Woovebox is a new portable groovebox that squeezes a heck of synthesis and sampling features in a tiny cardbox groovebox: update 2.0 adds even more to it.
Two years ago, a new developer released a mini, yet feature-packed, groovebox called Woovebox. The mini description fits it perfectly, as the device is significantly smaller than a smartphone or even a wallet.
Now, the Woovebox celebrates its second birthday with a new major firmware update, 2.0, featuring numerous new features.
Additionally, there are two new hardware versions: the SE is nearly identical to the original hardware, and the Pro features a slightly larger battery, as well as an extra accessory.
Woovebox 2.0
The new firmware 2.0 is compatible with both the original hardware and the new SE and Pro models. It offers new additions to the sampler, Synthesizer, and many other areas.
First, the sampler has received a significant upgrade with more sample time (doubled to 2m 4s), giving you more room to record custom sounds. It also features a revamped resampling engine (skip back), an additional sample bank, and a new random slice selection for multi-sampled kits.
Part of the 2.0 update is also an improved, streamlined vocoder with seamless switching between the sampler and vocoder modes.
The built-in Synthesizer offers new key features, including two new filter types (voice and notch filters), an additional hold behavior for the LFO, and the third oscillator is now used dynamically in the signal path.
The delay of the synth engine is now also capable of longer delays for higher BPMs (up to 750ms, or up to 1.5x sixteenth note length for BPM >= 120).
Then, Woovebox 2.0 introduces new DJ FXs and a looper to polish your fragments. In terms of effects, you get a per-fragment programmable noise generator, a multimode master filter, a sine wave drone generator, mixing capabilities, and a gater.
Also, it has a new per-fragment programmable looper with buffer freezer, resampler, overdubber using real-time dynamic 44.1KHz/16-bit/stereo resampling of up to four bars per buffer, with 2 (cross-bounceable) buffers available.
This massively expands the possibilities to shape and polish sounds or fragments on the fly.
DSP Optimization, MIDI & More
Not only have new synth, sampler, and FX functions been added, but the developers have also improved the engine’s sound quality and clarity across the board. They promise that it now has a more HiFi and high-end quality.
They improved the waveforms of the synth (anti-aliasing), algorithms, reverb, and FM, among other enhancements. Firmware 2.0 also brings a new big selection of new presets (170+), along with a new, easier way of selecting and randomizing them.
There is also an update for the sequencer with off-grid live recording, and a quantization and dynamic swing/quantized playback feature
A major feature of the Woovebox 2.0 is the ability to control it from any MIDI controller, turning it into a powerful mini Synthesizer/workstation. Plus, the MIDI port can be used as a physical MIDI IN port.
Further, it brings many workflow and UI enhancements, plus tons of bug fixes. Alongside all this, the developers also released Wooveconnect 2.0, a new version of the companion app for the Woovebox.
The new version has an improved interface, support for uni-directional communication, freely selectable MIDI ports, more precise control over connection stability, and dynamic parameter help/docs display
A huge update for the exciting mini groovebox. One thing remains certain, even after this update: the Woovebox doesn’t fit my workflow because it’s too small, but it has its fans, or will find them. I’m sure of it.
The Woovebox 2.0 firmware is available now as a free download for existing users. The SE hardware is out now for $249 USD and the Pro for $289 USD on the official website and retailers.
Available at my partner
Article from September 4, 2023
With the Novation Circuit, a new era of groove boxes began in 2015. Small, affordable, and many options. Many other grooveboxes followed, packed with synthesis, sampling, etc. Thanks to modern technology, these are becoming smaller and more compact.
The all-new Woovebox, a new groovebox with a card box-style design, shows how far it can go with the size.
Woovebox
At first glance, the design is reminiscent of a shrunken Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator. Circuit board look, sixteen tactile microswitches, two additional buttons on the left/right, a big knob, and two 4-letter old-school screens.
Don’t let the size fool you. The Woovebox has an impressive set of features. Both synthesis and sampling are on board.
Synthesis Meets Sampling
The synth engine is 16-part multi-timbral and consists of 16 tracks with 1 track with four voices of polyphony and 15 tracks with 4-voice paraphonic or mono tracks.
On the synthesis side, you can work with 16 versatile synthesis algorithms and 17 low-aliasing oscillator models. You can choose two oscillator models per voice, and they range from classic virtual analog, FM, super saw, AM, ringmod, x0x percussion, and more.
Besides the oscillator models, you can also work with samples. It hosts up to 256 user samples (16 user kits x 16 samples) with up to 62 seconds (44.1kHz 8-bit mu-law compressed) in total. You can also sample in the unit via the dedicated 3.5mm line input.
Samples can also be mangled, sliced, chopped, and re-arranged right in the unit. There is also an option to re-sample the internal Synthesizer engine. And via Bluetooth, you can also import your own samples in the unit. It also supports multi-sampled instruments.
Once the sound generators have been chosen, the signals go into a multimode filter per voice with 10 filter types. Modulation side, you get two amp envelopes, a filter envelope, and multiple LFOs per voice.
It hosts both FX and dynamic effects per voice and global multi-FX to refine your sounds. You can find:
- global multi-FX: reverb, stereo chorus, and two stereo delays
- per-voice FX: distortion, saturation, bit crushing, resampling, global multi-FX sends
- per-voice dynamics: compressor/limiter, 4-bus side-chaining, gating
Plus, there is a master compressor/limiter, vinyl, and noise effects. Impressive. One really wonders where the developers put all these features. The groovebox is tiny but packed with features like a flagship instrument
Sequencer
Woovebox is a groovebox and a groovebox needs a sequencer. Otherwise, it isn’t. The unit has space for up to 16 songs, each with 16 tracks. Then, each track has 16 patterns, and each pattern has 16 steps. The step amount is a bit small. I hope this will be expanded in the future.
There are polyrhythmic and generative options, you can program in arpeggios, and it supports xox-style patterns. It also offers per-step conditionals, 100+ step modifier types, and probability. User scales, modes, chord types, and inversions are also onboard.
Woovebox’s internal sequencer feature list isn’t finished yet: You also get pattern chaining, pattern muting conditions, micro-timing + swing, and a song mode with per-fragment transformation and automation. This is called a huge feature set.
Connectivity & Battery
On the connection side, you get a stereo line input for sampling, a line output, a type-A MIDI output, and a sync out. The latter is, for example, compatible with the Pocket Operators. There is also onboard Bluetooth for transferring sounds and MIDI in/out. And thanks to the stereo line input, you can route up to two devices into the synth engine of the Woovebox.
Woovebox also has an internal battery giving you up to 10 hours of wireless music production. And lastly, you can export your songs as WAV (song, stems, and dry & wet).
First Impression
Hat for the feature set of this tiny groovebox. Wild what you can find here. Woovebox actually has everything you like to see: a lot of synthesis power, sampling, re-sampling, a large sequencer, and portable thanks to the internal battery.
Too small for me to make music with, but there are many musicians who like small, portable instruments. For them, the device is highly exciting and also very affordable.
Woovebox is available now for $249 and includes a custom-made hard case.
More information here: WB
if you have only one knob that sould be an endless encoder.
Agreed, and the user interface looks like a nightmare.
I gotta say, even though I have my issues with it, the UI system is actually one of the most brilliant things I have ever encoutered. Makes me giggle everytime I use it.
Looks cool
No sync in??
Really don’t know. I love small boxes like the Woovebox but first I will finish my Microdexed Touch which is also a powerful little beast.
Ordering from Europe in Australia can be expensive and I will never do it again. Hopefully thonk shop located in UK will offer it soon.
Somehow this had slipped past me until today. I was so intrigued after reading this post that I went and picked one up from Perfect Circuit. Pretty fun so far!
Tiny synths at my age, are just not ideal. I guess it appeals to younger musicians, for whatever reason. I gave up on this form factor after the PO