Arturia Microfreak Synthesizer Hands-On Demo

At the 2019 NAMM Show, Arturia introduced the Microfreak – a hybrid digital + analog synth that is built around a unique, expressive touch keyboard.

Features:

  • Synthesizer with 192 preset slots and 128 factory presets
  • 11 Digital oscillator with variable mode
  • 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 output

Pricing and Availability

The Arturia MicroFreak is expected to be available Spring 2019, priced at US $349.

46 thoughts on “Arturia Microfreak Synthesizer Hands-On Demo”

    1. got the skulpt and jumped on the early bird for the craft 2.0 – this looks like a lot of fun and is totally the next on my list (not counting the vocal drum that I preordered) so I am right there with you – they are some of the more creative V/A ideas I have seen in a while.

  8. “…
    ADSR envelope
    Cycling Envelope offering two modes
    Envelope
    LFO
    LFO with Sync: Sine, Tri, Saw, Square, Random, Slew Random
    … ”

    So – what type of ‘LFO’ and ‘Envelope’ ?

  9. Was expecting to see a lively debate on the Arturia/Mutable IP issues but maybe everyone’s exhausted from all the Behringer posts

    1. There is no issue. Arturia had permission to use Mutables IP. Emilie was mostly pissed because she did not like Arturias graphic design.

      1. Either you have difficulties with reading comprehension or you are purposefully misrepresenting the facts! Emilie responded in kind to the objections and clearly did not feel comfortable calling this a collaboration considering the lack of involvement.

        1. I think you are the one having trouble reading and where, when did Arturia say it was a collaboration?

          “4 bespoke Arturia engines, and 7 modes from our friends at Mutable Instruments.”

          “We’ve also integrated the open-source Plaits oscillator developed by Eurorack legends Mutable Instruments to bring you 7 additional synth modes. While all of the oscillators in MicroFreak are naturally monophonic, you can choose to enable paraphony to play up to 4-voices at once.”

            1. I think it said partner not collaboration in the earlier press release and no doubt they were partners in this even if Emelie was kinda a silent partner in his.

              2. nah dude you got it wrong. Emilie doesn’t become a “silent partner” anytime anyone forks her code. it was blatantly deceitful for the marketing materials to call it a collaboration.

                AND nothing in her response could be fairly characterized as “pissed”. She kept a cooler head than anyone else would have.

      2. No – there is no ‘Arturia/Mutable IP issue’.

        She took issue with them saying the Microfreak was a collaboration with Mutable instruments, when Arturia simply used MI’s open source code, which anyone can do.

        This is her statement on it:

        “Let me clarify a couple of things.

        First of all, Plaits’ code is open-source, which means that anybody is free to use it, as long as they credit me somewhere (it can be in a product description page, or a footnote in a downloadable manual, or an “about” dialog). This is why you can find Mutable Instruments’ DSP code in the Korg Prologue, the Axoloti, the Organelle, VCV Rack, and plenty of other bits of software or hardware. This is not stealing. Plaits’ code is a summary of everything I’ve learnt about making rich and balanced sound sources controlled by a few parameters, it’s for everyone to enjoy.

        Now, regarding the Microfreak.

        Arturia had been in the process of developing a hybrid synth for a while, and contacted me about using some of Plaits’ code inside. I had no objection to that.

        In May, they invited me to their headquarters for a product development meeting where they showed me mockups of the Microfreak. It was fairly clear at this point that it was their product. The feature set, UX, sound engine were all already set in stone. The product obviously followed Arturia’s design language and branding. My expected contribution to the project was none: Arturia’s engineers would do their own thing with my code, the tone character and sound design was their responsibility. It was pointless for me to suggest features and ideas (*), or spill the beans about ideas I wanted to keep for upcoming Mutable Instruments products, and this awkward event felt more like a focus group.

        Arturia offered to mention something like “Oscillator code from Mutable Instruments” in the product description, which is my preferred form of citation. No monetary compensation has ever been discussed – which is fair, because I provided exactly 0 hour of work and 0 original line of code. No contract has been drafted or signed.

        Arturia contacted me back last week with a photo of the finished product. I never had the opportunity to playtest it. I have not been asked to approve or veto any promotional material.

        As you can see, my involvement was fairly limited.

        I don’t feel wronged. It’s their product.

        However, I feel uneasy when people got excited, seeing it described as a collaboration between Mutable Instruments and Arturia, because none of the technical and design choices involved in this product originate from me. I have been quite disconcerted by the private messages congratulating me for this release and achievement. I know some people have been waiting for a Mutable Instruments keyboard synth, or at least non-modular product, for a while. Well, this is not it. That’s what I wanted to say to the world. I don’t want people to associate any negative experience they could have with this product with Mutable Instruments. I don’t want people to think that I endorsed or at least authorized some aesthetic decisions regarding this product or the communication surrounding it.

        With its focus on local production, open-source, deliberate lack of marketing and advertising, Mutable Instruments is an unusual company. It’s stimulating and fun, but somewhat dangerous too. Turning Arturia into an enemy – those talks of boycotts and those tweets demanding justice – is only adding fuel to the fire and increasing the risks of getting me attacked in ways I don’t expect and I am not protected against.

        If you care about me, move on! I need a lot of strength and energy at the moment, and it should all be focused on finishing new products.

        So please let Arturia enjoy their release party, it’s hard work to ship a product. Buy their product if you think you’ll have fun and make good music with it, don’t buy otherwise. Buy Mutable Instruments products (or the Softube clones) if you want to fund me, or build your own and give the money to charities.

        Love,
        Émilie

        (*) To people thinking that this is all my fault because I was too passive at this point, I’ll take a little musical comparison: Someone has made a track using a stem you have publicly shared. They want to market their track as a “collaboration” with you, but they only give you the opportunity to provide feedback during the mastering session. Would that be a fair collaboration?”

        1. My understanding is that there is a small issue: Arturia may have violated the CC BY-SA license on the Mutable branding. But I don’t think anyone wants to make a legal issue out of it.

          There’s also an issue of how music tech firms embrace open source. For example, it would be really nice if some of them would release some open source stuff in exchange (as Apple did with Darwin).

        3. HMMMMMM…

          ya know…

          HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

          …

          why do I say that you may ask?…

          … (or not, but i dont care)

          THIS. this is why:

          “No – there is no ‘Arturia/Mutable IP issue’.

          She took issue with them saying the Microfreak was a collaboration with Mutable instruments, when Arturia simply used MI’s open source code, which anyone can do.

          This is her statement on it:

          “Let me clarify a couple of things.

          First of all, Plaits’ code is open-source, which means that anybody is free to use it, as long as they credit me somewhere (it can be in a product description page, or a footnote in a downloadable manual, or an “about” dialog).

          see that? do you see that right there? does it mean anything? See – thats my question here. Does all of this back and forth ACTUALLY MEAN ANYTHING WHATSOEVER??? or is it just empty, hollow words being tossed around.. for the hell of it.. you know… just for.. “no reason” or whatevs? omg?

          like, whatever?

          WHAT IS THE FUCKING POINT? oh.. its “not a collaboration”? its just a “use”?? WHO CARES? thats what Id like to know? and WHY? whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? please explain. WHY DOES THIS LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION MATTER AT ALL IN THE VERY VERY SLIGHTEST WAY WHATSOEVER OTHER THAN A REDEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGY WITHOUT ANY SORT OF ACTUAL IMPLICATION IN THE “real world” OR WHATEVS? OMG?

          1. I am with you in a lot of ways – it seems like what she took issue with were mutable fans buying this thinking it is a collaboration but honestly I see this as 2 completely different crowds of people purchasing the product. For the most part Mutable fans are modular users that might feel like using this as a controller if anything but it isn’t like it is a semi modular or modular unit so I would assume that they would take one look and go “cool, but not my bag” in the first place so the controversy isn’t really a controversy.

  10. Its not pressure sensitive or velocity sensitive. It is surface area and how much of the finger is on the key. Watch the way he adds more surface when he talks about velocity sensitivity. That is why their is segmentation in the printing of the keys.

    2. I know – I hope no one gets annoyed at it (or maybe I do so they have to cut the price) but I think that it is actually kind of cooler. Velocity from what he was saying is going to have to do with the timing though and aftertouch is the spread.

  11. im gonna go ahead and take a wild guess that i wont get a response on my query! but yeh… WHO KNOWS!!!

    amirite? lolzerkopotreenos

      1. Sure I do!! Here, let me spell it out for you, ok?

        Definition of collaborate
        intransitive verb

        1 : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
        An international team of scientists collaborated on the study.
        2 : to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one’s country and especially an occupying force
        suspected of collaborating with the enemy
        3 : to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected
        The two schools collaborate on library services.

        1. Woah. Why so angry? Emilie did an excellent job of saying, “Arturia was allowed to include my code in their product, but it wasn’t a collaboration and this isn’t a Mutable Instruments product.”

  14. The keyboard is not doing it for me. I’d rather it just be a desktop module – be a little cheaper, and use a proper MIDI controller keyboard like a Novation SL MK III.

  17. The piano is terrible. FAIL! 😛 Its not my cuppa, but I find the design oddly appealing. I think its an experimenter’s synth more than anything else, if taken by itself. If you use it as a hub for an outside piece or three, it starts looking a lot more potent. I think it’ll end up wearing two hats the most: VCS3-like effects & sequences and a unique soloing synth because the touch sensitive “keys” give it a bit of a Roli feel. It has some loopy cool going on.

    1. “The piano is terrible. FAIL!”

      I look at it completely differently.

      To me, the keyboard is one of the coolest features. I don’t need another big piano keyboard, but I love new synths. So, if I’m going to get a new synth, making it a unique instrument is a big plus.

      I’m looking forward to trying this and the Continumini.

  18. Microfreak is probably the most creative synth to come out of NAMM this year. I’m impressed that they can do something original and experimental, and have it priced in exactly the same range as Behringer’s knockoffs.

    Behringer seems to be playing it very safe, just copying other people’s proven successes.

  21. It really kills me that they’ve made a really great portable unit… with no effects. I don’t want a bigger one to lug around with effects on it, I want effects on this small portable one. Come on man, at least a reverb and a delay.

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