If a synth has a distinct character that’s noticeable in pretty well all patches, it’s usually the effects section.
IMO character is more “does it have a distinct sound?” and any number of things from effects/filters/oscillators to even the workflow it tends to push people on will tend to give it a distinct sound.
It’s not necessarily a quality thing in fact I’d say most of what creates character is a lack of traditional quality. Some of my favorite synths like the OP-1 has lots of character but that character comes from the fact that the synth is pretty lofi, it has lots of aliasing, it’s noisey, the way it filters samples naturally.
The SP-1200 has a unique algorithm for pitching samples that adds aliasing but it’s also 12 bit and 22khz plus has analog filters that glue everything together.
The Moog Grandmother has a nice overdrive when you crank up the oscillators in the mixer section. The filter itself is the classic Moog ladder filter which has a “ creamy” sound to it (it’s hard to explain but that’s what I’ve seen it be described as).
The peak has a very rubbery filter which makes for fun and bouncy bass sounds.
But in short character is often what I’d describe as all the little inconsistencies and defects that make a synth sound unique and can come from noise to distortions or whatever. It’s hard to nail that character in a plug-in synth and it’s hard to replicate those inconsistencies with plug-ins… I’ve definitely tried. Sure, you can get close with plug-ins but I always feel like I spend more time trying to get the sound then to use a synth that already has the sound I want.
Then the opposite of that is synths that are much more sterile and lack character. These would technically be cleaner sounds but you’d also not be able to pick them apart from another synth. Hydrasynth and Minifreak are both like that for me. These are the kinds of synths where you have to put more into it to coax the sound you’re looking for and that’s not a bad thing.
But when you start listening to more and more synths it starts becoming apparent what’s a Prophet or what’s a Moog on a track. What’s an Ms-20 and a lot of that simply comes from the character that makes those synths recognizable.
For me at least that’s the type of hardware that excites me most. I can get more power out of a soft synth but no one is gonna tell Pigments from Massive from Serum. Sure, people that listen may not care but these are the instruments that help inspire me and making music for myself is the first thing I’m concerned about.
This isn’t exactly the best or most versatile demonstration of the MiniFreak, but I did want to say that I’m really enjoying it. Really fantastic oscillators (especially the Noise Engineering ones), and fantastic effects that outperform a number of the bigger fancier synths. And the hold button is fantastic for drones! It’s been a joy to explore so far and will likely be a great addition to my live setup.
Arrived. Was prompted to update firmware. The update failed and now the machine is bricked (?!)… I have contacted the support. Anyone else had this problem?
I have an interest in this unit as I had a Microfreak which I liked quite a lot once passed through an FX of some sort (delay/Reverb).
After checking Arturia’s website, I am not so inclined anymore as in the requirements under Mac, my OS is not up to date (10.12) and 10.13/10.15 are “required”.
Edit: FX on the MiniFreak sound stellar though.
I solved it.
Booted the Minifreak up using shift + < oct, then started the standalone Minifreak V software, It detected the synth and I updated using a downloaded FW file. 
I’m on 11.6 and a quick VST testing + firmware upgrade all went though fine.
And yes, the reverbs and distortions are particularly tasty!
I’ve got the Minifreak and watching that video I had to mutter this mantra “dont get the rest of his gear- it won’t sound as good in your hands” 
Good stuff!
The Bass osc (one of the noise engineering ones) is really great for poly patches with lots of modulation on its three parameters (something I wouldn’t have expected for an osc with such a simple name as “bass”).
You’re awfully kind. But the Erebus really does sound incredible!
Yeah, I’ve got a pad set up right now with one of the NE oscillators (maybe Saw) and just having some modulation takes it into this alternate-reality-oscillator-sync sound that’s really lovely
After some testing last night I conclude that I really love the sound of the MF. My Virus TI observes the session jealously from the shelf…
One thing that I don’t like is how easy it is to mistakenly touch the seq/arp mode buttons when playing. Especially because of the minikeys. I wish there was a setting for shift + seq/arp combination to change mode.
Man, I just had my “see the light” moment with the Minifreak.
Working on a track, I’ve got a placeholder synth part I’m not too happy with. I’ve got all the arturia synths and most of the NI ones but don’t feel like digging through the presets.
Ta-da! Minifreak to the rescue. Sound in my head is pretty clear, replace the vst with the minifreak one, load the init patch and get to work. Ended up sounding a little bit more “special” than the sound i envisioned.
What an EXCELLENT synth in a pinch! Its a staple of my setup
I’m still really enjoying the minifreak after a couple of months.
It’s very easy to start from scratch and land on pleasant sounds. Even without a manual for the first month it was pretty easy to navigate and get to know the thing.
The SEM filters really lend themselves to the that ease of use and are a great counterpart to some of the wilder digital osc engines. I personally like the steiner parker filters on the minibrutes but I don’t know if those would respond very well to the digital/poly side of the freak. I haven’t explored the digital filters with engine 2 very much but I suspect those will get a lot more aggressive if needed.
The 12 voice paraphonic mode is a very clever use of resources and great for long trailing single osc pads and strings
The effects are great. They are in that DreadboxTyphon realm imo and much more usable then the stuff on say a Pro 3 (where they feel like kind of an afterthought). I use quite a few standalone effects but MF ones are still in play even when I’m sending it through my chain.
Lastly, I’d say it’s closest counterpart would be the minilogue xd but the modulation options on the freak best the korg while still also having a very similar sequencer with modulation lanes. You obviously have the VCOs on the korg along with the comparable multi engine osc but I like the focused out of box nature of the freak osc engines a bit more and it seems more versatile overall… I’ve seen hydrasynth explorer comps as well and those are valid considering the prices being the same. Both great machines but the hydra is a big empty canvas of awesome while the freak has a tighter set of parameters while still having a ton of sound variety.
OK, yeah, the MiniFreak is settling in nicely. It’s really nice to have a subtractive synth with a new set of oscillators; those Noise Engineering oscillators in particular are my favourite. I’m also having more success with the filter than I did when I owned the MicroFreak, and I’m not sure if that’s me or if it’s been tweaked slightly. And finally, having the three effects slots on board means I don’t have to stop exploring the synth to set up the right effects chain.
Here, I was just intending on trying out a new drum sequencer module I got and decided to noodle a bit on top of the drums. I had written a new song before I even realized it. Really enjoying this synth!
Sorry, couldn’t find the answer:
can MiniFreak send Arp or Chords / Scales via midi out and play internal sound engine at the same time?
Are there any comprehensive demos of processing external sounds with the second oscillator? Perhaps I haven’t been looking hard enough, but I haven’t seen too many examples.
The “polyphonic effects” thing from the video above is pretty nifty. Opsix’s Effect Operators work in the same way, as does the Digital Former Effects on Iridium/Quantum. Poly aftertouch is a fantastic mod source for these.
Is there a way to drive the analog filter and/or vca into saturation? Would seem like a waste of analog circuitry if you couldn’t. Then again maybe that filter design doesn’t sound good driven…
I’m about to make one towards the end of this month.