4 Years Later... MicroFreak 2023 Review // Plus Versus MiniFreak

nice review, do you think Microfreak would sound amazing paired with an analog synth like Pittsburgh Modular TAIGA and have both synth mono inputs plugged into say a Digitone for seperate effect processing?

Nobody here had a huge noise floor with this thing? I bought the new stellar version and returned it to guitar center for $350USD. I just bought the older version for $200USD. Hoping maybe the one i had was a bad batch. I read posts on forums other people had the problem too.

You can have a lot of fun combining the Microfreak with a guitar MFX board like a Headrush MX5, Boss GT series, Line6 etc ..

Awesome video! What would you like Arturia to add and improve with a future firmware update?

Stellar version : I love the look, but as a ‘newbie’ to playing keyboards - does the normal lighter keyboard make it easier to see the notes in darker surroundings ???

I love this thing! I don't like the 1/8 inch MIDI, but other than that, I like the micro better than the mini.

How about this? I already have a Keystep 37. I also have a Roland MV-1 which makes the sequencer and most of the Keystep's features obsolete. So the keystep is really just keys. But I have been wanting a funner synth with tweak ability. Should I just pick up a used micro freak for $250 or sell the Keystep 37 and get a mini freak, allowing the mini to be my keys and my fun tweak synth? I'd save a few bucks that way. But is the micro freak deep enough that micro freak + keystep = mini freak? Or would I missing out on quite a bit still? FX seems like a big miss even though the MV-1 has multiFX. Better than asking what should I do: what would YOU do? If saving a few hundred bucks mattered.

Non capisco le grandi differenze

anyone know how to sync midi seq and arp without the weird delay? * ableton11suite/focusrite 2i4/ trs jack from microfreak to mono inputs summed to stereo. midi out from focusrite out to send my usb from the keyboard with only usb. not really sure if im doing stuff rtight
but i have not been creative with it when playing my arrangements and recordings its ,...off
escpecially sequencing and arp and midi recording and playback
-- like the arp wont even make noise until i reboot the hardware device sometimes...

Ive also had issues with the Midi Control center on the microbrute already

Very nice review, we agree, the new osc-types are ace! The CV-keyboard is very special, especially when you use the CV connectivity. Together with the ability to modulate the OSC-types and different keyboard-source modes it is is such a feature rich killer synth. Especially since, thanks to you, we now know that together with the Analog Heat +FX it even gets better. Thanks for showing this combo!

what I am trying to say is usb 2.0 does not work with alot of their software so they need to update to the usb 3.0 so their SOFTWARE WILL WORK!!!!

It looks like a great, fun little synth. But I hate that floral decoration above the keyboard, I mean why?!

I bought mine a few months after you and love it. I now have three 😏

Not sure what is freakier. How bad a$$ this device is or it's already been four years 🤯

You mentioned that you would not recommend that MicroFreak as a first-time hardware synth. I'm not to bothered about using external effects since i've got a decent collection of guitar pedals including a Poly Effects Beepo. What would you recommend as an alternative?

I do like my micro freak, and I do understand the majority of synth players aren’t guitar junkies as well, but I personally would rather use a great reverb or flanger or whatever than a built in stripped down one. I have always added my own FX even back in the Prophet 600 days, which also (if I recall correctly) had none. Back then an ARP was the big deal. Over the years I’ve accumulated more FX than anything let alone the last few years guitar synths that don’t require a MIDI pickup, although that’s the way to do it right! Like it or not, I used to tell myself I will not get into VST or modular rabbit holes, that’s impossible to get what I like without it, now at least! The second main reason the DeepMind 6 and 12 or so damn great sounding (the first being damn near analog circuits, argue all you want with digital control, whatever, it feels like prophet 600 souped up) is it was designed with FX being essential to the overall sound creation process. My point is Arturia is doing it right. Major system functions update, BYOFX, Awesome stuff!

Ive had the MKF for 2 years and have had so many different things happening with the exact same settings and connectivity its ridiculous. Recording onto Ableton with this has been a fucking nightmare. Idk how many times I've thought I had it down pact with presets saved only to open a new project file and experiences new issues. reaching my breaking point with this piece of shit.

Totally disagree about the microfreak keyboard. Logically, it’s not what you suggest “ it’s more for someone who knows how to play on a keyboard and wants to go onto something new”, more so it’s for people like me who don’t play keyboards. This is more intuitive.

preordered the MF back when it was first shown at NAMM. It was my very first synth hardware and it is still my favourite synth even though I now also have the MiniFreak. The lack of effects in the microf. has forced me to learn how to work with the 'core' sounds instead of just slamming on a reverb without caring much about the underlying sound design. The microf. also has a very underrated arpigiator, I esp love the 'pattern' generator and love that you can even set the amount of octaves as modulation point in the matrix -its pure generative awesomeness! I dont think you can set the octaves as modulation point on the MiniFreak. Another win for the microf. is that it has CV outs, which has become useful to me now that I got into eurorack.
Regarding the keyboard, it can act unpredictably sometimes, so not sure if I would ever want to use it in a performance setting. However, the keyboard makes the synth super portable which I have enjoyed a lot. Just throw it in your backpack with a power bank and then you can play anywhere you want.

Another question: with the newly added sample functionality, how is the Microfreak responding if you hold a note? Does it just run out the sample, or does it actually hold (in a nice way)?

The Microfreak is insane. I love mine, had it for two years now. It's an actual creative take on synthesis in my opinion. Aftertouch can be immensely expressive.

Question: is there a difference (besides the colour obviously) between the 3 different versions of the Microfreak? So the main one (like the one in your vid), the Vocoder version and the newly released Stellar version?

The bang for the buck is beyond belief now. If Roland had this sound engine in the AE-30 wind synth I would be ecstatic! I'll just have to settle for using the AE as a controller for it.

If only they could update the polyphony to 6 voices or 8, its digital so to me it seems theyre just refusing to do this so as not to compete with the minifreak.

You have an Analog Heat FX. FIVE WORDS: Syntactical Expressions Mega FX Edition!!!

I had a Microfreak a few years ago, and ended up selling it to fund... something? The addition of granular synthesis is making me consider getting another one.

i love the Microfreak keyboard because for me, it's a CV Source and not a keyboard, Just like when I learned on a Buchla in college in the 80's.
You can use it as a keyboard when you need to but it's much more interesting as a CV source with aftertouch.

One small correction; only the Filter is Paraphonic.Once you switch the Microfreak to "Paraphonic" mode, the single Analog Envelope switches over to a 4 Voice Digital Envelope. So, pretty cool actually...

I still feel that the Microfreak is some of the best bang for buck anyone can spend on a synth. I wouldn't use it for my bread and butter, though you could. But it is so good at being sampler food, FX, textures, etc. Pairs so great with an h9.

On top of everything that you've said, I've put a lot of mileage with this thing with my Eurorack. Having another sequencer that can transpose and create randomization has been a lot of fun to control other devices that don't have as good of a sequencer.

such dope timing. I finally ordered one after a deal I saw online for the original color way with vocoder. I wanted the stellar but the deal was too good to pass up and I was considering a oversynth overlay anyway. stoked to give this a full listen after work

Can you load MicroFreak presets into MiniFreak?

I've been considering this guy for a few years now. Went with a Hydra for my first main piece, and now with this update, the Micro is even more tempting for a supplementary synth. Thanks for the overview and the comparison to Mini.

It's kind of funny how the Synth goes for like 330 bucks but the effects unit used is at 1k. Elektron needs to tone it down a bit.