The Analogue Bandwagon

[artpunk]

It seems everyone is jumping on the analogue bandwagon. Arturia, better known for it's virtual analogue emulations have just announced a hardware analogue synth, with a mini prefix and some interesting similarities to the other 'Mini' recently announced!
Arturia's Minibrute

[moogslob]

I was JUST looking at this, and considering whether to post a link, considering this is the Moog forum and all- haha- 25 keys is a bit wee, but then again, the price is nice! It is a cute lil thang, eh?

[Portamental]

Interesting. Polyphony on 25 keys? It's more a tone generator than a musical instrument. I am in the market for a good Midi controller though and i like their Laboratory 61 with two mod wheels. I wonder if there's some feel to it.

[moogslob]

mono not poly...

[Portamental]

mono not poly...

Mono. Yeah , right. I stuck on the Origin's page a little too long and had the number 32 on my mind writing about the mono mini thingy here.

[muksys]

I'm gonna wait for some reviews before I get this. Great price point, but only 1 oscillator. Not to mention a lot of kitchy named knobs. May be a great synth, but may also just be a one trick pony that is only good for a specific sound.

[artpunk]

I was JUST looking at this, and considering whether to post a link, considering this is the Moog forum and all- haha- 25 keys is a bit wee, but then again, the price is nice! It is a cute lil thang, eh?

Yeah, I was wondering if I should mention it being the Moog forum and all, but I don't think being aware of other new analogue products takes away from Moog's products or dilutes the forum too much but if enough people disagree I'd be happy to remove the post. I just thought it was interesting how Arturia have gone from VA software to software/hardware hybrids to analogue hardware...and the mini thing, minibrute, minitaur, mini me... I thought there were enough parrallels to warrant some form of considered discussion. I own way more Moog products than Arturia (of which I have the Analogue Experience Factory - the keyboard is really pretty good with velocity, aftertouch and mappable controllers, so as a controller keyboard it's a goodn, I was going to use it with the Minataur when I inevitably get one)

[unfiltered37]

Yeah, watch out Moog, the rise of the one oscillator analog synth made by a software company will likely put you out of business.

[thealien666]

Things I like about it: all analog, versatile multi-mode filter, "Brute Factor" effect (feedback trick), 2 lfos, 2 true ADSR envelopes, small but usable keyboard with velocity/aftertouch, arpeggiator, reasonably priced.

Things I don't like: only one VCO, no Moog filter.

I just hope Arturia didn't use the FoD under that front panel for the sliders openings !


This should go well with the Minitaur.

[thealien666]

Yeah, watch out Moog, the rise of the one oscillator analog synth made by a software company will likely put you out of business.

Well, maybe not that easily. But Moog will surely have to watch out for serious competitors in the "toy" analog synths market. They should concentrate on building serious professional quality instruments, not less-than-perfect Chinese made problems prone things like their LP/SP.

[Mr Arkadin]

Things I don't like: only one VCO, no Moog filter.

Well the lack of Moog filter would be a plus point for me as it's always nice to mix things up a bit - unless you want that all-American sound. One VCO is not a problem if it's done well - my SH-09 can attest to that. Not only that but my SH-09 only allows one waveform at a time plus sub osc - the MiniBrute has all its waves mixable (SH-101/MC202-style) and thosw waves can be adjusted in interesting ways (the supersaw and the triangle wave's Metalizer).

As a T3 owner this would make more sense to me as a contrast, whereas the Minitaur might be too much of the same thing (although I'm still GASsing for one).

[stiiiiiiive]

Indeed only one oscillator but many waveshapes: they chose to have the opportunity to get a personal raw material to sculpt with the filter. This is a Steiner-Parker filter, multimode and sounds good.
It results in a kind of modern Roland SH. interesting.

About the Arturia's products path, one of the guys there states that the vintage analogue culture has always been very present in the company, though it has only given birth to software or VA products so far.

I predict the french Mini will be a success

[thealien666]

...I predict the french Mini will be a success

Yep, looks like a potential success for them.

It's funny how the "mini" prefix has evolved over the years, if you consider the size of the "Mini"moogs ?

Considering the very small size of both new products, maybe they should have been called; Microtaur and MicroBrute instead

[HB3]

They make the cheesiest commercials ever. Man, it must be great to be running through the streets of Paris to a corny electronica soundtrack.

[MC]

During the last half of the 80s, monophonic synths were out of fashion. One note at a time? Get that dinosaur out of here!

Now it has come full circle - monophonics are the rage.