Arturia MiniFreak 6-Voice Spontaneous Algorithmic Synthesizer

Arturia MiniFreak Overview

MiniFreak: Cutting-Edge Experimental Synthesizer

Are you a fan of the MicroFreak but wish it had more? Check out the Arturia MiniFreak, a cutting-edge experimental hybrid analog/digital synthesizer featuring 6-voice polyphony, digital oscillators, analog filters, effects, a performance arpeggiator, a 64-step sequencer, and a 37-note velocity-sensitive slim-key keyboard with aftertouch, well suited for musicians, sound designers, producers, and DJs at any experience level.

The MiniFreak features two digital oscillator engines with 22 oscillator modes and includes the open source code created by Mutable Instruments and algorithms designed by LA modular titans Noise Engineering. With a remarkable number of options and performance capabilities, the MiniFreak ensures otherworldly sounds, modes, and parameter controls. The 64-step sequencer allows you to record up to four automations, edit notes per step, or use the innovative Spice and Dice sequencer functions to generate happy accidents. The MiniFreak includes a virtual plug-in, allowing you to utilize the same production techniques from within your favorite DAW. The MiniFreak includes a power supply and a USB cable.

Two Engines, Many Voices

A dynamic selection of sounds that contrast, collide, and conspire to create.

• Noise: Morph between particle noise, white noise, and a metallic noise that’s reminiscent of a synth cymbal. Great for gritty industrial-sounding percussion.
• Superwave: Saw, square, sine, or triangle waves, detuned with precision, oozing with fatness and texture that’s perfect for trance leads and dreamy pads.
• Harmo: Control the levels of 32 sinewaves for additive synthesis made easy, creating harmonically rich timbres that can be quickly shaped.
• Karplus Strings: A mode using physical modeling to recreate the vibrations and resonance of a string, from soft plucks to steel-string buzz.
• BasicWaves: A mode emulating two basic waveforms: square, containing only odd harmonics, and sawtooth, containing both odd and even. Two distinct, essential timbres.
• Audio In: Inject any audio signal into MiniFreak to process with Engine 2, the analog filters, and the FX engines.
• Multi Filter: No less than 14 modeled filters packed into an easy-to-use Engine mode, from a 36 dB LP filter to 3 notch filter modes.
• Surgeon Filter: Slice and scoop out entire frequencies with decisive precision, with LP, BP, HP, and notch modes, and a flexible Spread control.
• Comb Filter: Mimic real acoustic behavior using tuned feedback delay for quirky metallic sci-fi-esque resonance. Great for creating SFX or unique almost acoustic sounds.
• Phaser Filter: From 2 to 12 poles, dial in static phase effects on certain frequencies for creating great formant textures and unexpected harmonics.
• Destroy: Fold, decimate, and bitcrush the content of your sound. From razor-sharp to pixelated, static fuzz to plucky video game chirp, choose your degree of destruction.
• FM/RM: Combining frequency and ring modulation, create unique sonic interplay between both engines, altering waveforms, phase, and a blend of dry and ring-modulated signal.

Like its smaller sibling, MiniFreak contains a number of open-source oscillator modes adapted from Eurorack legend Mutable Instruments, with added polyphony and flexibility.

• V.Analog: Two detuned virtual analog oscillators with continuously variable waveforms.
• Waveshaper: A triangular wave processed by waveshaping and wavefolding, creating squelchy, aggressive, and often metallic tones.
• Two Op. FM: A simple but powerful twin-operator FM oscillator, with two sine waves modulating each other’s phase to create sharp acidic tones.
• Formant: Shape your sound into vowel-like movements and plastic-tube resonance with 3 simple controls.
• Chords: A paraphonic synth engine that triggers duplicates at set intervals, creating defined, static chords with one key that can evolve over time.
• Speech: An engine that creates vowel, formant, and simple word sounds that are a little too close to human.
• Modal: Recreate the inharmonic vibrations and resonance of a hollow structure, great for adding texture, overtones, or acoustic timbres to your mix.

Noise Engineering: For the braver, bolder sound explorer, MiniFreak contains 3 algorithms designed by LA modular titans Noise Engineering, combining wavefolding, phase modulation, and harmonic manipulation.

• SawX: A simple sawtooth becomes lethal sonic sharpness. SawX sprinkles chorus and phase modulation into the mix for supersaw mayhem aplenty.
• Harm: Additive synthesis meets wavefolding with spectacular hard sync results. Choose dense octave overtones or blow the harmonic series wide open.
• Bass: A nonlinear waveshaping algorithm that deals in lows: expect heavy digital density and molten metal momentum with this bass.

The Finishing Touch

Augment, transform, and polish whatever combination of engines you’ve chosen with 3 stereo FX engines.

• Chorus, phaser, and flanger
• Reverb and delay
• Distortion and bitcrusher
• 3-band EQ and peak EQ
• Multi comp

Spontaneous Sequencing

Blur the lines between sequencing and arpeggiation with wild results.

• Arp Controls: Change single-note repetitions into chord stabs, switch octaves in seconds, and introduce totally random notes with the Mutate button for arpeggios that leave an impression.
• Spice & Dice: A familiar feature for Freak fans, Spice & Dice alters various parameters, including pitch, gate, and more, so you can take your hands off the wheel and savor some inspiration in the unexpected.
• Modulation Lanes: Lock in custom changes to your filters, envelopes, FX, and beyond, using 4 modulation lanes, ensuring that it’s not just your notes that repeat in perfect sync; it’s your whole sound too.

Modulations Galore

Borderline-softsynth flexibility with single-knob control.

• Dual LFOs: MiniFreak’s 2 low-frequency oscillators strike the perfect balance between sound-design flexibility and simplicity. Send them in different directions, connect them to each other for unique compound modulation, or go off-grid for totally unpredictable movement that’ll keep your sounds guessing.
• Cycling Envelope: Available as a secondary envelope or as an LFO-like repeating envelope generator, the Cycling Envelope brings unique modulation shapes and qualities to the table. Create rapid-fire peaks, audio-rate fluctuations, and varying slopes with no more than a couple of tweaks.
• Custom LFO Shaper: Using the buttons to the right of MiniFreak’s Arpeggiator controls, create your own custom LFO shape, one segment at a time, letting you introduce complex shapes that routinely repeat for chaos that’s mechanical in its precision.

In Perfect Harmony

Focus on getting creative and experimental with your sound without worrying about hitting the wrong notes or chord voicing mishaps. MiniFreak’s Scale and Chord modes keep tabs on your musical input.

• Chord Mode: Play full chord voicings with a single key thanks to this familiar musical feature. By default, Chord mode is set to a major triad, but you can input your own custom voicings one note at a time, which will be saved to MiniFreak’s memory.
• Scale Mode: Wave goodbye to wrong notes by locking MiniFreak’s keyboard and musical input to a scale of your choice. Choose from 5 preloaded scales, or punch in your own for melodies that never go outside the lines.
• Polyphonic, Diatonic: Combine both Chord mode and Scale mode for creating full chord sequences, polyphonic ideas, and harmonized melodies that stay in key at all times, making musical creativity effortless, enjoyable, and rewarding without fail.

MiniFreak V

Enjoy the same wild hybrid sound, complete with modeled analog filters, in your DAW of choice with a VST counterpart to your MiniFreak included with the instrument. You can even use the same presets physically or virtually and tweak the VST with MiniFreak's controls for a seamless creative flow.

Additional Features

• Engine 2 can be used to process Engine 1
• 1 envelope per voice, 1 cycling envelope per voice, 2 LFOs per voice
• Polyphonic analog filters and VCAs
• 6-voice polyphonic, 12-voice paraphonic, unison, or mono configuration
• User-customizable LFO curves
• Mod Matrix with 7 sources and 13 potential destinations
• OLED display for real-time visual feedback
• Performance Arpeggiator controls including Ratchet, Octave Randomize, and more
• MIDI in/out/thru, USB connectivity, sustain, audio in, and clock in/out connectivity, stereo outputs
• 256 factory presets, 256 user preset slots