I think it’s a welcome update, and a bonus for what was already a fantastic and feature packed synth. No complaints from me
4 Likes
I’ve just pulled the trigger on the Minifreak as a Xmas present to myself.
The v2.0 update has sealed it for me, after I’ve been playing with the Minifreak VST for a while now too.
I think the Minifreak is going to consolidate some BIG synths for me, namely;
- Arturia Polybrute
- Prophet Rev 2
- Pigments
As much as I like each of these, the MF could possibly take the place of these 3 and help take my core synth setup to just 3 devices;
- Minifreak
- Analog Four mk2
- Moog Sub 37
For synth sounds that I want, I don’t think there’s anything I won’t be able to get from these… we’ll see… either way, I’m excited to find out!
4 Likes
i updated to V2, whenever i use the shift button for a blue operation the synth freezes. Did someone experience something similar?
Edit: I downgraded the firmware and upgraded again. it works now.
2 Likes
Stupid me. Silly Arturia.
I’ve been kind of wanting one of these but figured I’d get the V version when the V-Collection upgrade came out. I figured it would be 99, as it’s been before.
And then Arturia made my upgrade 300 + tax and I went ‘whatever, I’m out’
And then today I stopped by a local shop where I had some store credit from some gear sales I’d nearly forgotten about AND the units were on sale, so I chatted for a bit and walked out with one, which of course comes with the V version… for a few dollars LESS than the V-Collection upgrade.
I don’t have Acid V as a result, but my V version seems to have come with a pretty decent controller, so I’ll call that a good deal.
I do NOT need this thing. But the irony of the situation won me over.
5 Likes
Anybody else have issues with the update?
When I initialize a patch and select Wavetable, I hear no sound. ‘Type’ is the first thing I change.
When I change to any other engine, I get normal volume. All my saved presets are normal.
Through headphones, I can almost hear a little bit of crackling or distortion.
I’ve tried to reinstall the update from boot mode ( Power up while holding ‘Shift’ + ‘Oct -’), as well as updating manually.
Weird right?
Open Minifreak V and link it to the hardware. It will then send the wavetables
3 Likes
This is an astonishingly playful synth.
Is there a way to change patches/sounds without pushing the encoder to do so?
Not a massive deal; I just prefer not using dual-use things for one of their uses over and over and over until they wear out.
I can fall back to program changes or something if not.
I hope they will add that option, but afaik it is currently not there. Didn’t they implement that to the Microfreak?
PC’s from external gear works for instant patch changes.
I like being able to make a bunch of changes to a preset and then press the encoder to return to the original patch settings.
1 Like
I’m almost sure there’s a setting to change whether you have to click to choose a patch vs. simply turning the patch knob and it immediately changes. I turned it off because I accidentally would turn this knob in the middle of a sound design session and lose my changes. Unless I’m not understanding your question correctly.
There’s definitely a setting for this on the Micro, I’d assume this holds true for the Mini. I dislike having to press the encoder as well, but yeah I’ve nuked more than one patch I loved by turning the knob. My solution to this was to swap the patch change knob so it looks different.
1 Like
Nope.
I’m sort of surprised that the Minifreak is a suitable substitute for these analog polysynths. Are the VA and analog filters on the Minifreak that good? How do the modulation possibilities compare?
Really considering getting one of these, not sure how it flew under my radar for so long, it’s like everything I want in a synth for a great price.
Wondering if I might just get the plug-in instead though? I’ve read some people on the internet say that it sounds “weak” compared to the hardware and others say it’s nearly identical. Anyone care to try and settle this for me? 
Weird…I know I had changed it on the Micro, but I guess the default (and only) behavior on the Mini is what I wanted, so I never looked into it. Odd that they wouldn’t bring this option over.
1 Like
I’ve been doing some playing around, and if I try and simulate Polybrute and Rev2 existing patches that I have, then it falls short tbh… but, if I don’t have pre-conceived sounds in mind and approach the Minifreak just a 6-voice poly, I really like it. And, I’m sure it would be the same deal where the PB and Rev2 couldn’t recreate the MF’s sound.
The mod options on the MF aren’t as deep as the PB or Rev2, but they’re still quite extensive, and I actually like having the restrictions to work with… that allows me to focus on making music sooner rather than getting stuck in the sound design phase.
I said about the MF hopefully being part of my core 3 device setup, I’m still keeping the other synths.
Also, I still dream of a hardware version of Pigments. 
6 Likes
That did it.
Thank you!
1 Like
Thanks for the replies regarding the patch-changing-button-push thing.
I’ll file a feature request or something (not sure how to do that with Arturia, if anyone knows a url or email address other that’s more specific that support@arturia.com or whatever).
The first thing I did was look for a setting and couldn’t find one. Ah well.
I’ve switched parts before accidentally too, and I hate it… it sucks. I just prefer longevity of kit over a lost single sound, and I tend to save along the way anyway, but not always.
It won’t matter over time. I just got it, so I’m auditioning presets and getting ready to organize those into: “I can work with this as a starting point,” and “ugh, this is useless.” I like to do that up front to save re-organizing later.
Once I’m past that, I won’t be clicking so often.
What I’m ‘tempted’ to do, with every bit of hardware I have, is set EVERY preset to init and start fresh every time, but my programming prowess across the various bits of hardware isn’t good enough for that yet.
Still, the immediacy of dialing in a new sound on this is far better than some others I have. It’s nearly as easy as the Monologue and light years away from Wavestate, which I figure I’ll finally get proficient with in retirement or something.
1 Like
This is exactly what I like in both micro- and minifreak: Arturia’s got their user interface sorted all right!
Last night was great. I opened it, auditioned some sounds and started trying to follow the interface to make changes, but mostly just clicking buttons and turning dials. I immediately would be in completely different sonic territory.
And I’ve only really played around with it for 45 minutes, no manual, no videos.
I needed this, it turns out, despite thinking that it would be superfluous just yesterday afternoon.
I nearly talked myself in to a Hydrasynth desktop, but I’ve played with those many times at the stores around and (for me at least), it wasn’t immediate at all.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need immediate for every piece of gear, but I already have complicated bits and I think I need at least one ‘simple’ thing that gets me in my groove before having to think about programming anything, unless programming is your primary vibe. I prefer to program after getting something ‘core’ put down, OR, as a completely separate way of noodling (sound design, so to speak)
4 Likes