Et tu, MicroBrute…us?
It’s small, it’s analog, and it’s a follow-up to the MiniBrute – very likely, called the MicroBrute. Arturia has a new analog synth; they’re not talking details yet, instead posting a site with blurred-out photos and a countdown to a release date later this week. But between leaked information and images, and some tidbits from the teaser site, it’s not so hard to piece together a lot of details of the instrument they’re referring to only as “IT.”
It’s definitely an analog synth with keys (seen in the blurred shots) in a compact form factor. It’s also:
- “Practical”
- Has no presets
- Based on “the original” – here, MiniBrute
- Has some kind of connectivity. Adrian Utley from Portishead notes “You can get all kinds of crazy and musical interactions going on with other analog gear and drum machines.” This appears to be a description of the matrix/patch bay described below.
- And it may have some new sound possibilities relative to the original.
- It also keyboard tracks – to eleven? “More than 100% values of such things as keyboard tracking.”
If you hate spoilers, um, sorry. One of my favorite sites, the German-language sequencer.de, gets hold of an image.
Arturia’s New Tiny Synth / Neuer Arturia Synth
It appears this is also a one-oscillator synth, with an uncommonly complex oscillator section. And Synthtopia reports on rumors that the price will be US$300 – which could make this a stellar success, a kind of analog answer to the microKORG, which was one of the most popular synths ever.
Ironically, the surging popularity of analog synths leaves the field wide open for new instruments with digital oscillators, and a reminder that they’re capable of other sounds. But that’s why things often go in cycles. We’ll see (and hear) what this ‘brute is like soon enough.