Nice first hardware synth with some unexpected twists

When I first had this thing in my hands I just could not believe how sturdily it's build and how well it looks with those wooden side cheeks. If you need something light to throw in a bagpack you'd better get yourself the Novation Bass Station 2, because the MiniBrute SE weighs a ton.

How ever much it seems different, and more classy, than the regular Minibrute on the outside, internally, the Minibrute SE is the same. The only difference is that the SE swaps the arpeggiator for a sequencer, but if you flash the firmware you can turn your SE into the regular Minibrute with arpeggiator.

Allthough the synth has no presets and there is one knob per function there are some additional settings that you need Arturia's Midi center software for, like changing the midi channel and setting up sync. It's a bit of a pity, but not a big deal as I almost never change these settings anyway.

I also found (by accident) that the synth reacts to midi controllers, as I was turning knobs on my Digitakt which screwed up the tuning on my Minibrute! However, I have not been able to find documentation on the midi implementation on the internet.

The sequencer is a doddle to use, but I never use it for pre-composed riffs. I just put in some notes/rests and then twiddle the playback settings swing, gate and mode and let the synth come up with a good groove. What I do like is that the sequencer lenght is not limited to regular beats. So a 5/8 or 13/16 riff syncing to your 4/4 track to add some interrest is easy.

Allthough the front panel look straight-forward, there are a few surprising features on this synth:

• 3 cv ins and 3 cv outs plus audio in

• 3 "gate mode" settings: "audio" (gate opens when there is signal on the audio in), "hold" (drone-mode: the gate is open, whether or not you press keys), "keyboard" (normal operation where gate is triggered by the keyboard)

• fast and slow envelope modes; slow is really slow.

• the saw, square and triangle waves have there own waveshaper each and they can be modulated. This adds some unexpected spice!

• The LFO can be synced to sequencer, and the sequencer is always synced to clock. This allows setting up some funky grooves, like a 3/8 LFO to a 4/8 sequence.

Allthough the synth supposedly gets its name from the brutish sounds it emits I find the "Brute Factor" knob a bit of a misnomer; it is just controls a feedback loop from the synths output back into the filter. That is very usefull because it changes the character of the filter, and at extreme settings it can create strange random noises, but it's hardly brutal.

Compaired to the Novation Bass Station 2 I always think of the Minibrute as sweet and creamy. The Steiner Parker filter is just not as aggressive as the Bass Station 2 filter and the "Brute factor" does not make it so.

It is definitely different and that's a good thing!

From Gear Setup

A Synth for the Fearless

This is the mono synth reimagined. You dial in your waveforms with a mixer, your triangle wave has an insane wave folder, you have 4 filter types to consider, all mod destinations have +/- polarity, and there's a SWING KNOB on the sequencer!! THANK GOD. Its all stuff that makes you go "how have I not seen this on a mono synth before?" This thing oozes character from its functions to its sounds. The oscillators are sharp and the filter is raw. It has a tendency to poke out of the mix; it is brash and will not be buried. The flip side of that is it has a wonderful midrange definition that only an analog beast could produce. But make no mistake: this sure as hell aint no moog.

Awesome Synth. Big sound. Harsh sound. Soft sound. Sequencer. I love it!

This synth was the first synth after some years of using only VSTs and this synth brought back my love for analog gear. After getting used to it and after training the muscle memorie it's one of the gems in my synth collection. From ACID BASSLINES to funky lead sounds. I love it. And the sequencer is quite intuitive and nice to work with, especially in a live situation where it can play up to 6 sequences (1 at a time) - it has non volatile memory.