Arturia MicroFreak Review - What Can the Affordable Synthesizer Do?

Arturia's new "algorithmic synthesizer" is a remarkable breakthrough for the French company, best known for its analog hardware synthesizers and software emulations of classic instruments.

Featuring a 12-mode digital oscillator, an analog multimode filter, and countless sequencing possibilities in a visually striking enclosure, this affordable hybrid synthesizer looks truly promising...

The Exterior

Arturia synthesizers captivate "Out of the Box" with their design, and the MicroFreak is no exception. The first impression can be convincing!

In terms of build quality, the plastic chassis and keybed of the synthesizer feel a bit "budget." Some design compromises are understandable given the price point of this synth. Ultimately, the MicroFreak's tiny size and light weight are definite advantages in terms of portability.

On top, there's an OLED display providing visual feedback on the current parameter - preset presets, waveforms, filter sweeps, envelope/LFO curves, and more. This real-time visualization is both useful and aesthetically pleasing, significantly enhancing the device.

On the back, there are a variety of connection options for such a small synthesizer. It can be powered via USB or connected to the mains with the included power adapter;

Additionally, there's a mono 6.3mm jack output for audio and a headphone output; CV/Gate/Pressure outputs and a mini jack socket for MIDI In and Out.

Sound and Construction

The MicroFreak is a four-voice paraphonic synth - when the Paraphonic button is activated, you can play up to four voices simultaneously, but all share the same filter, envelope, and VCA settings under the hood.

Sound generation is through the individual digital oscillator, implementing several variants of Mutable Instruments' open-source designs.

There are 12 modes available: selecting one with the Type control fills the OLED screen with three parameters unique to each mode. Using the Wave, Timbre, and Shape controls, you can further shape the sound.

The 12 modes cover a wide range of analog and digital types, offering immense sonic potential. Basic waveforms and virtual analog oscillators provide continuously variable waveforms for classic VA sound design, while the Superwave mode delivers harmonic richness for more modern basses, leads, and pads.

Oscillators Overview

For more complex sounds, there's a Wavetable Oscillator; the Harmonic Oscillator, complete with chorus, is useful for creating bell-like timbres; the Karplus-Strong Mode is a physical modeling oscillator that facilitates the production of bow- and string-like sounds; and the Modal Resonator replicates the tuned ringing of real instruments and drums.

Not surprisingly for a digital synthesizer, there's also a Two-Sine Oscillator with FM (Frequency Modulation), featuring Ratio, FM Amount, and Feedback controls. The Waveshaper Mode, on the other hand, employs a combination of waveshaping and wavefolding and can effortlessly spit out squelchy basses and resonant harmonic tones.

In addition to these well-known synthesis types, MicroFreak also features several experimentally oriented oscillator modes. The Speak-and-Spell-Style voice mode outputs synthetic vowels and consonants, while the Granular Formant Oscillator breaks down a waveform into "particles" and allows for recombining formants in various ways.

For us, however, the highlight of the MicroFreak is the Chords Oscillator, which outputs a four-voice chord. The Wave knob is used here to select one of 11 chords, the Timbre control toggles current inversions, and Shape scans through a variety of waveforms.

Sound Character

As one might easily suspect, MicroFreak often feels like multiple synths in one. Quickly switching from one oscillator mode to another while stepping through patches can be the ultimate inspiration generator here, conjuring up spaced-out sounds from thin air.

On the flip side, being a digital synth, many of these oscillator types can sound a bit too digital. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing - if you need a freaky, harmonically complex sound that stands out in the mix, the MicroFreak can do that in so many different ways.

While the oscillator is outrageously digital, the filter it's fed through is completely analog, albeit digitally controlled. Inspired by the classic Oberheim REM design, this two-pole tone shaper can be switched between low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass modes with the Type button and features cutoff and resonance controls.

In use, the sound across a variety of settings is smooth, and high resonance settings lead to powerful amplifications up to a satisfying "howl." The 12dB/oct design is somewhat silkier and less intrusive than the 24dB/oct design, but we would have loved a different mode for deeper filtering uses, though that might stretch the budget.

Modulation

The oscillator and filter parameters of MicroFreak are prime candidates for modulation. The synthesizer's 5x7 'Switchboard' matrix makes adjustment a breeze.

Mod Matrix

The seven horizontal rows represent modulation destinations - the first 4 are fixed to Pitch, Wave, Timbre, and Cutoff, while the "Assign" 1, 2, and 3 slots can be freely assigned to the synth by clicking an upper key and turning the desired parameter. The five vertical columns correspond to the five available modulation sources: Cycling Envelope, Envelope, LFO, Keyboard Pressure, and Key/Arp.

To activate modulation, turn the matrix encoder to select a specific intersection point between source and destination, nudge it to activate, and then turn the knob left or right to apply negative or positive modulation.

It's a fast, intuitive workflow that encourages experimentation with multiple mod assignments on the fly.

Speaking of modulation sources: MicroFreak offers three main modulators: two envelopes and an LFO. The regular envelope (Attack, Decay/Release, and Sustain) is fixed to the filter, with cutoff mod depth adjusted by the bipolar filter amount control. This envelope can also control amplitude when the Amp Mod toggle switch is activated.

Cycling Envelope

The Cycling Envelope can be set to either a normal one-shot envelope mode, a run mode acting as a sort of free-running LFO, or to loop, akin to a retriggering LFO. Its influence can be adjusted by pulling back the amount control, while fine-tuning Rise, Fall, and Hold/Sustain allows for creating and merging complex modulation signals.

By turning the knobs, you can even bend the rise and fall curves between linear, logarithmic, and exponential shapes. Practically, this Cycling Envelope can create anything from slow, repeating ramps and gurgles to totally wacky signals, while the OLED display provides visual feedback on what's happening.

LFO

MicroFreak's single low-frequency oscillator is fairly straightforward but gets the job done reliably. Here you can select from one of six shapes with the shape button, while speed is adjusted with the rate encoder.

The LFO can also be set to retrigger in envelope-style. Eight symbols are located above the keyboard. The first one allows holding notes for extended play.

The next four (Up, Order, Random, and Pattern) are used to control either the Arpeggiator or the Sequencer, depending on which is selected.

The next two symbols, SPICE and DICE, are used along with the touch strip to effectively shorten, lengthen, and stop arpeggiator or sequencer notes on the fly.

Conclusion

With so many synthesis functions packed into such a small box, it's hard not to fall in love with the latest hardware offering from Arturia.

The various oscillator modes cover an almost unlimited range of timbres; the filters sound smooth and are versatile; the matrix invites explorative modulation; and the performance and sequencing tools are the cherry on top.

For the affordable price, you get a very experimental synthesizer at home, perfect for sound tweaking and eccentric digital sounds.

The MicroFreak is AVAILABLE HERE in the shop.