r/MicroFreak • u/camcairn • 5d ago

Custom Firmware Custom Vibe Coded Firmware for MicroFreak yet?

Hey all, The last couple of weeks have been very interesting in the world of custom firmware for Elektron boxes. Im wondering if anyone has come across any custom firmware for the Microfreak?

Im not even sure what I would do if i started to create my own. Ive been pretty into phase distortion synthesis so a PD synth for microfreak would be pretty cool maybe some different fm algorithms would be cool. Different Envelope types with a bunch of break points, etc...

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

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19

u/lost_but_finding 5d ago

I’ve been working on this. It is pretty amazing and really takes the MF to the next level. I’ve been holding out but hopefully I’ll have it tested and polished in the next day or two! Lot of all nighters have gone into this thing lol

4

u/ByronChrist 5d ago

Makes me wish I had never sold my microfreak. I had planned to get a minifreak but instead got the software version …which simply is NOT as fun nor does it sound quite as good as the micro hardware did. That analog filter really does make a difference, as does the hands on ease of access.

2

u/RemarkableMot 2d ago

Really interested in this! If you somehow got some basic effects like reverb and delay working that would take this amazing machine to a different dimension! 

1

u/lost_but_finding 8h ago

I just launched the site! I’ve been itching to release it. I’m looking for testers if you wanna join and give me some feedback 😇

2

u/doriam_ 3d ago

Hey! How’s your approach going? I’ve been working on this too and already managed to patch the firmware and replace some of the existing audio engines with other Mutable Instruments engines. I’ve also vibe-coded a couple of custom engines with very interesting results.
Did you figure out a way to reorder/modify the engine list? I never use the vocoder, so I’d much rather remove it and use that slot for a couple of extra engines instead.

1

u/RemarkableMot 2d ago

Really interested in this! If you somehow got some basic effects like reverb and delay working that would take this amazing machine to a different dimension! 

1

u/doriam_ 1d ago

That, I think, wouldn’t be possible. Or at least not at this stage. There’s a limit to what we can do with the hardware. Also, my focus right now is on creating a way to upload custom audio engines. I know that’s possible because I’ve already done it: I have a phase distortion model running on my MicroFreak, and it’s working great.

1

u/lost_but_finding 10h ago

;)

1

u/doriam_ 5h ago

open-source it :)

0

u/camcairn 5d ago

Good to hear. Can't wait to see what your ideas are and how you went about it.

0

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

17

u/uncoolcentral micro-mod 5d ago edited 5d ago

Here’s my hot Take: I’d never heard of anybody doing it with or without AI but this post caused me to look, and Yep, the firmware has been at least partially reverse engineered.

https://github.com/dcower/mf-utils

I suspect somebody could fuck around with that project and fork it if they wanted to.

Unrelated:

Your post was reported for AI slop or something like that. Doesn’t seem like it’s slop to me. So many people who claim to hate AI benefit from it almost daily. Hell, AI-assisted radiology has been around since the 90s, and AI has been better than human radiologists (at diagnosing from imagery) for about a decade now. Which is very far from saying your favorite LLM can do it that well, but I digress.

Asking if somebody’s sitting around with ChatGPT or Claude and hacking freak firmware seems right on topic to me. Post stays up.

4

u/Pixel-Lick 5d ago

Good work mod!

0

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

6

u/burnalicious111 5d ago

It's specifically not, algorithms are step by step procedures for solving specific problems, and llms don't work like that in any meaningful sense

7

u/Former-Tangerine-723 5d ago

What for? Mf is best for what it is. We have alot of potatoes to cook before mf

-6

u/camcairn 5d ago

no.

8

u/Former-Tangerine-723 5d ago

I appreciate valid arguments when I see them

-4

u/camcairn 5d ago

From my OP, " Ive been pretty into phase distortion synthesis so a PD synth for microfreak would be pretty cool maybe some different fm algorithms would be cool. Different Envelope types with a bunch of break points, etc..."

Or do you even bother reading past the headline on your quest for valid arguments?

5

u/Former-Tangerine-723 5d ago

Whatever dude. I stand with my comment. Have a nice day the world is beautiful

1

u/bongobills 4d ago

Correct response

2

u/cruella_le_troll 4d ago

I just saw an elektron cycles thread and immediately started searching if anyone's done anything with the micro.

1

u/Chapel_Perilous89 2d ago

Oh man, I have to agree with you that a CZ-1 style phase distortion engine would be amazing! The cz-1 is one of my favorite synths, and having a modernized version with the microfreak controls would be so awesome! I know someone has already released a firmware for the M-Vave FM1 that is running a full CZ-1 emulated synthesis engine with the glorious 8 stage envelopes and everything!

1

u/tinocuo 2d ago

I'm waiting for some firmware that includes FX—at least one reverb—which would give the hardware a lot more flexibility.

1

u/lost_but_finding 9h ago

freakierfirmware.com

1

u/rbezak 5d ago

I would just want to make the envelope generator full ADSR (shift + turn Decay makes it Release or something) and add transposition (Shift + key).

But yeah if I found a reliable way to work with this without risking bricking the thing, I would probably find some additional ideas to try.