I feel like that’s the polybrute no? I know the architecture is very different but still idk if they’re gonna make a giant version of the Freak line but I want them all lol
If you want to see what your settings currently are, just long press your select/type/mode button for the section and it will bring up the details for you without you having to change them first. Thanks for the free patches, they sound great!
The Germanium under distortion is a reference to the element that is used in older resistors, they can still be found, but at a price premium. Germanium tends to provide a fuzz quality the audio source being run thru the resistor.
I like you Ricky! I don't watch that many gear videos, that many synth videos, I don't make beats. I check in and see what you're doing once in awhile for the vibe. Take it easy.
Had it for a week. I’m quite impressed. I can precisely nail my favorite sound ever which is the Little Phatty overloaded bass, spot on. Having said that…2 MAJOR flaws for me, first one is the touch strips. While I understand this was by design, I think they really hold back the performance and playability factor of the instrument, but I get around it with and external pitch/mod wheel controller. And the second and huge flaw of the Minifreak is the position of the Matrix knob. It’s located at the right of the modulation panel, every time you turn it around is so uncomfortable cuz you have to see the LED dots, but your left hand will be on top of the panel, forcing you to lift your hand every time in order to see what’s going on. Sure, you have the LED screen for the mod amounts, but you still have to see the dots. Would have been so easy and convenient to place the Matrix knob at the left of the panel, would have made it twice or thrice as quick and intuitive. Having said that, this synth is a keeper, love the sounds I get out of it and I get lost in it and that’s what I look for in a synthesizer.
It's one of the easiest synths to program and get usable sounds. I'm just barely starting to get ok with sound design. And this was the first synth where I made my own patches before even going through the presets.
The Steiner Parker is in the MatrixBrute and PolyBrute (alongside a regular ladder filter). The Microfreak has an SEM analog filter and I think the same filter is on the Minifreak too.
The minifreak is dope! I also wanted to take a moment to thank you for your videos. I come from a guitar background and recently got into synths and house music. Your videos have been such a great resource and source of inspiration. I just picked up a Polyend Tracker and been having so much fun.
some of your wishes are already in there. you can use one or two LFOs in something like an ADSR mode or even better somehow like a 16 step sequencer that you can programm on the synth for parameters... you a can also see the current paramtervalue and there is also an metronome for the sequencer :-)...
I love the Minifreak and the Microfreak. In a performance context, in my case, I love being able to open up modulation options with Ableton. Sending LFOs to literally everything is kind of euphoric on this thing.
@@auntjenifer7774 You can. RedMeansRecording youtube channel has a great introduction to modulating external gear with Ableton Live. He uses the Microfreak as an example.
@@G.Man- the Microfreak and the minifreak? At its core yes. I believe the filters are same. The exception is the minifreak has added modulation capabilities and an extra oscillator that can also be used as another digital filter. The added FX section also adds to what the minifreak has to offer. So in that context, I would argue that they’re quite different sonically.
I'm gonna drive down from Sacramento at some point, probably not for the 26, but in a couple months i should have a couple extra dollars in my pocket, and I haven't been to LA for almost 10 years, that's gonna change!
I see Arturia has released the VST version of this now, for €99 - a bargain for those of us who don't have room for more hardware. Hopefully it maps well onto the keylab knobs etc, gonna give it a good try out tomorrow.
I was also just told today that you DONT need the hardware for it to work? If that's the case that's awesome, I almost like the software more than the synth hahahah
@@RickyTinez yes, it’s 100% software, so works for anyone. Increasingly, hardware synths these days are “software + generic DSP processor’. Of course, the synth-specific knobs etc are can make the hardware worthwhile if well designed.
6:48 wait, doesn’t the minifreak carry over the feature of the microfreak where you just tap the preset knob and it goes back to the original sound? I don’t think you need to go back and forth.
Yes, the keyboard is so tiny. They wisely chose to include an 'old fashioned' five pin MIDI set. Take your old 'pre-host' keyboard and just have some sound design fun. Going to get mine soon!
i can get one half off from my job, i'm seriously considering it. i think it's a really good implementation of the plaits synthesis engine, especially now that the minifreak is truly polyphonic.
@@cooksoni.a don't count out the hydrasynth explorer. The hydrasynth It's Amazing and does all this minifreak stuff but has a way better key bed than the minifreak. If you already have a controller with poly after touch you get the microfreak and the mini freak vst $50 and you are set up nice .
I agree with you about the Steiner Parker filter... UNTIL you put two of them in sequence. That's the ms20 magic. A high pass into a low pass, crank the bejesus out of the resonance on both, say around 65%. Then set the HP at about 4 and the LP at about 6, subtly sweep or modulate the LP and hold onto the bull until you get bucked off!
Thanks a lot mr tinez. The minifreak is my first synthesizer. I have always used vst plugins for my compo. Could you create a video of how to create a lush sound pad from scratch init bass? Thanks
@RickyTinez The patches aren’t up on the site unfortunately, just gives an error. Just fyi. they sound great though so hopefully I can download them eventually. Much love man.
They are pretty easy to make, and you will sound better on your gear or headphones. Haven't you noticed that the pages people make never sound as good as you expect !?
My problem with Arturia is support. I have a keyboard with screwed up cc and note assignments I was never able to reroute. Email support was useless, so the keyboard doesn’t get used. I’ll probably get a Novation or M-Audio next time.
I think this synth sounds very unique and interesting. I just wish they made this as a desktop version. Why bother with these mini keys. Most people probably have a decent controller anyway. Unfortunately that's the reason I won't buy one 😔
Yea I WISH it was desktop. It hits a weird middle ground that feels like it doesn’t commit to. Either super powerful desktop. Or full size mega keyboard. Now it feels like too large desktop synth. Or way too small synth hahaha
I'm getting one, pretty happy with the keyboard, my midi unit has no after touch and I like to be able to take it somewhere without having to supply power to another device.
I like the fact you start with Short Cons list. Good. It's better to be up front straight away I think. It's a really nice looking synth housed in solid metal and those mini keys are cool. It's got an unusual square boxy design. It's very puzzling about this envelope thing. Why is it in this day and age with all the CPU speed we have - why is it so limited like this? There must be more to it as a reason......having said that - the Korg Prologue was criticized for one LFO but whenever I hear it that synth sounds great. It will be interesting to see how the Minifreak sells against the Hydrasynth Explorer.
well... you can draw 16-step modulation sequences with each of the LFOs and save them with the patch... thats way more flexibel than a 3rd adsr (which kind of shapes you can also draw :-))
I wonder if MicroFreak or MiniFreak would work best with my digitakt and digitone key and syntakt witch would be best mini or micro freak for my elektron setup ..Also is Minifreak standalone and microfreak
I do not like SP filters too, but this one is fairly nice and creamy. I hated it on poybrute, i hate it on my minibrute 2s and especially 2 pole mode only pisses me off. However, Ricky, those are not "Arturias" filter, Steiner Parker are around since seventies.
So, it’s good but maybe it ain’t no hydrasynth ? For me, it would be Hydra Explorer, so mini keys. I own a great MPE controller, so I’m guessing either talks to MPE, true ? I’ve gotta look for your Hydra review. Thanks Ricky Mark
congrats on getting a minifreak and hope you're enjoying with it! on my channel if you're interested i go through and create patches all in one session and record them.. kind of like a tutorial but not really.. it's hard to view what im actually doing oops. but idk could be nice inspiration for others or yourself. have fun with it, again!
I've got both abs the microfreak and minifreak are easier but the hydrasynth explorer is just more luxurious and more comfortable and more vibes and features that will allow the most high up musicians with serious capabilities and experience to get really deep. I really really like both but my hydrasynth explorer makes me scream with joy when I play it so it's very satisfying. If I only could afford 1 it would be a tough choice but I think the hydrasynth explorer is the one where I know it's for life timeless instrument. Basically do you need a sequencer because the hydrasynth explorer doesn't have one. Still it wins out as a serious life long timeless instrument. If you need need need a sequencer than get arturia microfreak or minifreak. If that's not an issue get the hydrasynth.
Hey Ricky….have you had issues with presets not working while not connected to the Minifreak V software? I’ve bought two now, and can’t get the presets to change without being connected to the software.
@@elek-trick I know you’re trying to help, but it’s been 9 months since my post, the decksaver been available since summer, and I sold my mini for a Push 3 anyways. But thank you.
Yeah look, I've listened to a heap of tutorials/demos on this unit and I've just not been inspired to buy it. I don't know what it is but it sounds limited in soundscape despite having all those Oscillators.
Yes and no. It's going to sound better amplified with like jc120. Or line 6 power cab. But in the computer it can sound blah. If it does not do anything you like and doesn't speak to you fine, don't buy it because the hype, but it because you dig it ! How about the microfreak and the hydrasynth explorer ? Both of those boys blow my mind way more than the mini freak. You could get the hydrasynth explorer and microfreak and be so set for eventually everything as they both do it all ! Or to get the hydrasynth deluxe ? It's tough with these first world problems and high quality instruments for reasonable prices isn't it !?
Everything sounds AWESOME, butttt, this whole sound shaping process and learning curve seems VERY confusing to one who is unfamiliar with the "synthesizer world".... One can talk "MPC Lingo/terminology" to me alll day and night and I'll understand, I can follow you and your process, but I'm sooooo clueless to this process, I would have to research and learn from the beginning/scratch... But #SALUTE and Thanks for sharing...
Saying "you get what you paid for" for an oka-ish (your words, not mine) build quality for almost 600 bucks is kinda weird, man. Even behringer delivers a better build quality for that price. Just look what the Deepmind 6, for example. If Behringer is so bad and Arturia is so good, as some may say on the internet, why did such a cool Arturia product end up with oka-ish screen, keys and knobs? 600 bucks is a lot, and IMHO we, the synth community, need to get our priorities straight.
@@jregras Right? I mean, Behringer got their own city, so production prices are lower, so let's compare with Arturia's own Minibrute 2, which has a lot of features, analog VCOs, a huge patchbay, full-sized keys and costs a hundred bucks less. You're basically trading off the VCOs, patchbay and better build for digital oscillators and effects in a more cumbersome form-factor and paying a 100 dollars more. It's pretty clear to me Arturia didn't do a better job because they felt they could charge whatever and people would still buy it.
and you could also argue that if the price was lower, they would be competing with their own product, the MicroFreak, which is already making a lot of money on it's own.
@@pedrofreire6169 no, if they lower to$499 they wind up dominating on the hydrasynth explorer, which is the better instrument . That would be the smart move.
@@auntjenifer7774 Damn, auntie, you're right! Hadn't thought about that! and there's a whole lot more of cool synths in that price range. The minilogues, the Modals, the MKs, the Boutiques, which to be fair aren't really my thing but you can't say they are oka-ish built...
"Germanium Fuzz pedals are much softer & smoother around the edges than their silicon counterparts. You could compare their tone to that of a vintage tube amp. These pedals let you retain a lot of expression during use, while many devout germanium fans simply say that they sound more organic."
