Description
Arturia MicroBrute
The MicroBrute is new but carries the award-winning heritage of its big brother, the MiniBrute.
The MicroBrute was designed to be small but still retain an amazing sound quality. With a 100% pure analog voice path and advanced interconnectablity via MIDI, USB, CV/GATE, this machine is a true powerhouse synthesizer that takes your sound to a new level.
The largest Oscillator sound around
VCO
The VCO on the MicroBrute is unique in the synthesizer world. It features the ability to mix waveforms in variable amounts as opposed to simple ON/OFF switches that are found on many synths at four times the price. The sound possibilities don’t stop there. Each waveform has wave modifiers that allow even further tonal variations. While many synths need two or three oscillators to get a somewhat big sound, the MicroBrute is able to achieve a much wider tonal range with its one oscillator.
Overtone
For the MicroBrute we redesigned our sub-oscillator from the ground up. The new OVERTONE sub allows for the typical -1 octave square wave that thickens up the bottom end but goes beyond this with the Overtone control. The Overtone control allows you to bring in more complex harmonics that when turned all the way up result in the oscillator changing pitch to a 5th above the root. This allows for some classic sounding leads and fatter basses. This control can even be modulated with the ENVELOPE or LFO via the mod matrix which creates some amazing new sounds never heard from a synth oscillator before.
Ultrasaw
The Ultrasaw builds two phase-shifted copies of the basic sawtooth signal. This effect, when turned up, gives you a slight thickening of the sound as it duplicates the sound of two saw oscillators close to the same pitch. You can then use the MOD MATRIX to route the LFO to the SAW which will add a third saw sound and allow you to simulate a wider detuning effect. This one saw wave can now sound like a three-oscillator synth by itself.
Metalizer
The Metalizer takes the basic triangular waveform and “warps/folds” it to create very complex jagged waveforms that are rich in high harmonics. This results in a hard sync sweep type of sound that is perfect for hardcore bass sounds or tearing leads. The ENVELOPE has a default routing to this parameter via the MOD MATRIX. Just turn up the ENVELOPE amount control, adjust your envelope to an interesting setting and you will hear the effect take hold.
Modulation Beast
The MicroBrute comes with a full-featured LFO and a standard ADSR type envelope. The routing of these modulation sources are configured in the MOD MATRIX. No other synth in this price range allows for this kind of flexibility.
The MOD MATRIX allows you to control many aspects of the voice for different internal sources as well as opening the door to controlling them by external synths and modules. The MOD MATRIX has two default routings:
- ENV > METALIZER
- LFO > PITCH
This allows you the typical LFO/MODWHEEL vibrato control as well as having the envelope add modulation to the Metalizer.
Steiner-Parker Filter
So what does MicroBrute sound like?
MicroBrute embeds the legendary Steiner-Parker multimode filter.
Introduced for the first time in the Synthacon synthesizer back in the 70’s, this marvelous filter not only gives you a Lowpass mode like most other synths, but also Bandpass and High-pass, making it a highly versatile and acclaimed boutique filter.
The MicroBrute filter is based on the core of the legendary Steiner-Parker multimode filter and has been enhanced to deliver an even wider range of cutoff and resonance. Nyle Steiner himself has validated and approved these enhancements.
Many synths at well over twice the price of MicroBrute come with only a single low pass filter and many modular synth companies sell their version of this classic filter for more than the total price of the MicroBrute.
Brute Factor™
The Brute Factor™ was inspired by a patch made on a famous vintage synthesizer. Users would connect the headphone output to the external audio input, resulting in a kind of feedback loop that is ideal for raspy and grungy sounds. This patch has been adapted and implemented internally first in the MiniBrute and now in the MicroBrute.
With low Brute Factor™ settings, you will hear a gradual depth and roundness to the bottom end. When turned up above about 65% however, the MicroBrute can go berserk and produce barely controllable, crazy feedback sounds.
Note: the Brute Factor™ feature alters the filter characteristics, so expect highly unpredictable results at extreme settings. You have been warned!
Microbrute as an Audio Processor?
MicroBrute is more than a synthesizer. It allows a return to audio experimentation by giving you the ability to process external sounds through it. The MicroBrute has an audio input with a pop-up trim pot for level controls on the rear panel. This will allow you to process any other sounds like voice, guitar or other synths through the MicroBrute’s filter, Brute Factor™, and final output stages.
Step Sequencer
We have added a new step sequencer for the MicroBrute. The step sequencer hearkens back to some other step sequencer designs of the ‘80s, but updates them in a way that goes beyond belief.
The step sequencer allows for eight different sequences. These sequences can have up to 64 steps each and are stored in internal memory so that when you power down, they are retained.
You input the notes that you want one at a time and can insert rests using the TAP TEMPO button to create rhythmic patterns. Once you have your sequences, you can choose between many different ways to trigger and play them.
