USER MANUAL

_MINIFREAK
 Special Thanks

DIRECTION
Frédéric BRUN Nicolas DUBOIS Kévin MOLCARD Tobias BAUMBACH

ENGINEERING
Olivier DELHOMME (project Aurore BAUD Thierry CHATELAIN Nadine LANTHEAUME
manager) Jérôme BLANC Raynald DANTIGNY Antoine MOREAU
Marc ANTIGNY Robert BOCQUIER Mauro DE BARI Cyril PROTAT
Thomas AUBERT Hugo CARACALLA Lionel FERRAGUT

DESIGN
Sébastien ROCHARD Jean-Baptiste ARTHUS Morgan PERRIER
(product Manager) Axel Hartmann Design Julien VIANNENC

SOUND DESIGN
Jean-Baptiste ARTHUS Lily JORDY Matt PIKE Torcrafter
Maxime AUDFRAY Konstantin KLEM Martin RABILLER Julien VIANNENC
Matthieu BOSSHARDT Florian MARIN Sebastien ROCHARD Yuli Yolo
Culprate Ale MASTROIANNI Red Means Recording
Simon GALLIFET Victor MORELLO Solidtrax

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Arnaud BARBIER Germain MARZIN Benjamin RENARD Enrique VELA
Matthieu BOSSHARDT Aurélien MORTHA Félix ROUX Julien VIANNENC
Bastien HERVIEUX Nicolas NAUDIN Roger SCHUMANN
Emilie JACUSZIN Rémi PELET Adrien SOYER
Anthony LECORNEC Arthur PEYTARD Nicolas STERMANN

BETA TESTING
Bastiaan BARTH (Solidtrax) Richard COURTEL Are LEISTAD Davide PUXEDDU
Chuck CAPSIS Kirke GODFREY Terry MARDSEN Chuck ZWICKY
Marco "Koshdukai" CORREIA Tom LECLERC Gary MORGAN

MANUAL
Mike METLAY (writer) Jimmy MICHON Minoru KOIKE (Japanese) Holger STEINBRINK (German)
Léo HIVERT (writer) Ana ARTALEJO (Spanish) Charlotte METAIS (French)

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Special thanks to Mutable Instruments for providing the Plaits code under MIT license.
© ARTURIA SA – 2024 – All rights reserved.
26 avenue Jean Kuntzmann
38330 Montbonnot-Saint-Martin
FRANCE
www.arturia.com

Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is
provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software
license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any purpose other than
purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of ARTURIA S.A.

All other products, logos or company names quoted in this manual are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Product version: 3.0.0

Revision date: 10 December 2024

 Thank you for purchasing the Arturia
MiniFreak !
This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s MiniFreak, the powerful hybrid
desktop synth and big brother of MicroFreak.

Be sure to register your product as soon as possible! When you purchased MiniFreak you
were given a serial number and an unlock code. These are required during the online
registration process.

Do not hesitate to visit the Arturia website for information about all of our other great
hardware and software instruments. They have become indispensable, inspiring tools for
musicians around the world.

Musically yours,

The Arturia team

Special Message Section

Specifications Subject to Change:

The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing.
However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without
notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased.

IMPORTANT:

The product and its software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or
speakers, may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss.
DO NOT operate for long periods of time at a high level or at a level that is uncomfortable.

If you encounter any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist.

NOTICE:

Service charges incurred due to a lack of knowledge relating to how a function or feature
works (when the product is operating as designed) are not covered by the manufacturer’s
warranty, and are therefore the owner's responsibility. Please study this manual carefully
and consult your dealer before requesting service.

Precautions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Read and understand all the instructions.

• Always follow the instructions on the instrument.
• Before cleaning the instrument, always remove the electrical plug from the
outlet, as well as the USB cable. When cleaning, use a soft and dry cloth. Do not
use gasoline, alcohol, acetone, turpentine or any other organic solutions; do not
use liquid cleaner, spray, or a cloth that’s too wet.
• Do not use the instrument near water or moisture, such as a bathtub, sink,
swimming pool, or similar place. Do not place the instrument in an unstable
 position where it might accidentally fall over.
• Do not place heavy objects on the instrument. Do not block openings or vents of
the instrument; these locations are used for ventilation to prevent the instrument
from overheating. Do not place the instrument near a heat vent or any place of
poor air circulation.
• Use only the provided AC adapter, as specified later in this manual.
• Make sure the line voltage in your location matches the input voltage specified
on the AC power adapter.
• Do not open and insert anything into the instrument, as this could cause a fire or
electrical shock.
• Do not spill any kind of liquid onto the instrument.
• In the event of a malfunction, always take the instrument to a qualified service
center. You will invalidate your warranty if you open and remove the cover, and
improper testing may cause electrical shock or other malfunctions.
• Do not use the instrument when thunder and lightning are present.
• Do not expose the instrument to hot sunlight.
• Do not use the instrument when there is a gas leak nearby.
• Arturia is not responsible for any damage or data loss caused by improper
operations to the instrument.
• Arturia recommends the use of audio cables with proper shielding, less than 3 m
(10') in length.
 Table Of Contents
1. Welcome to MiniFreak .............................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1. What’s MiniFreak?................................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.2. Firmware 3.0: Added content and features ........................................................................................................ 3
1.3. Improvements : ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8
1.4. Firmware 2.0: added content and features......................................................................................................... 9
2. Setup and Installation............................................................................................................................................. 13
2.1. Powering the MiniFreak .................................................................................................................................................. 13
2.2. Notice.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
2.3. Register your Instrument.............................................................................................................................................. 13
2.4. Connecting the MiniFreak to the outside world.............................................................................................. 14
2.5. Upgrade to the latest firmware ................................................................................................................................ 14
3. Meet the MiniFreak: An overview..................................................................................................................... 15
3.1. The Front Panel..................................................................................................................................................................... 15
3.2. The Touch Strips................................................................................................................................................................. 22
3.3. The Rear Panel.................................................................................................................................................................... 23
3.4. Onward! ................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
4. Managing Presets ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
4.1. Preset controls...................................................................................................................................................................... 24
4.2. Selecting and loading Presets .................................................................................................................................. 24
4.3. Saving Presets..................................................................................................................................................................... 25
4.4. Filters ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
4.5. Sound Edit operations .................................................................................................................................................... 27
4.6. Utility Menu Preset Operations................................................................................................................................. 27
5. The Digital Oscillators ........................................................................................................................................... 30
5.1. The Controls .......................................................................................................................................................................... 30
5.2. Oscillator Types .................................................................................................................................................................. 32
5.3. Osc 2 Audio processor Types..................................................................................................................................... 51
6. The Analog Filter ....................................................................................................................................................... 55
6.1. History: Signposts along the way ............................................................................................................................ 55
6.2. Elements of filter design and their controls..................................................................................................... 56
6.3. Developing a feel for the filter .................................................................................................................................. 58
7. Digital Effects ............................................................................................................................................................... 59
7.1. The Digital Effects section............................................................................................................................................. 59
7.2. The Effects Types................................................................................................................................................................ 61
8. The Modulation Matrix............................................................................................................................................ 68
8.1. Select a Routing ................................................................................................................................................................... 68
8.2. Set an Amount..................................................................................................................................................................... 68
8.3. Activate/Deactivate a Routing................................................................................................................................... 69
8.4. Quick Amount Editing ..................................................................................................................................................... 69
8.5. Assign a Destination ........................................................................................................................................................ 70
9. The Low Frequency Oscillators ....................................................................................................................... 73
9.1. LFO parameters ................................................................................................................................................................... 73
9.2. The Shaper and LFO Wave Edit............................................................................................................................... 75
9.3. Vibrato ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 80
9.4. A few final tips ................................................................................................................................................................... 80
10. The Envelopes............................................................................................................................................................ 81
10.1. Envelope stages ................................................................................................................................................................. 81
10.2. Envelope................................................................................................................................................................................ 82
10.3. Polyphony and Voicing Modes .............................................................................................................................. 84
10.4. Cycling Envelope............................................................................................................................................................. 85
11. Sound Edit...................................................................................................................................................................... 87
11.1. Menu structure and controls........................................................................................................................................ 87
11.2. Sound Edit menus ............................................................................................................................................................. 87
12. Keyboard Functions.............................................................................................................................................. 90
12.1. Keyboard Notes ................................................................................................................................................................ 90
12.2. Velocity and Aftertouch ................................................................................................................................................ 91
12.3. Polyphony ............................................................................................................................................................................ 92
12.4. Glide.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 93
12.5. Scale configuration ........................................................................................................................................................ 93
12.6. Chord Mode ......................................................................................................................................................................... 94
 12.7. Touch Strips ......................................................................................................................................................................... 95
13. Macros ............................................................................................................................................................................ 96
13.1. Macro basics........................................................................................................................................................................ 96
13.2. Using Macros...................................................................................................................................................................... 96
13.3. Macro Assign ...................................................................................................................................................................... 97
14. The Arpeggiator and Sequencer ................................................................................................................... 99
14.1. Common Features ........................................................................................................................................................... 99
14.2. The Arpeggiator ............................................................................................................................................................. 102
14.3. Sequencer........................................................................................................................................................................... 104
14.4. Modulation sequence lanes ................................................................................................................................... 109
15. The Utility Menu....................................................................................................................................................... 112
15.1. Control and navigation ................................................................................................................................................ 112
15.2. The Utility menus............................................................................................................................................................ 112
16. External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals .............................................................................................. 116
16.1. Sync Signals......................................................................................................................................................................... 116
16.2. MIDI.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 117
16.3. USB........................................................................................................................................................................................... 121
17. Declaration of Conformity ............................................................................................................................... 122
17.1. FCC ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 122
17.2. CANADA ................................................................................................................................................................................ 122
17.3. CE.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 122
17.4. ROHS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 122
17.5. WEEE ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 123
 1. WELCOME TO MINIFREAK

1.1. What’s MiniFreak?

Building on the MicroFreak's legacy, the MiniFreak takes freakiness to the next level in many
different ways.

It sports two digital Oscillators (Osc) with expanded capabilities. One offers 16 different
oscillator types, from simple synthesizer waveforms and virtual analog modeling to speech
synthesis and much more. The other has 21 different modes, not only various oscillators but
other processing such as ring modulation, digital filter modes and wavefolder, crusher and
distortion.

The oscillators are fed into an analog signal chain, with a multi-mode Voltage Controlled
Filter (VCF) and Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA), the latter with its own dedicated 4-stage
envelope. The signal is further enhanced with a set of three independent digital effects
processors (FX), each with a selection of multiple effect types.

A Cycling Envelope can be used as either an extra three-stage envelope or as a looping

waveform with a variety of complex shapes. This is in addition to a set of two Low
Frequency Oscillators (LFO) with multiple waveshapes and the ability to sync to a global
tempo. Modulation sources can be assigned to multiple destinations with different amounts,
thanks to an easy-to-use Modulation Matrix.

All this is contained in a portable package with a 37-note Arturia Slim Keys keybed with
velocity and pressure (aftertouch/AT) sensitivity. Two capacitive Touch Strips have multiple
assignable functions for intuitive real-time control, and a powerful built-in arpeggiator and
sequencer top off the package.

The MiniFreak can connect to your studio with stereo audio outs, a mono audio in, analog
clock signals, MIDI In/Out/Thru, and class-compliant USB MIDI. That makes it a perfect
companion to your favorite VSTs but also to your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) running
MiniFreak V, a virtual instrument version of MiniFreak with seamless control from the
hardware and much more.

1.2. Firmware 3.0: Added content and features

1.2.1. New Engines : Granular and Sample Engines

Version 3.0 of MiniFreak's firmware adds the Sample and 7 Granular Engines to the
MiniFreak.

 The Granular and Sample engines are only available on the first oscillator slot (Oscillator 1).

3 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak

 1.2.2. Sample

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Sample engine:

• Start : Sets the Start Point of the Sample.

• Length : Allows you to set the length of the sample and how it plays back.

At 50 and above it will play the sample forward, ranging from short around 50 to longer
around 100.

From 49 to 0 the sample will play backwards, ranging from short around 49 to longer
around 0.

• Loop : Controls the Loop start point of the sample, relative to the Sample start
position.

 When playing the sample in reverse do remember that the start control will condition its starting
point, so in order to get the full sample playback in reverse, Start should be set at max value.

Selecting a Sample

You have two ways to browse through the factory Samples:

1) By using Shift + Type encoder.

When using this method, the list of Samples is displayed on the first encoder tick, and
directly loads the next sample.

2) Using the Sound Edit menu.

You can either hold Sound Edit + press the Osc button, or follow this path: Sound Edit > Osc >
Sample Select.

In the Sound Edit menu, Samples can be browsed with the Preset / Edit encoder.

If the Sample Engine is loaded, the currently hovered Sample is immediately loaded.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak 4

 1.2.3. Granular Engines

Besides the Sample Engine, the V3 update introduces 7 Granular Synthesis based engines,
which we will look into further now.

What's Granular Synthesis?

Granular synthesis is a synthesis method that processes samples by splitting them into
smaller fragments called grains, which in turn creates a new sound depending on the
playhead position, density (how many grains is generated by second or synced to the
clock), length of each grains, shape of the grains, their pitch, and the forward/reverse
playback. Including all these factors, new sounds are endless from a single sample. Various
modulations can also be applied to either disrupt each of these factors and bring in more
chaos.

We will now go through the different Engines using Granular based synthesis :

1.2.3.1. Cloud Grains

The Cloud grains engine is ideal for making textural grain effects.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Cloud Grains engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the speed at which the grains are being generated.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

5 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak

 1.2.3.2. Hit Grains

The Hit grains engine has a sharp volume envelope. It's been designed to generate rhythmic
stutter or rapid-fire bursts of grains for a blasting sound effect.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Hit Grains engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the speed at which the grains are being generated.

• Shape : Controls grain length, attack length and hold.

1.2.3.3. Frozen

This Engine relies on fast grain generation to create an Ice-like effect where the size and
shape of the grains plays a huge part on this ethereal and icy feeling.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Frozen engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Size : Defines the length of the grains.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak 6

 1.2.3.4. Skan

The Skan engine scans through the sample while generating grains around the playhead,
playing it from start to finish at a user-definable speed. Ideal for stretch like effect.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Skan engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Scan : Sets the speed of the playhead.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

1.2.3.5. Particles

Particles generates intricate layers of random sound particles creating hypnotic and
psychedelic effects.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Particles engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the density of the grains being generated.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

7 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak

 1.2.3.6. Lick

The Lick engine is aimed at creating fast-paced percussive rhythmic groove grains synced
to your music.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Lick engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Size : Lengthens the size of the grains while the grain generation is synced to
tempo at 1/16

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

1.2.3.7. Raster

The Raster engine is aimed at more rhythmical approaches, with grain generation being
tempo synced. Perfect for creating beat repeat/chopping and hypnotic randomized
sequence.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Raster engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the rate of the generated grains, which is a sub division of the
tempo which goes from 1/2 to 1/32 rates.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

1.3. Improvements :

• Saving a preset in the Favorite Panel now allows to keep the status of the ARP/
SEQ.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak 8

 1.4. Firmware 2.0: added content and features

1.4.1. New Engine : Wavetable

Version 2.0 of MiniFreak's firmware adds the Wavetable Engine to the MiniFreak.

What's Wavetable Synthesis?

Wavetable Synthesis has been discovered in the 80s, and allowed for sound manipulation
that was previously not possible with a single cycle waveform. A Wavetable is a series of
waveform cycles.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the wavetable engine:

• Wave : Scans through the cycles and alter the waveform.

• Timbre : Controls the Symmetrical Pulse Width.

• Shape : Controls the LPF/HPF 1 pole filter.

 The Wavetable engine is only available on the first oscillator slot.

Selecting a Wavetable

You have two ways to browse through the factory wavetables:

1) By using Shift + Type encoder.

When using this method, the list of wavetables is displayed on the first encoder tick, and
directly loads the next wavetable.

The wavetable is also automatically loaded when the encoder is turned.

2) Using the Sound Edit menu.

You can either hold Sound Edit + press the Osc button, or follow this path: Sound Edit > Osc >
Wavetable Select.

In the Sound Edit menu, Wavetables can be browsed with the Preset / Edit encoder.

If the Wavetable Engine is loaded, the currently hovered Wavetable is immediately loaded.

9 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak

 1.4.2. New Effect : Super Unison

The Super Unison is a Chorus type effect, with up to 6 copies of the source signal stacked
over the dry signal.

They are being modulated with an LFO to vary the detune, and create a chorus-like unison-
style effect.

Here is how the knobs work for Super Unison:

• Detune: Detunes the copies of the signal in relation to the dry sound.

• LPF/HPF Manages the Low Pass and High pass filtering.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

• Subtypes: Classic, Ravey, Soli, Slow, Slow Trig, Wide Trig, Mono Trig, Wavy.

 The Super Unison presets conditions how certain controls operates and their ranges. The presets
labelled 'Trig' will reset the phases of all the copies of the signal in a Legato fashion.

 Did you know ? Detune affects the speed of LFO and the amount (some presets only affects the
amount). For Filter, some FX presets have different ranges for different results.

1.4.3. Macro Assign to Mod Amounts

Using this feature, you can now assign the Macros to control modulation amounts in the
matrix. This will help navigate modulation, and create more lively patches by dosing the
amount of mod applied to the destination.

In order to assign a Macro to control a modulation amount, you will need to :

• Enter the Macro Assign Mode with one Empty Slot.

• Use the Matrix Encoder to browse modulation routings.

• Click the Matrix encoder to start the assignation.

• Click the Matrix or Preset encoder to enter the macro amount edition and set by
how much the macro should control the amount of modulation applied.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak 10

 1.4.4. Shaper Rate

The rate set on a shaper was determined by the rate knob, and it was per step. It meant that
a 16-step shaper at 1/16 each step is played at 1/16 (meaning the whole shaper is actually 1
bar).

All steps means the rate of the shaper is now on all steps. With a 16-step shaper at 1/16, the
whole shaper is actually 1/16 (16x times faster).

This setting can be found in the Sound Edit > LFO menu.

1.4.5. Favorites

Firmware 2.0 also adds the ability to save favorite presets. It lets you to get back to your
preferred patches more easily, and to sort them faster for performance purposes.

You can store up to 64 presets on the steps slots. This is solely available on the hardware
unit.

The workflow operates as follows :

• Make sure to toggle the Favorite panel in the Utility > Preset Operation > Panel
Mode > Favorite Panel. This mode is on by default, but note that you can still
access the original panel mode by toggling the setting back to "Panel".

• Enter the Favorite Panel using Shift + Panel.

• Select your preset you want to save on a slot.

• Hold Save, and press the Step Button you want to store the preset on.

• Your preset is then stored, and the LED will turn red when the said preset is
loaded.

• To exit the Favorite panel, press Sound Edit.

You can also browse the different pages of the steps to access more slots, up to 64.

 Please note that if you want to erase a slot, you can do it with Erase + pressing the slot in question.

Once the presets are saved on the slots of the Favorite Panel, the slot will be indicated by a
blue led, you can then reload them by simply pressing the corresponding step in the Favorite
panel mode. The Led will turn red for the selected slot. If you have multiple instances of the
same preset saved, all the slots containing this preset will turn red.

If you have multiple instances of the same preset saved, all the slots containing this preset
will turn red.

11 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak

 1.4.6. Improvements

1.4.6.1. Osc Freerun for Bass / SawX / Harm Oscillators

All oscillators are free running. We've added the option to retrig the phase of some
oscillators, including the Noise engineering ones.

1.4.6.2. CC07 for Volume Control

We've added the possibility to control the volume of the unit using the CC07.

1.4.6.3. Clock and transport send refinements

Clock Send

You can now select if clocks are sent or not from the Sync and MIDI outputs.

Follow this path to choose: Settings > Sync > Clocks Send.

By default, the 'Clocks ON' option is selected. You can choose not to send clocks by selecting
'Clocks OFF'.

Transport Send

You can select if Transports Play/Stop messages are sent or not.

Follow this path to choose: Settings > Sync > Transport Send.

By default, the 'Transport ON' option is selected. You can choose not to send the Transport
Play/Stop messages by selecting the 'Transport OFF' option.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Welcome to MiniFreak 12

 2. SETUP AND INSTALLATION

2.1. Powering the MiniFreak

The MiniFreak uses an external power adapter. Do not use any power supply or adapter
other than the one provided by Arturia. Arturia accepts no responsibility for damage caused
by use of an unauthorized power supply.

Do not place this product in a place or position where one might walk on, trip over, or
roll anything over power cords or connecting cables. The use of an extension cord is not
recommended. However, if you must use one, make sure that the cord has the ability to
handle the maximum current needed by this product (12V / 1A). Please consult a local
electrician for more information on your power requirements. This product should be
used only with the components supplied or recommended by Arturia. When used with
any components, please observe all safety markings and instructions that accompany the
accessory products.

2.2. Notice

The manufacturer’s warranty does not cover service charges incurred due to a lack of
knowledge relating to how a function or feature works (when the unit is operating as
designed); reading the manual is the owner's responsibility. Please study this manual
carefully and consult your dealer before requesting service.

2.3. Register your Instrument

Registering your instrument establishes your legal ownership, which entitles you to access
the Arturia Technical Support service, and to be informed of updates. Additionally, you
can subscribe to the Arturia newsletter to be informed of Arturia-related news as well
as promotional offers. Connect to your Arturia account, go to the section “My Products”,
and click on "Register New Product" to add the MiniFreak synthesizer by entering its serial
number and unlock code, as printed on the sticker located under the machine. It will also
allow you to download and activate your MiniFreak V software bundled with the hardware
unit for preset management and DAW integration.

13 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Setup and Installation

 2.4. Connecting the MiniFreak to the outside world

Always power-off all audio gear before making any connections. Failing to do so may
damage your speakers, the synthesizer, other audio equipment or your ears. After
completing all connections, set all levels to zero. Power-on the various devices, with the
audio amplifier or monitoring system last, then raise the volumes to a comfortable listening
level.

Here is an overview of the MiniFreak’s rear-panel connectors:

Purpose Connector type

MIDI In/Out/Thru 5-pin DIN

USB Standard USB Type B

Sustain Pedal Input 1/4" (6.35 mm) TS

Clock In/Clock Out/Reset Out 3.5 mm TRS for Clock In/Out, TS for Reset Out

Audio In 1/4" TS

Audio Left Out/Right Out 1/4" TRS (balanced)

Headphones Out 1/4" TRS (stereo unbalanced)

Power DC input: 12V/1A

2.5. Upgrade to the latest firmware

The MiniFreak's firmware contains the instrument's Operating System (OS), its "brain".
Upgrades to the firmware allow Arturia to add new features or fix problems. It's worth
checking the latest firmware version against the currently installed firmware version on
your MiniFreak.

• First make sure that you have the latest revision of the MiniFreak V software
installed, to do so, open the Arturia Software Center and check for available
MiniFreak V updates. If you are running the latest version of the software, you
may proceed to the next step :

Using the MiniFreak V software, simply click FW Update on the bottom bar :

• If your firmware is not up to date (version is older than used MiniFreak V) : →

MiniFreak V will prompt you, on opening, with a pop up telling you to update,
simply click on the "Upgrade to latest" Green button

• If your firmware is already up to date (or compatible with MiniFreak V : → There

is no opening popup, to update, click in the bottom right section FW Update then
the pop up will open.

Also note that the pop-up window allows you to update from a file if you are offline. To do
so, download the latest Firmware, put it on your desktop, click on 'FW update', 'upload from
file', select the path to the '.mnf' file on your desktop, and voilà !

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Setup and Installation 14

 3. MEET THE MINIFREAK: AN OVERVIEW
Now it's time to learn our way around the MiniFreak!

In this chapter, we'll take a look at the front and rear panels of the MiniFreak. In later
chapters, we'll explain what the controls in each section do, and how to use them, but we'll
start with a basic understanding of the different control types.

3.1. The Front Panel

We'll start at the top left of the front panel and work our way across, section by section and
row by row.

We'll name the controls in bold; when a control has two names separated by a slash, e.g.
Tune/Oct, the second function is applied while Shift is held down (shown in blue on the panel
of your MiniFreak).

An encoder steps through specific settings, one by one. Usually encoders have a second
"click+turn" or "click+push" function activated by pressing the encoder; often these will have
an indicator LED to show their status.

Buttons are pretty self-explanatory; some are active only when held down (momentary),
while others have to be pushed once to enable them, then again to disable them (toggle).
Usually button status is indicated with a white LED; the Sound Edit/Utility button lights blue
when the Utility menu is selected.

Another type of button is the capacitive button, which senses your touch but has no moving
parts. Each of the 30 capacitive buttons on the Touch Strip has a multicolor LED to indicate
activation or function type.

15 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview

 3.1.1. The Modulation Matrix

The Modulation Matrix

The top section of the MiniFreak begins with the Modulation Matrix, which lets you connect
a variety of sources and destinations together in order to form modulation routings, where
one part of the MiniFreak controls another.

There are seven rows of modulation sources, shown on the left and with a row for each.
There are up to thirteen modulation destinations in the seven columns, four hardwired and
up to nine assignable via the three Assign pages.

The Matrix encoder lets you browse through the modulation points. After clicking on it, it
allows you to edit the Amount. Once a modulation amount is set, the connection is made.
You'll clearly see if a modulation amount is set to anything other than zero since the LED for
that connection will be lit.

Learn more in the Modulation Matrix chapter [p.16].

3.1.2. Oscillators

Digital Oscillator controls

These controls give you rapid access to the different properties of the two Digital Oscillators
(Osc 1 and Osc 2).

• Select chooses whether the other controls affect Osc 1 or Osc 2.

• Tune/Oct selects the tuning in semitones (±48). Shift-clicking jumps by octaves.

Clicking the encoder lights the Fine LED and lets you fine-tune by cents (100
cents = 1 semitone).

• Type selects the Oscillator Engine.

• Wave, Timbre, and Shape have different functions depending on the Oscillator
Type. These are shown on the Display.

• Volume adjusts the level of each Oscillator.

Check out The Digital Oscillators [p.30] to learn more.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview 16

 3.1.3. Analog Filter

Analog Filter controls

Arturia's analog synthesizers are famous for their filters, and the Analog Filter on the
MiniFreak is no exception. Its warm and clean timbre is adding some character to the digital
Oscillators with a few twists of a knob.

• Type selects the filter mode: Low Pass, Band Pass, or High Pass.

• Cutoff and Resonance set the filter's cutoff frequency (or simply cutoff) and the
resonance of the filter at that frequency.

• Env/Velo sets the amount of envelope modulation on the cutoff, or how much the
keyboard velocity controls that envelope amount. Because cutoff modulation can
be positive or negative, the knob has a center detent for 0 modulation.

We'll go into more detail in the Analog Filter chapter [p.55].

3.1.4. Digital Effects

Digital Effects controls

The Digital Effects section is quite similar in operation to the Oscillators section:

• Select chooses whether the controls affect FX1, FX2, or FX3.

• Type/Sub selects the Type of effect, or the Subtype – for example, there are
six Subtypes of the Phaser FX Type, each with its own character. Clicking the
encoder enables or disables the selected FX.

• Time, Intensity, and Amount have different functions depending on the Type of
effect selected.

Lastly on the top section of the panel's controls, you can find the Master knob which controls
the overall volume of the MiniFreak's main and headphone outputs.

There's a lot to learn about these powerful effects – check out the Digital Effects chapter
[p.17].

17 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview

 3.1.5. General controls

General controls

Moving to the center section of the panel's controls, the far left starts with some functions
you'll use all the time while playing and programming:

• The Shift button, when held down, accesses extra functions on the knobs and
buttons that have a blue label.

• The Octave buttons transpose the keyboard range by one octave per press,
which becomes brighter as you move up or down by up to three octaves. Press
both buttons together to reset the keyboard transposition.

• The Hold/Tie button, when toggled On, input notes are sustained. When
programming the Sequencer [p.99], this button puts a rest into a given step.

• The Chord [p.94] plays a programmed chord based on whatever note you play;
Shift-click to access the Scale [p.93] configuration page on the display.

• The Glide knob sets the glide (or portamento) time, the amount of time it takes
for the pitch to change between the last played note and the next played one.

3.1.6. LFO

LFO controls

The LFO section offers a lot of power in only a few controls!

• Select/Edit either chooses LFO 1 or LFO 2, with a white indicator LED. The LFO
Edit function will be described in detail in the LFOs chapter [p.73].

• Rate/Trig sets the LFO rate, and when shift is pressed lets you choose the way in
which the LFO can be triggered to restart its cycle.

• Wave/Load lets you choose an LFO waveform from a selection of basic types.

Directly above the Wave/Load knob is a pair of LEDs that pulse at the rates of the two LFOs,
feedbacked through color changes from yellow when positive and red when negative.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview 18

 3.1.7. The Display

The Display and associated controls

The center of the MiniFreak has an OLED display that shows both static information and
animations. This is where you navigate function-menus, choose presets, see graphical
displays of parameter changes, details about parameters without front-panel labels, and
much more.

To the left of the display are the Sound Edit/Utility and Save/Panel buttons. Sound Edit [p.87]
brings up a menu of extra functions for many parts of the MiniFreak, going beyond those
with their own buttons and knobs on the front panel. Utility [p.112] accesses a menu of global
functions. The button lights white for Sound Edit and blue for Utility.

Save allows you as labelled to save your presets, name them and tag them. For more
information refer to the Managing Presets chapter [p.24].

Panel makes all the parameters' values jump to their current physical position.

Since digital knobs and encoders can automatically update their values when you change
patches but analog knobs can't, this function lets you hear and adjust where your analog
knob settings differ from what's stored in memory.

The knobs affected by Panel include Glide, Cutoff, Resonance, Env, Rise/Fall, Hold/Sustain,
Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release.

 Pressing the Panel button can't be undone; it's meant to be used as soon as you select a sound
and before you start editing it. If you select a patch, edit it, and then hit Panel, you lose your previous
editions, so be careful!

The Preset/Edit encoder selects presets and is used as a central editing controller for
all kinds of parameters. Shift-turning lets you Filter presets by category, as explained in
Managing Presets [p.24].

19 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview

 3.1.8. Cycling Envelope

The Cycling Envelope controls

The Cycling Envelope is a multi-function modulation source. It can act as a second envelope,
or as an extra LFO with an array of waveform options that differ from those of the other
two LFOs.

• The Mode button selects between Env, Run, and Loop modes.

• Rise/Shape, Fall/Shape, and Hold/Sustain control the different stages of the cycle
and the way each behaves.

We'll detail these parameters in the Envelopes chapter [p.81].

3.1.9. Envelope

The Envelope controls

The Envelope section has controls for a traditional 4-stage ADSR envelope: Attack, Decay,
Sustain, Release. The Envelope defaults to controlling the VCAs for amplitude control, but it's
also available as a source in the Modulation Matrix. See The Envelopes [p.81] for more.

The Mode button lets you select between different types of polyphony, cycling between
Monophonic, Polyphonic, Paraphonic, and Unison modes. Which will be described further in
the Envelopes [p.81] chapter.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview 20

 3.1.10. Arpeggiator/Sequencer

These 30 capacitive buttons are grouped into four sections.

• Selecting the Arp or Seq or turn them Off

The Arpeggiator and

Sequencer Controls

• Play/Stop, Record, and Mods

The Arpeggiator and

Sequencer Controls

• A set of 16 Touch Buttons that can select sequence steps, set the mode and
modifiers for the Arpeggiator or a variety of other functions, including LFO Edit
[p.73].

Transport Controls

• Controls for sequence length and selecting 'pages' of longer sequences as well
as the Shapes for the LFO Edit [p.73]

Sequencer length and

Shaper slopes controls

There's a lot to go over here; we'll save the fine details for the Arpeggiator and Sequencer
chapter [p.99].

21 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview

 3.2. The Touch Strips

The Touch Strips and their

associated controls

The three capacitive buttons select between three different operating modes:

• Keyboard Bend/Wheel (white LEDs) sets the Touch Strips to function as common
bend and mod controls. The Vibrato control selects a vibrato function rather than
using the Wheel as a generalized modulation source, use shift-touch to enable
the vibrato.

• Macros M1/M2 (blue LEDs) lets the strips control two Macros [p.96], which collect
multiple control movements into one; shift-touch takes you into Macro Assign
mode.

• Seq/Arp Gate/Spice (orange LEDs) sets the Touch Strips to control Gate time
and Spice in the Arpeggiator and Sequencer [p.99]. Shift-touching this button will
enable the Dice.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview 22

 3.3. The Rear Panel

Let's now review the MiniFreak rear panel inputs and outputs,

The Rear Panel

From left to right, the MiniFreak's rear-panel connectors are as follows:

Function Connector type

MIDI In/Out/Thru 5-pin DIN

USB Standard USB Type B

Sustain Pedal Input 1/4" (6.35 mm) TS

Clock In/Clock Out/Reset Out 3.5 mm TRS for Clock In/Out, TS for Reset Out

Audio In 1/4" TS

Audio Left Out/Right Out 1/4" TRS (stereo balanced)

Headphones Out 1/4" TRS (stereo unbalanced)

Power DC input 12V / 1A

3.4. Onward!

There's a lot to cover, as you can see – so let's get going!

23 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Meet the MiniFreak: An overview

 4. MANAGING PRESETS
A Preset is a collection of almost all different (sound) parameters settings on the MiniFreak,
kept together in one place for instant recall. While there are a few functions that are global
for the MiniFreak no matter which Preset is loaded, most of which you'll find in the Utility
Menu [p.112], the vast majority of the elements that make up a MiniFreak sound – and all of
the performance tools to get the most out of it – are stored in a Preset.

The MiniFreak has space for 512 Presets on board, and comes out of the box with a curated
list of fine presets to get you started. Because it's important to be able to customize and save
your own sounds easily, the Preset management system on the MiniFreak has been kept
simple and easy to navigate, while giving you tools to quickly find the sounds you want.

4.1. Preset controls

The center of the MiniFreak's front panel has all needed controls for Preset management:
The Save button and the all-important Preset/Edit/Filters encoder.

Because it does so much, the Preset/Edit/Filters encoder has a bewildering number of

names. To simplify this manual, we will use only the name of the function the encoder is
currently performing:

• Preset when managing Presets

• Edit when editing parameters
• Filters when Shift-turned to work with Preset Filters

4.2. Selecting and loading Presets

Finding and loading Presets is the simplest of the Preset operations – just turn the Preset
encoder until you find the one you want, then click to load it.

The Display shows four pieces of information:

• The Preset Number

• The Preset Name
• The Preset Type
• ...and a small asterisk near the Type name to indicate if the Preset has been
edited since it was recalled.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Managing Presets 24

 4.3. Saving Presets

When you've edited a Preset and like the results, you can save it. Here's the workflow:

• Start by clicking the Save button.

• Display shows "Preview Slot"
• Underneath the preset name, the message "Click to Save" is shown.
• Press the Save button.

Your preset will then be saved.

When the Save button is lit, pressing it again will save the Preset immediately. You won't get
an "Are You Sure?", so be sure you've done everything you need to do and that the save will
be to the right Preset number!

If you want to cancel the Save process :

• Click the Sound Edit button.

• The Save button will go dark and Display will read "Save Cancelled".

 Lastly, note that when powering your MiniFreak back on, the last saved preset will be reloaded.

4.3.1. Updating a Preset

If you only want to save your edits to the same Preset in the same slot, just click Save again
and you're done. The Display will say "Preset Saved" for a moment.

If you want to do more than just update your preset, you have the following optional
operations, in this order:

• Choose a new destination slot for the edited Preset, leaving the current Preset as
it was when it was last saved
• Change the Preset Type
• Rename the Preset

You move to the next operation by clicking the Preset encoder.

 Note that you can't go back to a previous operation once you've left it. For example, once you've
selected a new destination slot for the edited Preset and clicked the encoder to change its Type, you
can't go back and choose a different destination slot. At that point, your only option is to cancel the Save
(press the Sound Edit button) and start the process over again.

4.3.2. Saving to a new Preset number

Turn the Preset encoder to choose a destination slot. The Display will show the destination
and the name of the Preset that's there already, which will be overwritten. That Preset will
now be heard when you play the MiniFreak, so you can make sure you're not overwriting
something you want to keep.

Once you've selected your destination slot, you can click Save to complete the operation, or
click the Preset encoder to proceed to the next step.

25 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Managing Presets

 4.3.3. Choosing a new Preset Type

Once you've chosen a destination slot for your edited Preset, you can change its sound type
if you wish. Types are groups of patches, organized by sound type or intended purpose.

To change the Preset Type, click the Preset encoder (Display will show "Select Type"), then
turn it to select a new category. Available categories include:

• Bass
• Brass
• E.Piano
• Piano
• Keys
• Lead
• Organ
• Pad
• Percussion
• Sequence
• SFX
• Strings
• Template
• Ext In

 Tip : Templates are useful for storing Presets that you feel will be a good starting point for other
Preset designs. For example, if you create a great sweeping pad sound, but you'd like to try it with
different effects or filter settings, save the original as a Template so you can find it quickly later.

Once you've selected your new Type, you can click Save to complete the operation, or click
the Preset encoder to proceed to the next step.

4.3.4. Renaming a Preset

To change your Preset's name, click the Preset encoder. You'll be shown the Rename Preset
screen.

The currently edited character will have small arrows above and below it.

Edit shortcuts :

• turn = browse characters

• click = move to next index
• click + turn = browse index
• shift + turn = shortcut to the first element of the characters' list

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Managing Presets 26

 Available characters are:

• space
• A to Z, capitalized
• a to z, lower case
• 0 to 9
• Punctuation marks: period (.), underscore (_), hyphen (-)

Preset names can be up to 13 characters long.

When you've renamed your Preset, click the Save button. It will confirm with a message
prompt "Preset Saved".

4.4. Filters

The Preset Type setting is also useful for searching for Presets using the Filters. If you turn
on a Filter, hold down Shift and turn the encoder to select a Filter Type. All of the above
Preset Types are available, plus

• All (no filtering)

• User

Once you've set a Filter Type, scrolling through Presets will only show those of that Type,
skipping the rest. When you're going through over 500 Presets, this will save a lot of time!

4.5. Sound Edit operations

The Sound Edit button gives access to a Preset function menu, with two available functions:

• View Snapshots: shows a list of Snapshots of previous edits, which can be

reloaded to recover from mistakes you couldn't fix otherwise. Snapshot takes a
"picture" of the current state of the machine, a bit like a save state. These are time
stamped, meaning if you see one that says " 1:22:26" it means that 1h22min26s
after the machine has started, a snapshot has been taken. Loading a snapshot
will take you back to the state of the machine according to the time selection.

• Details: displays Type, the Sound Designer's name (yours, if you introduced your
name as the user of the MiniFreak), and the Revision number for the Preset.

4.6. Utility Menu Preset Operations

The Utility menu [p.112] has a submenu called Preset Operations. These include some useful
ways to work with parts of a Preset rather than the whole Preset.

27 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Managing Presets

 4.6.1. Preset Copy

Click Utility > Preset Operations > Preset Copy to copy all parameters or a particular part of
a Preset.

• Osc 1 or 2
• FX 1, 2, or 3
• Sequence
• LFO 1 or LFO 2 User Curve (the Shaper Waves [p.75] stored in the current Preset
rather than in the global libraries of Factory and User Shaper Waves)

4.6.2. Preset Paste

Click Utility > Preset Operations > Preset Paste to paste previously copied settings into a
Preset. This menu also allows you to swap all the settings for any two of the Digital Effects
[p.17] without having to do it by hand.

• Osc 1 or 2
• FX 1, 2, or 3
• Sequence + Mods
• LFO 1 or LFO 2 User Curve
• Swap FX 1 with FX 2
• Swap FX 2 with FX 3
• Swap FX 1 with FX 3

4.6.3. Preset Erase

Click Utility > Preset Operations > Preset Erase to perform selective erasures of parts of a
Preset in order to start over :

• Preset Init
• Reload Preset
• Matrix
• Seq
• Reload Seq
• Mods
• Macro 1 or 2
• LFO 1 or LFO 2 User Curve

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Managing Presets 28

 4.6.4. Favorites Panel

Firmware 2.0 adds the ability to save favorite presets. It lets you to get back to your
preferred patches more easily, and to sort them faster for performance purposes.

You can store up to 64 presets on the steps slots. This is solely available on the hardware
unit.

The workflow operates as follows :

 Make sure to toggle the Favorite panel in the Utility > Preset Operation > Panel Mode > Favorite Panel.
This mode is ON by default, but note that you can still access the original panel mode by toggling the
setting back to "Panel".

• Enter the Favorite Panel using Shift + Panel.

• Select your preset you want to save on a favorite slot.

• Hold Save, and press the Step Button you want to store the preset on.

• Your preset is then stored, the corresponding Step LED will turn red when the said
preset is loaded.

• To exit the Favorite panel, press Sound Edit.

You can also browse the different pages of the steps to access more slots, up to 64.

 Please note that if you want to erase a slot, you can do it with Erase + pressing the slot in question.

Once the presets are saved on the slots of the Favorite Panel, the slot will be indicated by a
blue led, you can then reload them by simply pressing the corresponding step in the Favorite
panel mode. The Led will turn red for the selected slot. If you have multiple instances of the
same preset saved, all the slots containing this preset will turn red.

If you have multiple instances of the same preset saved, all the slots containing this preset
will turn red.

29 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Managing Presets

 5. THE DIGITAL OSCILLATORS
Every subtractive synthesizer starts with a raw waveform and then shapes it over time,
whether in frequency content (using a filter) or in loudness (using an amplifier). While filters
are of paramount importance in shaping analog tone and amplifiers of various sorts appear
everywhere inside a synthesizer, the sound always starts with an oscillator, and the more
flexible the oscillator, the more versatile the sound.

Unlike analog oscillators, which have a rich harmonic character but usually a fairly limited
number of basic waveforms, a digital oscillator can create a waveform in many different
ways. Some digital synthesizers use physical modeling to emulate basic synthesizer waves.
Others use frequency modulation (FM), or the Karplus-Strong mathematics of a plucked
string, or sums of harmonics, or...

The core of MiniFreak's freakiness is its pair of Digital Oscillators, which provide all of the
synthesis types mentioned above and many more. Some of them are familiar from the
synthesizers that made them famous, and others are exciting and new.

While the MicroFreak could create a wide variety of sounds from its single Digital Oscillator,
the MiniFreak has two of them. That greatly expands the possibilities, because now it´s not
only possible to use them as two oscillators, but also for one Oscillator to modulate the other
one, or do even more cool tricks. Osc 2 takes advantage of this by providing some extra
models that are designed to complement Osc 1 in various ways.

 Arturia would like to extend its thanks to Mutable Instruments, who granted permission to include
several different oscillator Types from Mutable's amazing Plaits Eurorack Macro-Oscillator module.
These include: VAnalog, Waveshaper, Formant, Chord, Speech, Modal and Two Operator FM.

 Three of the models – BASS, SAWX, and HARM – were contributed by Noise Engineering, taken from
their Vert Iter Legio Eurorack module.

5.1. The Controls

The Oscillators section starts with the Select button and the Tune/Oct encoder. Note that
long pressing the Select button refreshes the display with the current Osc parameters. This
prevents you to from having to edit a value to be able to monitor the current state of the
controls. With these, you can choose the oscillator you're editing, then tune it up or down by
±48 semitones in steps of one semitone, one octave, or one cent (100 cents = 1 semitone).

The four knobs in the middle are colored orange for a reason: they're the heart of the
Oscillators, and therefore the heart of the MiniFreak.

• Type chooses the model that the Oscillator will use to generate sound. We'll
discuss them all, one at a time, in just a moment.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 30

  Freak Out: You can actually modulate the Type, changing models in real time as you play. The
modulation source can be anything from Aftertouch to the Wheel strip, from the Cycling Envelope or
LFOs to individual Sequencer steps. As you can imagine, with the very basis of the sound changing up
to several times per second, things get really freaky really fast.

• The other three knobs – Wave, Timbre, and Shape – do something different for
every Type. When you turn one of these knobs, check the Display:

The graphic shows a test tube (Wave), bottle (Timbre), and flask (Shape), with the "fluid level"
indicating the parameter value. (Hey, why not? The MiniFreak can turn anyone into a mad
scientist!) When turning a knob, the display will offer a corresponding feedback along with
a numerical value which is updated in realtime.

 In the descriptions below, we'll list the three knobs by their parameter names within each Oscillator
Type. Just remember, we're always describing Wave, Timbre, and Shape, in that order. This is especially
important because a couple of the Oscillator models use the word "Type" and "Shape", but not
necessarily on the knobs that labelled as such on the panel!

5.1.1. Mod Quantize

One other important Osc feature can be found in the Sound Edit [p.87] > Pitch menu: Mod
Quantize, where pitch modulation can be set to step through notes in a particular scale
rather than be smoothly continuous. This is great for creating melodies that never stray
outside of a particular scale or mode.

Mod Quantize can be set to Chromatic, Octaves, Fifths, Minor, Major, Phrygian Dominant,
Minor 9th, Major 9th, minor pentatonic, or Major pentatonic. Quantize can be different for the
two Oscillators.

5.1.2. Volume

On the right side you can find a Volume control allowing you to set the overall level of each
Oscillator.

Using Shift+Volume you can set the mix between both Oscillators.

Lastly when the Osc2 is used as a filter, the Volume control becomes a Dry/Wet balance.

31 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2. Oscillator Types

Osc 1 and Osc 2 have fourteen Types in common; in addition, Osc 1 has two of its own (Audio
In & Wavetables) and Osc 2 has six unique Types that are designed to process the sound of
Osc 1 rather than create a sound of their own as well as an additional chord Engine.

5.2.1. BasicWaves

This Type blends the characteristics of the two traditional analog synthesizer waveforms:
the sawtooth wave and the square wave. Simple yet harmonically rich, BasicWaves mimics
the oscillator modifications possible with early modular synthesizers.

Morph: smoothly changes the waveform from a square wave (0) to a sawtooth wave (50)
to a double sawtooth that sounds an octave higher (100).

Sym: When Morph = 50 (a pure sawtooth), this control has no effect. When Morph is set
below 50, Sym changes the pulse width of the square wave; above 50, it creates phasing
between the two sawtooth waves.

 Modulating Sym with an LFO when Morph = 0 creates classic analog-style Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM), but when Morph is set to another number, this modulation creates sounds that would have been
tricky to create on a 1960s lead synthesizer!

Sub: adds a sine wave one octave down. This extra sound source, a sub oscillator, adds
low-end girth to waveforms. It could be generated on 1970s/1980s analog synthesizers at a
much lower cost than adding an entire extra oscillator.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 32

 5.2.2. SuperWave

One of the easiest ways to add thickness to a digitally-generated synth waveform is to make
multiple copies of it and detune them against one another. Originally this was done with
sawtooth waves, with the Roland JP-8000's pioneering Super Saw wave becoming a sonic
icon.

Wave: selects the base waveform. In addition to the usual sawtooth, this Type also provide
with a square, triangle, or sine wave.

Detune: sets the amount of detuning between the copies, from nearly none to way too much.

Volume: sets the volume of the copies vs. the original waveform. (The black Volume knob
sets the overall level of the Oscillator, base wave and copies at once.)

5.2.3. Harmo

The Harmonic Oscillator applies a form of additive synthesis, where an evolving sound is
made up of multiple harmonics that get louder or softer over time. Every sound we hear,
whether natural or electronic, is made up of a very large number of sine waves that change
their individual volumes in relation to one another.

The earliest additive synthesizers, such as the Digital Keyboards Synergy used by Wendy
Carlos in the 1980s, required that each harmonic and its evolution over time to be set
individually, a fiddly and time-consuming process. Harmo provides a choice of relative
harmonics (up to eight) that can quickly be set, thanks to a large number of preset "tables"
of harmonic relationships.

Content: chooses a particular table of harmonic relationships. Higher numbers choose tables
with more harmonics in them.

Sculpting: gradually morphs the individual harmonics from the traditional sine wave to a
triangle wave, providing a different character impossible on older additive synths.

Chorus: subtly widens and thickens the sound.

33 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.4. KarplusStr

The Karplus-Strong Oscillator generates sounds from one of the earliest physical models
for sound generation. Developed by Kevin Karplus and Alex Strong at Stanford University,
the Karplus-Strong model loops a burst of noise through a filtered delay. This can create
a realistic model of a plucked or bowed string or a struck drumhead. These are two
combinations of an exciter and resonator: the bow excites the string, as the strike excites
the drumhead.

KarplusStr starts with a combination of Bow and Strike, with each component controlled by
different knobs:

Bow: sets the amount of bowed or plucked sound added to the Strike sound – a continuous
bowed tone vs. a decaying drum-like tone. (This knob doesn't affect the Position sound.)

Position: sets the position for where the drum head is hit. Any drummer can tell you that
striking the center of a drumhead vs. near the edge will produce a very different sound –
Position simulates that effect. (This knob doesn't affect the Bow sound.)

Decay: controls how quickly the resonator's vibrations die away.

5.2.5. VAnalog

VAnalog is a virtual analog waveform model. It simulates two analog waves – pulse and
sawtooth – each with highly variable waveshape. Its parameters also provide that classic
analog feel with subtle or more extreme detune.

Detune: changes the pitch of the sawtooth with respect to the pulse wave. This pitch interval
can be very subtle, or up to ±2 octaves.

Shape: changes the waveshape of the pulse, from a very narrow pulse to a square wave to
intense high harmonics as heard in hard oscillator sync (where one oscillator forces another
oscillator's waveform to reset its phase).

Wave: changes the shape of the sawtooth, from a triangle through a sawtooth with
increasing harmonic content.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 34

 5.2.6. Waveshaper

The Waveshaper Oscillator combines two techniques for waveform manipulation, once
again with the goal of creating interesting harmonic content.

A waveshaper alters the rise and fall time of a waveform's cycle. For example, applying a
waveshaper to a triangle wave and shortening the rise time of each cycle turns the triangle
wave into a falling sawtooth wave. Further, a waveshaper can affect the curvature of a
rising or falling signal, producing even more unusual harmonic changes.

A wavefolder, pioneered by Don Buchla in the 1970s, does what it sounds like: it takes the
top and bottom of a waveform and folds it back on itself, rather than simply clipping it off as
one might hear on a wave being run at too high a level. This is a different sort of harmonic
creation.

Wave: controls the waveform coming out of the waveshaper.

Amount: sets the amount of wavefolding.

Asym: sets the asymmetry of the waveform.

 Freak Out: each of the three knobs causes a wide and distinctive change in timbre over its range. Try
modulating all three of them at once, with control signals that all repeat at different rates – for example,
the two LFOs and the Cycling Envelope set to Loop.

35 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.7. Two Op. FM

The Two Op. FM Oscillator is a two-operator frequency modulation source. That's all fine...
but what's an 'operator'?

FM synthesis is based around one oscillator changing the phase of another in a controlled
way, using frequency relationships that could be harmonic or inharmonic, meaning not
part of the usual series of harmonic overtones. Dr. John Chowning of Stanford University
developed FM using collections of sine wave oscillators (called operators) controlling one
another. The technology was licensed to Yamaha, who created a wide variety of FM
synthesizers that could easily create realistic bell-like tones that were difficult for analog
synths to make. One of these was the DX7, one of the most popular synthesizers in history.

While this Oscillator uses only two operators controlling each other's phase (the most
common Yamaha synths used either four or six operators), it's still capable of a wide variety
of tones ranging from rich organs to clangorous bells.

Ratio: sets the frequency ratio between the two operators. Ratios like 2:1 (an octave) or 1.5:1
(a perfect fifth) will produce relatively clean sets of harmonics, while other ratios will create
inharmonic timbres.

Amount: changes the modulation index, which is the amount of modulation sent to the
Operator 1. All you need to know is that turning it up will add more overtones, creating a
distinctive bright timbre. Experimentation is key here.

Feedback: sets how much of Operator 2's output is fed back into itself to modulate its own
phase. Feedback loops like this are another fundamental part of FM synthesis, and they can
add all types of extra overtones and even detuning effects. Again, experiment!

 Freak Out: a combination of operators controlling one another in a certain way is called an
algorithm. One of the most common and useful algorithms in 4-operator FM is a simple mix of two pairs
of operators, one in each pair modulating the other.

If you set both of the MiniFreak's Oscillators to Two Op. FM and mix them together, you'll
have created this exact algorithm, with one important difference: the traditional algorithm
has only one feedback loop, but this arrangement on the MiniFreak gives you two of them!

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 36

 5.2.8. Formant

The Formant Oscillator uses granular synthesis to manipulate sound through a pair of
formant filters, in order to create filtered waveforms and other effects.

Granular synthesis chops up sounds into tiny slices called grains or particles. These grains
can then be rearranged and manipulated in many different ways – just as one example,
granular synthesis is one way to time-stretch or compress an audio sample.

A formant is a resonant frequency that remains fixed, even when the pitch of the overall
sound changes. Formants are the reason why male and female voices sound fundamentally
different, and banks of fixed formant filters have been used on many famous synthesizers
since the 1960s.

Combine these two ideas, and the Formant Oscillator creates a variety of harmonically rich
tones with a definite "vocal" quality to them.

Interval: sets the ratio between the two formant frequencies.

Formant: Sets the base formant frequency.

Shape: Sets formant width and shape.

37 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.9. Chords (Osc 2 only)

The Chords Oscillator turns every note you play into, well, a chord. You can set up chord
voicings with two, three, or more voices, and select pitch range and inversions as well.

Interval: selects the type of chord a note on the keyboard will play, with that note as the root
of the chord. The following intervals and chords are available above the root:

• Octave
• 5th
• sus4
• minor (m)
• m7
• m9
• m11
• 6th + 9th (69)
• Major9 (M9)
• M7
• Major (M)

Inv/Trsp: transposes the notes in the chord up or down through a range of pitches, while
maintaining the chord type itself. This is done with inversions.

For example, if you set the Interval to M, a Major chord, and play a low C, you will hear a C
Major chord: C, E, G. As you turn up Inv/Trsp, the lowest C will be moved on octave higher to
a C above the E and G – the first inversion of the chord. Turn the Inv/Trsp up more, and the
low E will be moved one octave higher to an E above the high C (second inversion), and so
on. The chord will always be a C Major, but the order of the notes will change.

Waveform: selects the waveform of the Oscillator. From 0 to about 50, this knob goes
through a set of waveforms. Above 50, there's a wavetable that smoothly morphs between
16 different waveforms.

Note that like any other Osc 2 Type, the Chord Oscillator can't be used in Paraphonic mode
[p.85].

 Freak Out: Applying modulation to any of these parameters will produce cool and unusual results.
If you modulate Interval, you can create some pretty crazy chord progressions depending on how you
do the modulation: setting a different amount for each step of a sequencer is quite controllable, while
using something like a random LFO or Cycling Envelope will push you into the land of chaos. Somewhat
more musically, you can modulate the Inv/Trsp to keep chord inversions moving through high and low
pitches, or modulate Waveform between 50 and 100 to create wavetable sweeps.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 38

  Note that the Scales can be applied to the chord mode and helps you stand out from the crowd
ensuring that you don't slip out of scale when heavily modulating or playing the chord engine. You can
find out more on this in the Scale [p.93] and Chord [p.94] sections.

5.2.10. Speech

The Speech Oscillator borrows from the technology of the Texas Instruments Speak &
Spell, a toy from the 1970s that could talk intelligibly. That's not easy to do; human speech
combines vowel sounds like "aaaa" or "oooo" with consonants that shape words, like plosives
("p" and "b" sounds), nasals ("mmmm" and "nnnn"), and so on. Getting a circuit to do this
was a pretty neat trick, and circuits like these were used everywhere from toys to Kraftwerk
albums like Computerwelt.

This Oscillator does a lot of the hard work for you; the settings required to synthesize simple
sounds and entire words are stored in libraries and sub-libraries, so you can simply choose
what you want to speak/sing.

Type: chooses the library of sounds. These include several sets of formants, creating vowels
and diphthongs ("ai", "ow", etc), followed by lists of colors, numbers, letters, and some synth-
related words like "modulator" and "waveform". (Kraftwerk, remember?)

Timbre: shifts the formants of the words up and down to control overall tonality.

Word: selects specific sounds or words inside the library chosen by the Type knob. (Not the
Type knob that selects the type of Oscillator – the Type knob for this Oscillator, which says
Wave on the front panel.)

As an example: if you set Type to around 80, then play notes as you turn the Word knob up,
you'll hear the MiniFreak say "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie" up to "X-Ray, Yankee, Zulu" at the pitch
you're playing. It's a lot of fun!

 Freak Out: Assign one of the Matrix modulations to Shape, then modulate it with an LFO set to SnH.
This will cause the notes you play to select random items from the chosen library, regardless of what
pitch you play.

39 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.11. Modal

The Modal Oscillator offers a simple way to obtain beautifully clear and realistic percussion
tones. It's based around the physical modeling of an object being excited with an energy
burst and then resonating – the KarplusStr Oscillator [p.34] works in a similar fashion.

Every acoustic musical instrument relies on excitation: the player applies energy by hitting
a drum, bowing or plucking a string, blowing into a flute, and so on. The sound of the
instrument depends on its shape, size, and materials: Middle C on a guitar won't sound like
the same note on a cello – it even sounds different on two different guitars!

The Modal Oscillator creates sounds like this, then adds the function of damping: shortening
the length of time the sound continues resonating after being excited. Examples include a
palm mute on a guitar, or touching a drumhead to shorten the sound of a hit.

Naturally, these parameters can be modulated, giving the effect of resonance that changes
within a single note. Acoustic instruments can do this only in a very limited way, but the
Modal Oscillator can go from a bass guitar to a xylophone to church bells with just a couple
of knob twists.

Inharm: controls how many inharmonic resonances are excited, taking the sound from
"woody" to "metallic".

Timbre: sets how bright the exciter is – its balance of low and high frequencies. This affects
which harmonics are excited.

Decay: how quickly the resonance is damped.

5.2.12. Noise

Noise is a vital component in many sounds. A broad spectrum of frequencies, it can do

everything from providing grit to the attack of a sound to creating effects like wind or ocean
waves. The MiniFreak's Noise Oscillator provides a variety of noise types, including particle
noise, made up of tiny fragments created by sampling noise and turning down the sample
rate.

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 Noise can be mixed with an oscillator providing several different basic waveforms, so the
same Oscillator can provide both noise and a tonal signal at once.

Type: tunes the noise from particle noise, through white noise (which has an equal
distribution of all frequencies), into high-pitched metallic noise.

Rate: reduces the noise's sample rate. For metallic noise, it controls the pitch of the square
waves in the noise output.

Balance: adds other waveforms to the noise. From 0 to 100, the mix goes from pure noise
to noise + sine wave, through noise + triangle wave, to noise + square wave.

5.2.13. Bass

The BASS Oscillator models a pair of waves – a sine wave and a cosine wave (a sine
wave that's been moved in phase so that when the sine is at 0, the cosine is at maximum
or minimum, and vice versa). These waves are put into a set of two modeled circuits: a
balanced modulator for the sine wave, and a quadrature oscillator that mixes it with the
modulated cosine wave.

This circuit, while simple to build with analog components, is tremendously versatile. The
BASS Oscillator provides some very cool ways to tweak the model.

Saturate: sets the saturation of the cosine wave. While a pure cosine wave has only one
harmonic, saturation (a form of overdrive) creates more harmonics to play with.

Fold: The BASS Oscillator includes a two-stage asymmetric wavefolder, as described in the
Waveshaper [p.35]. This adds yet more harmonics to the signal.

Noise: adds a noise signal in between the two stages of the wavefolder, in order to phase-
modulate the sine and cosine oscillators. This adds a gritty and somewhat random element
to the tone.

5.2.14. SawX

The SAWX Oscillator model demonstrates that the good old sawtooth wave can still learn
new tricks. In this oscillator, a sawtooth wave has its phase modulated with white noise
that's been reduced in sample rate, then thickened with a chorus. This produces
harmonically rich variations with a variety of different characters.

41 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 SawMod: sets modulation intensity, producing drastic changes in harmonics.

Shape: sets the amount of chorus.

 Freak Out: modulate the Shape with a slow LFO to produce a rich sweeping timbre that's unlike
traditional width modulation.

Noise: controls how much the noise signal modulates the sawtooth. At higher values, this
adds a faint "radio noise" randomness.

5.2.15. Harm

The HARM Oscillator starts with a fundamental frequency and adds harmonics, using a
different model than the Harmo Oscillator [p.33].

Spread: sets the relationship of the generated harmonics to the fundamental. At a setting
of 50, they are in unison; at 0 or 100, they are one octave lower or higher. In between, a
dramatic effect somewhat like a balanced modulator is generated.

Rectify: adjusts the rectification of the harmonics. The rectifier is a well-known analog circuit
that creates an effect somewhat like wavefolding

Noise: adds phase-modulated noise and clipping.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 42

 5.2.16. Audio In (Osc 1 only)

Osc 1 can route any audio signal from the Audio In Jack into MiniFreak's signal flow. This
audio is digitalized, then processed by a wavefolder and a decimator, with digital noise
added.

A decimator throws away input samples at a designated ratio, for example saving one
sample out of every five or ten.

Fold: controls the depth of the wavefolder effect. Note that when Decimate is set to 0, this
acts strictly as an input level control.

Decimate: controls the amount of decimation and also follows the keyboard tracking.

Noise: sets the level of added noise.

You can then adjust the audio input level in the Utility/Audio/Audio In Gain to avoid clipping.
When set correctly the Fold knob can be used as level control. If you can't hear your input
signal make sure that a key is pressed to open the VCA and let the audio through to the
Master output.

 You can set the MiniFreak out as an input source to use feedback modulation.

 The Audio Input is especially fun to use with drumloops and shaper + modulations + fx. Or with Multi
mode or comb filters.

 Lastly do note that the audio input cannot be accessed in Paraphony mode.

43 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.17. Wavetable (Osc 1 only)

What's Wavetable Synthesis?

Wavetable Synthesis has been discovered in the 80s, and allowed for sound manipulation
that was previously not possible with a single cycle waveform. A Wavetable is a series of
waveform cycles.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the wavetable engine:

• Wave : Scans through the cycles and alter the waveform.

• Timbre : Controls the Symmetrical Pulse Width.

• Shape : Controls the LPF/HPF 1 pole filter.

 Please note that the Wavetable engine is only available on the first engine.

Selecting a Wavetable

You have two ways to browse through the factory wavetables:

1) By using Shift + Type encoder.

When using this method, the list of wavetables is displayed on the first encoder tick, and
directly loads the next wavetable.

The wavetable is also automatically loaded when the encoder is turned.

2) Using the Sound Edit menu.

You can either hold Sound Edit + press the Osc button, or follow this path: Sound Edit > Osc >
Wavetable Select.

In the Sound Edit menu, Wavetables can be browsed with the Preset / Edit encoder.

If the Wavetable Engine is loaded, the currently hovered Wavetable is immediately loaded.

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 5.2.18. Sample (Osc 1 Only)

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Sample engine:

• Start : Sets the Start Point of the Sample.

• Length : Allows you to set the length of the sample and how it plays back.

At 50 and above it will play the sample forward, ranging from short around 50 to longer
around 100.

From 49 to 0 the sample will play backwards, ranging from short around 49 to longer
around 0.

• Loop : Controls the Loop start point of the sample, relative to the Sample start
position.

 When playing the sample in reverse do remember that the start control will condition its starting
point, so in order to get the full sample playback in reverse, Start should be set at max value. The Sample
engine is only available on the first oscillator slot.

Selecting a Sample

You have two ways to browse through the factory Samples:

1) By using Shift + Type encoder.

When using this method, the list of Samples is displayed on the first encoder tick, and
directly loads the next sample.

2) Using the Sound Edit menu.

You can either hold Sound Edit + press the Osc button, or follow this path: Sound Edit > Osc >
Sample Select.

In the Sound Edit menu, Samples can be browsed with the Preset / Edit encoder.

If the Sample Engine is loaded, the currently hovered Sample is immediately loaded.

45 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.19. Granular Engines (OSC 1 Only)

Besides the Sample Engine, the V3 update introduces 7 Granular Synthesis based engines,
which we will look into further now.

What's Granular Synthesis?

Granular synthesis is a synthesis method that processes samples by splitting them into
smaller fragments called grains, which in turn creates a new sound depending on the
playhead position, density (how many grains is generated by second or synced to the
clock), length of each grains, shape of the grains, their pitch, and the forward/reverse
playback. Including all these factors, new sounds are endless from a single sample. Various
modulations can also be applied to either disrupt each of these factors and bring in more
chaos.

We will now go through the different Engines using Granular based synthesis :

5.2.19.1. Cloud Grains (OSC 1 Only)

The Cloud grains engine is ideal for making textural grain effects.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Cloud Grains engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the speed at which the grains are being generated.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

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 5.2.19.2. Hit Grains (OSC 1 Only)

The Hit grains engine has a sharp volume envelope. It's been designed to generate rhythmic
stutter or rapid-fire bursts of grains for a blasting sound effect.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Hit Grains engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the speed at which the grains are being generated.

• Shape : Controls grain length, attack length and hold.

5.2.19.3. Frozen (OSC 1 Only)

This Engine relies on fast grain generation to create an Ice-like effect where the size and
shape of the grains plays a huge part on this ethereal and icy feeling.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Frozen engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Size : Defines the length of the grains.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

47 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.19.4. Skan (OSC 1 Only)

The Skan engine scans through the sample while generating grains around the playhead,
playing it from start to finish at a user-definable speed. Ideal for stretch like effect.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Skan engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Scan : Sets the speed of the playhead.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

5.2.19.5. Particles (OSC 1 Only)

Particles generates intricate layers of random sound particles creating hypnotic and
psychedelic effects.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Particles engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the density of the grains being generated.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 48

 5.2.19.6. Lick (OSC 1 Only)

The Lick engine is aimed at creating fast-paced percussive rhythmic groove grains synced
to your music.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Lick engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Size : Lengthens the size of the grains while the grain generation is synced to
tempo at 1/16

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

5.2.19.7. Raster (OSC 1 Only)

The Raster engine is aimed at more rhythmical approaches, with grain generation being
tempo synced. Perfect for creating beat repeat/chopping and hypnotic randomized
sequence.

On MiniFreak, you can use the following knobs to control the Raster engine:

• Start : Controls the Start Point of the Sample.

• Density : Defines the rate of the generated grains, which is a sub division of the
tempo which goes from 1/2 to 1/32 rates.

• Chaos : Introduces grain randomization.

49 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.2.20. FM/RM (Osc 2 only)

Frequency Modulation (FM) occurs when one audio signal modulates the frequency of
another. A simple but powerful implementation can be found in the Two Op. FM Oscillator
[p.36]; here, Osc 1 modulates a waveform generated by Osc 2.

Ring Modulation (RM) is a form of amplitude modulation, where the frequencies of two
audio signals are replaced by sums and differences of their two frequencies. For example,
if you put two sine waves at 200 and 500 Hz, through a ring modulator, you will hear
two sine waves at 300 Hz (500 - 200) and 700 Hz (500 + 200). This produces hollow,
inharmonic effects that replace the original audio signal.

Wave: selects the waveform of Osc 2 to be modulated by Osc 1.

FreqMod: selects the amount of FM.

RingMod: selects the amount of RM.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 50

 5.3. Osc 2 Audio processor Types

Aside from FM/RM, Osc 2 features a number of Types that feeds the output of Osc 1 through
a signal processor that does digital tricks the conventional signal flow can't do.

When this signal flow is selected, the LED for Osc 2 by the Select button turns pale blue. The
Volume knob for Osc 1 controls the level of Osc 1 going into Osc 2, and the Volume knob for
Osc 2 sets the Dry/Wet mix for Osc 1 alone and the Osc 1-through-Osc 2 processed sound.

5.3.1. Multi Filter

The Analog Filter [p.55] is a great-sounding VCF, but there are lots of other kinds of filtering.
For example, there are notch filters, which reduce rather than boost a particular range of
frequencies.

Another variable is the filter's slope, which determines how drastically frequencies beyond
the cutoff are reduced. Slopes are measured in decibels of level reduction per octave past
the cutoff. Some examples: a 6 dB/oct slope is very gentle, while the steeper 12 dB/octave
slope of the Analog Filter is a common choice among subtractive synths.

However, there are also steeper slopes – 24 dB/oct (also a common choice), 36 dB/oct, and
so on. One extreme example: the anti-aliasing filters used on digital audio recorders and
players have very steep slopes – 48 dB/oct and more.

For most filter circuits, the steeper the slope, the more intense the resonance can be.

Since a variety of these extra filters can be very handy, the Multimode Filter lets Osc 2
provide those to the output of Osc 1.

Cutoff: controls the cutoff frequency.

Resonance: controls the filter's resonance at the cutoff frequency.

Mode: sets the filter type (Low, Middle, or Band Pass, or Notch) and slope in dB/oct (12, 24,
36). Examples: LP36 is Low Pass with 36 dB/oct slope, and N12 is Notch with 12 dB/oct slope.

In addition to the above, there are Low Pass and High Pass filters with a gentle 6 dB/oct
slope. Note that these filters have no Resonance control.

Also note some of these filter's cutoff are not mapped to follow the keyboard by default.
Assign cutoff to the Matrix, and modulate it with the Keyboard source with an amount of 50
to get perfect Keyboard tracking.

51 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.3.2. Surgeon Filter

Sometimes you need a scalpel to cut out frequencies you don't want, such as unwanted
resonant spikes ("wolf tones") in your sound. Other times you'll want to add greatly boosted
frequencies for dramatic effect. In a professional studio or in a DAW, this is done with a
parametric equalizer, but in the MiniFreak, you can use the Surgeon Filter.

Cutoff: sets the cutoff or center frequency of the filtering.

Spread: sets the width of the filter peak or cut, from broad to very narrow. Note that this
parameter is only available when mode is : BP and Notch.

Mode: sets the filter type. Available types are low pass, band pass, high pass, and notch.
Band pass and notch work similarly to how a traditional parametric equalizer will boost or
cut frequencies. Low pass and high pass filters, when they appear on parametric EQs, are
usually set to drastically eliminate very high or very low frequencies.

5.3.3. Comb Filter

A comb filter gets its name from the fact that it creates a series of equally spaced notches
in frequency response that look like the teeth of a comb when drawn on a graph. It does
so by combining the input signal with a copy of itself that has been delayed by a few
milliseconds. Those two signals are then combined, and cancel each other out at regularly
spaced frequencies. This produces a distinctive hollow tonality.

Cutoff: sets the overall frequency balance of the signal by varying the time delay. Longer
delays emphasize lower frequencies and shorter delays emphasize higher frequencies.
Note that unlike the other OSC's 2 filters, the Comb filter is hard mapped to follow the
Keyboard tracking.

Gain: controls the amount of delayed signal mixed with the original signal. When Gain is set
to 0, no comb filtering occurs.

Damping: adds a low pass filter before sending back the signal to the feedback loop. More
damping produces a gentler and less dramatic effect.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 52

  When the amount of time delay is modulated with an LFO, the tone of the comb filter sweeps up
and down. If this sounds like it would produce a really cool-sounding effect, you'd be right. Fortunately
that exact effect is available on the MiniFreak: check out the Digital Effects chapter [p.17] to learn about
the Flanger!

5.3.4. Phaser Filter

A phase shifter (or phaser) creates an effect similar to comb filtering, but different in sonic
character. It's created by running an input signal through a series of all pass filters. These
filters don't remove any frequencies, but they do shift the phase of the signal. Recombining
these phase-shifted signals with the original creates unevenly spaced notches. The more of
these filters the circuit contains (called the number of poles or stages), the more notches are
created.

Sweeping the phase shift over time produces the classic Phaser effect that's available in
the Digital Effects chapter [p.17], but because the Phaser Filter only sweeps when and how
modulated, a wider variety of unusual effects are available.

Cutoff: controls the frequency range of the phaser's notches, emphasizing high vs. low
frequencies.

Feedback: intensifies the effect by feeding back some of the filtered content into the filters
again.

Poles: defines how many notches will be created by the Phase Filter. Each pair of poles adds
a notch, so 2 poles gives one notch and 12 poles creates six notches.

 Choose a number of Poles and then slowly sweep the Cutoff. How many of the frequency notches
can you hear distinctly for each Poles setting? As you add more filters, it becomes trickier...

53 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators

 5.3.5. Destroy

Destroy does just that: it destroys your incoming signal by subjecting it to three outrageous
signal processes: a wavefolder, a decimator, and a bit crusher. Oh, the pain!

Fold: controls the amount of wavefolding, where extremes of the waveform are folded over
rather than clipped. Higher values produce noise and sharp resonances – which are often
way cooler than clipping.

Decimate: throws away more and more samples out of the digital data stream. This
produces crackling and other offensive noises, especially at higher Fold settings. Note that
this parameter is hard mapped to the Keyboard tracking.

Bitcrush: lowers the number of bits of each sample. This creates a number of uniquely nasty
artifacts.

 Put all of these together, modulate each one differently, and – well, listen for yourself. Sometimes
you need a little ugliness in your sound.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Digital Oscillators 54

 6. THE ANALOG FILTER
For most subtractive synthesizers, the Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) is the heart of the
signal flow. In the days of early analog synths that had a fairly limited range of available
raw waveforms, sound designers relied on the VCF to alter the overall timbre over time. The
all-important VCF Cutoff knob is considered by many to be the most important control on a
synth's front panel... so much so that many synths make the knob a unique color or larger
in size, so you can find it quickly!

6.1. History: Signposts along the way

Every filter circuit has its own character, producing a sound that is distinctive, which in many
cases defines much of the sonic signature of a given synth.

Many companies are known for their filters' sound and capabilities, and for designs (and
happy accidents) that led to unmistakable tones:

• Many analog synths used ladder filters, a term used to describe a circuit with
multiple components arranged like the rungs on a ladder. However, doing this
with transistors was a method patented by Robert Moog, so other companies
made this with diode ladders instead, providing them with a unique sound of
their own.

• The Steiner-Parker Synthacon used a Sallen-Key filter circuit. This filter sounded
like no other: it distorted in a distinctively gritty way when overdriven, and unlike
most other filter designs, it didn't lose its low-end punch as the resonance was
turned up. After being nearly forgotten for decades, the circuit was rediscovered,
modified and updated with input from Nyle Steiner, the designer of the
Synthacon – and named the Arturia Brute filter, becoming a vital element of
every Arturia Brute synthesizer.

One famous filter design deserves a special mention: the resonant 12/dB multimode filter
used in the Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM). Known for its smooth and rich
character, the SEM filter has inspired many new filters over the years since its invention...
including the Analog Filter in the MiniFreak.

55 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Analog Filter

 6.2. Elements of filter design and their controls

6.2.1. Filter type

A filter's type or mode determines where in the frequency spectrum it does its work. With
a few exceptions, filters are named for the types of frequencies they allow through (pass),
not for the frequencies they remove (cut). These include:

• Low Pass: The most common filter in synthesizers, the Low Pass (LP) filter allows
lower frequencies through, while attenuating higher frequencies. This mimics
how objects and materials in the acoustic world absorb higher frequencies more
rapidly than lower ones, so it sounds very natural to our ears.

• High Pass: A High Pass (HP) filter lets higher frequencies through and attenuates
lower frequencies. When a filter like this is used in audio equipment like
microphones and preamplifiers to remove low-frequency rumble and handling
noise, it is sometimes given the more practical name "low cut".

• Band Pass: Made by combining LP and HP circuits, the Band Pass (BP) filter
allows a certain range of frequencies through, and attenuates above and below
that range.

Like the original SEM filter, the MiniFreak's Analog Filter can be set to three types: Low Pass,
High Pass, and Band Pass. These are chosen with the Analog Filter's Type button, with white
LEDs to indicate the current choice.

The Type button and its

LEDs

If you need more filter options be sure to check the filters available on OSC 2 in the
MiniFreak, but note that these are digital.

6.2.2. Cutoff

The cutoff frequency, or simply cutoff, is where the filter begins to do its work. It can also
be called the corner frequency or center frequency or sometimes even just frequency. As
mentioned above, the cutoff knob is the single most used filter control, and often the most
used control on any analog synth.

The Cutoff knob on the MiniFreak Analog Filter ranges from roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
Depending on the filter type, extreme settings can eliminate all of the audio signal, muting
the synth.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Analog Filter 56

 6.2.3. Slope

A filter's slope or rolloff is a measure of how much audio is attenuated at a certain

frequency beyond the cutoff.

A filter doesn't just mute all audio past the cutoff; there are filters like that, but they're not
very musical. Instead, as you move past the cutoff, audio is steadily attenuated more and
more. This is measured in how many decibels quieter an audio signal is when you go one
octave past the cutoff, written dB/octave.

Here's an example: a Low Pass filter is set to a cutoff frequency of 1 kHz. We measure that
one octave above that (2 kHz), a given signal is 12 dB quieter than at the cutoff frequency,
and two octaves beyond it (4 kHz), it's 24 dB quieter. That means our filter has a slope of 12
dB/octave.

MiniFreak's Analog Filter has a fixed 12 dB/octave slope, but the digital Multimode Filter [p.51]
in Osc 2 has a wide variety of available slopes, including some that are quite unusual in
analog synths.

6.2.4. Resonance

Nearly every synth's filter circuit will resonate at the cutoff frequency, even if only an
inaudibly tiny bit. The steeper the slope, the greater the possibility for high amounts of
resonance, which can be very useful for a variety of tonalities. Resonance is sometimes
called emphasis or simply Q, an audio engineering term that describes the quality factor
(width) of a peak.

As the Resonance control on the Analog Filter is turned up, a resonant peak around the cutoff
frequency will form. The higher the peak, the narrower it becomes; the sound is perceived
as becoming more aggressive and sharper. The tonality of the peak will change with the
cutoff frequency.

On many filters, if the resonance is turned up all the way, the filter will start to self-oscillate,
making a sound even with no input signal. The filter itself becomes a sound source, with
the peak width so narrower and louder that it's effectively one frequency: a sine wave. This
adds a hollow, whistling tone to whatever the oscillators are doing, or can be used on its
own.

 Try this yourself: turn the Resonance all the way up and turn down the Volume for both Oscillators
to 0. You'll hear a whistle every time you press a key. However, it will be the same pitch for every note,
which isn't that useful... fortunately there's a solution to that.

57 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Analog Filter

 6.2.5. Filter modulation

The Envelope can easily be routed to modulate the filter using the Modulation Matrix [p.16].
Because envelope modulation is so common, there's a dedicated knob for the amount in the
Analog Filter section.

The Env/Velo knob is detented. It lets you choose between a range of negative and positive
values, with 0 found at the center of this range. When at 0, there is no envelope modulation.

Another common control path is for the amount of the envelope modulation to be controlled
by key velocity, so playing harder creates brighter sounds. This amount can be adjusted by
Shift-turning the knob.

On the MiniFreak, the filter cutoff can also be controlled with LFOs, Aftertouch, Velocity,
Cycling Envelope, Modwheel, Macros and Mod Seq and one more important source: the
note played on the keyboard, high or low. If the filter is modulated by the keyboard, it gets
brighter at higher notes, which is common for many acoustic instruments. This is called
keyboard tracking or key tracking.

Key tracking is adjustable; when it's set to 50%, the filter cutoff perfectly tracks the pitch of
the played note. A self-oscillating filter can then follow what you're playing. This is easily set
up in the Modulation Matrix; here's how.

Start with a sound that has only one Oscillator playing, and turn Resonance all the way up.
Verify that you can hear the resonant whistle by itself when you turn the Osc Volume all the
way down. Then go to the Matrix and set Keyboard modulation of Cutoff to about 50, and
fine tune the cutoff frequency to match the OSC frequency.

If the filter sounds out of tune, with the KBD Amount set to 50 on cutoff, in that case it maybe
is time to perform a cutoff calibration [p.114].

6.3. Developing a feel for the filter

There are only a few controls on the Analog Filter, but they offer so many possibilities: take
some time to really appreciate what the Analog Filter can do, preferably with the Digital
Effects turned off and a fairly simple Osc Type like BasicWaves to start with. The character
of this filter is magical, and easily overlooked with everything else the MiniFreak can do – so
be sure to give it plenty of attention.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Analog Filter 58

 7. DIGITAL EFFECTS
The MiniFreak can make all kinds of great sounds just using the Digital Oscillators and the
Analog Filter with multiple modulation options in the Matrix, but sometimes it's nice to put a
finishing touch on a sound with a little something extra... or a lot extra.

The MiniFreak includes a set of three Digital Effects at the end of its signal path, and they
offer a wide variety of tones that can be called up rapidly or tweaked to taste.

7.1. The Digital Effects section

Digital Effects controls

As noted in our front panel tour [p.15], the Digital Effects section is set up to work similarly to
the Oscillators section. There are a few basic controls, their function vary depending on the
selected effect.

• Select chooses whether the four knobs are controlling FX1, 2, or FX3. A bright
white LED indicates that FX is selected for editing. If an FX LED is dimly lit, that
means it is turned ON but not being edited; if an LED is off, it means that FX is
OFF.

• Type/Sub selects the kind of effect, or the Sub Preset for that specific effect –
for example, there are six presets of Distortion FX, each with its own character.
Clicking the encoder lights the On LED and turns that particular FX on. Click again
to turn that FX off.

• Time, Intensity, and Amount have different functions depending on which Type
of FX you've chosen. These are shown on the Display with exactly the same "test
tubes" as seen when editing the Digital Oscillators; turning the knobs pops up the
actual parameters being adjusted.

7.1.1. Insert and Send routings

The three FX are always handled in the same order: FX 1 into FX 2 into FX 3. However, in the
case of the Delay and Reverb, there are two available routings: Insert and Send.

Pressing Sound Edit and selecting FX from the menu gives you the option of changing the
Delay Routing and/or the Reverb Routing. Each Routing can be set to Send or Insert, and
those settings will be saved with the preset.

 Remember that each effect has a Dry/Wet control, letting you set how much dry signal gets through
each FX in the chain.

With Send mode, the FX routing allows you send a specific amount of each signal to each
effect separately, then brought together at the end.

59 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects

  When an FX is switched to Send routing, the Dry/Wet control becomes Send Level.

7.1.2. An example of how Routings work

Let's say FX 1 is Reverb, FX 2 is Delay, and FX 3 is Flanger.

If the Delay Routing and Reverb Routing are both set to Insert, then you will hear a
reverberant sound with echoes, all of which are flanged. It's just like running a reverb pedal
into a delay pedal into a flanger pedal.

If you now change the Delay Routing to Send, now you hear a mix of two separate signals:
the reverb through the delay, and the reverb through the flanger.

If you set Delay Routing back to Insert and Reverb Routing to Send, you will hear a mix
of two separate signals: the reverb on its own, and the delay through the flanger with no
reverb.

If you change both the Delay and Reverb Routings to Send, then you hear a mix of three
separate signals: the original audio through the reverb alone, the original audio through the
delay alone, and the original audio through the flanger alone.

By choosing your FX order carefully and setting up the Delay and Reverb Routings
accordingly, you can decide which FX or combinations of FX treat your original signal. You
get even more flexibility when you realize that each effect can have its own Dry/Wet mix.

 Note that you can't run two Delays or two Reverbs – there can only be one of each in the chain.

7.1.3. Subtypes

A Subtype is a specific FX preset that includes not only the three User parameters attached
to the Time, Intensity, and Amount knobs, but also several other parameters that can't be
adjusted by the user through the hardware. When you call up a Subtype, those hidden
parameters are loaded, controlling the parts of the FX that are "under the surface."

For example: the Multi Comp has adjustable User parameters for Time, Input (gain), and
Amount... but it also has five Subtypes – OPP, Bass Control, High Control, All Up, and Tighter
– each of which has its own combination of settings for multiple parameters ranging from
crossover frequencies and individual compression attack and release times for both bands
to gain settings, thresholds, ratios, knee width, and more.

There are plug-ins that give you individual control of each of these parameters if you really
want them. That's not the point of the MiniFreak's effects – the Subtypes makes it extremely
easy to change the effects character in a fast way.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects 60

 7.2. The Effects Types

There are ten Types in total; each one has its own set of three adjustable User parameters
using the Time, Intensity, and Amount knobs, and its own set of Subtypes.

Any FX slot can run any Type of effect. If any FX slot has been set to a Type that can only
be used once – Reverb, Delay, or Multi Comp – those choices will disappear from the menus
for the other FX slots.

7.2.1. Chorus

A chorus takes the input signal and makes one or more copies of it, each with a slight
time delay, and then changes those delay amounts slowly (or quickly) with an LFO. When
recombined with the dry signal, the effect is a wider, thicker version of the sound, one that
gives the impression of several instruments playing at once.

The MiniFreak Chorus has the following controls:

• Rate: the rate at which the LFO changes the time delay: slower for a richer chorus
sound, faster for a vibrato-like pulsing.

• Depth: the intensity of the effect.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

 Dry/Wet is not the same as the Depth! Depth mixes the dry and delayed signals to produce the
chorused signal; Dry/Wet mixes that signal with the dry signal. Play with both to help you understand
the difference.

• Subtypes: Default, Lush, Dark, Shaded, Single

 Try turning the Dry/Wet mix all the way wet and speeding up the Rate to create a stronger sense of
vibrato.

61 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects

 7.2.2. Phaser

A phaser combines the dry signal with copies that have their phase shifted by running
them through a series of All Pass Filters [p.55]. This produces frequency notches that have a
different character than the evenly spaced ones from a flanger or chorus. An LFO controls
the filter behavior to produce a slow sweeping effect.

• Rate: controls the speed of the sweep, from a very slow and majestic change to
a seasick quasi-vibrato.

• Feedback: adds more resonant character and brightness to the signal. The
traditional thick phaser sound requires a higher Feedback amount; less Feedback
produces a much more subtle effect.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

• Subtypes: Default, Default Sync, Space, Space Sync, SnH, SnH Sync.

 The Sync variations synchronize the Rate to the master Tempo set on the MiniFreak. They also
synchronize to external clocks and MIDI clocks.

7.2.3. Flanger

A flanger creates an intense comb filtering effect. It works the same way as a chorus, but
usually has only one delayed signal to mix with the dry signal, and its delay time is very
short, only a few milliseconds.

• Rate: controls the speed of the sweep, from a very slow and majestic change to
a seasick quasi-vibrato.

• Feedback: adds more resonance and high-frequency content. Very high settings
produce an intense effect rather like cranking the filter resonance.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

• Subtypes: Default, Default Sync, Silly, Silly Sync

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects 62

 7.2.4. Super Unison

The Super Unison is a Chorus type effect, with up to 6 copies of the source signal stacked
over the dry signal.

They are being modulated with an LFO to vary the detune, and create a chorus-like unison-
style effect.

Here is how the knobs work for Super Unison:

• Detune: Detunes the copies of the signal in relation to the dry sound.

• LPF/HPF Manages the Low Pass and High pass filtering.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

• Subtypes: Classic, Ravey, Soli, Slow, Slow Trig, Wide Trig, Mono Trig, Wavy.

The Super Unison presets conditions how certain controls operates and their ranges. The
presets labelled Trig will for instance reset the phase of all the copies of the signal in a
Legato fashion.

 Did you know ? Detune affects the speed of LFO and the amount (some presets only affects the
amount). For Filter, some fx presets have different ranges for different results.

7.2.5. Reverb

A reverb places the sound in a simulated reverberant space to give it a sense of presence,
whether in a realistic room or the inside of a gigantic cathedral. The sound of a reverb is
affected by many different properties, giving the ear hints of how large the space is and
even how absorbent the walls are.

• Decay: Sets the overall size and shape of the space.

• Damping controls how quickly high frequencies fade away, to give the
impression of a less reflective space.

• Dry/Wet or Send Level: depends on whether the Reverb Routing is Insert or Send.
In Insert it sets the Dry/Wet mix, while in Send, controls the Send Level.

• Subtypes: Default, Long, Hall, Echoes, Room, and Dark Room

63 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects

 7.2.6. Delay

A delay is an audio processing effect which records an input signal into a memory and
plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal is mixed with the dry audio creating
an echo like effect.

• Time: sets the timing between repeats, either in milliseconds or in subdivisions of

a bar, depending on the Subtype.

• Feedback: adds more repeats to the signal by feeding the output back into the
input. Setting Feedback to 100 produces repeats that take several minutes to
die away; turning it down to 0 produces a single echo, which at shorter delays
evokes the slapback used on many records by early recording artists like Elvis
Presley.

• Dry/Wet or Send Level: depends on whether the Reverb Routing is Insert or Send.
In Insert it sets the Dry/Wet mix, while in Send, controls the Send Level.

• Subtypes: Digital, Stereo, Ping-Pong, Mono, Filtered, and Filtered Ping-Pong –

each one also available in a Sync version.

7.2.7. Distortion

The word "distortion" covers a lot of territory, but usually includes clipping, where an input
signal has higher amplitude than the circuit can handle, and the top and bottom of the
waveform are "clipped off." It can refer to overdriven analog circuits of various kinds,
signal saturation on analog recording tape, or any number of digital processes such as
wavefolding. These can create anything from warmth to grit to all-out screaming chaos.

• Gain: sets how powerful the effect is, but also how its overall character changes,
since each type of distortion will react differently as the gain increases, note
that this effect offers an auto-gain to compensate for the rise in volume when
increasing the gain.

• HPF/LPF: shapes the overall tone of the distorted signal. Turning it to negative
values controls the cutoff of a low pass filter, whereas positive values do the
same for a high pass filter.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

• Subtypes: Classic, Soft Clip, Germanium, Dual Fold, Climb, Tape

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects 64

 7.2.8. Bit Crusher

A bit crusher reduces the resolution of a digital signal, for example from 16 bits (CD quality)
to 8 bits (very early samplers) to even lower numbers. Bit reduction takes away clarity and
dynamic range, for tones ranging from "vintage" to "disgusting".

This effect also includes a decimator, which further wrecks the sound by throwing away a
lot of the samples in the audio stream. It might keep one out of every five samples, or ten,
or twenty...

• Decimate: sets how much the signal is decimated. Higher values introduce all
kinds of digital garbage.

• BitDepth: sets the resolution of the signal. Higher knob values equal more
crushing, i.e. fewer bits.

• Dry/Wet: Dry/Wet mix.

• Subtypes: none

7.2.9. 3 Bands EQ

Equalization is one of the classic tools in professional audio. An EQ can sculpt the frequency
response of a signal to bring out certain sonic traits and suppress others. This can be done
by boosting (amplifying) a certain range of frequencies, or cutting (attenuating) them.

This effect simulates the simple but useful EQ on a mixer with three knobs for Low, Mid, and
High bands, each with a single control for gain (-15 dB to +6 dB).

This EQ provides a few Subtypes to cover a surprisingly useful set of basic cases.

• Subtypes: Default, Wide, Mid 1K

65 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects

 7.2.10. Peak EQ

This EQ differs from the 3 Band EQ, in that it provides controls for only one EQ band, but
includes all three common parameters: Frequency, Gain, and Width.

• Frequency: Sets the frequency of the band from 30Hz to 15000 Hz.

• Gain: Sets the Gain of the Band from -15 dB to +6 dB.

• Width: Sets the Width of the Band, also named Q on other EQ, a high value will
set a very precise width and a higher value will allow for a broader range.

Because the user has full control over these parameters, there is no need for Subtypes.

A common use for this type of EQ is to cut a very narrow frequency range in order to
remove an unwanted effect such as an undesired resonance or external hum.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects 66

 7.2.11. Multi Comp

A compressor controls the dynamic range of a signal. In a traditional compressor, you set
a threshold, above which signals are attenuated by a given ratio. The behavior right around
the threshold can sometimes be adjusted so the onset of compression isn't so abrupt; this
is called the knee. A compressor will have attack and release times, controlling how fast the
compressor kicks in and then relaxes after the threshold is passed. A compressor can also
be set to increase dynamic range.

A multiband compressor does all of this, but first the input signal is split into two or more
frequency bands. Being able to compress low-frequency signals in a different way than
those at higher frequencies can be incredibly useful.

Put it all together and you can have more than 30 different parameters to keep track
of. Fortunately, the MiniFreak's Multi Comp effect comes with a careful selection of useful
Subtypes, and provides three useful User parameters for each.

The range of each User parameter depends on the Subtype. Turning one knob controls
various parameters at once, with ranges and proportions kept to scale so the essential
character of the Subtype isn't lost.

• Time: controls attack and release.

• Tone: controls the range and effect of the three frequency bands the compressor
uses.

• Amount: controls the intensity of the effect.

• Subtypes: OPP. Bass Ctrl, High Ctrl, Tighter

 Learning to use compression is like learning to play chess: you can get started once you learn the
rules, and take a lifetime to master all the nuances. Even for audio engineers used to getting the most
out of single-band compressors, multiband compression has its own level of complexity.

When using Multi Comp, let your ears be your guide rather than worrying about specs. If
you really feel you're missing out on a lot of control possibilities, you can learn more about
compression from any number of resources... but remember that for the MiniFreak, the idea
is always ease of use with musical results. Enough said.

67 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Digital Effects

 8. THE MODULATION MATRIX
The Modulation Matrix extends the MiniFreak's sound design power well beyond the range
of many synthesizers. It allows you to specify which signals are in control, where they exert
their control, and how much.

In effect, the Matrix is a compact version of the one on the MatrixBrute. It uses simple
controls to pack a lot of modulation capability into a very small space.

The word modulation (often abbreviated "mod") means "change". When you modulate a
signal, you're changing it. That basic definition takes us a long way, as you'll see.

8.1. Select a Routing

When loading a preset the selected routing per default is the top left CycEnv > Pitch 1+2

Your Matrix encoder is in Mod Browse mode indicated by the absence of light on the Amount
led.

Turning the Matrix encoder will allow you to browse the routings row by row, left to right,
from the top to the bottom row.

Using Shift+Matrix encoder will allow you to browse the routings vertically while staying on
the current column.

The currently selected routing LED blinks and shows you where the selection is on the
matrix.

Once you are on the correct position, press the Matrix encoder to select this routing.

8.2. Set an Amount

Once you have selected your routing and pressed the Matrix encoder, the control will switch
to Amount mode reflected by the LED being lit on its right and the MiniFreak screen showing
you the Amount for that routing.

Displaying the amount of

a particular modulation
routing

Turn the Matrix encoder clock-wise to increase or anti clock wise to decrease the amount
set.

Once you have set the desired amount for that routing make sure to click the Matrix encoder
again to jump back into Mod browsing mode.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Modulation Matrix 68

 8.3. Activate/Deactivate a Routing

While you have set your modulation, you can always go back and disable or re-enable it as
follows :

• Setting any modulation routing to a zero value will disable the LED and show it
on the matrix as not connected.

• Setting a modulation routing to a non-zero value will enable the LED and show it
on the matrix as connected.

• Pressing the encoder for 1s, in Mod Amount or Mod Browse mode will reset the
currently selected Modulation Routing to 0 and exit Amount editing.

8.4. Quick Amount Editing

If you are in a hurry and wish to gain some time while setting routings and amounts note
that you can set an amount directly while in Mod browsing mode by picking the routing slot
and Press+turn the Matrix encoder.

 Note that when you are in Amount mode, using the quick edit will exit this mode and return the
encoder to Mod Browsing when released.

69 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Modulation Matrix

 8.5. Assign a Destination

There are nine available custom destinations organized in three Matrix Pages. Those are
saved in the preset. We will now dive further into the specificity of the MiniFreak Matrix and
its capabilities.

8.5.1. Matrix Pages

In addition to the four hard-wired modulation destinations, there are three columns labeled
Assign.

Shift-clicking one of the Assign buttons lets you choose a Page. Each Page has its own set
of three Assign modulations, making for a total of 9 possible Assign destinations.

Now let's dive into how to assign a custom destination to one of the available slots.

8.5.2. Destination Assign

Press and hold a Matrix Assign button:

• The screen will change and show the current destination for as long as the button
is pressed.
• While the button is held, you can turn the knob you want to assign.
• Upon release the assignment will take place on the last moved control that can
be assigned.

Displaying the current

destination

8.5.3. Mod Amount Assign

If you wish to push the modulation further, it is key to know that you can assign a Matrix
Point as a destination which allows you to modulate the Amount of that specific modulation.

• Select a Page with Shift + Assign Button

• Press and hold the Assign button for the column you want to change.
• Turn the Matrix encoder to select the point you want.
• Turning the Matrix Encoder will instantly jump to Matrix Browse mode

Displaying a mod amount

assign

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Modulation Matrix 70

 8.5.4. Custom Destinations with no physical control

Use the Preset/Edit encoder to scroll through the list and choose a destination:

• Uni Spread

• CycEnv AM: The amount of modulation the Cycling Envelope provides.

• LFO1 AM: The amount of modulation provided by LFO 1.

• LFO2 AM: The amount of modulation provided by LFO 2.

• VCA: The VCA level, i.e. the overall loudness of the sound.

• Vib AM: The amount of modulation provided by the Vibrato LFO; see the LFO
chapter [p.73] for details.

• Vib Rate: The rate of the Vibrato LFO.

• -Empty-: no destination assigned – useful for keeping things neat when you're not
using a particular column, as you can quickly verify it's disconnected.

If you're wondering why you have, say, an LFO 1 modulation source and an Assign for LFO
1 Amount, there's a good reason for it – it lets you modulate the modulation!

Let's say you want to control the Timbre knob on Oscillator 1 with LFO 1. That's easy, there's
a dedicated routing for it on the Matrix. But once you've set the amount of modulation, it
doesn't change unless you go back into the Matrix and tweak it. What if you wanted that
amount to change in real time – for example, controlling the range of Timbre tweaking with
the Wheel?

The Assign modulation destination makes that easy. Set Assign 1 (or 2 or 3) to LFO1 AM,
then route Wheel to Assign 1 and set the amount. You now have something modulating
the amount of modulation! This sort of routing, sometimes called sidechaining, is incredibly
useful for getting more hands-on with playing your sounds.

Once you've selected a destination, you can let go of the Assign button, and the routing
you've chosen is in place. At any time, you can touch the Assign button to remind yourself
of what's currently there.

71 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Modulation Matrix

 8.5.5. List of all available Destinations

Parameter

Glide

Oscillator X Type

Oscillator X Wave

Oscillator X Timbre

Oscillator X Shape

Oscillator X Volume

Filter Cutoff

Filter Resonance

Filter Env Amt

VCA

FX X Time

FX X Intensity

FX X Amount

Envelope Attack

Envelope Decay

Envelope Sustain

Envelope Release

CycEnv Rise / Attack

CycEnv Fall / Decay

CycEnv Sustain

CycEnv Amp

LFO X Rate

LFO X Wave

LFO X Amp

Macro 1

Macro 2

Matrix Mod Amount

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 9. THE LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATORS
A Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) is an oscillating and periodic control signal that is
applied to parameters or other signals. At very slow rates, an LFO causes gradual changes
depending on the waveform or more drastic ones; the nature of these changes can take on
a very different character.

9.1. LFO parameters

LFO controls

The front panel controls in the LFO section are the following :

• Select/Edit either chooses LFO 1 or LFO 2 for editing, with a white LED showing
which one you're working on at the moment. Shift-clicking accesses the LFO Edit
function, which we'll describe in detail below.

• Rate/Trig sets the LFO rate. If you click the encoder, the Sync turns on and off to
indicate whether the LFO rate is set to a specific time value, or if it's locked to the
beat of the MiniFreak's Tempo setting. Shift-clicking lets you select how the LFO is
triggered to start the beginning of its wave cycle. We'll get into that in a moment.

• Wave/Load lets you choose the LFO waveform. Shift-turning this knob lets you
load a complex waveshape from an internal library of selections (with 16 factory
+ 8 user waveforms).

9.1.1. The LFO display LEDs

Directly above the Wave/Load knob is a pair of LEDs that flash at the rates of the two LFOs,
with color changes that hint at the wave shape.

To understand why this is such an important visual reference, we need to understand that
there are two ways in which an LFO can affect the signal:

• a bipolar LFO's waveform is centered around 0, and cycles through both positive
and negative values.

• a unipolar LFO's waveform can't go any lower than 0, and only creates positive
modulation throughout its cycle.

The LEDs reflect this: Yellow indicates a positive signal at any given moment, and Red
indicates a negative signal. If a signal spends any time at 0, its LED will go dark.

73 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Low Frequency Oscillators

 9.1.2. LFO Rates and Sync

Each LFO can have its own Rate setting, which can either be unsynchronized or in sync with
the MiniFreak's Tempo or with the external tempo to which MiniFreak is slaved.

If the Sync LED isn't lit, the LFO Rate can be set between 0.015 Hz (one cycle takes a bit over
66 seconds) to 100 Hz.

When the Sync LED is lit, the LFO Rate is set from a menu of bar and beat subdivisions. This
includes options from 12 bars ("dotted" 8 bars) down to 1/32 note triplets, with every straight,
triplet, and dotted interval in between. This list of choices can be thinned down a bit - for
example only straight time, only triplets, only dotted - by setting the Sound Edit > LFO > LFO
Sync Filter for either or both LFOs.

9.1.3. LFO triggering

Sometimes it's useful for an LFO to start its cycle only when something else happens. For
example, a sawtooth wave LFO controlling filter cutoff can give a note an extra punch on the
attack if it starts when you play a note. An LFO will give a more precise effect in a sequence
if it starts when the Sequence does. Or you might want both LFOs to stay in phase with one
another. For any of these cases, you'll want to set up retriggering.

The LFOs have the following Triggering options, accessed by Shift-turning the Rate/Trig
encoder:

• Free: The LFO runs on its own and doesn't retrigger. Each voice will be affected
by the LFO at exactly the same time in exactly the same way. This to the
exception of a sequence first play or external play message (SPP) as to ensure
that your sequence always sound the same on playback.

• Poly Kbd: When you play a key, that voice's LFO will trigger. This will happen for
any voice played, independently of what all the other voices are doing.

• Mono Kbd: The LFO retriggers for all voices at once whenever any key is played.

• Legato Kb: The LFO retriggers for the first note played. It does not retrigger
for any notes played while the first note is still held down. When all keys are
released, the next note will retrigger.

• One: The LFO plays one cycle and then stops. When this mode is selected, the
sawtooth and square waves become unipolar: they play one cycle and stop at 0
rather than going negative. The sine and triangle waves remain bipolar.

 Note that LFO modulation will always return to 0 at the end of the cycle, even if the waveform
is bipolar. In other words, after the single LFO cycle is finished, the note will sustain as if there is no
modulation.

• LFO: The LFO will retrigger when the other LFO starts its cycle. LFO 1 can be
retriggered by LFO 2, and vice versa.

• CycEnv: The LFO is triggered by the start of the Cycling Envelope [p.20].

• Seq Start: The LFO is triggered on first step of the Sequencer [p.104].

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 9.1.4. LFO Waveforms

The Wave/Load knob selects from the following waveforms:

• Sin: Sine

• Tri: Triangle

• Saw: Sawtooth

• Sqr: Square

• SnH: short for Sample and Hold, which refers to a waveform that randomly
changes its value.

• SlewSnH: like SnH, but with slew, meaning each new cycle's voltage change
happens with a slight "glide" to the new value rather than changing instantly.

• ExpSaw: a sawtooth wave where the wave falls on an exponential curve rather
than a straight line – the initial drop is slightly quicker, but slows at the end. This
waveform is unipolar.

• ExpRamp: as above but a ramp wave. Also unipolar.

• Shaper: a waveform determined by the Shaper (see below) or loaded by the

Load knob.

If you're having trouble imagining these waveforms and what they do, just check the
Display while choosing a wave. The illustrations are very helpful.

 As shown in the graphic on the Display, a sawtooth wave is usually defined as starting with a vertical
jump followed by a gradual drop until the start of the next cycle. Sometimes this is called a "falling
sawtooth". On the other hand, a cycle that begins with a gradual rise, followed by a vertical drop at the
end of the cycle, is known as a ramp wave, or "rising sawtooth". If you want to use a ramp wave as a
modulator, use the sawtooth but apply a negative modulation.

9.2. The Shaper and LFO Wave Edit

Sometimes it can really benefit the sound design of a particular program to have a
waveform that's more complex than the usual choices. On the MiniFreak, you can create,
save, and load your own custom LFO waveforms using the Shaper.

9.2.1. Storing and loading Shaper Waves

The MiniFreak contains a library of Shaper Waves that can be loaded for instant use. There
are 16 Factory and 8 User Shaper Waves; storing a User Shaper Wave makes it available for
any preset. Before storing and loading those shaper waves, please first turn the Wave knob
clockwise until you reach LFO1 Wave Shaper.

Shift-turning the Wave/Load encoder scrolls through the list of Shaper Waves. The first one
shown is the one for that Preset (if any), then the 16 Factory waves, then the 8 User waves.
Each wave's shape is shown in the Display for quick reference. To load a chosen wave, just
release the Shift button.

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 In addition, you can create and store two Preset Shaper Waves, one for each LFO, inside
each Preset. That's useful if you have a Preset that needs a really unusual Shaper Wave
that you won't want to use anywhere else. It also prevents you from being forced to modify
a User Shaper Wave – which will change every preset you've used it in! These two Shaper
Waves can be copied and pasted into other Presets using the Utility Menu's Preset Copy
[p.28] and Preset Paste [p.28] functions.

9.2.2. LFO Wave Edit

To enter shaper edit, press and hold Shift, and then click on the Select/Edit button. The 16
Sequencer steps will blink in purple and ask you to press them to create a step.

The workflow for creating your own Shaper Waves makes use of the Touch Strips and the
Sequencer Step and Pattern Length buttons. These controls let you quickly define the shape
of each stage of the wave, up to 16 steps in all; taken together, these stages form a Shaper
Pattern.

9.2.2.1. Shape Pattern step properties

As you create a Shaper Pattern, you will sculpt the behavior of each step, one step at a time.
This isn't as hard as it sounds, thanks to some clever editing tools.

 Make sure you are in Shaper edit mode by pressing and holding shift and clicking the Select/Edit
button.

Each step in the Shaper Pattern has three properties:

Amplitude: how high or low (positive or negative) the step reaches at its maximum value.

Slope: the shape of the step itself. The choices are:

• Rise: Over the course of the step, the value goes from 0 to the set Amplitude
• Fall: Over the course of the step, the value goes from the set Amplitude back to 0
• Triangle: Over the course of the step, the value goes from 0 to the set Amplitude
and back to 0
• Join: Over the course of the step, the value from the previous to the next step.

 Note that "Rise" and "Fall" refer not to values up or down, but to values leaving 0 or returning to 0. In
other words, going from 0 to a negative Amplitude is still a Rise slope.

• Curve: the curvature of the Slope, from exponential to logarithmic, with linear as
a center default. An exponential curve changes slowly at first, but then the rate
of change speeds up; a logarithmic curve changes quickly at first, but then the
rate of change slows down.

9.2.2.2. Selecting a given step

To shape a step in the Shaper pattern, select it by touching the appropriate Sequencer Step
pad.

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 There are two ways to edit a step :

Quick edit : Hold a step and quickly change amp and curve.

Step edit : If you hold a step longer it will change to step edit mode, white led is blinking and
you must press another step to change or press the current step to exit this mode.

The LED on any given step will be:

• Dark if the step hasn't been edited yet or is being left at 0

• White (flashing) if the step is being edited
• Purple if the step has been edited and Lit / Dim for the segment start / tail.

Note that when the shaper is empty, all steps will blink in purple and the screen will ask you
to add a step.

When you first touch a pad, the step will flash white. After you edit the step to your liking,
you can touch it again or choose another step to edit, and the LED will turn purple.

After a step has been edited, you can tap its pad to turn it on and off (purple vs. dark). Long-
pressing the pad will cause the LED to flash white, and then you're editing again.

9.2.2.3. Editing a given step

When a step is selected for editing, the Touch Strip LEDs on your left will turn red, and one
of the first four Pattern Length pads' LEDs will turn purple.

The Display will show the shape of the Pattern so far; if you're just getting started, it will be
a flat line.

You can now set the Amplitude, Slope, and Curve of the step:

• Amplitude is set using the Bend Touch Strip, with 0 at the center. As Amplitude
for a step is being set, the Display will show its value from -100% through 0%
to +100%, and also show the step number, which is handy when you're working
with a complicated pattern.
• The Slope of a given step is set with the first four Pattern Length pads.
• Curve is set with the Wheel Touch Strip, from -100% to 0% to 100%.

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 9.2.2.4. Segments

A Shaper pattern with Segments of varying lengths

If you select a number of adjacent pads at once (by holding the first pad and touching the
last), those steps become a single long step called a Segment. When you have selected a
Segment, the first step's LED will flash white, and the remaining steps in the Segment will
be solid white.

You can then edit the Segment as usual, and the Amplitude, Slope, and Curve values will
apply to the whole Segment.

9.2.2.5. Set the Shaper Pattern Length

Setting the Last Step of the Shaper pattern

Enter LFO Wave Edit mode by Shift-clicking the Edit button. All 16 of the Sequencer Step pads
will turn purple, and one of the 4 slopes that you can select is lit by default (ramp down/
saw). The Sound Edit button will be lit dim white to allow you to exit this mode when pressed.

Hold down the Last Step pad and touch the Sequencer Step pad that will be the last stage
of the Shaper Pattern, if you want fewer than 16. While the Last Step pad is held down, the
LED for the last step will turn red.

Note that if the LFO is in Sync, each step will be equal to the Sync subdivision, so a 5-step
Shaper Wave set to 1/8 notes will repeat in 5/8 time. You can create interesting polyrhythms
if the two LFOs are using Shaper Waves with different lengths, say 5 against 7 or 3 against
13.

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 9.2.2.6. Saving a Shaper Wave

To save a Shaper you need to ensure to be Shaper Edit mode, by pressing Shift + LFO edit.
From there hold Save , press the LFO edit button to enter Saving Mode for the currently
selected LFO slot's Shaper. Then turn the preset encoder to select a slot where you want to
store your Shaper Wave. It will show the destination User Shaper Wave number and Name.

The destination should default to the first User Shaper Wave if a LFO Wave or a Factory
Shaper Wave was selected prior to editing. If a User Shaper Wave was selected prior to
editing, the destination defaults to this Shaper Wave.

The SAVE button should blink.

You can now turn the Preset / Data encoder to choose a different destination. Only User
Shaper Wave slots are shown.

Press the Encoder knob to SAVE.

To exit LFO Wave Edit, simply press the Select/Edit or Sound Edit button again. You've now
created a Shaper Wave for that LFO!

When you save the Preset, the Shaper Wave will be saved as that LFO's Preset Shaper
Wave. (There's one for each of the LFOs.)

When you Shift-turn the Wave/Load encoder, it will display that wave. You can select a
different Shaper Wave from the Factory or User Shaper Waves, but the Preset Shaper Wave
you just created remains in the menu and you can always get back to it.

Now, what if you want to use that Shaper Wave in another Preset? You can save it in one of
the 8 User Shaper Wave slots shared by all Presets.

9.2.3. Shaper Rate

The rate set on a shaper was determined by the rate knob, and it was per step. It meant that
a 16-step shaper at 1/16 each step is played at 1/16 (meaning the whole shaper is actually 1
bar).

All steps means the rate of the shaper is now on all steps. With a 16-step shaper at 1/16, the
whole shaper is actually 1/16 (16x times faster).

This setting can be found in the Sound Edit > LFO menu.

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 9.3. Vibrato

The MiniFreak has a third LFO called Vibrato. It doesn't have nearly as many features as the
others, but it serves a very important purpose.

 Note that any modulation assigned to the modwheel will be added on top of the vibrato.

Vibrato is a free-running triangle wave LFO whose rate and amount (depth) are controlled
either by the Modulation Matrix using an Assign routing, or directly by the Touch Strips [p.90].

To turn Vibrato on or off, Shift-touch the Keyboard Bend/Wheel pad. When Vibrato is off, the
LEDs next to the Wheel that show the amount are all white; when Vibrato is on, the top LED
is blue.

If you hold down the Keyboard Bend/Wheel pad while in Vibrato mode, both Touch Strips'
LEDs turn blue. While holding down the pad, use the Touch Strips to quickly set the Vibrato
Rate with the Bend Strip and the Vibrato Depth with the Wheel. It's very easy to do!

To set the rate and depth of the Vibrato, don't forget to raise the modwheel to maximum
value in order to monitor the parameter change on the vibrato and use the Sound Edit >
Pitch > Vibrato Depth/Vib Rate menu.

9.4. A few final tips

Modulations from different sources sent to the same destination add together for a
combined effect. If you've turned all your modulation routings off but still hear an effect,
go through your patch modulations and make sure that there isn't a modulation happening
somewhere else. Remember, not all mod routings require the Matrix to set up, with the
Analog Filter Env/Velo knob being a good example.

If you're sidechaining modulations and the overall effect isn't working the way you think
it should, remember that you've got two modulation amounts to adjust. Messing with one
might not do the job until you get the other one set properly!

Finally, remember that if you ever get totally lost in your modulations and want to just start
over, maybe long press on preset encoder to start from an init preset, or clear the entirety
of the mod matrix through the "Erase" menu.

Sometimes it's OK to return to a clean slate.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Low Frequency Oscillators 80

 10. THE ENVELOPES
The envelope is a fundamental modulation source, perhaps the most important one there
is. Without envelope control, a synthesizer's notes would just drone without stopping, or
simply turn on at full volume when a key was pressed and cut off the moment the key was
released. Not all that interesting (with apologies to pipe organ players).

Envelopes allow events like notes to have a distinct shape, letting them imitate a wide
variety of acoustic instruments as well as sounds only possible on a synthesizer. The
MiniFreak offers two envelopes: one is simply called the Envelope, and the other is the
Cycling Envelope. These two envelopes have similarities, but are defined by very different
modes of operation.

10.1. Envelope stages

10.1.1. Envelope stages: ADSR

The way an envelope changes over time is described by sections called stages. While there
are many different ways to define an envelope, the vast majority of synths uses envelopes
made up of a few basic stages.

The most common envelope is the ADSR, so named for its four stages:

• Attack, which starts when a note is played, and runs from the start of the
envelope (usually 0) up to the maximum value;

• Decay, which drops from the maximum value to the sustain value;

• Sustain, a value that holds steady for as long as a note is held down;

• Release, which drops from the sustain value back down to 0 when the note is no
longer pressed.

Note that the attack, decay, and release are all time values, but the sustain is a level.

The attack time differentiates between the sharp onset of a drum hit or string pluck and the
rising volume of a bowed string or timpani roll. Decay time determines how percussive the
initial part of a sound is when compared to the sustain level, and release time simulates
how long an instrument resonates after it's no longer being excited.

10.1.2. Envelope stages: other types

Some envelopes are designed for simpler uses. For percussive sounds played with a short
trigger pulse, an AR envelope is enough to describe the shape of the "hit". However, AR
envelopes are a bit limited, and if you need one, it's easy to create that behavior with a
slightly more complex (and much more useful) envelope.

An AHR envelope has three stages: attack and release, with a stage called Hold between
them. The Hold setting is a time, not a level; during the Hold time, the envelope stays at
maximum. (An AR envelope is just an AHR with zero Hold time.)

We use the terms Rise and Fall for the Cycling Envelope... making it an RHF envelope. This
terminology is chosen so that when you talk about "attack" vs. "rise" or "release" vs. "fall", it's
obvious which envelope you're referring to.

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  This naming convention works because the term "AHR" is nowhere near as universally accepted
as "ADSR" or even AR. The AHR envelope has also been called an ASR, AHD, or even a Trapezoid! (The
pioneering EMS Synthi VCS3 used that term for its Envelope Shaper.)

Despite all of this, the simplest envelopes remain the most popular and easy to use, and the
MiniFreak's envelopes are based on these designs.

10.2. Envelope

The Envelope controls

The MiniFreak Envelope is an ADSR, with four dedicated knobs for its four stages: Attack,
Decay, Sustain, and Release. Remember that Sustain sets a level while the other three knobs
set times.

As you turn each knob, the Display will show an envelope curve reflecting the current
settings. It will change shape as you adjust the stages, with parameter values shown
underneath the curve.

10.2.1. The VCA

The Envelope has one hard-wired modulation destination: the Voltage Controlled Amplifier
(VCA), which controls the volume of the audio signal. It can modulate other things, but those
modulation routings have to be set in the Modulation Matrix [p.16] as needed.

While the VCA is the necessary third part of the classic VCO > VCF > VCA routing, it often
needs no controls of its own besides a volume envelope. That's why it doesn't have its own
big chapter in this manual to go with the Digital Oscillators [p.30] or the Analog Filter [p.55].

10.2.2. Sound Edit > Envelope extras

In addition to these four important knobs, the Envelope has some hidden capabilities found
in the Sound Edit [p.87] > Envelope menu.

Click the Sound Edit button and scroll down to Envelope, then click the Preset/Edit encoder to
open up the Envelope menu. You can then select and edit which parameter you're interested
in, by scrolling and clicking.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Envelopes 82

  Remember: as with other Sound Edit operations, you click to enter a parameter's edit screen, scroll to
change the parameter (the current setting is displayed as a reference), then click again or click Sound/
Edit to leave the screen and jump back to the menu.

10.2.3. Velocity modulation

The first four items on the menu give you the ability to adjust the effect that keyboard
velocity has on how the Envelope affects other parameters.

It's handy to be able to adjust each of these modulation amounts separately, as a setting
that works for one might not work for the others.

• Velo > VCA: controls how much velocity adjusts the Envelope's control of the VCA
– in other words, how loud a note gets.

• Velo > VCF: controls how much velocity adjusts the Envelope's control of the VCF
Cutoff – in other words, how bright a note gets. This can also be accessed using
the shift + Env Amount shortcut.

• Velo > Env: controls how much velocity adjusts the Envelope's modulation amount
in the Modulation Matrix. This will affect both the VCA and VCF, in addition to
whatever settings you have for the previous two Velocity modulations.

• Velo > Time: controls how much velocity adjusts the Decay and Release of the
Envelope - higher velocity extends the Decay and Release times.

10.2.4. Retriggering

The Retrig Mode setting controls how the Envelope is triggered by the keyboard, depending
on how you play.

There are two options:

• Env Reset: Every time you play a note, the Envelope restarts from the beginning.
This is often termed multiple triggering.

• Env Continue: If you play a note while another note is still playing, the envelope
will start from the current value of the old note's envelope, rather than dropping
back to 0 first. This is often termed single triggering.

The distinction might seem kind of strange – how can playing one note affect another note's
envelope? That depends on the Voicing Mode [p.84].

It's true that in Polyphonic mode, where notes don't retrigger unless you play one more
note than the number of voices you have (and the MiniFreak has to "steal" one of the voices
from a previous note), retriggering might not seem important. However, Retrig Mode is vitally
important in the Monophonic, Paraphonic, and Unison voicing modes, as it has a powerful
effect on what the sound does as you play.

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 10.2.5. Curve options

Sometimes, it's handy to alter the curve of an envelope stage itself, to give an envelope a
different "feel" – perhaps more or less punchy and immediate. The last three functions on
the Sound Edit > Envelope menu give you the option of a slightly different curve shape:

• Attack Curve: Selects Default or Quick

• Decay Curve: Selects Default or Percussive

• Release Curve: Selects Default or Percussive

10.3. Polyphony and Voicing Modes

You've probably noticed that we've skipped one Envelope control: the Mode button, which
selects from four different voicing modes and indicates the current choice with a white LED.

The voicing mode controls how playing notes affects what the MiniFreak does. This can
make a huge difference in how a given preset reacts musically to what you play.

• Mono: Only one voice plays at a time, cutting off the previous note's envelope.

• Poly: One voice plays for each note you play, allowing conventional notes and
chords.

• Para: activates Paraphonic mode. See below for an explanation of this mode.

• Uni: Unison mode, where a single note can trigger multiple voices. This can
create simply huge sounds!

10.3.1. Unison parameters

The Sound Edit > Voice menu has parameters to specify the way in which Unison works for
your preset:

• Uni Spread: lets you dial in an amount of detuning between the voices, from a
nearly-tuned 1/1000 of a semitone to a full octave.

• Unison Count: selects how many of the MiniFreak's voices will play when you
press one key, from two to the full six.

• Unison Mode: specifies whether Unison is used in monophonic (you can play
legato on the keybed), polyphonic (similar to the Poly/Unison on the PolyBrute),
or paraphonic mode (a new note trigs the N voices of unison. When there's no
more available, it steals from the previous ones) for this Preset; whichever you
select will have its LED dimly lit when Uni is selected.

• Legato Mono applies to Mono and Unison Mono modes; it sets whether or not the
Envelope retriggers when played legato.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Envelopes 84

 10.3.2. Paraphony

Like Arturia's MicroFreak, the MiniFreak has a Paraphonic voicing mode, which allows the
MiniFreak to have its voices extended from six to twelve. Unlike the other voicing modes,
Paraphonic mode actually changes the voice structure of the MiniFreak, creating some new
options while limiting others.

So what's this all about?

10.3.2.1. Paraphonic voice structure

When you select Paraphonic voicing mode on the MiniFreak, the following changes are
made:

• Osc 2's is deactivated. The Oscillator Select LED are lit and the button is disabled.

• Instead of six voices of polyphony, now the MiniFreak has twelve.

• the twelve voices are organized into Voice Pairs. As you play more notes, one
voice in each pair will play. When you get to playing seven or more notes, the
other voices in each pair will join in.

• Each voice has its own amplitude control: a Voice Envelope that's set by the
Envelope ADSR controls. These are the envelopes that are used as sources in the
Modulation Matrix.

• In addition, each Voice Pair shares a Master Envelope. It's an AHR (in case you
were wondering why we explained AHR envelopes early on!) that stays open as
long as either one of the voices in a pair is being played.

The end result is a twelve-voice synthesizer with certain limitations on articulation, offering
an interesting alternative to the usual sort of polyphony. Pretty cool, huh?

10.4. Cycling Envelope

The Cycling Envelope controls

The other envelope on the MiniFreak is the Cycling Envelope. It can work as a traditional
envelope, but also has the capability of working in ways that almost make it a kind of LFO.

 If you stop to think about it, LFOs and envelopes aren't all that different in design. The primary
difference is that LFOs repeat over and over, and envelopes don't. But what happens if an LFO is set to
only play once per key press [p.74], or an envelope can be set to repeat in a loop? The lines get blurry...
and we like blurry lines, they leave lots of room for creative exploration!

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 10.4.1. Stages and shapes

The three Cycling Envelope knobs are Rise, Fall, and Hold/Sustain, and set the rise and fall
times and either the Hold time or Sustain level, depending on the Mode (see below).

Shift-turning the Rise or Fall knobs sets the Shape of those stages. At 50, the stage is linear;
at lower numbers, the stage curves so it has a slower start and faster end (exponential), and
at higher numbers, the curve has a faster start and slower end (logarithmic).

10.4.2. Modes and Retriggering

The Mode button determines how the Cycling Envelope operates within a given Preset. The
three modes are Env, Run, and Loop, and the active mode is indicated with a white LED.

In Env mode, the Cycling Envelope functions as an ADSD envelope. The Rise knob sets the
attack time, the Fall knob sets the decay and release times to the same amount, and the
Hold/Sustain knob sets the sustain level.

In Run and Loop modes, the Cycling Envelope is a 3-stage envelope, with Rise, Fall, and Hold
times. It retriggers itself at the end of any envelope cycle... but in the Sound Edit > Cycling
Env > Stage Order menu, you can select which stage that is!

In RHF order, the envelope retriggers at the end of the Fall, and the Hold stage is at
maximum. In RFH or HRF modes, the envelope retriggers at the end of the Hold or Fall,
but the Hold stage is at 0. This choice means that instead of a series of conventional RHF
shapes, the Cycling Envelope creates a series of Rise/Fall spikes separated by the Hold
time... like an automated AR envelope.

In Run mode, the Cycling Envelope is monophonic, affecting all voices at the same time. It
will always be in phase for every voice, which is a very useful option. Normally it's meant to
run freely and never be retriggered. The only way to force it to retrigger is by sending the
MiniFreak a MIDI [p.116] Start command.

In Loop mode, the Cycling Envelope retriggers itself at the end of every cycle, but the
retriggering is polyphonic and can be set up in various ways, which are set via Sound Edit >
Cycling Env > Retrig Src:

• Poly Kbd: When you play a key, that voice's Cycling Envelope will trigger. This
will happen for any voice played, independently of what all the other voices are
doing.

• Mono Kbd: The Cycling Envelope retriggers for all voices at once whenever any
key is played.

• Legato Kb: The Cycling Envelope retriggers for the first note played. It does not
retrigger for any notes played while the first note is still held down. When all keys
are released, the next note will retrigger the Cycling Envelope.

• LFO 1 or LFO 2: The Cycling Envelope retriggers when the selected LFO does.

Last but not least, Sound Edit > Cycling Env > Tempo Sync sets the Cycling Envelope to follow
the MiniFreak's Tempo if desired.

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 11. SOUND EDIT
When designing the MiniFreak, we gave some careful thought to which controls were more
important for easy access, and which ones could be set aside for only occasional use. With
only a limited amount of space for knobs and buttons, the MiniFreak had to be designed to
offer the vast majority of its regular functions in ways that are easy to get to and easy to
use.

For functions that are still important but don't require immediate control, the Sound Edit
button serves as an access point to menus covering most sections of the MiniFreak that
need a bit more attention.

11.1. Menu structure and controls

Clicking the Sound Edit button opens the top level of a series of menus and submenus. Basic
navigation is the same for all of them, and only requires the Preset/Edit/Filters encoder next
to the Display.

 The Sound Edit button is also used to cancel a Save operation as well as to exit the Shaper edit,
Macro edit or Mod Seq.

11.2. Sound Edit menus

Throughout the manual, we refer to functions in the Sound Edit menus with arrows to show
where they're found:

For example, Sound Edit > FX > Delay Routing

The first item under Sound Edit is Preset Volume. This isn't a menu; it's just a handy place to
store a volume offset for the current Preset to quickly bring in line with other Presets. The
offset ranges from -12 dB to +6 dB.

The remaining items are the Sound Edit menus:

• Osc
• FX
• Envelope
• Voice
• Cycling Envelope
• LFO
• Keyboard
• Seq
• Scale Config
• Preset

We'll now list the parameters in each menu, with a quick description and a link to the
relevant section of this manual for more details.

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 11.2.1. Sound Edit > Osc

• Osc1 and Osc2 Mod Quant: chooses a scale for the Digital Oscillators' Mod
Quantize [p.31] function, with separate settings for each Osc.

• Glide Mode: specifies how the Glide [p.93] will behave for this Preset.

• Vibrato Depth and Vib Rate: sets the depth and rate of the Vibrato LFO [p.73].

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + Osc select

11.2.2. Sound Edit > FX

• Delay Routing and Reverb Routing: set the Delay and Reverb FX to operate using
Insert or Send Routings [p.59].

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + FX select

11.2.3. Sound Edit > Envelope

• Velo > VCA

• Velo > VCF
• Velo > Env
• Velo > Time
• Retrig Mode
• Attack Curve
• Decay Curve
• Release Curve

This set of functions is deeper than what's common for other sections of the MiniFreak, and
they need a detailed set of explanations. You can find all the information you need in the
Envelopes chapter [p.81].

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + Env mode

11.2.4. Sound Edit > Voice

• Legato Mono: specifies retriggering of a monophonic voice depending on legato

playing.

• Uni Spread, Unison Count, Unison Mode: determine how the MiniFreak's Unison
[p.84] will be applied.

• Poly Allocation and Poly Steal Mode: determine how the MiniFreak's six voices
are allocated during Polyphonic [p.84] play.

• Osc Free Run: Enables or disables Free Run mode for the Digital Oscillators.

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + Env mode

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Sound Edit 88

 11.2.5. Sound Edit > Cycling Envelope

• Retrig Src: specifies how the Cycling envelope will be retriggered.

• Stage Order: specifies ordering and retrigger point for the Cycling Envelope's
Rise, Fall, and Hold stages.
• Tempo Sync: turns sync for the Cycling Envelope on and off.

These functions are all detailed in the Cycling Envelope Chapter's Modes and Retriggering
[p.86] section.

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + Cycling Env mode

11.2.6. Sound Edit > LFO

• LFO 1 and LFO 2 Retrig: determines the LFO Triggering [p.74] for the LFOs, with
separate settings for each.

• LFO 1 and LFO 2 Sync Filter: lets you filter the list of available LFO Sync
subdivisions [p.74] for easier selection.

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + LFO Select

11.2.7. Sound Edit > Keyboard

• Matrix Scr VeloAT: selects between velocity or aftertouch [p.92] or a combination

of both is used in the Modulation Matrix.
• Kbd Src: determines how keyboard notes [p.90] are presented as modulation
information in the Modulation Matrix

• Bend Range: sets the range of pitch bend messages from MIDI [p.117] or the Touch
Strips [p.95], in semitones.

• Shortcut : Sound Edit + Pitch/Mod wheel

11.2.8. Sound Edit > Seq

• Smooth Mod 1/2/3/4: turns smoothing off for each of the Sequencer's Mods
[p.109].
• -1 semi-tone, +1 semi-tone: click to transpose the sequence up or down.

11.2.9. Sound Edit > Scale Config

• Scale: chooses the desired Scale quantization for the keyboard.

• Root: specifies the root note for the scale.

• Shortcut : Shift + Chord

11.2.10. Sound Edit > Preset

• View Snapshots: shows a list of Snapshots of previous edits, which can be

reloaded to recover from mistakes you couldn't fix otherwise.
• Details: displays Type, the Sound Designer's name (yours, if you created it on
your MiniFreak), and the Revision number for the Preset.

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 12. KEYBOARD FUNCTIONS
The most obvious difference between the MiniFreak and its sibling the MicroFreak is the
keyboard. Where the MicroFreak has a 25-note capacitive touch keyboard, the MiniFreak
comes with a traditional 37-note slim keyboard. This makes the MiniFreak immediately
comfortable and familiar to players with a knowledge of keyboard technique, and combines
with the two left-hand Touch Strips for a wonderful playing experience.

12.1. Keyboard Notes

The most basic information sent by the keyboard is which note you're playing. Believe it or
not, even this simple bit of data can be used by the MiniFreak in a variety of ways.

The pitch of the note being played is a common modulation source for various synth
parameters. For example, if the filter cutoff tracks the keyboard in a linear manner, a self-
oscillating resonance can play in tune. (See the Analog Filter [p.55] chapter for more.)

However, the MiniFreak can take things even further. In the Sound Edit > Keyboard menu
[p.89], there's a parameter called Kbd Src, which provides a choice of several different output
modulations based on keyboard position relative to the center which is C3.

• Linear: a modulation signal that goes from incrementally as you play up the
keyboard.

• S Curve: a slightly curved modulation response, like Linear but more sensitive to
changes in the center of the keyboard range and less sensitive at the high and
low extremes.

• Random: a random value sent with every keypress.

• Voices: a specific value that is determined by which of the MiniFreak's voices is

being played.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Keyboard Functions 90

 12.2. Velocity and Aftertouch

The MiniFreak keyboard senses velocity (how fast you hit the keys) and aftertouch (how
hard you press down on a key after playing it). The keyboard sends monophonic aftertouch
messages, where all sounding voices are modulated by the same amount.

 When receiving external MIDI, the MiniFreak's sound engine is compatible with polyphonic
aftertouch MIDI messages, where aftertouch modulation is applied in different amounts to each note
individually. The MicroFreak's touch keyboard can produce polyphonic aftertouch data due to its unique
design.

The Utility > Controls menu [p.114] has several parameters controlling how the keyboard's
velocity and pressure response relates to musical expression:

Linear, Log, and Exponential response

curves

• Velocity Curve: determines how the keyboard responds to lighter vs. heavier
playing:

◦ Linear is the default; it provides an even response to playing

dynamics from light to heavy.
◦ Log (Logarithmic) provides a lighter touch; you can play very lightly
and still get louder notes, but soft playing can sound uneven because
small variations can yield big changes.
◦ Expo (Exponential) is a heavier touch; difficulty in hitting really loud
notes is your tradeoff for a more uniform velocity response when you
play softly.

• Aftertouch Curve offers the same choices for how much pressure is required to
send higher aftertouch values.

In addition, there are two more aftertouch settings in the Utility menu:

• AT Start Sens: sets how much pressure is required to get the keyboard to send
any aftertouch at all. It can be set to Low, Mid, or High sensitivity.

• AT End Sens: sets how much pressure is required to have the keyboard send
maximum pressure data. It can also be set to Low, Mid, or High.

Everybody's favorite "feel" for aftertouch is different. Don't be surprised if you find yourself
playing around with these settings a lot in search of the perfect feel for your playing style.

91 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Keyboard Functions

 12.2.1. Velocity and aftertouch in the Modulation Matrix

The Modulation Matrix [p.16] has a row for velocity and aftertouch as a modulation source,
labeled Velo/AT. You can choose which of the two you want as a modulation source for any
given Preset, or use both at once.

In the Sound Edit > Keyboard menu [p.89], the parameter Matrix Src VeloAT lets you choose
whether Velocity, Aftertouch, or both are used as modulation sources in the Matrix.

 Both allows you to define on a key trig, the modulation start value with the velocity, then you can
use the aftertouch to modulate between the hit velocity and the max value.

12.3. Polyphony

The Sound Edit > Keyboard menu also has settings for how playing the keyboard triggers
the MiniFreak's voices. The articulation of a Preset will depend on how voices are reassigned
as notes are played.

• Poly Allocation defines how the MiniFreak looks for which voices to play next.
The options are:

◦ Cycle: The MiniFreak takes the next voice available, regardless of

what has been played previously.
◦ Reassign: If you replay a note, it cuts off the previous voice and
retriggers it rather than choosing a new one. (Think of a piano and
what happens to a note if you replay it.)
◦ Reset: On every new keypress, the MiniFreak plays note one on voice
one, note two on voice two and so on.

• And what happens when you run out of voices? That's determined by the Poly
Steal Mode setting:

◦ Oldest steals the oldest voice.

◦ Lowest Velo steals the voice that was played with the lowest velocity
(since you're less likely to notice the loss of softer notes).
◦ None: no new notes will sound until one of the currently sounding
ones is released.

 Important : We never steal the lowest note, no matter what mode is selected. This allows you to keep
playing a bass notes while playing higher register notes with the right hand.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Keyboard Functions 92

 12.4. Glide

Glide, also called portamento, is a gradual shifting of pitch from one note to the next. In
other words, if you play a C and then the E above it, the pitch will rise from C to E slowly
rather than jumping immediately. How quickly the pitch makes the change is set with the
Glide knob.

Glide can be used in many expressive ways, and the MiniFreak Glide function has several
options that you can set to get the most out of any particular preset.

The Sound Edit > Pitch menu has a parameter called Glide Mode. It offers three different
types of Glide behavior, each of which is available with and without Legato control.

• Time / Time Legato: The Glide knob sets the glide time. It doesn't matter how
close or far apart two notes are, the glide between them will always take the
same amount of time.

• Rate / Rate Legato: The Glide knob sets the glide rate. A glide of four semitones
will take twice as long as a glide of two semitones, for example.

• Sync / Sync Legato: Same as Time mode, but glide time is quantized to
subdivisions of the Tempo.

In each of these, Legato means that releasing a note completely and then playing another
will not glide, but notes played legato will glide.

12.5. Scale configuration

Sometimes it might be handy to make sure you can't play a wrong note. The MiniFreak can
be set to play only notes in a particular key and scale, no matter which keys you play. (Out
of scale keys will play the nearest correct pitch.)

This is done in the Sound Edit > Scale config menu or Shift+Chord/Scales button:

• Scale selects the scale you want to restrict the keys to.

• Root lets you choose the key, from C up to B in semitones.

12.5.1. Factory and User scales

The following preset scales are available to choose from: Major, Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian,
Blues, and Pentatonic.

In addition, there's an Off option, a Global option (which uses the Global Scale and Global
Root in the Utility > Global Scale menu), and a User option.

Setting a User Scale

93 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Keyboard Functions

 When you select User, the Display prompts you to play a key. When you do, the Display will
show a keyboard octave. Press keys to turn notes on (white) or off (black). In this way, you
can build any scale you want, from variations like harmonic and melodic minor to exotic
scales from world music.

Setting a User Scale

 Every time you re-enter the User Scale display, your current settings will be shown, and you can
further edit them from there.

User scale cannot allow scales with less than one note. If only one note is selected, it cannot
be edited, to be able to do so, add new notes first.

12.6. Chord Mode

The MiniFreak offers a Chord mode which allows you to play multiple notes from a single
key press.

• To enter this mode press the Chord/Scale button which will be then lit white.
• To change the chord stored hold the Chord button and press the desired interval
on the keys.

Once set this chord is saved along with the preset.

• To exit the Chord mode, simply press the Chord button again.

To note :

• In Mono Mode, it is still possible to use the Chord mode.

• In unison mode each note of the chord will be detuned by the amount set on the
unison spread.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Keyboard Functions 94

 12.7. Touch Strips

The keyboard is supplemented by an important pair of hands-on performance controls: the

Touch Strips. These are capacitive strips that can be assigned to multiple uses.

Each Touch Strip has its own "ladder" of colored LEDs to show the strip's current setting and
mode of operation.

Above the Touch Strips, you will find a set of three pads that set the current mode for their
operation.

12.7.1. Keyboard Bend/Wheel (Vibrato)

This is the classic bender-and-modulation setup. The Bend strip shows travel with white
LEDs and snaps to center when released; the Wheel strip has a ladder of white LEDs that
shows the position, which does not return to 0 when released.

Shift-touching the Keyboard Bend/Wheel pad selects or deselects Vibrato mode. This is
indicated by the top Wheel LED being blue rather than white. More information on this
special LFO and how to set it up can be found in the Vibrato [p.80] section. (The Bend strip
works the same way as before.)

By the way, the Sound Edit > Keyboard menu has a Bend Range parameter that can be set
from 1 to 12 semitones.

12.7.2. Macros M1/M2 (Assign)

Pressing the second pad turns the Touch Strips into a pair of unipolar Macro controllers. The
pad LED will illuminate blue, as will the LED ladders for both Touch Strips. Shift-touching the
pad activates Macro Assign mode.

These powerful multi-function controls offer a huge number of creative options, and you
can learn about how to create and use them in the Macros [p.96] Chapter.

12.7.3. Seq/Arp Gate /Spice (Dice)

The third pad turns the Touch Strips into hands-on controllers for the Arpeggiator and
Sequencer [p.99]. The left strip controls Gate length for steps in the arpeggio or sequence,
and the right strip controls the amount of Spice [p.101] applied to the playback.

Shift-touching the pad rolls the Dice [p.101].

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 13. MACROS
With all of the cool things the MiniFreak can do in real time, you might find yourself wishing
that you had more than two hands to play and work the controls. Wouldn't it be cool to be
able to simultaneously raise the Cutoff, lower the Resonance, change the Envelope attack a
tiny bit, and sweep the Timbre knob, all in one motion?

Of course it would... and that's why the MiniFreak offers Macros.

13.1. Macro basics

Each Preset can store two Macros, Macro 1 (M1) and Macro 2 (M2). Once a Macro has been
set up using Macro Assign mode (see below), using it is as easy as playing with the Touch
Strips [p.95].

Each Macro can contain up to four parameter destinations. Each of the changes works as
follows:

• When the Macro is at 0, the parameter is at its stored setting in the Preset.
• When the Macro is at 100, the parameter is offset by a certain amount from the
stored value.

These offsets work like those in the Modulation Matrix [p.16], but are separated from them.
In other words, a Macro has the effect you set it up for, even if there's nothing at all patched
up in the Matrix.

13.2. Using Macros

To use Macros while playing a Preset, just touch the Macros M1/M2 pad above the Touch
Strips. The pad's LED will light up blue, and the LED ladders beside the Touch Strips will also
turn blue.

Once you've done that, moving the left Touch Strip will sweep Macro 1 from its minimum to
its maximum and moving the right Touch Strip will do the same for Macro 2. Simple and fun!

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Macros 96

 13.3. Macro Assign

To set up a Macro, Shift-touch the Macros M1/M2 pad. Its LED will pulse white, as will the LED
ladder for the Bend Touch Strip. That indicates you're working with Macro 1. If you want to
set up Macro 2, just touch the Wheel Touch Strip so its LED ladder pulses white. The Display
will tell you which Macro you're editing, and the Sound Edit button will light dim white.

The Display will prompt you to choose a control and change it. You can just grab the
appropriate knob or encoder and give it a tweak; it will immediately be assigned to one of
the four modulation slots in the Macro.

Macro Assign display for browsing

modulation slots. The current slot is
framed with a box.

Now set the amount of modulation you want the Macro to add. You can either click the
Preset/Edit encoder to jump from the name of the current modulation to its amount, and
tweak it that way, or simply use the knob or encoder on the front panel that controls that
parameter.

Macro Assign display for setting

modulation amounts

Modulation amounts can be set from 0 to either -100 or +100. Remember, that is an offset
to the stored value of the parameter.

 When you're working with Macros, it's a good idea to occasionally stop editing the Macros, turn
them both down to 0, and then save your Preset. That way, you can always be sure that the Preset will
be recalled just as you need it to be, and you will always have a "safe place" to come back to if your
Macros get out of hand.

97 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Macros

  Alternatively if you want to test new parameters but you are afraid of breaking the preset. Use the
macros as a preview to see how it could affect the sound. Setting the Macro back to 0 will take you
back to the original sound, without breaking the preset.

The Macro Assign page will not record button presses, so you can select which Osc, LFO,
FX, etc., you want to work on. It won't record the movements of encoders that scroll through
selections, such as FX Type/Sub. Even so, it's a good idea to make sure which control you
want to add to a Macro, and how much, before you enter Macro Assign mode and set it
up. Basically you're practicing what the modulation will do, before you add it to the Macro.
(Practice makes perfect!)

To add a second modulation, just grab a second control. The Macro Assign Display will
automatically add it. You can click the Preset/Edit encoder to jump back and forth between
source and amount, and turn it to set the modulation amount or scroll between modulation
slots.

13.3.1. Adding a modulation with no knob to a Macro

Some worthwhile modulations don't have front-panel control. You can still add them to
a Macro! While in Macro Assign mode, scroll to an empty slot, then click the Preset/
Edit encoder. You'll be shown a Custom Assign menu, where you can select a variety of
other modulation destinations. (This is the same list that appears when you Assign [p.70]
modulations in the Matrix.)

13.3.2. Macro Assign to Mod Amounts

Using this feature, you can now assign the Macros to control modulation amounts in the
matrix. This will help navigate modulation, and create more lively patches by dosing the
amount of mod applied to the destination.

In order to assign a Macro to control a modulation amount, you will need to :

• Enter the Macro Assign Mode with one Empty Slot.

• Use the Matrix Encoder to browse modulation routings.

• Click the Matrix encoder to start the assignation.

• Click the Matrix or Preset encoder to enter the macro amount edition and set by
how much the macro should control the amount of modulation applied.

13.3.3. Removing a Macro modulation slot

If you don't like a particular modulation and you just want to remove it entirely, scroll to it
and then long-press the Preset/Edit encoder. The slot will be cleared.

13.3.4. Saving your Macro edits

Macro Assign mode has no special Save function. You can simply exit by touching the
Macros M1/M2 pad again, or the Sound Edit button, and all of your changes will be saved
automatically.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Macros 98

 14. THE ARPEGGIATOR AND SEQUENCER

14.1. Common Features

The MiniFreak provides both a Sequencer mode as well as an Arpeggiator mode which offer
shared features, let's take a look at them :

14.1.1. Transports

You can find them on the left side of your unit's touch buttons.

These control the playback of the Arp and Seq according to internal tempo.

14.1.2. Tempo

The Tempo Encoder allows you to set the internal tempo of the MiniFreak, if no clock is
provided.

The range of the supported tempos are from 30 BPM to 240 BPM.

 When using an external clock source, do note that the tempo cannot be edited.

The MiniFreak stores the tempo on a per preset basis so recalling a Seq or Arp to the original
tempo is super easy !

14.1.3. Time Division

You can set the time division of the Sequencer or Arp playback using the Tempo/Swing
encoder. To activate Time division, click the encoder and set the desired value.

99 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer

 Those are as follows :

• 1/2D
• 1/2
• 1/4D
• 1/4
• 1/8D
• 1/4T
• 1/8
• 1/16D
• 1/8T
• 1/16
• 1/32D
• 1/16T
• 1/32
• 1/32T

 Tip, to quickly navigate between the same time signature, pick a Dotted, Binary or Triplet value like
1/2 and maintain the Tempo encoder pressed while browsing through the values, this will only show
divisions with the same time signature.

14.1.4. Swing

The MiniFreak also provides Swing on both the Arp and Seq modes, you can set it using
Shift + Tempo from 50% (no swing) to 75%. This only affects playback; it does not alter the
location of the original notes.

14.1.5. Metronome

To use the metronome you can either enable it from the Utility > Sync > Metronome. Or use
Shift + click the Tempo encoder to activate it. To set the metronome level use the utility menu.

14.1.6. Hold

The Hold function can allow you to have the Seq transpose or Arp content to keep playing
after releasing the keys. This can be activated with either the Hold button on the panel or
using a sustain pedal connected to the corresponding pedal input.

In Seq Mode :

Hold in Seq mode works as a transpose hold feature, it will keep the sequence transposed
for as long as hold is enabled.

In Arp Mode :

• Releasing a key doesn't remove the note from the held notes.
• If all keys are released, pressing a new note will retrigger the Arp on this note or
chord.
• Disabling Hold clears all notes.

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 14.1.7. Gate

The Gate parameter controls the duration of all steps. The range is 1% up to 99% of the Time
Div setting.

14.1.8. Spice and Dice

Spice and Dice is an already classic feature from the MiniFreak's little brother, the
MicroFreak. The aim of this feature is to generate a variation that will be applied on the
arpeggiator and sequencer going from "simple arp pattern with a trig on every step with
same gate length" to a "random sequence that gets modified with Spice".

Spice is the global amount that gets applied at the end.

Dice is like throwing dices on the affected parameters playback. It generates a new random
sequence whenever activated, that said, it is only applied on the playback data, so it is not
destructive for the sequence or arp being played. You can gradually transform the sequence
or arp by applying more or less Spice.

The effected parameters are :

• Velocity
• Octave (+/- 1 octave)
• Gate length
• Step On/Off
• Envelope Decay & Release time

The Spice sequence has the same length as the playing pattern. In Seq mode, the Seq
Length, while in Arp mode, the number of notes pressed combined to the octave setting.

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 14.2. The Arpeggiator

An arpeggiator breaks chords into individual notes played in succession. On the MiniFreak
the concept of Arps has also seen a few expansions and performance tools to provide easy
manipulation and variations of playback and mutations.

To activate the Arpeggiator press the Arp button.

Arp and Seq buttons

14.2.1. Arp Modes

From there you can pick a playback mode for the arp from standard to more probabilistic
using the capacitive buttons 1 through 8 which are implemented as follows :

The Arp Modes buttons

• Up : Lowest to Highest Note

• Down : Highest to Lowest Note
• UpDown : Lowest to Highest then Highest to Lowest Note
• Random : Uniform random pick
• Order : First to Last Note pressed
• Walk : First to Last, starts on 1st note, 25% chance to play the previous or current
one, 50% chance to play the next one.
• Poly : Plays all held notes simultaneously. This will pulsate a chord.
• Pattern : Notes that are pressed legato are used to generate a X step note
sequence.
◦ The sequence can pick notes within the available octaves as defined
by the Octave parameter.
◦ Every time a new note is pressed, a new random array of notes is
generated.
◦ The lowest note you play on the keyboard will appear twice as
often in the sequence. In other words, the root note of the chord is
emphasized.
◦ The length of the Pattern is defined by using Last Step and the step
buttons.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer 102

 14.2.2. Octave Range

The MiniFreak allows you to decide on the range of the currently played Arp between one
and four octaves, using the Octave buttons.

The Octave buttons

When you hold notes that span more than an octave, the overall range of an arpeggio can
be much greater.

14.2.3. Arp Modifiers

The MiniFreak extents the regular Arpeggiator concept to provide a more organic and fun
way to interact with the arp content using a modifier section which you can find at the far
right of the arp modes capacitive touch buttons, including Repeat, Ratchets, Random Octave
and Mutate. Let’s take a look to the following and their specificity :

The Arp Modifiers

• Repeat : Repeats the content of the arp playing each note twice in a row.
• Ratchets : Doubles the triggers while pressed.

• Rand Oct : Adds random octave variations.

◦ 75% chance to play the correct octave

◦ 15% chance to play 1 octave higher
◦ 7% to play 1 octave lower
◦ 3% to play 2 octaves higher

Note that this is an ON/OFF button unlike the others which are momentary.

• Mutate : Gradually changes the notes in the pattern, evolving from the current
pattern. Each note can be transformed with one of the following transformations
:

◦ 75% chance to keep the same note

◦ 5% chance to play a fifth above
◦ 5% fourth below
◦ 5% octave above
◦ 5% octave below
◦ 3% chance to permutate with the note right after
◦ 2% chance to permutate with the second note right after

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 Note that the mutations are cumulative so once a note has been mutated the following
mutation will apply to the mutated version. Also, to reset a mutation on a note, the key must
be released and trigged again (and won't reset the mutation for the other notes).

14.2.4. Copy Arp to Sequencer

The Arpeggiator is a fun and creative way to come up with new ideas for melodies and the
MiniFreak allows you to expand on that by transferring the Arp content to the sequencer to
tailor it further to your liking or recall it on a later occasion.

To do so, long Press the Record button while in Arp mode to clear the Sequence and replace
it with the current content of the Arp. Note that you need to have notes currently playing on
the Arp mode to be able to use this feature.

14.3. Sequencer

Such a powerful polyphonic synthesizer as the MiniFreak would not be truly complete
without an equally capable sequencer allowing you to integrate the Freak in a live setting as
well as facilitate its operation in larger setups. Running from either internal or external clock
the sequencer offers many possibilities to push your MiniFreak into new territories.

The MiniFreak can store one sequence per preset in which the tempo, time division, swing,
as well as Gate and Spice are also saved.

In Stop Mode the sequencer can also be used and here's a few things to note :

• Pressing a key will start the seq and transpose it to the key.
• Play button blinks.
• Pressing another key will change the transposition.
• Releasing all keys will stop the playback.
• If pressing Play button while it blinks, it will light solid and you can let the keys
go.

Now let's take a look to the Sequencer in Play mode.

To activate the sequencer press the Seq button in the mode section :

Arp and Seq buttons

Once the Seq is in Play mode, using Shift + Key will transpose the pattern to the key. The
transposition is however not saved within the preset.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer 104

 14.3.1. Setting a Sequence Length

The Sequences on the MiniFreak are up to 64 steps long. To set a sequence length hold the
Last Step button and press either a page or a specific step within the page to set the exact
length of the sequence. The currently selected page of the sequence will be lit in red, while
the active pages in the sequence’s length are dim white. Finally the currently playing Page
is blinking in sync to the tempo.

Now that we have seen how to activate and set the length of a sequence, let’s dive into the
different recording modes to create, populate, alter then save a Seq on the MiniFreak.

14.3.2. Step Recording

Step recording allows you to enter notes from the MiniFreak’s own keybed, or any external
keyboard to the sequencer in a step-by-step manner, suited for more precise control over
the steps content and modification of existing patterns.

When the sequencer mode is engaged and the MiniFreak is in stop mode you can enter
step-record mode by pressing the record button (like shown below).

Step Recording display

When Step recording, the display shows:

• the step index

• the sequence length
• the step status (On / Off)
• the notes within the step
• the notes' length (L)
• the notes' velocity (V)

 When notes' length or velocity are different, the display will show the minimum and the maximum
only.

105 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer

 As shown above, the Sequencer will be placed on step one and you may begin:

• Enter one or multiple notes (up to 6) for the data to be stored within the step.
• Release all of pressed keys and the sequencer will move to the next step.
• Repeat the operation until you have entered notes for all desired steps.

To create a silent step press the Hold/Tie button. The sequencer will then move to the
next step without recording note data. If the step previously had note information stored,
pressing Hold/Tie will clear its content regardless of whether Overdub is ON or OFF.

The Hold/Tie button also allows to extend Steps' length:

• Press Keys then press Tie N times: it will extend the currently pressed notes over
N steps.

• Press Tie then press the same Keys N times: it will extend the notes over N steps.

You can then enter again the Step Recording mode to alter or add on to the sequence once
recorded. If Overdub is ON the new notes will be added to the previous content, if Overdub
is OFF the notes will replace the previous content of the step.

You can also jump to any step while in step recording mode by pressing the corresponding
step in the grid.

14.3.3. Real-Time Recording

While step recording is requiring the unit to be in Stop mode, the Real-time recording mode
will allow you to play the sequence manually while in Play mode, to populate the steps of
the sequencer. While more immediate, this can also be a less precise way to record your
sequences.

To enter Real-time recording, make sure that the unit is in Play mode with the sequencer
activated and press Record. The unit will then be in record mode and any note pressed will
be added to the grid, this mode will record Pitch, Note length and velocity for each note that
is pressed.

Once your sequence is recorded, you can exit record mode and play it back.

14.3.4. Editing your sequence

Once your sequence has been recorded or programmed, you can still manually edit it.

Action wanted To do Results

Press an unlit step

Enable a step If the step was empty, the step is filled with a default C3 note
button

The step is muted. Pressing it again will recover its previous

Disable a step Press a lit step button
content

Page Page is selected and its steps are accessible on the step
Press a Page button
navigation buttons

Extend Press Shift + Page Copies the current sequence until the last step of the selected
sequence button page

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer 106

 Action wanted To do Results

Copy / Paste / Erase Hold Off/Seq/Arp button, then select one or Copies / Pastes / Erases the
a step multiple steps selected steps

Copy / Paste / Erase Hold Off/Seq/Arp button, and press one of the Copies / Pastes / Erases the
a page Page buttons selected page

14.3.5. Editing individual steps

Edition is only available when the sequencer is in Step Recording mode or in Quick Edit
mode (when holding down a step).

The screen should display such images:

Step Recording display

Here is a table summarizing the different editing options:

Action wanted To do Results

Browse Step (in Step The cursor jumps to this step (only in Step
Press and hold a step
Recording) Record)

The Note Selection will cycle through the Notes

Select Note Turn the Preset Encoder
from lowest to highest

Whichever note is selected gets removed from

Erase Note Long click the Preset Encoder
the step

With no Notes selected on

Erase Step the current step long click the The step is turned off and all notes are erased
Preset Encoder

With one note selected on the Changes the length of the selected notes while
Edit one Note Length current step Touch the first leaving the other notes of the step untouched.
slider to edit the note length Does not erase steps beyond the current step

Select a Note on the current

Changes the Velocity of the currently selected
Edit one Note Velocity step, and touch the second
Note
slider

With no Note selected on the

Offset all notes Length/ Offsets Velocity or Length for all notes in the
current step, touch one of the
Velocity in a Step currently selected step
sliders

107 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer

 14.3.6. Overdub

While in Step or Real-time recording the Overdub feature conditions the way the notes are
added or replace the content already present in the steps.

To activate this feature press Shift + Rec the Rec LED will turn blue.

Overdub OFF (default state):

Rec LED is lit in red

• Steps are cleared only in area where new notes are played.
• Any note that begins while a note is being recorded gets killed.

Overdub ON :

Rec LED is lit in blue

• Notes are added to the existing content. If a note that is being recorded overlaps
another active step that triggers the same note, it will clear this previously active
note.
• A same note can't be entered twice. It will override data content (velo, note
length,..) with the last trig properties.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer 108

 14.4. Modulation sequence lanes

On top of Pitch, Note length and Velocity sequencing, the MiniFreak also offers four lanes of
Parameter sequencing. To access the modulation sequencing lanes, press the Mods button
next to Record.

Mods button

14.4.1. Add a Modulation

To add a modulation make sure to :

• Enter Mods view by pressing the Mods button

• Enable step record, or real-time recording

• Move one of the Seq Mod-recordable parameters.

Once done the parameter in question will be added to the Mod destinations list.

If you have already 4 modulation destinations set in the patch adding a new modulation
destination will show the « Seq Mod Full » message.

14.4.2. Step-Record a Modulation

When the sequencer is stopped and the Rec button is lit, the unit is, as explained above in
step-record mode. Either there is an available Seq Mod Slot or you turn a parameter that
was already part of the four Modulations. From there while in step-record mode turn one of
Seq Mod recordable parameters.

This will create an offset to the given step, The range of the offset depends on the
parameter’s initial position. If the parameter is at x (between 0 and 1), the range is (-x, (1-x)).

The parameter’s initial position remains the reference point for as long as you are recording
some modulations onto steps. It is not modified by the modulation editing.

Example : knob at 0.5, step record on, turn the knob fully clockwise on step 1 then move to
step 2 turn the knob to the center. First step will have +50%, second step will have 0% in the
modulation.

The Knob catch-up mode doesn’t apply here, the offset between parameter initial position
and current physical knob position is stored in the step. Once Step-Recording is exited, the
parameter jumps back to the preset value.

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 14.4.3. Real-Time Record a Modulation

While in Real-Time record mode (Play On, Rec On, Mods On), you can turn encoders,
potentiometers or wheels. It will record that parameter’s movement and populate the data
into the mod sequencing lane corresponding to that parameter.

Recording will occur from the first step where a movement was recorded until it reaches the
step just before this one (it always does one full loop) Once the loop is finished, the Record
button turns off, it exits Real-Time Recording.

14.4.4. Editing your Modulation

Once you enter the mod sequencer you can see all 4 lanes with the names according to
their destinations. To edit a modulation on a specific step, select a lane using the Preset
encoder. The display will show the modulation value for all 16 steps from the currently
selected page. Hold down the step to edit, it will be highlighted on the display. Then either
turn the control on the interface, or use the Preset encoder to edit its value.

Once you have edited the step click on the encoder again to get back to browsing the
destinations.

When recording, the transitions are smoothed by default. You'll find a setting per modulation
lane in Sound Edit > Seq to enable or disable the smoothing for all steps

Here is a table summarizing all the editing options available:

Action wanted To do Results

Mute steps Press a lit step Modulation playback will ignore this step

If there was an active modulation in this

Unmute steps Press an unlit step
step, it will be playback

With Step record ON, Press a different

Browse steps It will move the cursor.
step

Copy / Paste / Erase

With Mod On, hold the Off/Seq/Arp Copies / Pastes / Erases Modulation steps
modulation on a
button, then one or multiple steps. on the selected modulation lane
step

Copy / Paste / Erase With Mods On, hold the Off/Arp/Seq

Copies / Pastes / Erases on pages. Applies
modulation on button and press one of the Page
only to Modulations on the selected lane
pages buttons

Erase modulation Long click the Preset/Edit encoder Currently focused modulation will be
track while in Mods Page reset

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer 110

 14.4.5. List of the Seq Mod Recordable Parameters :

Recordable parameter's name

Glide

Pitch X

Oscillator X Type

Oscillator X Wave

Oscillator X Timbre

Oscillator X Shape

Oscillator X Volume

Filter Cutoff

Filter Resonance

Filter Env Amt

FX X Time

FX X Intensity

FX X Amount

Envelope Attack

Envelope Decay

Envelope Sustain

Envelope Release

CycEnv Rise / Attack

CycEnv Fall / Decay

CycEnv Sustain

LFO Rate

Macro 1

Macro 2

Pitch Bend

Mod Wheel

111 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Arpeggiator and Sequencer

 15. THE UTILITY MENU
With everything that's going on inside the MiniFreak – especially with so many functions
and settings that can be customized for every Preset – it's handy to have a central place to
find things that are intended to be global, applying to the entire synthesizer. That's what the
Utility menu is for!

15.1. Control and navigation

To access the Utility menu, Shift-press the Sound Edit/Utility button. It will light up pale blue
to show that you're in Utility, not Sound Edit (which has a white LED).

Navigation uses the same workflow as with the Sound Edit menu and other similar menus
in the MiniFreak, and only requires the Preset/Edit/Filters encoder next to the Display.

• Turn the encoder to scroll to the Utility menu you want to access, then click the
encoder to select it;

• Turn the encoder to scroll through the menu to the function you want to edit, and
click the encoder to access it;

• Turn the encoder to set the function as you want it, then click the encoder to save
the selection and jump up to the menu.

 At the top of every menu there is a choice labeled with a ... symbol. Click-select it to jump up to the
previous menu. (This function works the same way, everywhere the ... appears.)

When you're finished, just click the Utility button to exit.

15.2. The Utility menus

In this manual, we refer to functions in the Utility menus with arrows to show where they're
found:

For example, Utility > Sync > Metronome

Here are the Utility menus:

• MIDI
• Sync
• Audio
• Controls
• Global Scale
• Preset Operations
• Misc

We'll now list the parameters in each menu, with a quick description and a link to the
relevant section of this manual for more details.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Utility Menu 112

 15.2.1. Utility > MIDI

• Input and Output Channels: sets the MIDI Channels the MiniFreak will respond to
and transmit.

• MIDI From and MIDI To: sets whether incoming and outgoing data use USB,
5-Pin MIDI DIN jacks, or both.

• Local Control: sets whether or not the MiniFreak responds to its own keyboard
and user interface or only to external MIDI messages.

• MIDI Seq/Synth: determines routing of keyboard data vs. external MIDI data for
the Arpeggiator/Sequencer vs. the MiniFreak's synth engine.

• Knob Send CC: sets whether or not the MiniFreak's front panel knobs send MIDI
Control Change data.

• Program Change: sets whether or not the MiniFreak sends and receives Program
Change messages via MIDI when you select a new Preset.

Further information about all of these settings can be found in the Chapter on MIDI and
External Control [p.116].

15.2.2. Utility > Sync

• Metronome: turns the Metronome on and off. Can also be activated using Shift +
Click on the Tempo knob.

• Rec Count-In: sets whether recording begins immediately, or after a 1-bar count-
in.

• Metronome Level: sets the loudness of the Metronome click.

• Clock Source: determines the source of clock sync data, whether internal or via
USB, MIDI, or the rear-panel Clock In jack – or a prioritized auto-sensing routine.

• Clock Send: sets whether or not the MiniFreak sends out clock signals.

• Transport Receive: sets whether or not the MiniFreak accepts external transport
control.

• Transport Send: sets whether or not the MiniFreak sends out transport control.

• Clock In and Clock Out Type: determines the number of pulses per quarter note
(PPQ) the Clock In and Clock Out jacks receive and send.

• Global Tempo: determines whether a Preset change also changes the Tempo to
the new Preset's value, retains a global value, or changes when the transport is
stopped.

Further information about all of these settings can be found in the Chapters on the
Arpeggiator and Sequencer [p.99] and External Control [p.116].

113 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Utility Menu

 15.2.3. Utility > Audio

• Audio In Gain: sets the input gain of the rear-panel Audio In jack, from -9 dB to
+24 dB.

• Master Tune: adjusts the MiniFreak's tuning by up to ±50 cents.

• Stereo to Mono: changes the Left and right + headphones outputs to be Mono.

• Calib Cutoff: calibrates the cutoff frequencies of the Analog Filter for each of the
MiniFreak's voices.

• Calib Analog: calibrates the analog audio path components for each of the
MiniFreak's voices.

The calibration process will show a progress bar as it proceeds; while it's running, the
MiniFreak can't be played, sequenced, or edited. When it's done, you'll be shown a
"calibration successful" message, and clicking the Preset/Edit/Filters encoder will exit the
menu.

The process can't be stopped once started, but it takes less than a minute (cutoff) to two
minutes (Analog) to complete.

15.2.4. Utility > Controls

• Velocity and Aftertouch Curves: set velocity and aftertouch response to linear,
logarithmic, or exponential curves. Discussed further in the Keyboard Functions
[p.90] chapter.

• Knob Catch: determines how a parameter will react if its stored value doesn't
match the physical setting of an analog knob, and the knob is turned. Options
include:

◦ Jump: As soon as the physical knob is turned, the stored parameter

value instantly jumps to where the physical knob is set.
◦ Hook: The parameter value doesn't change until the physical knob is
turned past the stored value.
◦ Scale: When the physical knob is turned, the parameter goes from
the stored value to the physical knob position in such a way that the
parameter smoothly "catches up" to the knob.

• Sustain Polarity: used to set the Sustain Jack to respond to a pedal with a
normally-open or normally-closed switch.

• AT Start Sens and AT End Sens: sets the sensitivity of how quickly the aftertouch
sensor under the keyboard begins to send aftertouch data, and how quickly the
keyboard pressure reaches maximum aftertouch value.

• Touch Button Sens: Provides three level of sensitivity for the touch buttons (to the
exception of the touch wheels) allowing you to adjust the touch response to your
liking.

15.2.5. Utility > Global Scale

• Global Scale and Global Root: set the Scale and Root [p.93] for any Preset that
doesn't have its own stored Scale and Root.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Utility Menu 114

 15.2.6. Utility > Preset Operations

• Preset Copy: allows the user to copy parts of a Preset.

• Preset Paste: pastes copied data into a new Preset.

• Preset Erase: erases or initializes parts of Presets or entire Presets.

• Panel Mode: allows to switch between Favorite and Panel modes.

The detailed description of these functions can be found in the Managing Presets [p.27]
chapter.

15.2.7. Utility > Misc

• LED Intensity: sets the LEDs on the front panel to Full or Dim level.

• FW Version: displays the current firmware version.

• Reset Settings: Resets all settings to their default values. Note that it doesn't erase
your presets.

15.2.8. Your Name in lights!

There's one last item on the Utility Menu, but it's not a menu itself: it's a function called Your
Name.

You can personalize your MiniFreak, which will label any patches you create with your
name as "Sound Designer"... and give you a personalized "hello" when you power it up.

Setting your name is just like setting a Preset name. Click the Preset encoder to enter the
Sound Designer name display.

The currently edited character will have small arrows above and below it.

Turn the encoder to change that character. Available characters are:

• space
• A to Z, capitalized
• a to z, lower case
• 0 to 9
• punctuation marks: period (.), underscore (_), hyphen (-)

To move to the next character, push and turn the encoder.

Sound Designer names can be up to 13 characters long.

When you've given yourself a grand and impressive title, just click the Utility button twice to
save it... then turn your MiniFreak off and on again, just to see it greet you for the first time!

115 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Utility Menu

 16. EXTERNAL CONTROL: MIDI AND CLOCK SIGNALS
As much fun as the MiniFreak is to use on its own, it's amazing as part of a larger musical
world. In this chapter, we'll look at the ways in which the MiniFreak sends and receives
various kinds of data for use with other hardware synthesizers, sequencers, and computers.

As noted in the Setup and Installation [p.13] chapter, the MiniFreak has three different types
of rear-panel connections for control signals:

• Clock In, Clock Out (3.5mm TRS jack)

• Reset Out (3.5mm TS jack)
• MIDI In, Out, and Thru (5-pin DIN)
• USB (Type B)

16.1. Sync Signals

Synchronization (or sync) is the act of making two or more devices respond together to a
common clock reference.

The Clock In and Clock Out jacks look for +5V pulses occurring at a certain resolution, which
is measured in pulses per quarter note (PPQ). There are many different PPQ settings, and
the MiniFreak accommodates all of the most popular ones.

 Consult the Owner's Manuals for your other gear to determine which resolution they're expecting.

16.1.1. Clock and Reset jack settings

The Utility > Sync menu [p.113] is where these settings can be found. They offer the following
options:

• Clock In Type: The default is 4PPQ (one pulse per 16th note), but can also be set
to 2PPQ, 24PPQ, or 48PPQ.

• Clock Out Type: The default is 4PPQ, and other options include 2PPQ (specifically
designed for Korg devices with a short pulse), 24PPQ, and 48PPQ as above. In
addition, the Clock Out can send much slower signals, which can be used to
clock an LFO or regularly reset a sequencer or timer: one pulse per quarter note
(1PPQ), half note (1PP2Q), or whole note (1PP4Q).

 The higher PPQ numbers allow for a pulse to represent an ever-smaller note value. At 24PPQ, the
smallest note that can be resolved (one pulse) is 1/24 of a quarter note, or a 32nd-note dotted.

The Reset Out jack sends a +5V pulse that lasts 5 ms when the Arp/Seq starts, whether it
comes from internal play or external start. This can be used to make sure the MiniFreak's
Arpeggiator and Sequencer [p.99] stay in control of other devices when synchronizing
sequences.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals 116
 16.2. MIDI

The MiniFreak has an extensive set of MIDI capabilities, allowing it to synchronize, control,
and be controlled by a wide variety of MIDI-compatible gear. MIDI data can be sent and
received via the 5-pin DIN MIDI jacks or via the USB connection.

 Many of the global settings relating to how the MiniFreak handles MIDI are set up in the Utility >
MIDI menu [p.113]. We'll note them as we go along.

16.2.1. MIDI inputs and outputs

The MiniFreak uses both DIN jacks and USB for MIDI communication. While the USB port
can do things that the DIN connections can't such as bi-lateral communication from a single
cable. That said, the vast majority of MIDI features work the same way on both.

 On the Utility > MIDI menu, the MIDI From and MIDI To settings control whether the MiniFreak
accepts and transmits MIDI data via the USB port, the 5-Pin DIN jacks, or both... or neither, if you wish
to isolate the MiniFreak from your MIDI network temporarily.

16.2.2. MIDI Channels

A single stream of MIDI data can contain 16 separate MIDI Channels. Each Channel controls
only the devices that are set to receive data on that Channel, unless that device is set to
Omni mode, in which case it accepts data from any and all channels equally.

 On the Utility > MIDI menu, the Input Channel and Output Channel can be set from 1-16. The Input
and Output Channels do not need to be identical. In addition, the Input Channel can be set to All (for
Omni mode).

117 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals
 16.2.3. MIDI Local Control and data routing

The MiniFreak's keyboard can be used to play the synthesizer or other synths connected via
MIDI. The same is true for the Sequencer. However, sometimes you might want to defeat
those connections, so you can decide (for example) to use the keyboard to play an external
device but not the MiniFreak.

MIDI allows for this with a setting called Local Control. In simple terms, Local Control turns
the connection between the keys and the sound engine on and off. That's what the Local
Control setting on the Utility > MIDI menu does.

However, with everything going on inside the MiniFreak, it's handy to have a bit more precise
control than that. So the Utility > MIDI menu also has a parameter called MIDI Seq/Synth,
which controls exactly how internal and external MIDI data are routed to and from the
keyboard, synthesizer, and Arpeggiator/Sequencer. There are two options:

• MIDI > Synth: External MIDI is routed directly to the synthesizer;

• MIDI > ArpSeq: External MIDI is routed directly to the Arpeggiator/Sequencer.

Between Local Control On/Off and the two MIDI Seq/Synth options for each, the MiniFreak
can be set up to handle MIDI data connections in four different configurations:

Local Control On, MIDI > Synth

1. With Local Control ON and MIDI > Synth selected, the keyboard controls the Arp/Seq and
both together control the synth. Keyboard and Arp/Seq data are also sent out via MIDI, and
MIDI input can control the synth as well. This is the default setup.

Local Control Off, MIDI > Synth

2. With Local Control OFF and MIDI > Synth selected, the connection between the Arp/
Seq and synth is removed. Now the synth is only played by external MIDI input, while the
keyboard and Arp/Seq are used to control external gear.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals 118
 Local Control On, MIDI > ArpSeq

3. With Local Control ON and MIDI > ArpSeq selected, the keyboard still controls the Arp/
Seq and both together control the synth. However, now MIDI input controls not only the
synth but also the Arp/Seq as well. For example, you could use this to automate sequence
transpositions from a DAW.

Local Control Off, MIDI > ArpSeq

4. With Local Control OFF and MIDI > ArpSeq selected, the keyboard only sends MIDI out,
and the Arp/Seq and synth only receive external MIDI data. This splits the MiniFreak into a
silent MIDI controller keyboard and a sequencer/synth module run via MIDI input.

16.2.4. MIDI Program Change

The MiniFreak's 512 Presets are organized, in MIDI terminology, into four Banks of 128
Programs each. They can be selected externally by sending the MiniFreak an appropriate
MIDI Bank Select message, immediately followed by a MIDI Program Change message.

For example, Preset 242 is selected by Bank Select = 2 and Program Change = 114. The first
Bank covers Presets 1-128, and we add 114 to 128 to get 242.

Your external DAW or other gear will have ways to figure these numbers for you, so you
don't have to do the math every time!

On the Utility > MIDI menu, Program Change sets whether or not the MiniFreak sends MIDI
Bank Select and Program Change messages when you select a new Preset.

119 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals
 16.2.5. MIDI Control Change Messages

MIDI Control Change (CC) messages are used to "turn knobs" over MIDI. Physical controls
are associated with specific MIDI CCs, and touching those controls will send a message that
first identifies which CC it is, and then what the parameter value is.

Here is the MIDI implementation chart:

Section Parameter CC

MIDI Mod Wheel 1

Pedals Sustain 64

Glide 5

OSC 1 Tune 70

Wave 14

Timbre 15

Shape 16

Volume 17

OSC 2 Tune 73

Wave 18

Timbre 19

Shape 20

Volume 21

Analog Filter Cutoff 74

Resonance 71

VCF Env Amt 24

Velocity Env Mod 94

Cycling Env Rise Shape 68

Rise 76

Fall 77

Hold 78

Fall Shape 69

Envelope Attack 80

Decay 81

Sustain 82

Release 83

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals 120
 Section Parameter CC

LFO 1 Rate 85

LFO 2 Rate 87

Effects FX1 Time 22

FX1 Intensity 23

FX1 Amount 25

FX2 Time 26

FX2 Intensity 27

FX2 Amount 28

FX3 Time 29

FX3 Intensity 30

FX3 Amount 31

Sequencer Gate 115

Spice 116

Macros M1 117

M2 118

The Wheel Touch Strip, the Sustain pedal, and most of the front-panel knobs send unique
CC messages. These can be recorded into a sequencer or DAW, and replayed to automate
control movements on the MiniFreak.

On the Utility > MIDI menu, Knob Send CC sets whether or not the MiniFreak's front panel
knobs send MIDI Control Change data when they're turned.

Incoming Control Change messages are always accepted, unless the MiniFreak is currently
in communication with the MiniFreak V software.

16.3. USB

In terms of MIDI commands, the USB port works the same way as a pair of MIDI
cables, sending and receiving MIDI messages from a connected computer. In addition,
the USB connection also allows for high-speed communication between the MiniFreak and
connected MiniFreak V software. All MIDI commands and settings will work the same way
as with Midi Din over USB.

121 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - External Control: MIDI and Clock Signals
 17. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

17.1. FCC

WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY THE UNIT!

Any modifications or other changes to this unit not approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.

Responsible Party in USA: Zedra, 185 Alewife Brook Parkway, #210, Cambridge, MA 02138,
United States T: +1 857 285 5953

Trade Name: ARTURIA, Model Number: MiniFreak

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

17.2. CANADA

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada

17.3. CE

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits of the European Council
Directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to Electromagnetic
Compatibility according to 2014/30/EU, and Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU.

17.4. ROHS

This device has been produced with lead free solder and fulfills the requirements of the
ROHS directive 2011/65/EU.

Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Declaration of Conformity 122

 17.5. WEEE

This symbol indicates that the electrical and electronic equipment should not be disposed of
as general household waste at its end-of-life. Instead, the products should be handed over
to the applicable collection points for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment for
proper treatment, recovery, and recycling in accordance with your national legislation and
the Directive 2012/19/EU (WEEE – Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
For more information about collection points and recycling of these products, please contact
your local municipal office, your household waste disposal service, or the shop where you
purchased the product.

123 Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - Declaration of Conformity