Microfreak/UG/14 Config

• 14 MicroFreak Configuration

  • Utility settings can change how a sequence and preset behave. Try switching Glide Mode between Time and Rate, enabling Envelope Legato, or changing smoothing on a sequencer modulation track.
  • Preset settings are saved with each preset, including Volume, Bend Range, and Pressure mode. Global settings apply to every preset; for example, an A reference of 441 Hz changes the tuning of all presets.
  • You can adjust settings on the MicroFreak in Utility or on a computer in MIDI Control Center (MCC). Preset settings are available only in Utility.
  • Access to the configuration setting in Utility
    • 
  • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/01 Utility & MCC

    • 14.1 Utility & MIDI Control Center

      • Utility settings fall into Preset and Global categories. The settings below indicate whether they are available on the MicroFreak in Utility and in MIDI Control Center (MCC).
      • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/01 Utility & MCC/01 Preset

        • 14.1.1 Preset

          • These settings are saved with each preset and are available in Utility. They are unavailable in MCC.

          • Voice

            • Bend Range: 0–24 semitones; up to two octaves.
            • Glide Mode: Time, Sync, or Rate; controls whether the Glide knob sets glide time, tempo-synced glide, or glide rate.
            • Unison Spread: 0.001–12.000; spread between the four voices.
            • Unison Count: 2–4 voices in unison mode.

          • Modulations

            • Envelope Legato: Off or On; controls envelope reset on a keyboard trigger.
            • Envelope Snap: Off or On; sharpens the envelope decay.
            • LFO Retrig: Off, On, or Legato; controls retriggering on keyboard triggers and during legato playing.
            • Press Mode: Aftertouch or Velocity; selects the pressure mode.
            • Key/Arp Mode: Linear or Random; Random generates a new random value for each key pressed.
            • Velo Amp Mod: 0–10; controls how much velocity affects output volume.

          • Preset Volume

            • Preset Volume: −12 to +12; relative preset volume.

          • Scale

            • Scale: Global, Off, Major, Minor, Harmonic Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, Blues, or Pentatonic.
            • Root Note: C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, A♯, or B.

          • Seq/Arp

            • Seq Length: 4–64 steps.
            • Default Gate Length: 10–90; default 50, for sequencer and arpeggiator gates.
            • Seq 1–4 Smooth: Off or On for each sequencer modulation track.

          • Vocoder

            • Vocoder Hiss Mode: Off, Switched, or Pass; controls whether vocoder hiss is heard.
            • Vocoder Hiss Volume: −20 to 0; sets the vocoder hiss volume.
      • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/01 Utility & MCC/02 Global

        • 14.1.2 Global

          • Global settings are available in both Utility and MIDI Control Center (MCC), except Reset Setting, which is available only in Utility.

          • MIDI

            • Input Chan: All, 1–16, or None; MIDI receive channel.
            • Output Chan: 1–16; MIDI transmit channel.
            • Output Dest: None, USB, MIDI, or Both; where MIDI data is transmitted.
            • Local: Off or On; enables local editing with the knobs. Default: On.
            • Arp/Seq MIDI Out: Off or On; sends arpeggiator and sequencer data over MIDI.
            • Thru: Off or On; echoes MIDI In data to MIDI Out when On.
            • Knob Send CCs: Off or On; sends knob control-change data to external instruments.
            • Merge: USB+KBD, MIDI+KBD, or BOTH+KBD; chooses how keyboard data is merged into the MIDI stream.

          • Sync

            • Source: Internal, USB, MIDI, Clock, or Auto; chooses the tempo source.
            • Clock: One Step, 2 PPQ, 24 PPQ, or 48 PPQ; sets the clock standard.
            • Global Tempo: Off or On; when On, preset tempos are ignored and the most recently set tempo persists.

          • CV/Gate

            • Pitch Format: 1 V/oct, Hz/V, or 1.2 V/oct; sets pitch CV output format.
            • Gate Format: S-Trig, V-Trig 5 V, or V-Trig 12 V; sets gate output format.
            • Pressure Range: 1–10 V; sets the Press output voltage range.
            • 0 V Reference: C−1 to G8; sets the note that outputs zero volts in 1 V/oct or 1.2 V/oct format.
            • 1 V Reference: C−1 to G8; sets the note that outputs one volt in Hz/V format.

          • Controls

            • Knob Catch: Jump, Hook, or Scaled; determines how a physical knob position meets its digital value.
            • Click to Load: Off or On; when On, loading a selected preset requires a click.
            • Osc Knob Speed: Slow or Fast; sets the response of the Wave, Timbre, and Shape knobs.
            • KBD Sensitivity: 10–100%; sets keyboard response for Pressure and Velocity.
            • Aftertouch Curve: Linear, Logarithmic, or Exponential.
            • Velocity Curve: Linear, Logarithmic, or Exponential.
            • Relative Bend: Off or On; when On, bending starts from where you touch the bend strip.

          • Global Scale

            • Scale: Off, Major, Minor, Harmonic Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, Blues, or Pentatonic.
            • Root Note: C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, A♯, or B.

          • Master Tuning

            • Cent Offset: −50 to +50 cents from global tuning.
            • A Reference: 427.47–453.89 Hz; sets the frequency of A. The western tuning standard is 440 Hz.

          • Mic Setting

            • Mic Gain: −12 dB to 59 dB, or Auto Gain; sets microphone gain for the vocoder.
            • Noise Gate: Off or −30 to −90 dB; sets the signal threshold.
            • Mic Detection: Off or On; when On, active sensing detects whether a microphone is present.

          • Misc

            • Mem Protect: Off permits overwriting all presets; Factory Only protects factory presets; On protects all presets.
            • Oct LED Blink: Off or On; sets whether active Octave Shift buttons glow steadily or blink.
            • Reset Setting: Cancel or Yes; restores factory settings, erases Utility changes, and erases presets. Available in Utility only.
  • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center

    • 14.2 MIDI Control Center

      • MIDI Control Center (MCC) is an Arturia application for macOS and Windows. It transfers presets between the MicroFreak and a computer and changes MicroFreak settings. Download the latest version from Arturia.
      • The MCC manual covers features shared by Arturia products; this section covers MicroFreak-specific settings.
      • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/01 Device Tab

        • 14.2.1 Device Tab

          • The Device tab contains MIDI and configuration settings for the MicroFreak.
          • Left column of MicroFreak Device Tab in MIDI Control Center
            • 

          • MIDI

            • MIDI Input Channel: All, 1–16, or None. Sets the receive channel on the MicroFreak's 16-channel MIDI port.
            • MIDI Output Channel: 1–16. Sets the transmit channel.
            • MIDI Output Destination: Off, USB, MIDI, or MIDI + USB. USB connects directly to a computer; MIDI cables can run over longer distances.
            • Local control: With Local Off, the keyboard and panel controls send MIDI but do not directly play the MicroFreak. In a DAW, this lets the selected track route MIDI back to the MicroFreak or to another instrument. The MicroFreak can also play recorded MIDI while its keyboard controls another instrument.
            • Arp/Seq MIDI out: On or Off. Sends arpeggiator and sequencer notes to another instrument or a DAW.
            • MIDI through: When On, incoming MIDI echoes to MIDI Out.
            • Knob sends CCs: On or Off. Sends knob control-change data to external synths.
            • MIDI Merge: USB+KBD, MIDI+KBD, or BOTH+KBD. Chooses how keyboard data merges into the MIDI stream.

          • Clock and sync

            • MIDI clock source: USB, MIDI, or Sync. USB is the built-in computer connection; MIDI uses the 5-pin DIN input.
            • Sync Clock In/Out settings: One Step, 2 PPQ, 24 PPQ, or 48 PPQ. The Sync port can connect to older, pre-MIDI devices such as Korg and Roland drum machines.
            • Global Tempo: When On, preset tempos are ignored and the most recently set tempo remains in use.

          • CV and gate

            • CV pitch format: 1 V/oct, Hz/V, or 1.2 V/oct. Sets the pitch CV output format; 1 V/oct is used by Eurorack, and 1.2 V/oct by Buchla.
            • CV Gate format: S-Trig, V-Trig 5 V, or V-Trig 12 V. Sets the Gate output format.
            • CV Press range: 1–10 V. Sets the Pressure output voltage range.
            • CV 0 V reference: C−1 to G8. Sets the note that outputs zero volts in volts-per-octave pitch formats.
            • CV 1 V reference: C−1 to G8. Sets the note that outputs one volt in Hz/V pitch format.
          • Right column of MicroFreak Device Tab in MIDI Control Center
            • 

          • Controls and browsing

            • Knob Catch sets how a knob's physical position meets its stored value when sending MIDI:
              • Jump sends the physical position as soon as the knob moves, possibly changing the value abruptly.
              • Hook waits until the knob passes the stored value before sending changes.
              • Scaled moves the stored value up or down with the knob, regardless of its position. This is the default. At a physical limit, the knob must turn back before it can continue changing the value in the desired direction.
            • Click to Load Preset: On requires an extra click to load a selected preset; Off loads it while scrolling.
            • Osc Knob Speed: Slow allows fine edits to Wave, Timbre, and Shape; Fast suits broad sweeps in performance.
            • Oct LED Blink: When Off, active octave-shift buttons glow steadily rather than blinking.
            • Master Tuning: Sets tuning deviation in cents.
            • Memory protection: Off allows all presets to be overwritten; Factory Only protects factory presets; All protects user presets too.

          • Keyboard response

            • Keyboard sensitivity: 10–100%. Sets the response of Pressure and Velocity.
            • Aftertouch curve: Linear, Logarithmic, or Exponential. Adjusts how aftertouch responds to playing force.
            • Velocity curve: Adjusts the keyboard's response to playing force:
              • Linear (default) has an even response across the dynamic range.
              • Logarithmic reaches louder notes with less force, but makes low-level dynamics harder to control.
              • Exponential gives finer control at low levels, but needs more force for high levels.
            • Velocity curve settings
              • 
            • Relative Bend: When Off, the bend strip's physical center is zero bend. When On, the first point of contact becomes zero, allowing a wider gesture such as a dive bomb.

          • Scale and microphone

            • Scale: Off plays the chromatic scale. Selecting a scale prevents notes outside it; see Microfreak/UG/15 Using Scales.
            • Root Note: Sets the key for the selected scale.
            • Mic Gain, Noise Gate, and Mic Detection control the 3.5 mm TRRS input used with the Vocoder Oscillator. They match the Utility settings for Vocoder configuration.
      • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/02 Wavetables Tab

        • 14.2.2 Wavetables Tab

          • The Wavetables tab appears when MCC detects a connected MicroFreak. It loads custom wavetables for the User Wavetable oscillator type; it does not change other oscillator types, including the factory Wavetable Oscillator.
          • Tab for loading user Wavetables
            • 
          • The left pane shows banks and wavetables on the computer; the right pane shows wavetables in the MicroFreak.
          • Below them, the information area shows the selected Bank and Wavetable names and a 3D animation of the wavetable. Click either name field to rename it.

          • Note/Info Bank and Wavetable names can be at most 21 characters long.
            

          • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/02 Wavetables Tab/01 Management

            • 14.2.2.1 Wavetable Management

              • The buttons above the computer and MicroFreak panes move and manage wavetables.
              • Wavetable management buttons
                • 
              • New Bank creates an empty bank on the computer and prompts for its name. Drag a wavetable over the new bank's name to add it; banks can combine wavetables from other banks.
              • New Bank name prompt
                • 
              • Del Bank deletes a bank after confirmation. Factory banks cannot be deleted.
              • Import opens three choices:
                • Replace Wavetable (.mfw) replaces the selected wavetable with a MicroFreak Wavetable file.
                • Replace Wavetable (.wav/.aiff) replaces it with a WAV or AIFF audio file.
                • Import New Bank imports an MFWB bank into the computer pane.
              • Import choices
                • 
              • When importing WAV or AIFF audio, MicroFreak converts it into an MFW wavetable of 32 cycles, each 2,048 samples long:
                • Each group of 2,048 source samples counts as a cycle.
                • The source's first and last cycles become cycles 1 and 32.
                • With more than eight source cycles, MicroFreak distributes them evenly across the wavetable and crossfades between them.
                • With fewer than eight source cycles, it spreads them across the slots so the Wave knob can reach every cycle.
              • An audio file can therefore become a usable wavetable without manually preparing each cycle.
              • Export saves a selected wavetable as MFW or a selected bank as MFWB. Choose a location in the system save dialog.
              • Export choices
                • 
              • Delete removes a selected wavetable after confirmation and replaces it with an init wavetable that morphs between simple waveforms.
              • Delete confirmation
                • 
              • Send to MicroFreak transfers the bank assembled in the computer pane to the MicroFreak for the User Wavetable oscillator.

              • Note/Warning This overwrites every wavetable in the MicroFreak. Do not turn its knobs while the transfer progress bar is visible.
                

              • Wavetable transfer progress
                • 
              • Recall to Computer copies the MicroFreak's current wavetables into a new bank in the computer pane. The bank initially has a date-and-time name, which you can change in the Bank Name field.
          • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/02 Wavetables Tab/02 Dragging

            • 14.2.2.2 More on Dragging and Dropping

              • Drag individual wavetables between the computer and MicroFreak in either direction. Shift-click or Command-click to select several before dragging.
              • A destination slot highlights blue when you hover over it. Releasing the wavetable there overwrites that slot.
              • Dragging a wavetable between computer and MicroFreak
                • 
              • Drag a wavetable within either pane to change its order. In the computer pane, drag a wavetable name over another bank's name to move it into that bank.
              • WAV and AIFF files can also be dragged from a file browser into either pane. Select several files with Shift-click or Command-click before dragging them together.
      • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/03 Samples Tab

        • 14.2.3 Samples Tab

          • The Samples tab appears when MIDI Control Center detects a connected MicroFreak with current firmware. It loads user samples for the Sample oscillator and the Scan Grains, Cloud Grains, and Hit Grains oscillator types.
          • Tab for loading user samples
            • 
          • The left pane shows banks and samples on the computer; the right pane shows samples in the MicroFreak.
          • The information area shows the selected bank and sample names, sample length, total sample memory used, and remaining memory, with times displayed in seconds. Click a name field to rename the bank or sample.
          • Sample information area
            • 

          • Note/Info Bank and sample names can be at most 21 characters long.
            

          • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/03 Samples Tab/01 Management

            • 14.2.3.1 Sample Management

              • The buttons above the panes manage samples on the computer and in the MicroFreak.
              • Sample management buttons
                • 
              • New Bank creates an empty bank on the computer and prompts for a name. Drag samples from other banks over the new bank's name to combine them.
              • New Bank name prompt
                • 
              • Del Bank deletes a bank after confirmation. Factory banks cannot be deleted.
              • Import offers three choices:
                • Replace Sample (.mfsz) replaces the selected sample with a MicroFreak Sample file.
                • Replace Sample (.wav/.aiff) replaces it with a WAV or AIFF audio file.
                • Import New Bank adds an MFSBZ bank to the computer pane.
              • Import choices
                • 

              • Note/Info The MicroFreak stores imported audio as 16-bit, 32 kHz mono samples. Audio beyond 24 seconds is cut off.
                

              • Export saves the selected sample as MFSZ or the selected bank as MFSBZ. Choose a location in the system save dialog.
              • Export choices
                • 
              • Delete removes a selected sample after confirmation and replaces it with an init sample.
              • Delete confirmation
                • 
              • Send to MicroFreak transfers the bank assembled in the computer pane to the MicroFreak for use by Sample, Scan Grains, Cloud Grains, and Hit Grains.

              • Note/Warning This overwrites the samples in the MicroFreak. Do not turn its knobs while the transfer progress bar is visible.
                

              • Sample transfer progress
                • 
          • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/03 Samples Tab/02 Dragging

            • 14.2.3.2 More on Dragging and Dropping

              • Drag individual samples between the computer and MicroFreak in either direction. The destination slot highlights blue when you hover over it; releasing the sample there overwrites that slot.
              • Dragging a sample between computer and MicroFreak
                • 
              • Drag samples within either pane to change their order. In the computer pane, drag a sample name over another bank's name to move it into that bank.
              • Shift-click or Command-click to select several samples before dragging them together.
          • Microfreak/UG/14 Config/02 MIDI Control Center/03 Samples Tab/03 Deleting

            • 14.2.3.3 Deleting Samples

              • Delete button in the computer pane
                • 
              • Delete button in the MicroFreak pane
                • 
              • Select a sample and use a Delete button at the top of the Samples tab or the keyboard's Delete key.

              • Note/Info Factory samples cannot be deleted.