Arturia Microbrute Demo

[FreqStatus]

what does it have that the minibrute dont ? I can see that there is more cv stuff and a toy sequencer but why the minibrute is more expensive if it does less then this one ????

My favorite difference is the ability to change the Sub oscillator to a 5th.. or both! That's such a huge deal for a single-oscillator synth. Imagine if you could do that on an SH-101!

The Micro and the Mini hit two different sub-markets within the same major market of affordable modern analog synths. If you're not in the one that the Micro is for, don't worry about it. Just get a Mini.

[myoss]

Got my little beast two days ago - I really like it!

Quick demo from me - all sources except FX are from Microbrute:


https://soundcloud.com/myoss/leaving-yo ... rute-synth

[C+C+]

There is a quick rundown here on the differences:

http://www.musictech.net/2013/11/arturi ... te-review/

cheers , hell of cool

Microbute is pretty cool. It's that sequencer section I love. The 2 pole filter is outstanding. I too wish it had a 4 pole, but for what you can do driving the filter, its got a lot of character. I just have the mini now, but my local guitar center let me play with the micro for little while. I can see the possibilities of owning both. Just another nice analog offering in a market that has really turned affordable the last few years. Keep em comin.

I guess I can still learn so much on the mini before I even can think of hooking both up but I can think of some tweaks already after reading the full specs .

[Wormhelmet]

There is a quick rundown here on the differences:

http://www.musictech.net/2013/11/arturi ... te-review/

cheers , hell of cool

Microbute is pretty cool. It's that sequencer section I love. The 2 pole filter is outstanding. I too wish it had a 4 pole, but for what you can do driving the filter, its got a lot of character. I just have the mini now, but my local guitar center let me play with the micro for little while. I can see the possibilities of owning both. Just another nice analog offering in a market that has really turned affordable the last few years. Keep em comin.

I guess I can still learn so much on the mini before I even can think of hooking both up but I can think of some tweaks already after reading the full specs .

I hook it up CV with my modular synth. Works great. I can even run audio out from modular to minibrute input and cv control stuff at the same time. Nice features for so little cost.

[Plyphon]

I have the money saved to buy a Micro but hovering over the buy button - I really don't fancy purchase regret.

Will it be a good accompaniment to my Volca Bass - or is it much of the same?

Someone make me click buy!

[Shy]

I have the money saved to buy a Micro but hovering over the buy button - I really don't fancy purchase regret.

Will it be a good accompaniment to my Volca Bass - or is it much of the same?

Someone make me click buy!

In the sense that it's a simple nice synth, it's similar, and sound-wise, it's very different, mostly because of the 12dB/octave filter, which is a very nice one, but a 12dB/octave filter nontheless and this fact must NOT be underestimated or overlooked, no matter what anyone here might tell you. Mostly because of it, it's not similar to the simple synths by other companies that use a 24dB/octave filter, and it does have other unique sound-related features.

Before you press a "Buy" button:

* Do you really want a collection of simple "mini" synths, or would it be a better idea to get a much more full-featured synth? I can narrow it down: MS-20 Mini is by far the best cheap one today. Pulse 2 has some extra features but its own limitations in comparison, and Moog Sub Phatty is.. a very nice synth. Rising price order. Check those out, compare features, compare to the cheaper synths.

* What kinds of sounds do you want it to be able to produce? You should know what each feature, or lack of, means. Really, you should. Otherwise, the potential for regret is much, much bigger.

* LISTEN to the synth and COMPARE. If possible, check out demo units.

About Microbrute, personally I say: very nice sound but too limited for a main (or only) analog "lead" synth, mainly because of the 2-pole filter, and more personally, because its oscillator features are too limited for my taste. Without a doubt, though, it's a very nice synth at a suitable price.

[Plyphon]

Thank for the reply - really helpful.

In response to your questions in order:

Unfortunately I can't justify more than £250 (what the MicroBrute costs) right now on a synth. I'd love a MS-20 for sure but for at least another 6 to 10 months I am going to be strapped for cash (travelling) - so I'm looking to maximize what I have to spend currently with something that will enable me to make music hands on for a year to come.

What sounds: Currently I make techno - dubtechno, acid techno/house, loop techno, etc. Although likely to make some more house stuff in the future (detroit house especially.) I'm looking for a "work horse" synth I guess that I can get in on any track - bassline or main lead or just random weird noises - you know how techno goes!

I like my Volca bass, and I have gotten some great deep, dubby techno sounds out of it, and ripping acid lines - but it feels a bit "one trick pony" in terms of the scope of sound design - which I totally knew when I bought it, so not too fussed. So I'm looking for something that has a wider possible palate of sounds.

Unfortunately I won't get to try a demo unit - no where near me stocks synthesizers! I've been checking out a bunch of videos but with synthesizers and hardware people see so up on just making the most weirdest, thickest banged up metallic sound possible that I have no idea how it would actually be used in a track - and also they have no effects that I would be applying in my DAW, so it's kinda hard to see through that to the true range of sounds it can produce. I hear it's a bit like the SH-101 - if that's true, i'm sold.

Would you still say it's good for my needs for the £250 I have - or would I be thinking to sell it in a few months down the line due to not getting much use out of it..?

Cheers!

[Shy]

Would you still say it's good for my needs for the £250 I have - or would I be thinking to sell it in a few months down the line due to not getting much use out of it..?

Based on the kind of music you want it for, then I think it would be too limited for you. Whoever said it's similar to SH-101 couldn't have meant sound-wise, since SH-101 sounds like this and Microbrute can't sound even remotely similar in any way. Its filter just filters half as much, it's half as steep. A similar kind of "wobbliness" is not possible with a 2-pole filter. Even the difference between 3-pole (18dB/octave) and 2-pole is significant, for example: same filter, once at 2-pole, once at 3-pole.

[Plyphon]

Hmm - very interesting, thanks! I will listen to those samples when i get chance this evening. Based on what you've said I might have to reconsider my purchase.

A lot of thinking to be done!

[Plyphon]

Interestingly this was part of a reply I received on another forum

I think for the genres you mentioned, the micro would be a very usefull add-on to whatever gear you already have. It's sortof the modern day SH-101, and it's pretty easy to get those kinds of sounds out of it. It could easily carry a whole range of productions.. after all the 101's limitations never stopped it from doing the same either. And of course the micro can do much more than the 101 ever could. It's got the patch panel which allows you to some crazy stuff, for instance, and you can create a broad range of sounds just with all the oscillator options.

So now I'm properly confused lol.

[Wormhelmet]

I have the minibrute and primarily make Dubstep, chillstep. Mini is great for wobbly basslines. Filter is two pole, 12db, but that doesn't mean it can't do some wub wub bass good. Mopho would be an interesting alternative, but more expensive. M-Audio Venom would be better deal and way more versatile. Not a real analog, but they are cheap, have great sonic potential for the current cost and very flexible by having an audio interface built in to keyboard.

[Plyphon]

I see - I came from dubstep (by that I mean I used to listen/produce) a few years ago in techno, and there is a lot of cross over in terms of sound design (replace LFO crazy wubs with stabs and you're almost there).

Unfortunately one of the things I wanted was one-knob-per-function, or as close as possible. So you may be right with that MAudio but it wouldn't suit me. I have a Novation Xio Synth already and I HATE the menu driven sound design.

Anyway - I hit the button and ordered it - Thomann had a "b-stock" one which they assured me had just be opened and returned. £228 quid, against £259 retail.

[C+C+]

what does it have that the minibrute dont ? I can see that there is more cv stuff and a toy sequencer but why the minibrute is more expensive if it does less then this one ????

My favorite difference is the ability to change the Sub oscillator to a 5th.. or both! That's such a huge deal for a single-oscillator synth. Imagine if you could do that on an SH-101!

The Micro and the Mini hit two different sub-markets within the same major market of affordable modern analog synths. If you're not in the one that the Micro is for, don't worry about it. Just get a Mini.

well I got a mini on day 1 , I learned so much from the manual that comes with the minibrute , it is a super synth but to me the manual was the great idear because it explain all the OSC technics and how to make sounds in synth very well !

and them filters are just a scandale of shmexiness!:D but I Wonder on micro because I aint got it , I Watched some videos and the micro can make sounds like a mini ms20 by using them cables wich is impossible in the mini or a least I think so

I will wait feb sales to get one if I ever do go for micro !

[FreqStatus]

what does it have that the minibrute dont ? I can see that there is more cv stuff and a toy sequencer but why the minibrute is more expensive if it does less then this one ????

My favorite difference is the ability to change the Sub oscillator to a 5th.. or both! That's such a huge deal for a single-oscillator synth. Imagine if you could do that on an SH-101!

The Micro and the Mini hit two different sub-markets within the same major market of affordable modern analog synths. If you're not in the one that the Micro is for, don't worry about it. Just get a Mini.

well I got a mini on day 1 , I learned so much from the manual that comes with the minibrute , it is a super synth but to me the manual was the great idear because it explain all the OSC technics and how to make sounds in synth very well !

and them filters are just a scandale of shmexiness!:D but I Wonder on micro because I aint got it , I Watched some videos and the micro can make sounds like a mini ms20 by using them cables wich is impossible in the mini or a least I think so

I will wait feb sales to get one if I ever do go for micro !

The MS-20 Mini and the Brutes are really, really different anyways. From design to sound to size, etc. The Brutes sound way better as normal synths, but don't have the double filters or double oscillators. But, the sound is miles above the thin oscillators of the Mini. A real MS20 is still not that beefy, either.

The Mini has CV ins/outs as well, they're just on the back. You don't have the same ins, but PWM and all that isn't necessary anyways, because you have the LFO and 2 envelopes. But, I digress. Both have their advantages.

[Shy]

But, the sound is miles above the thin oscillators of the Mini. A real MS20 is still not that beefy, either.

So that's why music by Der Dritte Raum, Shpongle, Mr. Oizo, Koxbox etc., where an MS-20 is used abundantly, sounds so thin.