Arturia is no stranger to synthesisers, often diving into the weird and wonderful to produce some of the most popular software and hardware synths available. The MicroFreak, as the name suggests, is about as far out as it gets, combining digital oscillators with wavetable synthesis, analogue filters and a flat aftertouch keybed, offering a unique sound and playing experience.

Here's what Arturia say:

A digital synth like no other, MicroFreak is a peculiar, exceptional instrument that rewards the curious musician. It blends wavetable and digital oscillators with analogue filters. It features a unique poly-aftertouch flat keyboard. It adds controlled randomness to sequences. This isn't a revolution, it's a mutiny.

When first released, the MicroFreak gave users access to a plethora of sound sources to experiment with. Arturia has gone further by expanding the sonic potential with free updates, first adding a Noise oscillator, then a 16 Band Vocoder mode and in the most recent free firmware update, Arturia added three new, powerful oscillator modes in collaboration with Noise Engineering.

In this article and series of videos for Production Expert, Brent March takes an in-depth look at the Arturia MicroFreak to see if it's an even greater value than ever before?

The Best Of Both Digital and Analog

The MicroFreak features a versatile digital oscillator with modes like lTexturer, KarplusStrong, Harmonic OSC, and Su-perwave, allowing the more adventurous musician to explore their sonic palette. 

A recent free firmware update MicroFreak for all users added three powerful new oscillator modes - Bass, Harm and SawX, that are found in the Noise Engineering Virt Iter Eurorack module. These three new modes offer a different expanded palette of additive synthesis, growly and wild textures, as well as softer sawtooth.

The MicroFreak's filter is inspired by the 12-dB Oberheim SEM filter, is state-variable and can even auto-oscillate! This filter can be used to take the edge off the razor-sharp wavetable sounds, or even use it to automate the cutoff by modulating it with keyboard pressure or even with the in-built sequencer.

The MicroFreak's innovative Spice and Dice sequencer function is a creative way to land upon those happy accidents, adding randomisation to create evolving, original patterns that can be virtually rewired and through the 5x7 modulation matrix.

The MicroFreak isn't a keyboard. It's a poly-aftertouch keys that lets control parameters differ depending on how you play and touch each key. Each key is expressive and pressure-sensitive, so you can create super-fast synth solos or use it as a traditional keyboard. You can also use its USB, MIDI, and CV outputs to control instruments in your DAW and modular synths.

Features

• Synthesizer with 384 preset slots and 320 factory presets

• 16 digital oscillator modes, including engines from Mutable Instruments and Noise Engineering

• Analog State Variable Filter, 12dB/octave, resonant, Low Pass, Band Pass, High Pass

• ADSR envelope

• LFO with Sync: Sine, Tri, Saw, Square, Random, Slew Random

• Modulation matrix with 5 sources and 7 destinations (3 custom destinations)

• 25-key capacitive keybed with polyphonic aftertouch

• Powerful arpeggiator

• 64-step sequencer

• CV / Gate / Mod outputs

• USB, Clock and MIDI in and out

Should You Buy An Arturia MicroFreak Now?

Simple answers is, yes!

If you're a synth enthusiasts and an electronic music producer the MicroFreak is certainly in the no-brainer price category (under £300).

The digital oscillator and wave modes sound great. Combine them with the aftertouch keyboard and modulation matrix and the MicroFreak makes for an exciting synth, with heaps to offer.

It’s versatile, offering newcomers and experienced pros endless possibilities within this relatively small synth. Whatever sound you can dream up, it will create. Calm or total chaos. It's all there.

Arguably one of Arturia’s best — real or virtual — synthesisers to date, and one of the best synths at this price. How could you not want one of these with so much packed into such a small space?

Pros

• Superb oscillator section and wave modes

• Flexible modulation matrix

• Pressure keyboard is a refreshing touch

• Useful sequencer with parameter modulations

• Excellent bang for the buck

Cons

• Only a single LFO

• Graphical display is a nice touch, but a little small.

For more information on the MicroFreak, head over to Arturia’s website.