new piano roll

Stop playback. Select track 2 → Sound → Presets → RHODES.

Check these settings:

• VOICE / VCE: POLY
• CHORD: OFF
• ARP MODE: OFF
• Transpose / TRN: 0

We’ll enter the individual notes of each chord.

Open Sequencer and set:

• LEN: 64
• DIV: 1/16
• SWG: 0
• View: Piano roll
• Note length: 1/8 — two sixteenth-note steps

At each starting step below, enter all four notes from that row:

Bar	Chord	Notes	Starting steps
1	Am7	A3, C4, E4, G4	3 and 11
2	Fmaj7	A3, C4, E4, F4	19 and 27
3	Cmaj7	G3, B3, C4, E4	35 and 43
4	G7	G3, B3, D4, F4	51 and 59

For example, enter the first chord like this:

1. At step 3, click the A3 row.
2. At the same step, add C4, E4, and G4.
3. Repeat at step 11.

Clicking at the starting step of a chord adds another note to that chord, up to four. Drag a note’s right edge to adjust its duration.

The result: two short, syncopated chords per bar. These chord voicings keep the notes close together for smooth changes.

5. Soften the Rhodes

On track 2 → Sound:

1. Leave FX → DST at zero.
2. Add a little CHO and REV.
3. Move FILTER slightly toward the low-pass side, left of its neutral position.
4. If the chords overlap too much, reduce ENV → REL.

Aim for a clear attack with rounded high frequencies. Keep the reverb in the background.

6. Add the bass

Select track 1 → Sound → SUB BASS.

Check CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0. In Sequencer, set LEN 64, DIV 1/16, and SWG 0, then open Piano roll.

Set note length to 1/8 and enter:

Bar	Note to enter	Steps
1	A3	3, 7, 11, 15
2	F3	19, 23, 27, 31
3	C4	35, 39, 43, 47
4	G3	51, 55, 59, 63

According to the manual, SUB BASS already sounds two octaves below the notes you enter. Don’t transpose these notes down another two octaves.

The bass plays between the kicks. Leave its reverb and delay at zero for now.

7. Add a gentle PHYS melody — new in 2.5

Select track 3 → Sound → MUTED GTR. This preset uses the new PHYS engine.

Set CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0, then configure Sequencer:

• LEN: 64
• DIV: 1/16
• SWG: 0
• Note length: 1/8

Enter this sparse melody:

Step	Note
7	E5
15	G5
23	A5
31	G5
39	E5
47	D5
55	B4
63	D5

If it sounds too bright, reduce BRIT slightly on the PHYS BODY page. Add a little reverb and lower the track level so the melody sits subtly above the Rhodes.

8. Add delay, including the new drum send

Open Sound → FX → DLY, or tap FX on the device until you reach the DLY page.

Set:

• TIME: 1/8D
• FDBK: low, for a few quiet repeats
• COLR: toward a darker sound
• MIX: high enough to hear the echo when you raise a send

On track 3, raise FX → DLY send slightly.

Next, open Settings → DRUMS → DLY in the editor and raise it just above zero. On the device, this is GLO → DRUMS → KNOB 4.

This sends the entire drum track into the delay, including the kick. Keep it very quiet, adding just a little space around the rhythm.

9. Add house pumping and balance the mix

Under Settings → MASTER, start with:

Parameter	Starting value
DUCK	25%
DUST	6%
FILT	Neutral / OFF

DUCK lowers the synth tracks when the kick hits, then brings them back up, creating gentle house pumping.

Open Tracks in the editor:

1. Use the drums as your foundation.
2. Bring up the bass until it supports the kick clearly.
3. Add the Rhodes until the chords fill the space.
4. Keep the melody quieter than the other musical elements.

Use headphones or external speakers to judge the bass.

10. Save the beat and export MIDI — new in 2.5

Stop playback.

1. On the FM-1, hold SAVE and press white key 5 to save to section A. If A is occupied, choose another slot or deliberately confirm the overwrite.
2. Open Projects → Backup → Save a backup for a complete backup.
3. In Sequencer, select each track separately and click Export MIDI.

You’ll get separate MIDI files for the bass, chords, melody, and drums. MIDI stores the notes, not the FM-1’s sound; record its USB audio output as well if you want to preserve the exact sound.I’ve read the updated SLOOP 2.5 manual. Let’s make a warm soft-house beat at 116 BPM, with Rhodes chords, a soft bass, and a subtle melody.We’ll use the FM-1 and the web editor, because some new features are edited through the browser.New feature in 2.5 How we’ll use it
PHYS engine A gentle melody using MUTED GTR
Drum synth, SYN1–SYN4 A custom, softer drum kit
Drum delay send A subtle echo
Piano roll Precise chord entry and note lengths
MIDI export/import Exporting individual patterns for your DAW
Song page in the editor Arranging sections into a songOther additions include the NOISE engine, 153 factory sounds, MIDI CC control, bulk DX7 patch import, and 48 kHz USB audio.Correction to my earlier instructions: the current manual calls the scale button SEL, located between FX and ENV. SELECT is a separate knob.1. Connect the device and prepare a projectConnect the FM-1 to your Mac with a USB data cable.
Open the SLOOP editor in Chrome or Edge.
Click Connect and allow MIDI access.
If you have work you want to keep, open Projects → Backup → Save a backup.
Stop playback.Create a new project on the FM-1:Tap GLO, then SAVE.
Turn SELECT to find TOOLS.
Turn KNOB 4 — NEW one click, then another within approximately 1.5 seconds.Under Settings in the editor, set:Setting Value
BPM 116
Global SWING 0
CLICK OFF
SYNC INTWe’ll add swing only to the drums. Leave REC off: we’ll enter notes directly.2. Create a softer custom kit — new in 2.5Open Drum synth in the editor.Choose an available SYN slot, such as SYN1.
Under Start from, select D.HOUSE, then click Copy.
Name the kit SOFTHOUS — eight characters.
Enable Play on change to hear your adjustments.Start with small changes to the existing kit:Sound Adjustment
KICK Reduce CLICK slightly for a softer attack
KICK Shorten Tone DECAY if the kick rings out too long
CLAP Shorten Noise DECAY slightly
HAT Lower Out LEVEL slightly
OPEN HAT Shorten Noise DECAY so it doesn’t wash over the next beatThese are suggestions to adjust by ear, rather than factory settings from the manual. Leave the other parameters unchanged for now.Click Store on the FM-1, then Use on the drum track.Saving your project and storing your SYN kit edits are separate actions.3. Program the drumsIn the editor, select track 4 → Sequencer → Grid.Set:LEN: 16
DIV: 1/16
SWG: 12
Roll: x1Click the following cells in the grid. Select the appropriate Level before entering each instrument:Instrument Steps Level
KICK 1, 5, 9, 13 NORM
CLAP 5, 13 SOFT
HAT 3, 7, 11 SOFT
OPEN HAT 15 SOFT
SHAKER 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 GHOST
RIM 12 GHOSTPress PLAY.You should hear a steady kick, a clap on beats two and four, and a gently swinging shaker. In SLOOP, SWG 0 means straight timing; 12 gives a small amount of swing.4. Enter Rhodes chords using the new piano rollStop playback. Select track 2 → Sound → Presets → RHODES.Check these settings:VOICE / VCE: POLY
CHORD: OFF
ARP MODE: OFF
Transpose / TRN: 0We’ll enter the individual notes of each chord.Open Sequencer and set:LEN: 64
DIV: 1/16
SWG: 0
View: Piano roll
Note length: 1/8 — two sixteenth-note stepsAt each starting step below, enter all four notes from that row:Bar Chord Notes Starting steps
1 Am7 A3, C4, E4, G4 3 and 11
2 Fmaj7 A3, C4, E4, F4 19 and 27
3 Cmaj7 G3, B3, C4, E4 35 and 43
4 G7 G3, B3, D4, F4 51 and 59For example, enter the first chord like this:At step 3, click the A3 row.
At the same step, add C4, E4, and G4.
Repeat at step 11.Clicking at the starting step of a chord adds another note to that chord, up to four. Drag a note’s right edge to adjust its duration.The result: two short, syncopated chords per bar. These chord voicings keep the notes close together for smooth changes.5. Soften the RhodesOn track 2 → Sound:Leave FX → DST at zero.
Add a little CHO and REV.
Move FILTER slightly toward the low-pass side, left of its neutral position.
If the chords overlap too much, reduce ENV → REL.Aim for a clear attack with rounded high frequencies. Keep the reverb in the background.6. Add the bassSelect track 1 → Sound → SUB BASS.Check CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0. In Sequencer, set LEN 64, DIV 1/16, and SWG 0, then open Piano roll.Set note length to 1/8 and enter:Bar Note to enter Steps
1 A3 3, 7, 11, 15
2 F3 19, 23, 27, 31
3 C4 35, 39, 43, 47
4 G3 51, 55, 59, 63According to the manual, SUB BASS already sounds two octaves below the notes you enter. Don’t transpose these notes down another two octaves.The bass plays between the kicks. Leave its reverb and delay at zero for now.7. Add a gentle PHYS melody — new in 2.5Select track 3 → Sound → MUTED GTR. This preset uses the new PHYS engine.Set CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0, then configure Sequencer:LEN: 64
DIV: 1/16
SWG: 0
Note length: 1/8Enter this sparse melody:Step Note
7 E5
15 G5
23 A5
31 G5
39 E5
47 D5
55 B4
63 D5If it sounds too bright, reduce BRIT slightly on the PHYS BODY page. Add a little reverb and lower the track level so the melody sits subtly above the Rhodes.8. Add delay, including the new drum sendOpen Sound → FX → DLY, or tap FX on the device until you reach the DLY page.Set:TIME: 1/8D
FDBK: low, for a few quiet repeats
COLR: toward a darker sound
MIX: high enough to hear the echo when you raise a sendOn track 3, raise FX → DLY send slightly.Next, open Settings → DRUMS → DLY in the editor and raise it just above zero. On the device, this is GLO → DRUMS → KNOB 4.This sends the entire drum track into the delay, including the kick. Keep it very quiet, adding just a little space around the rhythm.9. Add house pumping and balance the mixUnder Settings → MASTER, start with:Parameter Starting value
DUCK 25%
DUST 6%
FILT Neutral / OFFDUCK lowers the synth tracks when the kick hits, then brings them back up, creating gentle house pumping.Open Tracks in the editor:Use the drums as your foundation.
Bring up the bass until it supports the kick clearly.
Add the Rhodes until the chords fill the space.
Keep the melody quieter than the other musical elements.Use headphones or external speakers to judge the bass.10. Save the beat and export MIDI — new in 2.5Stop playback.On the FM-1, hold SAVE and press white key 5 to save to section A. If A is occupied, choose another slot or deliberately confirm the overwrite.
Open Projects → Backup → Save a backup for a complete backup.
In Sequencer, select each track separately and click Export MIDI.You’ll get separate MIDI files for the bass, chords, melody, and drums. MIDI stores the notes, not the FM-1’s sound; record its USB audio output as well if you want to preserve the exact sound.

I have lots of long flights (think 10h and up to 15h) coming up for me, and I thought I'd dip into the world of grooveboxes to have something more to do.

Needs: Small, standalone, battery powered or at least low power USB.

Wants: Something that doesn't feel like a shrunk down DAW -- a bit of a unique workflow and feels like an instrument. Ideally good for doing more than just 4 bar loops. Can push me towards new things.

Dislikes: Trackers -- they just have always felt like work. I haven't tried the handheld ones (just software) but they are mostly out of budget anyway.

I don't think I can part with the cash for a Teenage XY or OP: so that can give you an idea of max budget.

My shortlist so far:

• Woovebox: Definitely small, super powerful, but not sure of the UI and workflow still
• Liven Evoke: Interesting workflow and very tactile. But a bit big, and maybe too tied to one style of music.
• M-Vave FM: Small, custom firmware makes it better, very cheap. But maybe too limited and will get boring.
• MC-101: Powerful, but maybe a little big. Top end of budget.
• Zythian: Powerful, might need powerbank? But feels a little too much DAW-in-a-box anyway.

What would your choice be? Anything else obvious I'm missing?

Edit: I'm not in the US and the second-hand market is not thriving where I am.

Bonjour à tous, après mettre fait la main sur un set up Volca sample 2+ Volca bass + Volca keys + pedale mgx50 et une mpc keys pour la maison je cherche à affiner mon set up pour l’orienter vers la portablité et la création de house, tech-house-deep house et pourquoi pas se frotter un peu à l’ambiant.

J’ai vendu la mpc keyes pour m’acheter une mpc live 2 et je recherche maintenant un Synthe pour l’accompagner.
J’ai un peu de mal à créer des lignes de bass ou de Synthe avec les pads.
Je serais en vadrouille pour toute l’année prochaine et je souhaite un Synthe sur pile ou 5v pas trop lourd
J’hésite entre le m Waze fm 1, le Roland arai s1 me fait de l’œil, les 2 ont l’air un peu limite et je me tâte à passer le pas et partir sur un Roland sh-4d .
Que penser vous de ces choix, avez vous d’autres ref à me proposer.

J’ai également une autre question, j’ai la dernière version mpc firmware 3.8 sur la mpc live 2 et j’ai l’impression qu’elle Bug pas mal. Avez vous une version plus stable sans pour autant passer sur une trop ancienne

Merci à tous pour le temps de lecture et les réponses

I need a thing that will play keyboard parts and other pre-recorded wav files when you push a button. Preferably with big buttons or pads so the drummer can see them and push them while playing live. I just want to load wav files onto it, call up a song and have different wav files assigned to the buttons or pads or whatever. I don't need any other capabilities really. I'd rather not do it thru a laptop or phone.

I know nothing about this world, I play guitars thru tube amps.

thank you