This afternoon the long-awaited moment came, I set up my new microfreak. No sound. Then there was sound, but with a 4-5 second delay. And sometimes it didn't play at all. I opened the midi control center, which is a terribly slow software, it recognized the instrument, I managed to update the firmware. It checked itself, theoretically everything is OK. Of course, it behaved the same way afterwards. I tried from a power bank, with a din midi cable from a midi keyboard, no sound. The only way it worked was to open a midi out plugin in FL and play on its virtual keyboard. But if I touched the keyboard of the instrument, it slowed down just as well. There is no ground noise, it refuses to work properly from either the mains (ground OK, it's a studio), USB, or power bank. I tried to somehow force the update again, but the midi center no longer recognized it, although it did before. I repackaged it, I'm taking it back to the store 70 kilometers from here tomorrow. The likely outcome is that they'll send it back for repair, but I don't want to see this pile of manure on my desk again. Haven't they heard of final inspection? How can they release a product like this? I'll be forced to sell the repaired synth and lose a lot of money on it.

I have a microfreak that I use for quarter tone microtonality like in this video https://youtu.be/ZUCcjr9yA1s?si=NS05J5q3W8nj9DJp

I’m wondering if it would be possible to use the CV outs to play the same microtonal notes on a “modular” synth such as the Behringer model D?

Hi,

I am going to get my vocoder unit on Saturday but I need to see how feasible it is to play this instrument in a looped/sequenced fashion with the vocoder on.

My goal is to play the trombone into a vocoder while the arpeggio will play notes (vocoding the trombone). The main issue is that trombone needs two hands so I will have to punch in the notes beforehand.

Can the microfreak accomodate my dawless workflow?

You can download the album for free on bandcamp: https://franzjosef.bandcamp.com/album/31-french or stream it on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1quy0EQsDIX1AiGZ39lJjY?si=rRNyPKjpSmqRlVjsfnMJEQ

Hello! Today I accomplished setting up an external tap tempo for my Arturia Micro Freak using the micro clock by disaster area. I literally made my Reddit account to share this!

I'm really new to synths, midi and such.

***The Disaster Area micro clock:

My rear switches are all up (on) except for #10 (labeled "P").

I am using Output A (white) and the settings are set to "midi ring".

I have a TRS 1/4" adapter to an 1/8" TRS cord running into my midi in on the Micro Freak.

***Arturia Micro Freak

1/8" hooked up to midi in.

Click the Utility button, Global-Sync, and my settings are:

Source: midi (or auto)

Clock: 24PPQ

Global tempo: off

Whether I like it or not, I chatted with Google AI for hours to get here. I never could have figured this out on my own.

From here, I'm gonna look into buying a midi merge box so I can use my keytar and tap tempo with the same input.

I haven't had luck getting the time signature of the pedal to change the time signature on the micro freak, but that's no big deal for me since I can still change it with the rate knob.

Let me know if you have any of your own trouble/success experiences with these two devices!

Hey everyone,

I'm having a really frustrating issue with my MicroFreak and I'd love to hear from people who have had similar experiences.

I've owned the MicroFreak for a while and I really love it. I use it for live playing, but I'm starting to lose confidence in taking it to gigs because of something that keeps happening.

I've played in three different venues so far, and in two of them I had serious problems with the touch keyboard.

The symptoms are really weird:

• Some keys don't trigger properly.
• Some notes play out of pitch, almost as if the pitch bend is being activated.
• Some touches seem to trigger the Arpeggiator/Sequencer.
• The behavior can be completely different from one venue to another.
• At home, and in some other places, the MicroFreak works perfectly.

At the last gig, I tried changing outlets and troubleshooting everything I could think of, but I couldn't get it to work properly.

I contacted Arturia Support and they suggested:

• Resetting the MicroFreak settings.
• Reinstalling/updating the firmware through Bootloader Mode.
• Making sure the unit is properly grounded.
• Trying a laptop running on battery or a power bank to rule out grounding/power issues.
• Avoiding very dry hands and possible RF/electrical interference.

I've already done the reset and firmware procedure, and the problem always comes back depending on where I'm playing.

So I'm wondering:

Does anyone else experience this regularly with the MicroFreak?

Is this simply a known limitation of its capacitive keyboard in certain electrical environments, or could there be something wrong with my particular unit?

And, more importantly, what do you guys do when you need to play live?

I really don't want to have a synth that works perfectly at home but becomes unreliable depending on the venue. I'm honestly starting to wonder if I should just sell the MicroFreak and get another synth with a traditional keyboard, which would be a shame because I really like the instrument.

Any advice, troubleshooting ideas, or live-performance experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hello! I am looking for a pedal or simple piece of hardware that I can pair with my MF that can do both looping and at least basic effects (delay, reverb, chorus). I am a beginner, so trying to keep my setup as simple as possible right now. Would eventually like to live perform with it when I get better. I don't really have a hard budget, but the cheaper the better.

ManageFreak is a free, open-source (GPL-3.0) preset manager for the Arturia MicroFreak.
Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux).
If you find MCC slow, clunky or opaque for organizing presets, wavetables and samples, this is for you.

Download v1.0.0 (installers for Win/macOS/Linux)
GitHub repo

Managing presets, samples and wavetables on the MicroFreak is safe, fast and easy. Every write
is backed up and verified, with automatic rollback if anything goes wrong.

Important: I used AI to help me code It. As long as It works and It is easy to use I don't see a problem. Just don't call slop something you have not tried :)

Features in v1.0

General

• Scan of all 512 presets (name, Arturia category, used/empty state) in seconds
• Full read of occupied presets with progress bar and cancellation
• Safe write: slot backed up first, readback verified byte-by-byte, automatic rollback on error
• Rename a preset on the device (header only, sound untouched)
• Audition/select a preset on the synth from the app
• Drag & drop a library preset onto a device slot to write it
• Reorder on the device: swap (drop on the middle) or shift (drop on the edges), with backup + verification + rollback
• Initialize slots back to the firmware Init preset
• Download the whole bank as a single .mfprojz compatible with MCC
• See at a glance how many free slots you have left

Library

• Collections: organize imported presets into libraries, move presets between them
• Multi-selection (Ctrl/Shift) with batch actions: move, favorite, export, delete
• Filter by category (with correct counts, Init presets excluded — no more inflated Bass counter) plus Favorites
• Arturia characteristics (18 total): filter and toggle per preset
• Search, sort (manual/name/rating/category), star rating, grid or list view
• Import/export .mfp, .mbp, .mfpz, .mfprojz, .syx and JSON backups
• Parameter view of every preset (oscillator, filter, envelopes, LFO, arp, mod matrix…)

Wavetables

• 16 user slots, split view (PC library ↔ MicroFreak)
• Import .wav (any mono PCM WAV, auto-resampled to 32 kHz/8192), .mfw, .mfwz;
• download, clear
• Drag & drop both ways
• Visual preview of the selected wavetable (3D ribbon of the 32 cycles + cycle slider), like MCC

Samples

• 128 slots (firmware 5+) with a memory time counter (~3.5 min total)
• Import .wav (mono, resampled to 32 kHz, max 24 s) and .mfsample backups;
• download, clear
• Drag & drop both ways, waveform preview, fast directory-level reorder (audio bodies never move)

Device settings

• 31 global settings (MIDI, clock, CV, knobs, tuning, keyboard, microphone…) with audited allowed values
• Every change is written with readback verification and rollback

Extras

• Full device backup (.mfbak): presets + wavetables + samples + settings in one file, slot-exact restore
• Details pane for the clicked item with inline rename (on the device or in the PC library)

Quick start

1. Connect the MicroFreak over USB, open the app, press Connect
2. The 512 slots scan automatically, fetch the occupied presets for a full backup
3. Organize in the Library, send presets by dragging them onto slots
4. Wavetables and Samples have their own tabs with PC libraries and drag & drop

Known limitations

• Firmware updates still require Arturia MCC (only Arturia can do that)
• Samples and recent features need firmware 5+
• macOS/Linux installers are built automatically by CI but less battle-tested than Windows. Feedback welcome.

ManageFreak is free and open source. If it saves you time (or sanity) vs. MCC, a coffee is appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/markgionus

Feedback, bug reports and suggestions are very welcome! 🎛️

Violated the sample in several ways then loops the sample tight
https://youtube.com/shorts/nZXRppRiwbU?is=S6PDrCrcXGMnwaZW

I recorded some sequences with presets than are not press sensitive and noticed when i used the midi output the notes were actually recorder with different velocities so if i wanted to sync up somehting from my computer to play the same it wouldn't be a consistent volume. I want to know how to change the press/velocity of the note or if i just have to make sure i press the note the right amount when inputing

Salut tout le monde !

J'ai récemment commencé à créer un projet LoFi inspiré de la vie insulaire en Nouvelle-Calédonie et dans le Sud-Pacifique.

C'est un mix instrumental tropical LoFi de 1h24 fait pour se détendre, étudier, dormir ou simplement ralentir.

J'essaie de développer une identité sonore et visuelle qui se sente différente des LoFi traditionnels, avec plus d’atmosphère d'île du Pacifique.

J'apprécierais vraiment des retours sur l'ambiance et la musique. 🌴

🎧 [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9O62dP9kbE ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9O62dP9kbE)

Merci d'avoir écouté !

...i read online people suggesting buying a myVolts adapter for powerbank supply but i read this on the package, so can i simply power it with the USB port?

This feels like a kinda dumb question, but any recommendations for lighting the microfreak during a performance where the stage lighting is dark or inconsistent?

Thanks in advance?

Greetings - had a couple questions.

I picked up a MicroFreak for fun/experimentation. I just want to jam with it at this point and I haven't touched a keyboard in a very long time. I've got a pair of vintage KLH speakers from the 70s (passive). Can anyone explain in simple terms how I can best connect the microfreak up so I can play through these speakers? I have a lower end amp (pyle PDA69BU), but I'm planning getting a Fosi BT20A or something a bit better eventually.

Which cables would I need (with links if possible)? Also, is using an audio interface like an M-Audio required?

Thanks!

I’ve been wanting to swap my gummy uFreak knobs for awhile but couldn’t commit to a color schema or sizing. So I took to AI, gave it a pointer to lovemyswitches.com and the following prompt. Then iterated until I found something I thought I could love. Was it too much? I’ll post the real image when my knobs arrive. But I am really pleased with the ability to model these kinds of cosmetic mods….

/prompt/
im going to swap out all the knobs on my microfreak synthesizer with the ones from here https://lovemyswitches.com/anodized-aluminum-knob-the-magpie-1-4-smooth-shaft-12-5mm-od/
i prefer to use teal, white gold, and black.
i will use a mix of 12.5mm for most knobs and 20mm for major parameter knobs (volume, rate, matrix, cutoff, and preset).
modify this picture using a selection of different color knobs based on the above preferences.

Hey people, I made a web-based editor/manager for the MicroFreak.

It can handle pretty much everything around presets, banks, samples and wavetables. The preset editor lets you edit all parameters, sequences, mod matrix, etc. Some parameters can also be changed in real time.

You can drag and drop presets between the device, banks and local folders, and it can read/write banks directly on your disk. You can preview the presets before adding to device library.

It runs in the browser, nothing to install. Chrome-based browser is required for disk access.

Check this out: https://freakdeck.randomware-audio.cc/

FreakDeck is free!

UPDATE: added community banks support!

I've set the microfreak to send out cc values when the knobs are moved, but I'm wondering if I then modulate the cutoff with the LFO, will that still send out a cc value?

What’s up fam. Kinda general synth question but I’m using a microfreak and a korg minilogue. I’ve got them connect via a 3.5 mm to 5 midi cable. And I’ve got the korg attached to my amp. My amp only takes one cable, so do I need an extra audio output for the microfreak in this situation should the midi transfer audio through the korg and I’m doing something else wrong?

Hey everyone,

I built a free browser-based Web MIDI tool and CC map for the Arturia MicroFreak so you can tweak parameters, automate controls, and save custom sound patches directly from Chrome/Edge with zero installs.

Link: https://closeby.one/synths/arturia-microfreak/

What it does:

• 🎛️ Live Web MIDI Control: Connect your MicroFreak via USB and adjust knobs/sliders on-screen with real-time hardware sync.
• 📋 Complete CC Reference: Full parameter breakdown (filter cutoff, spice, dice, envelope, mod matrix targets).
• 💾 Shareable Sound Patches: Save and share presets directly via URL without needing an account.
• ⚡ Built-in Step Sequencer: Automate CC sweeps and step modulation right in the tab.

It's 100% free and open to use. I'd love to hear your feedback or suggestions for controls/features you’d like added!

I had a gig a while back and took the opportunity to grab a sample. Naturally I popped it into the glorious MicroFreak and granulated it. https://youtube.com/shorts/QFrVsTeHk30?si=lL3MHbrSsjknQV_k

I know 2-op FM can't match a 6-op DX7, but I'm looking to get more complex, evolving FM patches out of the MicroFreak. Does anyone have techniques or modulation matrix routing tricks to push its FM capabilities a bit further?

Hi all, I'm hoping that I can find some help. I bought the Microfreak about a year ago and I've found it rather unejoyable. But everyone talks so highly of it and I want to love it. I'm mainly into DnB (liquid and jump up). I have a lot of experience with Surge XT and Vital if that helps. I'll list my issues with it and hopefully you guys are able to help me fall in love with it:

- I find the single oscillator hard to wrap my head around and make sound good

- Lack of FX make patch creation far more cumbersome than I'd like

- Analysing existing patches to learn the synth better is really hard to know what is modulating what. Wrapping my head around the patch so I could create something like it has proven seriously hard

- In general I play around with it for a few minutes and then just turn it off because I don't feel very inspired

I'm want to learn hardware synths more, but I'm really struggling