MicroBrute is a small analog synthesizer based on the design of its bigger brother, the MiniBrute. It's very easy to use and delivers a unique sound: ultra-fat basses, pads, leads, effects, growls, vintage tones, drum kits, and sequences. It can process audio.
MicroBrute's signal path is 100% analog, so it delivers a vintage sound that's also modern. It has a standard CV connector for hooking up older gear.
The oscillator offers 3 waveforms that can be mixed; in addition, MicroBrute's SAW, TRIANGLE, and SQUARE waveforms come with wave modifiers that alter and animate the sound for a much richer and fuller result. Equipped with a new Overtone oscillator, it can generate harmonic content from one octave below to a fifth above the oscillator's base pitch.
MicroBrute features a Steiner-Parker filter, first designed in the 1970s for the classic Synthacon synthesizer. MicroBrute's step sequencer lets you enter notes step by step to create rhythmic patterns, and transpose sequences up and down using the keyboard for very creative, fresh sequences.
MicroBrute on the Test Bench
After reading up on the information above, I set out to check the product's quality live and in person: finish, possibilities, and results after tinkering with it for quite a while. I'm following the series of 4 devices (groove box, loop, analog keyboard) that have come into the lab these days: KeyStep, BeatStep Pro, MiniBrute (this one's big brother), and MicroBrute itself.
Setting aside the purely technical information, I'd sum up the essence of the product as its power and personality when generating analog keyboard sounds. It really offers more meat and quality than you might think at first glance given its small size. Some people will prefer having these sounds handed to them, avoiding hours of work to create them. However, as one of the artists among the quotes we leave below puts it, sitting down in front of a keyboard with no presets is always a challenging adventure that offers great creative freedom.
Working some of the sounds we generated with it into mixes, we noticed a lot of warmth in the work and a richness of nuance in the songs. The truth is that this “little guy” can produce an incredible amount of “meat” while taking up a minimum of space among our abundant “gadgets.”
On the other hand, we can use the step sequencer to generate arpeggios and loops, groovebox style, with sounds that we've created in a completely personalized way.
Like its bigger brother, it comes with mini-jack cables for patching into the MOD Matrix and perfect blank templates to place over the keyboard. This way we can jot down and “memorize” the control positions that gave us our most powerful sounds.
The Good
- Affordable price for a pretty serious tool in a compact size
- Takes up little space
- Quality of its sounds
- Analog keyboard + step sequencer
- Good customization of our sounds thanks to the powerful audio processor
The Not-So-Good
- The key size is, logically, MINI, although if you're passionate about the idea but need more playing comfort and a bit more flexibility and parameters, the solution is the MiniBrute
* If you'd like to learn more about the details of its analog power, effects, and oscillators and listen to demos of each of its features, you can take a stroll over here.
| SPECIFICATIONS | ||
|
Testimonials From Some Artists on the MiniBrute
- "I love the sound of the original, and IT has that character and can be even wilder. You can get all kinds of crazy musical interactions together with other analog gear and drum machines. Combine the two and you're blown away (Adrian Utley)."
- "IT takes me back to the joy I felt when I pressed the first key on a synth and a sawtooth wave responded. IT fuses the best into a small, compact machine. (Terry Lawlesss)."
- "Just when you think Arturia can't get any more practical than with the MiniBrute, it knocks you over the head with this (Keith Shocklee)."
- "Once again, Arturia has given me the best of both worlds with IT. It's amazing in my recording sessions and live. It's the perfect companion to my already extensive gear (Roger Joseph Manning Jr)."
- "The compact format is out of proportion to the massive sound you can get from IT. I've used many of Arturia's software synths, and this is a great piece of gear for making the transition from a laptop. (Sandra Vu).
- For me, a synthesizer with no presets is an adventure every time I use it. IT is a recipe for audio joy. IT becomes a real electronic instrument, one that develops with your knowledge and skill (Chris Cross)."
- "It's a little giant! I love it! (Hideki Matsutake)."
- "Great, amazing sound. Arturia has another sonic monster on its hands (André Bowman)."
