Arturia MicroFreak 5-stars Reviews

Arturia microfreak

I’ve been using it not then year and super satisfied, I had only one issue that phase was hit the keys while I used it with the chain with analogue gear

Great synth for a beginner

Bought this synth as a complete beginner. It is very easy to get started with it right away, and regardless how much I play with it, it always feels that I'm just barely scratching the surface of its capabilities. With the latest (5.0) firmware upgrade it really has all the bells and whistles (except effects) you would need. My only complaint is that, save for a pair of 3.5mm jack/midi adapters and the power supply, there is no cable in the package.

awesome!

great first synth and a great one for experimentation and getting into the synth world! can’t get enough of it!

Just buy it

Sounds amazing, so easy to tweak/program. The 'keyboard' is so responsible. Very broad pallette even before all the updates. Now it's added those filthy noise engineering oscillators, the vocoder, the sample engine etcm There's very little it can't do, all with a freaky flavour. People love these for a reason. (Ps my headphone jack gave a little trouble but Arturia fixed it quick and painlessly)

My first real synth, and it's amazing.

Previous user of VSTs, this is the first synth I've owned. Sure, the keybed is divisive and it will take a bit of getting used to, especially as I sometimes accidentally touch notes I don't mean to, but it also expands the sonic possibilities of the unit. I've only scratched the surface of what it can do and I love it already. The sounds range from simple to complex to completely insane. Plus Arturia add features through firmware updates, the latest adding sampling capabilities.

Not perfect but I love it.

I've bought it when it came out, then sold it, and missed it so much I bought it again 2 years later. Sound design: dream. You can get so many sounds from this little guy it's crazy. However, take into account these things:

- Output is LOW. You'll need to crank it up a lot with a compressor, gain, etc. Headphones output is fine. The issue is with the line out.

- No reverb/delay! But especially reverb. Add it on the output via a pedal, another synth, computer, etc. It's a totally different beast, sounds are instantly useful when processed. Otherwise it will sound pretty sterile.

- Some people (like myself) have issues with the PCB keyboard, it's like the skin is not totally conductive, so when you touch it instead of sending one signal it sends hundreds of micro signals and you get completely weird random sounds to the point it's impossible to play any note. I've searched a LOT on the web trying to find a solution other that using an external keyboard, and the only thing that worked for me was to wrap the keyboard with a thick nylon. That mitigated the issue about 90%. Keep it in mind if this happens to you.

So one less star on each category for me: features (keyb issue), sound (sterile if not post processed) and quality (extremely low output)

The little synth that keeps on giving...

The little synth that keeps on giving.... full of character and with loads of charm. Modulation possibilities for days! I really commend Arturia in the firmware updates and keeping a synth going in this way. So many things are dispossable nowadays and we really cant afford to be so wasteful by buying new minor updated gizmos here and there. And just these little commitments to honouring and improving a small budget synth like this really go a long way. Hats off!

This is the synth I recommend to anyone who asks for "first synth recommendations" as it will keep you entertained for a long time!

Most enjoyable purchase

I have purchased half a dozen serious synthesisers but never have i had so much fun with the Microfreak. Most fun piece of gear i ever owned. Well done Arturia for hitting so on point.

Really unique and powerful synth

I really love this synth. So unique and seriously powerful for the price. The sounds are truly out of this world and add a very special aspect to productions. It also had an FM synth engine; Numerous oscillators; Amazingly unique keybed; Powerful polyphony: powerful modulation matrix; great LFO; great envelope generator; Great build quality. You need to own one to appreciate its greatness !

I love it

This synth is beautiful. Knobs are tactile and nice feeling. Keybed is a bit interesting to play with, and figuring out how to record it into FL Studio is a bit of a struggle, but otherwise, I can seen this being a very capable starter synth. Looking forward to getting an FX pedal/module to really get the best from this synth

Does what some synths 3 times as expensive can't

The mod matrix is where a lot of the strength and versatility is. For example: assigning pitch to tempo. You record a melody/sequence and you can tell the Microfreak to play the high notes slowly or quickly. Or the low notes, and you can control how fast or slow. There are more things here that much bigger synths can't do so it really is a gem. The 4 orange knobs, where you change the basis of the sound can feel quite limiting compared to a 'knob per function' synth but the mod matrix is too good.

The capacitor keys are brilliant for very quick response playing. Run your fingers across the 'keys' really quickly and lightly tapping in melodies.

The sequencer is fun and user friendly once I got my head around it. Every sequence you make has A and B parts, both have 64 steps. So yeah 128 steps. A 4 note chord is still one step. You can go back and forward and change any step. Listen to it and go back and change it again. I think it's a great little powerful synth and you are going to enjoy it.

Arturia Microfreak

A fantastic little synth with so many features that you can get lost for days just trying to get a grip on the whole thing. Highly recommended

Arturia MicroFreak - big sound from small device.

Arturia MicroFreak impressed me a lot with the highest quality of sound. Very intuitive an versatile possibilities of tweaking sounds/ Cjntroller is second to note. Flawless connection to Cubase 11 pro - working as VST instrument if You wish.

Highly recommended to pros and newbies.

Ridiculously good value

Four voices, an ever-expanding array of oscillator types, versatile mod matrix, unique PCB keyboard with poly-aftertouch, MIDI and CV outs, multimode analogue filter, cycling envelope, poly-sequencer with randomisation features - endless possibilities for fun! This isn't your typical bread-and-butter synth, it's a compact experimental powerhouse that excels when it comes time to get weird.

A modern classic

I don’t see how this synth would ever be off my desk. It’s a proper little playground for sound, really easy to use, incredibly versatile, and sounds absolutely immense. Ideal for all skill levels, too. Nothing better at this price point, in my opinion.

Great value synth

As a beginner, I'm finding this synth to be a great value for money, intuitive and in my opinion fully packed with features. It's great for any musical genre, (small) dawless performances and studio recordings.

In the beginning, it took me a bit to fully understand how the matrix works but after that everything was seamless.

Inspirational and fun tool

This nifty little synth reveals a great amount of interesting patches that are very inspirational in the sound creating and music production process. The sounds out of the box are great and can be tweaked endlessly to fit your needs. I'm particularly fond of the shape and timbre functions to change the character of the sounds. The touch sensitivity works like a charm and the arp and sequencer functionalities are powerful.

Great digital synth

Has all you need from a digital synth. The keys are something to get used to, but fun new way of control none the less.

Powerful digital synth with analog filter

This is a very powerful digital mono synth (or 4-note poly) in a small form.

The sounds has a slight harshness to it, being digitally generated. But it sounds amazing when combined with other effects, like reverb and delay.

I like the spice and dice features, they enhance inspiration.

A lot of fun and good starting point if you want to get into Synths

Relative cheap but very powerful, and with good sounds. Taken the size and price the feature set is quite incredible.

The keyboard is fun, but can be very fussy about being grounded, so you can experience issues with keys working a bit erratic.

Good place to start if you are getting into synths.

And for me quite inspiring to just have a pair of headphones and a powerbank, and taking it the go and jamming.