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.