Arturia: Update 3.0 for MiniFreak brings granular synthesis and samples
Arturia has an early Christmas present up its sleeve for owners of the MiniFreak synthesizer: Firmware 3.0 upgrades samples and granular synthesis.
(Image: heise online / Dirk Knop)
Over the years, Arturia has continuously upgraded the small MicroFreak synthesizer with firmware updates – The manufacturer is now delivering something similar for the larger Arturia MiniFreak. In addition to sample playback and looping, new firmware upgrades granular synthesis based on it.
The Arturia update installs the MiniFreak V software incarnation on the hardware synthesizer, which runs on Mac and Windows PCs. If the software itself is up to date, it displays the 3.0 update when connected to the hardware MiniFreak.
(Image:Â Screenshot / dmk)
After clicking on "Download & Install latest", it takes around ten minutes for the synthesizer to install the new software. After the first reboot, the software transfers the factory samples, which takes another five minutes if the bandwidth is sufficient.
New sounds thanks to additional oscillators
Arturia explains that the update adds a classic sample engine that can be used to play, loop and reverse "carefully compiled synth samples, field recordings and Foley sessions".
Videos by heise
The MiniFreak has a total of eight new oscillators to offer after the update.
- Sample: Playback with loops and reverse sample function
- Cloud Grains: Textured granular effects for immersive sounds
- Hit Grains: Rhythmic stuttering or fast impulse sounds
- Frozen: Spherical, endlessly echoing sounds
- Skan: Lengthens samples
- Particles: Creates set pieces from random sound fragments (particles) for hypnotic effects
- Lick: Creates fast, percussive rhythmic grooves
- Raster: Provides repetitions and stutter effects for hypnotic, random rhythmic sequences
This video demonstrates the oscillators using one of the new samples.
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The MiniFreak Factory V3 sound bank also comes with 64 new presets. They are intended to demonstrate the "potential of granular synthesis from frozen textures to glitchy and textural leads". Arturia also claims to have improved the operation, but does not explain where and how this has an effect. The developers have ironed out problems with communication between hardware and software and fixed other bugs, although Arturia does not provide any details on this either. Overall, the update should ensure "more reliable performance". Arturia discusses its 3.0.0 update on its website and links to a video about it.
(dmk)
