My best analog synthesizer for hiphop, dancehall, dub, house, IDM...

First I want to make it clear that I give it 5 stars, because it is a great analog machine

After purchasing it in 2014, I was amazed at how well it still works with no glitches or faulty controls or circuitry.

It is a 100% classic analog synthesizer, you have to turn it on 5 minutes before starting so that the circuits warm up and count in their normal tone.

The machine is a mix between an SH-101 and an MS-10.

Microbrute basses appear in all the songs I make, really great for sounds of italo disco, house, hip-hop, reggae dancehall, electronic dub, big beat, break beat, jungle, techno, IDM, house, electro funk, acid-jazz , electronic cumbia, trip-hop.

This machine really makes very cool percussion sounds, with great character and capacity, thanks to its modulation patch and its external audio input to the steiner parker multimode analog filter.

The filter is resonant and generates a sine, which can give very rich harmonics and the feeling of using 2 oscillators.

The keyboard tricks are great, the sequencer goes hand in hand with the mini keys (don't remove the keys, you will lose more).

The mini keys are bad like those on a microkorg, but it's nice to have them close at hand so you can play on the spot.

The keys are also a midi and CV controller, it is ideal for modular small sites or a clone of arp 2600.

It has no effects, the sound is clean and thick, metalizer is a very powerful FM addition to the triangle, the sub oscillator is a square shape and has a fifth.

The build quality is very good, it has a thick plastic and well fixed to a metal plate, the synthesizer can weigh more than expected, a lot for its size. The LFO in free mode is ultra fast, it has midi in7out via usb, it has 3 octaves down and 2 up, the lowest octave is used for very cool sub basses.

It's the feeling of having an old school Russian synth, but with a lot of quality and some very creative features.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

a less metal synth

It sounds a lot better than the Microbrute. That nasal, metallic harshness of its big brother is gone, and I do find that I genuinely like the sonic character of the Microbrute. That being said, there are still a few aspects that I find inexcusable. For one, I really cannot stand the feel of the minikeys in this one. Korg does it a bit better with the "slim keys" of the Minilogue and Monologue, because they're at least as long as keys should be, only a bit thinner than usual. These here on the Microbrute are so tiny that I can barely lay a finger on one without bumping another without meaning to. That is a recipe for failure in my book, and coupled with the LFO's weird rate-jumping (sounds like some digital tempo syncing to my ears, but it's not always wanted), and that kind of not-quite-right resonance in the Steiner Parker filter made me want to sell this and keep shopping.

Looks tiny... Sounds massive (Just like Arturia says!)

To start off I just want to address the build quality of this little guy. I see a lot of reviews on Arturia products (Not as much the MicroBrute... more so on their controllers) that complain about the build quality. People rant over missing or broken keys, bum knobs and faders, etc. When I got the MicroBrute, this thing was in pristine condition as one would expect a brand new synth to be out of the box. This is the only Arturia product I own, but if you are concerned about the build quality of this thing... Don't be. It is really sturdy and solid.

Now on to the good stuff! It only has one oscillator, but Arturia gave you a sub-oscillator which can be tuned to either a fifth above or an octave below (You can actually mix between these two to get both of them!). With this feature, I have been able to get some really gnarly fat bass patches. The whole interface of the synth is really simple too. Because of that, it could be a great choice if you are an "analog virgin." It also works great even if you are an analog wizard! The whole "Mod Matrix" thing is so sick too! It adds so much versatility to the synth and gives it an almost modular feel... If you want to feel really cool and play with patch cables a ton like you would on a modular or Korg MS-20 type synth, then this is definitely the synth for you. And speaking of modulars... The MicroBrute also has some CV jacks to connect it to your modular gear! MORE VERSATILITY!!!

The MicroBrute also includes a MIDI In jack in case you just want to lay out some flaming lead lines. It also has a 1/4" input. Through this you could send another synth, a guitar, bass, or anything with a 1/4" cable i guess... haha! This allows you to affect that signal with the filter on the MicroBrute (Which is really nice by the way... HP, LP, and BP filters... they all sound sick).

This thing is super sick. Don't let the size fool you. Arturia has this sort of modo for this little guy... it is "Looks tiny... Sounds massive." I think that describes it perfectly!

powerful synth at this price range, with built in usb midi keyboard

powerful monovoice synth, nice built in arp synth, and the built in (but optional to using) midi keyboard built in (which works without being plugged in) easily makes this a stand out desktop synth for me. the the "semi modular" patch bay i can extend out to my other synths is very nice to have. easily my top recommended beginner synth.

however, i will say that i feel as if it's rather limited, and keeps sucking me into the same patches, so that can be annoying

From Gear Setup

pretty good.

3.8 out of 5

nice synth, but it feels a bit punchy and warm. sometimes you need the cold ambient things, and the fuzzy knobs don't help.

pros:

• sequencer is great and can go at very fast hasticities
• patch matrix
• good waveforms and they use knobs which is nice
• small detail, but the filter has an env mod knob, which reserves space for 3 potential sends (vol, filt, misc)
• feels great, steel cold and everything but the keys is fuzzy and inviting (strange wording).

neutrals:

• brute factor is an alright dist but it won't do in ruby my dear hardcore style acid

cons:

• MUSH KEYS
• fuzzy knobs too oblique hard for me to get just the right electrics out of it. but plucky sounds are fun

Small but Mighty

This cat is awesome for sound design and bass tone creation. Has a powerful and easy-to-use sequencer and a gorgeous filter (including a Brute feature which actually feedbacks the filter section output, adding more VIOLENCE to your sound). Subtractive synthesis might be a bit unpredictable, but this makes the gear even more fun. I love how this guy sounds with a good stereo reverb, becomes instantly alive and even more massive. Perfect for instant sound geeking!

EDIT: Fixed typos and edited for a correct synthesis type.

Out of the box powerhouse of shimmering creative productivity.

Sturdy, intuitive, massively aggressive, this MicroBrute is a perfect companion to the MicroKorg.

Being two very different animals, the Microbrute's sequencer and MicroKorg arpeggiator blend for an explosion of sounds that will make people think you spent $3,0000 instead of just $700 on your primary synth gear.

This Microbrute can grind out some heavy tones and analog thunderings, especially when you configure the Mod Matrix patch board, crank up the metalizer, mess with cutoff and resonance, mix in some brute force, and let them oscillators and filters roar.

A must have synth.

It is not the pinnacle of the good built quality. Crappy keys, plastic housing... It's not built to last in my opinion. Having said that, the sound and features are awesome! Interesting oscillator concept, where you can mix different shapes, makes a feeling like you had multiple oscillators. Very nice filter and pretty cool little modulation patch matrix. For this price it is a MUST BUY!

The swiss-army knife of synths

Affordable, unique-sounding and simple to use. It's always present in my tracks and, despite peircing thru the mix, it can also sound fat or mellow like e.g. an Sh101. Definetly worth every penny !!!

Chip off the old block

Don't be fooled by the diminutive size! This kid brother to the MiniBrute packs an awful lot into a small space and like its older brother does basses and leads justice. The little patch bay that the Minibrute doesn't have makes this great for playing with other modular gear and the 32 step sequencer is a welcome feature too.