Arturia has introduced MiniFreak Vocoder Edition – a special edition of the polyphonic hybrid synth.
The new version features the same dual digital engines, analog filters, modulation and sequencing power, but adds a vocoder and gooseneck mic.
Here’s an example of the new vocoder feature in action:
For existing MiniFreak owners, Arturia has also released MiniFreak 4.0, a free firmware update that adds two new FX modes and 15 new vocoder sounds. It’s available now as a free update.
Pricing and Availability:
MiniFreak Vocoder is available now for $699 USD.
And yet the FX engine of this machine is still its weakest point. Not much variety and the algorythms don’t sound very musical.
As soon as you use some external gear it starts to shine.
Sometimes I wonder if this limitation is not a bug but a feature so that they can make room for selling a future “SuperFreak” or “MegaFreak”.
The effects on most standalone synths are usually the weak point IMO…though i think Arturia’s are pretty good. Summit probably has the best fx on a synth tho!… i appreciate when the fx parameters are accessible in the mod matrix, it makes it feel a little more cohesive and gives you some possibilities that might not be possible with external fx.
they are far better than the fx on Hydrasynth, and probably some of the best ive used overall, more musical than Roland id say
with that said it will never come close to dedicated fx units, but there is no synth that has such a feature anyways… thats the whole point of a dedicated fx unit
Long Live Arturia!
I bought the ‘freak when it was just released. I was already very happy with it back then. Ever since, Arturia kept on adding the most wonderful engines and effects… for free!
Take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT9KBuluYRo
Real question: If I wanted the vocoding features/voice features, why would I buy this over the Korg Microkorg 2, which is superior in every way in that regard, for almost the same price?