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RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech)
RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech)
RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech)
Arturia - MiniBrute 2S
Lizzie Davis
https://www.residentadvisor.net/reviews/23142 Page 1 of 6
RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech) 2019-08-05, 20*00
Because of how different the MiniBrute 2S is from its predecessor, it's worth
treating it as a whole new synthesiser rather than simply noting changes. At
its heart is the main VCO, which has sawtooth, square and triangle wave
outputs. All three waveforms are simultaneously accessible and can be
mixed together via short-throw faders. The VCO has controls for fine-
tuning, frequency modulation (sourced from VCO 2), glide, the chorus-like
Ultrasaw effect, pulse-width as well as PWM and Metallizer/Metal Mod,
which is roughly Arturia's take on triangle wavefolding. There's a second
VCO as well, but it only has a tuning knob (switchable between LFO-range,
coarse and fine tuning), and a waveform selection switch (sine, saw,
square). VCO 2 tracks VCO 1's pitch by default, but this can be overridden
in the patch bay. VCO 2's signal is also available via fader in the Osc Mixer
section, in addition to a noise source and external input.
The MiniBrute also has two identical dedicated LFOs, switchable between
six waveforms, including highly useful stepped and gliding random options.
While they can run free or sync to the internal clock, I was disappointed to
find none of the LFOs' parameters are accessible on the patch bay, meaning
you can't clock them to external sources.
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RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech) 2019-08-05, 20*00
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RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech) 2019-08-05, 20*00
there's an AM input for breaking this connection and using a different amp
control source.
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RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech) 2019-08-05, 20*00
The sequencer actually has four tracks per pattern: besides pitch and gate,
there's Velo/Mod 1 and Press/Mod 2. These two tracks are by default tied to
the main sequencer track, recording and outputting velocity and pressure
data. However, they can be separated from the primary sequence by
switching their track types. The pitch and gate options are self-explanatory,
but envelope and LFO are more esoteric. The former outputs an AD
envelope with adjustable attack/decay time for each active step while
inputting steps in the latter changes LFO rate and amplitude. When in any
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RA Reviews: Arturia - MiniBrute 2S (Tech) 2019-08-05, 20*00
of these modes, the Mod tracks can also have their own separate lengths
and time divisions. It's a lot to wrap your head around and takes a while to
get the hang of, but it makes for an extremely deep and powerful
sequencer.
Ratings:
Cost: 4.6
Versatility: 4.2
Ease of use: 4.0
Sound: 4.5
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