Arturia MiniFreak Synthesizer

General

Bringing the same level of flexibility as the MicroFreak, the Arturia MiniFreak pushes up the bar a touch and comes with a more conventional keyboard loaded with real keys rather than a flat, touch-sensitive interface.

Sound Sculpting with the Arturia MiniFreak

While the MiniFreak has a polyphony of just six and two oscillators per voice, those oscillators are capable of twelve-note paraphonics. And, while the oscillators are digital, the filters are analogue, and when it comes to sound-sculpting, you're supported by FM; ring-modulation; a whole effects section and more. The arpeggiator is also pretty extensive and comes backed up by a ratchet, an octave-randomizer and other sweet functions, and since this really is a machine with two faces, you can travel from the conventional to extreme, experimental sonic landscapes at will.

Software

Any Arturia fan will know that they also develop software, including emulations of vintage hardware - usually with 'V' moniker added to the name. And here, you're getting both the hardware version of the MiniFreak plus a MiniFreak-V: a plug-in version of the hardware. This means the hardware can actually be used as a controller for the software - a nice plus when it comes to studio integration. That, combined with the classic keyboard makes this synth a stonking little writing and producing beast.