ARTURIA MicroFreak

A digital synth like no other, MicroFreak is a peculiar, exceptional instrument that rewards the curious musician. It blends numerous wavetable and digital sound engines with analog filters. It features a unique poly-aftertouch flat keyboard. It adds controlled randomness to sequences. This isn’t a revolution, it’s a mutiny.

Un Grain De Folie / A touch of madness

This out-there little music machine features a versatile digital oscillator so you can create rare and interesting sounds with ease. Modes like Texturer, KarplusStrong, Vocoder, and Superwave give adventurous musicians the chance to explore totally new, unheard possibilities. You can even upload your own wavetables.

Like having dozens of synths in just one instrument, both wild-eyed newcomers and seasoned professionals will fall in love with MicroFreak’s flexible, powerful synth engine.

We’re in this together

Everybody likes to go solo from time to time - but sometimes, you just can’t beat the musical magic of an ensemble.

With MicroFreak’s oscillator modes, variety is the aim of the game. Alongside the 8 native oscillator types, you’ll find a selection of open-source algorithms from modular pioneers Mutable Instruments, as well as a handful of unique modes from LA Eurorack wizards Noise Engineering. Enjoy the sonic flexibility of modular, with the same parameter controls and boosted with paraphony, but in a self-contained, performable hardware synth.

The best of both worlds

Inspired by the trailblazing 12-dB Oberheim SEM filter, you can make MicroFreak’s filter scream or whisper to taste. The filter is state-variable, and can even auto-oscillate! You can use this is any way you like, from taking the edge of the razor-sharp wavetable sounds, or automating the cutoff by modulating it with keyboard pressure or the in-built sequencer.

Wait. Did we mention that MicroFreak has a sequencer? And a mod matrix? Things are about to get seriously interesting...

Taste the spice, throw the dice

Record up to four automations, edit notes per step or use the innovative Spice and Dice sequencer functions to find happy accidents. Add randomization to create evolving, original patterns, and virtually rewire and reconfigure its signal chain and controls with the 5x7 modulation matrix.

“That’s a funny looking keyboard”

That’s right, it is. It isn’t really even a keyboard. It’s a PCB. Super-flat, with no moving parts. Will it track lightning-fast synth solos? You bet. Better than a traditional keyboard, actually.

Will it let you be expressive? Of course, it’s not only pressure sensitive, but also offers poly-aftertouch. This means each key can control parameters in a different way depending on how much you touch.

You can also use its USB, MIDI, and CV outputs to control instruments in your DAW and modular synths. This also means that you can also use MicroFreak as a controller to experience polyphonic aftertouch with cutting edge software instruments.

From Firmware version 4.0

• Native wavetable and digital oscillator modes:
  • Vocoder
  • Noise
  • Superwave
  • Harmo
  • Karplus Str.
  • Wavetable
  • BasicWaves
  • WaveUser
• Mutable Instruments open-source oscillator modes:
  • V. Analog
  • Waveshaper
  • Two Op. FM
  • Formant
  • Chords
  • Speech
  • Model
• Noise Engineering oscillator modes:
  • SawX
  • Harm
  • Bass
• Multimode analog filters: Low-pass, band-pass, high-pass
• Poly-aftertouch flat keyboard
• 4-voice paraphonic mode
• Up to 4-voice unison
• Arpeggiator and sequencer with Spice & Dice randomization
• 320 factory presets and space for 64 user sounds;
• Crystal-clear OLED screen
• 5x7 modulation matrix
• USB, MIDI, and CV outputs
• Use MicroFreak as a controller to experience polyphonic aftertouch

Main Features

• Synthesizer with 384 preset slots and 320 factory presets
• 16 awesome oscillator modes, including 5 bespoke Arturia engines, 7 modes from Mutable Instruments, and 3 oscillator modes designed with Noise Engineering.
• 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

Box contents

• MicroFreak unit
• Power supply

Size & weight

• Instrument size : 12.2 x 9.2 x 2.2 inches (311 x 233 x 55mm)
• Instrument weight : 2.3 lbs. (1.02 Kg)