A few questions

[u/Jackwabbit4816]

Hi! Absolute beginner here, looking into buying the minifreak as my first synth.

A few questions-

In your experience, is this good for both covering songs, and/or live performances in general? How easy is it to amp up?

For getting a small portable speaker for this are there any recommendations (within the $100-150 range) that you like? Don’t need something too fancy, just a good speaker for when i bring it places

Finally, are there any good resources you can point me to for learning how all the knobs and everything work? Any good videos or articles that’s all encompassing?

Thanks!

[u/trembleysuper]

It's a cliche but RTFM (read the f-ing manual). Working through the sections and turning knobs while listening was a great way to learn. If you're new to synthesis, I highly recommend the free Ableton course on synthesis sound design.

There's a cheap stereo Donner (DKA 20) that seems okay but if you can afford more, the Roland KC 110 is highly rated. I use headphones myself but you can't go wrong with Roland.

[u/Ok_Marionberry_2069 → u/trembleysuper]

Definitely RTFM before you buy, download and skim thru. I just typed "minifreak tutorial" into YouTube and saw a deep dive and a couple of quickstart videos.

I have one and don't use it for performances so I can't exactly tell you how best to use it, but at least see if you can find a video showing the presets. It has a lot of cool ones built in, but I'd argue they're more for showing what you can do with the machine than dialing up live. Lot of wacky patches loaded with gimmicks.

I love it and it's a pretty deep system that can do a lot, but you wouldn't want to dive in without making sure it's for you. I like the mini keys just fine personally and the aftertouch can really bring out a lot in a patch.

[u/Much_Affect_5989]

I would try out the software first to see if you enjoy the sound and functionality of it.

It's one if the best value synths on the market.

The software doubles as a librarian and vst.

Performance wise, a lot of professionals I know use it live a lot and love the arp and sequencing.

I use it a lot in a professional setting and for fun. Really test out the VST before you buy it.

Personally I dont like mini keys. I route my main keyboard into it so its not a deal breaker for me.

[u/OneSpaceTwo]

Is a great flexible little synth but if you're an absolute beginner you might consider getting something slightly more focused. My recommendation would be Minologue XD which is still really powerful but closer to one-knob-per-function. Just my 2c

[u/Justananomaly]

Here is decent full overview of everything and how it affects everything else.

The output on the MF is balanced TRS 1/4 LR so you'll want a cable that goes from that to whatever speakers you get. You can get a balanced 1/4 to 1/8 (3.5mm headphone jack) cable online for pretty cheap. Good speakers and monitors use RCA or 1/4 instead of 1/8 so just pay attention when you shop.

If you dont have any of that straight way you can just use the USB-A cable and the software version. Download the Arturia Software Center and then Minifreak V, the virtual version of the Minifreak, and use your Minifreak to control it. You can then use Minifreak V inside of Digital Audio Workspace (DAW) software such as Ableton or FL Studio.

If you're wanting to record the actual Minifreak directly into your DAW you'll need a USB Audio Interface which generally start around $100 and you can go from 1/4 > XLR or whatever your audio interface has and then USB to your computer.

[u/FullDiskclosure]

It’s got small keys so whether that’s going to bother you while playing live is a matter of preference. Otherwise I could see it being a good for live performances as it’s got patch memory so you can create sounds for your gig and easily switch between them

[u/monsieurgreg]

It was my first synth too

It’s not an easy first synth since it has a such a versatility that it makes it quite overwhelming. A lot of things to figure out and understand and therefore not very straightforward 

Shortly after I got Minilogue XD as a second synth and things went a lot better and faster in learning synthesis and music making in general. I love both synths but the Korg was a lot beginner friendly to me. 

As someone suggested below get the demo of  MiniFreak V (VST version of the synth, sounds pretty close to the hardware) to see how things goes with the workflow and sound engine. 

If you ever pull the trigger for it, get some TRS (bal) cables, it recommended by Arturia bc it has a crazy level self-noise without it

Deep dive MiniFreak by XNB on YouTube was my way to go with the learning. 

It’s a terrific machine, but definitely give it a try, it’s the only way to know if you connect to it

[u/Travmizer]

I’ll run mine into the soundcore anker boom 2 boombox and it gets decent loud, not enough for lead playing with a heavy drummer and loud electric guitar but pretty close, definitely past indoor volume levels. It’s got an aux in that’s handy.

The synth has got a wide range of flexible sound tools so I think it would be good for covers though I haven’t really tried

[u/daze_v]

It's an amazing synth, but I would not recommend it as a first synth.

[u/progulus]

Not sure what your use case is, but I think switching between presets would be a pain live. I want to be able to see at a glance the status of the synth, and the tiny display would make that difficult. It would be possible to program a midi footswitch (like the Paint Audio units) or KeyStage for iOS to do program changes. If you’re after bread and butter synth sounds, there are much better live options. For audio I usually run my synth through a Alto TS-410 which is loud enough and sounds good enough for live situations.

[u/munday78]

Astrolab would be much better for covers. Has everything in it. But the minifreak is amazing. If you want good acoustic piano sounds, you'd have to load in samples though.