New Arturia MicroBrute is a mega-useful CV hub

Well, the countdown has ended and the cat’s pretty well out of the bag with regards to Arturia‘s new MicroBrute analog synthesizer, which at first blush appears simply to be a scaled-down version of the popular MiniBrute that arguably kicked off the current renaissance in affordable 25-key monophonic analog synths when it was announced almost two years ago.

It’s not as though that first impression is inaccurate, either: the MicroBrute boasts a smaller size, smaller keys and a lower price tag than its older sibling, making it an even more affordable (and portable!) entry into the world of subtractive analog synthesis.

Not to be overlooked, however, are its expanded control voltage routing and control options. MicroBrute boasts a mini modulation matrix right on its front face, useful not only for making internal connections but also for interfacing MicroBrute with other CV-capable synths or even a eurorack modular setup—in fact, with the addition of the patch panel it’s actually a super-capable controller for eurorack synths!

Besides the two CV outs and six CV ins on the front panel mod matrix, the MicroBrute also brings has pitch and gate CV outs on its back panel as well as a gate in. Apart from the aforementioned application as a eurorack ‘master controller,’ these flexible patching/routing options also open up possibilities like chaining two MicroBrutes together for two-oscillator patches or interfacing it with its progenitor, the MiniBrute.

But before you assume based on, well, girth that the MiniBrute would be the controller in a Micro/Mini combo, consider also that the other new feature on the MicroBrute is a step sequencer. Whereas the MiniBrute offered only an ‘under the hood’ arpeggiator option to enter and play/transpose a single sequence that couldn’t be saved, the MicroBrute brings to the table a more fleshed-out dedicated sequencer function with the ability to step-input both notes and rests and the ability to save up to eight sequences in its internal memory.

Here at Nova Musik we’ve taken a good look at the MicroBrute’s capabilities and built a handful of useful bundles around them: for basic/standalone use we have bundles with cables and gig bags and whatnot, and more to the point of this post we’ve built additional bundles around the aforementioned control voltage capabilities—there’s even an option to buy the MiniBrute and MicroBrute together with all the MIDI, audio and patch cables you’ll want to join them up! Click here to check out all our bundles and for more in-depth information you can check out some videos as well as full specs from Arturia

• 25 minikey keyboard
• Octave up and down buttons allow for a full range of transpose options
• Monophonic analog synthesizer
• Steiner-Parker multimode filter
  • Low pass
  • Band pass
  • High pass
  • Bi-polar envelope amount control
  • Keyboard tracking
• Arturia’s famed Brute Factor
• Voltage controlled oscillator
• Oscillator waveshapers
  • Ultrasaw for creating ‘dance anthem’ sounds
  • Pulse width for creating thin ‘nasal’ sounds or rich ‘square’ tones
  • Metalizer for creating harsh, harmonically rich sounds
• Overtone generator
  • Additional harmonics, from 1 octave down to 5th up
  • Sub>+5th spectrum shaper
• Oscillator mixer (overtone, saw, triangle, square)
• Wide-range LFO with 3 waveforms
  • Saw, triangle, square
  • Frequency range from .1Hz to 200Hz
  • Syncable to external sources, sequencer or internal
• ADSR envelope
• VCA with GATE and ENV modes
• Pitchbender
• Modulation wheel (can control filter cutoff or LFO amount)
• Mod matrix w/standard 1 volt per octave patch points
  • Envelope out
  • LFO out
  • Ultrasaw modulator in
  • Pulse width mod in
  • Metalizer in
  • Overtone/sub modulator in
  • Cutoff in
  • Pitch in
• External audio input with input level control
• 1/8" headphone output and 1/4" audio output
• CV/GATE interface on rear panel
  • Pitch out
  • Gate out
  • Gate in
• MIDI input
• USB 2.0 Type B jack
• Glide time control
• Step sequencer
  • Rate control knob
  • Tap tempo button (rest input in record mode)
  • 8 storeable sequences
  • PLAY and RECORD modes
  • Sync to external MIDI clock
• Power: 12 volt, 1 amp center pin + DC connector
• Dimensions: 12.8" L × 8.8" W × 2.4" H
• Weight: 4 lbs.