Microfreak/UG/01 Welcome and Introduction
01 Welcome and Introduction
- Congratulations on your purchase of the Arturia MicroFreak!
- The MicroFreak is a compact, versatile, semi-modular synthesizer with many distinctive features. It lets you experiment with modular sound construction without patch cords.
- The standard MicroFreak and MicroFreak Vocoder Edition share the instrument's core features. The Vocoder Edition has a white casing and a gooseneck microphone; see Microfreak/UG/19 Appendix B Vocoder for its specific features.
- Its digital oscillator and analog filter combine a broad range of digital sounds with a warm analog character. A cycling envelope adds modulation options associated with high-end modular systems, and the modulation matrix routes sources to many destinations.
- The pressure-sensitive touch keyboard, paraphonic playing, arpeggiator, and assignable modulation destinations make the MicroFreak suited to expressive performance.
- The MicroFreak is a USB MIDI Class Compliant device and can connect to compatible devices without installing drivers. Connecting an iPad may require a camera connection or USB-to-Lightning cable.
- Two paraphonic sequencers can record and play up to four voices at once, sharing one filter; each sequencer has four modulation tracks.
- Check the Arturia website for current firmware, MIDI Control Center, tutorials, and FAQs.
1.1 A fascinating adventure
- Learning the MicroFreak comes through experimenting, asking questions, and trying ideas. Take time to understand its functions one by one; random tweaking without knowing what is changing can make it harder to stay interested.
- Test what you learn as you go. Understanding the instrument helps you create the sounds you imagine.
1.2 New in firmware (FW) 5.0.0
- Firmware 5.0.0 adds:
- Four sample-based oscillators: Sample, Scan Grains, Cloud Grains, and Hit Grains.
- A Samples tab in MIDI Control Center.
- A preset bank with 52 factory samples. The new presets and samples are available in the latest MIDI Control Center.
- Expanded preset storage for up to 512 presets.
- An optimized Utility menu.
1.3 About reading manuals
- Reading a manual can build more than familiarity with an instrument. Each pass adds knowledge that can connect with what you already know and prompt new ideas.
- A first reading introduces the parameters and their effects. Later readings clarify the instrument's structure; returning to the material can offer fresh creative starting points.