Arturia - Minibrute 2 Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizer- Limited Edition Black
MiniBrute 2
Wired up, analog mutant
MiniBrute 2 has evolved from the legendary monosynth that revolutionized the analog scene with its mixable waveforms, Steiner-Parker filter, and Brute Factor. Now with semi-modular architecture, you can splice its genome and expand its raw power into the world of Eurorack modular.
But where could we gonext?
There’s no doubting the legacy and lasting impression the original MiniBrute left on the industry.
The MiniBrute was a statement. An organic, tangible breath of fresh air, a proud analog monument among the slew of sound-a-like synths that had flooded the market. Arturia’s ethos has always been to create exciting, meaningful instruments; instruments that traditional synth companies simply wouldn’t release. If we were going to recreate a legend, the 2nd generation of MiniBrute needed to be raw, exciting, and more than a little bit scary.
Born out of necessity, MiniBrute 2 was designed to bridge the gap between the more traditional synth world and the ever-evolving modular scene. Creating a sort of ‘creative glue’ that would fuse these two creative processes together, making something new and exciting.
Once again, MiniBrute is the catalyst for change.
PieceBy Piece
Deceptively simple, but loaded with advanced synthesis power, MiniBrute 2’s signal path and sound control abilities are set to become the stuff of legend.
To synth-heads, sound creators, and musical visionaries, a synthesizer’s architecture can sometimes be as exciting as the sound of the instrument itself. Thanks to the semi-modular nature of the MiniBrute 2, there’s even more to sate your technical appetite. You didn’t choose the ‘details’ page by accident, you’re here for all of the gory details. Here, we lay it all bare.
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Meetthe Oscillators
It all starts from somewhere, and the Oscillator & OSC Mixer panel on MiniBrute 2 let you create the foundations of your sound.
Since the original MiniBrute, one of the core ‘Brute’ features has been the ability mix and shape multiple waveforms to create a huge variety of sonic results. With MiniBrute 2, now you can even mix in a second VCO as well as an external sound source. This core building block is one of this synth’s most defining features, and the ability to tweak and personalize them makes MiniBrute 2 one of the most capable, versatile synthesizers around. Each standard waveform can even be augmented with a dedicated “sound shaper” parameter, taking basic, age-old synth sounds to the next level.
White Noise
Adding another level of creative possibilities, the white noise generator can add a little airy texture or rather a stormy buzz to a sound. A little noise here and there can give your patch depth and help push your filter. It also opens up vast synth-drum sound possibilities.
Frequency Modulation
MiniBrute 2 also gives you the ability to apply some frequency modulation to the VCO 1. By default, this can be done from VCO 2’s signal, but you can also use practically any source via the CV/Gate modulation patch bay. Create anything from subtle vibrato and tonal changes to full-blown audio chaos.
VCO 2
The 2nd VCO lets you choose between sine, saw, and square waves. Benefitting from an independent tuning setting, it will either let you add subtle harmonics to the sound, harden it through fine detuning or even create wide pitch intervals from sub-oscillation to high pitched overtones. It can even operate as a third LFO thanks to the appropriate range option. Just like the other sound sources, the level of this oscillator can be adjusted using the OSC Mixer so that you can choose freely between using it only as a sound source, only as a modulation source and anything in between.
VCO2-All Range
VCO2-Pitch
Sawtooth & Ultrasaw
The bite of the Brute, the sawtooth is a classic, aggressive waveform with harsh elements that cut through a mix with ease, and its rich harmonic content reacts beautifully to being filtered. The related ultrasaw sound-shaper thickens up the saw wave, changing the profile of its ‘teeth’ with detuned twins of the original wave. This adds a really fat, widescreen feel to the sound, fleshing out your tone and creating an altogether different beast.
The Ultrasaw Amount knob controls the amplitude of the twin waves while the related modulation source, by default LFO 2, controls their level of detuning around the initial saw.
Square & Pulse Width
Another synth standard, the square wave has a sound of extremes. Beefy, sharp, and bright at the same time, the square wave has an energetic, instantly-usable timbre. Widely used in vintage video games, MiniBrute 2 gives you the tools you need to teleport this iconic sound into the 21st century. Alter the Pulse Width to go from a square to a rectangle and even a pure pulse wave resulting in a seamless transition in the harmonic content.
You can determine the pulse width both statically thanks to the Pulse width knob and in a variable way through a modulation source, the LFO 1 by default, and the related modulation amount knob.
Triangle & Metalizer
The triangle wave is generally the go-to waveform for creating softer, more subtle tones. Gentle on the ears, sounds based on the triangle have a sort of dreamy, other-worldly feel. While you’ll no doubt appreciate the softer side and sonic variety of MiniBrute 2, we also included the Metalizer sound-shaper to ruin the triangle wave’s day. Based on the principle of wave folding, it adds shearing, harsh metallic overtones, lending itself perfectly to hot bass sounds and screaming leads.
For that extra level of control, in addition to setting a static Metalizer offset, you can let the velocity or any other modulation source control its level. Imagining the expressive depth of a soft, delicate Triangle waves evolving into raucous, powerful metallic stabs as you play harder.
Expressyourself
It almost goes without saying, but no matter how complex or full-featured a synthesizer is, inspiration often comes with a few simple notes.
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01. Arpeggiator & Loop
The multi-mode arpeggiator lets you quickly create looping patterns that flow from the notes you play using the pads. The pattern can play forwards, backwards, in an alternating combination, and randomly, and at multiple time resolutions.
02. The Sequencer
Another exciting creative element that’s guaranteed to inspire you is MiniBrute 2’s built-in step sequencer. With an interface and operation that will be instantly familiar to fans of the Arturia KeyStep, the sequencer lets you intuitively create monophonic, melodic sequences that can be synchronized to your daw via USB, any other hardware devices like DrumBrute via MIDI, or to the clock input signal on the patch bay.
03. The Keyboard
MiniBrute 2 features a high quality 25-note keyboard, with the same feel and action as the keyboard found on Arturia’s flagship MatrixBrute. This step up in terms of quality and calibre typifies MiniBrute 2, a refined analog instrument, a future classic. Whether you want to play expressive, delicate pads, or lightning-fast solo lead lines, MiniBrute 2’s silky, responsive keyboard will bring your music to life.
Velocity sensitive and aftertouch enabled, MiniBrute 2’s modular matrix also gives you patch points for the keyboard’s pitch, gate, velocity, aftertouch, and mod parameters so you can rewire their default settings. Control the filter’s frequency modulation with aftertouch, make the Ultrasaw depth change as you player harder and softer, now you can rewrite the rules of what a synth’s keyboard does.
Patch ItUp
One of the most uniquely thrilling aspects of MiniBrute 2 is its impressively comprehensive CV/Gate patch matrix.
Even if the only things you connect to MiniBrute 2 are the power adapter and headphones, you’ll still be able to create out-of-this-world sounds. Every component and feature has its own dedicated assignation, set by the exceptional synth minds at Arturia. If you want to break the mold and go off the beaten track, you can start patching and creating exciting, and often surprising connections.
Your first option consists in overriding the default, internal assignments by connecting a patch cable from one of the white-highlighted sources to any destination you choose. Let’s say you want something else to control the Metalizer amount other than velocity, LFO 1 for example. Just connect the related CV connections and you’re done.
Is there anything easier? Probably not, so go ahead, experiment, and find all those new connections that send shivers down your spine. There are practically limitless combinations and exciting sounds to discover, and that’s even before we start to involve external modular equipment.
Fully compatible with all Eurorack modules and CV/Gate-enabled audio gear, you can simultaneously bring in signals to alter the sound of MiniBrute 2, and affect other modules using MiniBrute 2’s sources.
This synth has been designed from the ground up to become your hub of creative experimentation.
Whet yoursonic appetite
We invite you to a feast, but this time, you will be both the chef and the diner.
MiniBrute 2 gives you the freshest ingredients and the finest kitchenware to craft a practically unlimited number of delicious audio recipes. Get ready to enjoy new tastes, new textures, and new experiences. Even the most skilled cooks will be astounded and surprised by the sheer number of options available. If you're only just setting out on your musical gastronomy adventure, we've provided a MiniBrute 2 preset 'Cook Book' to give you some inspiration in the sonic kitchen, with no less than 40 unique recipes from in-house audio chefs!
What's in the box
Box content
- MiniBrute 2 unit
- Power cord
- 8 patch cables
- a “Cook Book” jam-packed full of superb sonic recipes for you to try out, put together by some of the most illustrious synth-chefs around.
Instrument dimensions
- Size : 19 x 13.2 x 2.3 inches (484 x 336 x 58mm)
- Weight : 10.6 lbs. (4.8 Kg)
Main Features
Analog Synthesizer
2 Analog VCO’s:
- VCO1 : Saw + UltraSaw, Square +Pulse width, Triangle + Metalizer. (Waveform mixing)
- VCO2 : Sine, Saw, Square waveforms (three tuning ranges).
VCO 2>1 Hard Sync, VCO1 linear and exponential FM
White Noise Generator
External Audio In
Steiner Parker filter (12dB per octave): Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, Notch modes.
2 LFO’s with Sync: Sine, Tri, Saw, Square, Random, Slew Random
1 ADSR envelope
1 AD envelope
- Trig, Gate modes
- One shot or Loop
- Attack and Decay times CV controllable
48-point CV and Gate patchbay
- Inputs and Outputs for the voice and sequencer
- Utility modules: inverter, attenuators, VCA
25-key velocity and pressure sensitive keyboard
Arpeggiator types : Up, down, inclusive, exclusive, random, note order, double up, double down modes
Sequencer mode:
- 8 step-sequences with Rest, Tie and Legato note entry
- Each sequence can have up to 64 steps
MIDI and USB I/O
Choose options