Arturia Microfreak
Experimental hybrid synth
A synthesizer like no other, Arturia MicroFreak is a special, exceptional instrument that rewards the curious musician. It combines wavetable and digital oscillators with analog filters. It features a unique poly aftertouch flat keyboard.
Understanding Madness
It may sound a little wild and crazy, but the arturia MicroFreak is easy to understand and quick to master.
Each function is clearly marked and easy to access and operate, making the arturia MicroFreak enhance your creativity rather than get in the way. On this page, we’ll discuss some of the things that make MicroFreak a truly one-of-a-kind.
Hear voices
The multiple modes of arturia MicroFreak‘s digital oscillator can be easily switched and controlled directly with the 4 dedicated buttons in the Digital Oscillator section. The Type button toggles between the motors, while Wave, Timbre, and Shape controls let you fine-tune the oscillator to your liking.
The arturia MicroFreak currently includes 12 oscillator types, but we’ve left room for more in the future!
We have also developed the open-source Plaits oscillator developed by Eurorack legends Mutable Instruments to bring you 7 additional synth modes. While all oscillators in MicroFreak are monophonic by nature, you can choose to enable paraphony to play up to 4 voices simultaneously.
Voice filtering
The combination of digital oscillator and analog filter is a powerful one, and the often sharp, crystalline sounds of the oscillators can be beautifully tamed or shaped using the tasty 12-dB per octave filter, based on the legendary Oberheim-designed SEM filter.
Take it step by step
Despite its small size, the arturia MicroFreak has a modulation matrix and advanced features that make even giant synths jealous.
With 5 sources and 7 destinations available, you can virtually rewire components within MicroFreak to create totally unique sounds, especially since 3 of the destinations are user assignable!
With easy programming using the clickable Matrix button, a bright backlit display and extra details on the OLED screen, you’ll never have to guess what you’re changing. To route a modulation source to one of the destinations, browse, click and define a quantity. It’s easy, fast and fun, and gives you super-powerful results you’d expect from a synth ten times the price.
Happy accidents
The arturia MicroFreak’s sequencer isn’t just any old synth sequencer, it’s a dual-mode arpeggiator / sequencer with innovative features that get your creative juices flowing.
Spice
By adjusting the level of Spice in your sequence, you can literally spice it up, change the parameters of the pattern without changing the pitch and create something new.
Dice
When Dice is selected, the touchstrip uses the touchstrip to create a random sequence with the number you choose so you can get inspiration for the unexpected.
The magical touch MicroFreak’s tactile interface is like nothing you’ve ever used before. A flat, touch-sensitive keyboard with no moving parts may seem strange, but it feels so natural to use.
The 25-key circuit board not only tracks the notes you play at lightning speed, but can also detect the pressure or aftertouch on each note individually. This has some exciting uses within MicroFreak synthesizer itself, as well as for polyphonic aftertouch-enabled virtual instruments when MicroFreak is used as a MIDI controller.
The touch controls above the keyboard also give you access to key sequencer parameters, while the touch strip can be used as a pitch bender or to control the amount of “Spice” and “Dice” in your sequences.
So much, for so little
Just as our debut MiniBrute synth set new standards for affordable analog instruments in 2012, MicroFreak is poised to redefine what inexpensive digital synths can do.
Exciting presets
While exploring the capabilities of a new synth itself can be tremendous fun, it’s nice to quickly browse through some presets for inspiration. MicroFreak includes 128 preset patches and allows you to create, edit and save your own patches too! The clickable preset button makes selecting, assigning and renaming a breeze.
Classic synth functions
With two unique envelopes and a syncable LFO, you can really get to work with MicroFreak with dedicated control for every parameter. The Cycling Envelope allows you to create an advanced loop mode and run it in LFO with variable rise, hold and fall times, with exponential, linear or logarithmic curves.
Amazing connectivity
It features CV outputs, so you can send tone, gate and pressure signals to any outboard or modular synth that is CV/Gate compatible. You can also connect it to your DAW via USB or use the included MIDI breakout cables. Allows you to connect it to your favorite controller keyboard, or use arturia MicroFreak’s sequencer to control another synth, for example.
Powerful modulators
“Yo dawg, we heard you liked modulators, so we’ll let you put modulators on your modulators.”
That’s right. Hand in hand with the modulation matrix, the modulators can be mapped to each other so you can get really experimental. This is unheard of in a cheap synth.
Remember, this isn’t some huge, obscure, and expensive synth we’re talking about. This is a super affordable digital startup, and can’t wait to meet you.
Keyfeatures aruria microfreak:
– Synthesizer with 256 preset slots and 160 factory presets
– 12 Digital oscillators with variable modes, with integrated open source Plaits engine created by Mutable Instruments
– Analog State Variable Filter, 12dB/octave, resonant, Low Pass, Band Pass, High Pass
– ADSR envelope
Cycling Envelope offering two modes
– Envelope
– LFO
– LFO with Sync: Sine, Tri, Saw, Square, Random, Slew Random
– Modulation matrix with 5 sources and 7 destinations (3 custom destinations)
– Monophonic or Paraphonic modes – Up to 4 voices
– 25-key capacitive keybed with polyphonic aftertouch
– Capacitive touch strip
– Crisp OLED display for editing and parameter values
Powerful arpeggiator
– Up, Order, Random, Pattern modes
– Spice & Dice Gate randomizers
64-step sequencer
– 2 patterns per preset
– 4 automation tracks per preset
– CV / Gate / Mod outputs
– USB, Clock and MIDI in and out
– 6.35mm master and 3.5mm headphone outputs
Want more check out the arturia minifreak
