Arturia have also added three brand-new synthesis engines to the MicroFreak’s new edition, all utilising granular synthesis to really make the MicroFreak stand out! Sound generation is handled by the single Digital Oscillator, several variations of which implement Mutable Instruments’ open-source designs. 12 modes are available: choose one with the Type knob, and the OLED screen is populated by three parameters, unique for each mode, adjusted with Wave, Timbre and Shape knobs and seen onscreen with little ‘test tube’ meters. Funky. The next chapter in the Freak story. MicroFreak is the hybrid desktop synth that refuses to stop evolving and continues to inspire with every update. The firmware update also includes three new granular engines, named Scan Grains, Cloud Grains, and Hit Grains. These engines offer even more options for editing samples, making the MicroFreak an even more versatile tool for musicians.

MicroFreak is a four-voice paraphonic synth – when the Paraphonic button is engaged, you can play up to four voices at once, but all share the same filter, envelope and under-the-hood VCA settings. Versatile Sound Design and Algorithms - With the latest update, three new algorithms, namely bass, sawX, and harm, have been introduced. These algorithms are also available in Noise Engineering's Virt Iter module, which offers flexibility in additive harmonic colour, wave folding, modulation, and other features. By including these algorithms, you can push your digital signal to analogue extremes and explore a range of possibilities. It's an ideal way to enhance your audio experience. The MicroFreak is a synthesizer manufactured by French music technology company Arturia and released in 2019. [1] Described as a "Hybrid Experimental Synthesizer", it uses 18 digital sound engines (algorithms) to synthesize raw tones. [2] This digital oscillator is then fed into a multi-mode analog filter, giving the MicroFreak its hybrid sounds. To hook up modulation, spin the Matrix encoder to select a specific crossing point between source and destination, indent it to activate, then turn the knob left or right to apply negative or positive modulation. It’s a fast, intuitive workflow that encourages you to try out multiple mod assignments on the fly. The Arturia MICROFREAK Stellar Paraphonic Hybrid Synthesizer blends the strengths of analogue and digital synthesis engines to offer a diverse tonal palette, enabling you to create almost any sound you can imagine. The limited-edition 'Stellar' version builds on the success of the original MicroFreak and comes with an updated finish and several new features.Classic Analogue Filter - MICROFREAK's state-variable filter is based on a classic analogue 12db/Oct filter and can deliver both subtle and aggressive tonal changes. With the ability to self-oscillate, the filter opens up new possibilities for sound design. You can also modulate the cut-off with keyboard pressure or the sequencer, allowing you to create dynamic and expressive soundscapes. Whether you want to add a finishing touch to your sound design or tame harsh wavetable sounds, the filter provides a wide range of options. Launched alongside MicroFreak Stellar is another free firmware update for all MicroFreak users, introducing user sample import, a Sampler engine and 3 Granular engines. MicroFreak Stellar comes with an exclusive selection of presets designed to boldly go where no Freak has gone before. In addition to sample import and granular engines, the firmware update also improves the synth’s envelopes, making them faster and snappier. And with over 300 factory presets and 512 slots for user presets, the MicroFreak Stellar Edition is a synth that will keep musicians inspired for years to come. The 12 modes cover a huge range of analogue-emulating and digital types, giving massive tonal potential. The Basic Waves and Virtual Analog oscillators serve up continuously variable waveforms for classic VA sound design, while the Superwave mode delivers detuned fatness for more modern basses, leads and pads.

While the oscillator is unashamedly digital, the filter it feeds into is fully analogue, albeit digitally controlled. Inspired by the classic Oberheim SEM design, this state-variable, two-pole tone-shaper can be switched between low-, high- and band-pass modes with the Type button, and is flanked by Cutoff and Resonance knobs. It’s a really emotive form of synthesis that’s been popularised in plugins and modular synths, but there aren’t too many hardware synths with this capability, and certainly none at the MicroFreak’s inviting price point. What if we told you that you could get virtual analog, wavetable, FM, vocoder sounds and beyond in a single synth?

Specifications

MicroFreak Stellar & the V5 firmware update brings 21 different oscillator modes to the table, so you can go bigger, deeper, and weirder with your sound than ever before. However, the real magic lies in the combo of all these together, making this odd little beast far more than the sum of its parts. MicroFreak should be top of your ‘must try’ list.

a b Rogerson, Ben (2020-08-25). "Arturia releases MicroFreak Vocoder Edition, and there's a pleasant surprise for owners of the original synth, too". MusicRadar . Retrieved 2022-10-25. Algorithms from Mutable Instruments and Noise Engineering in a desktop keyboard? Even sampling and granular engines with a free firmware update? Rewire the MicroFreak Stellar’s architecture with its comprehensive modulation matrix. With up to seven simultaneous destinations, three of which are freely assignable, and five sources, including an ADSR envelope, cycling envelope and 6-shape LFO, you can dive deep into complex sound design and discover an endless array of synth sounds. Inspiring SequencingThe same loveable hybrid beast that’s shaken up the synth world, retrofitted for out-of-this-world sound exploration. It includes three new granular engines - Scan, Cloud, and Hit modes - that allow you to delve into the depths of granular synthesis. Moreover, a new sampling engine is also available, which enables you to manipulate and trigger recorded audio.