Arturia MicroBrute UFO

• Oscillator with Ultrasaw, Pulse Width & Metalizer
• Sub/Fifth Oscillator
• Steiner Parker Multimode Filter
  
• Brute Factor
• Glide & ModWheel Control
  
• LFO with 3 waveforms & BPM sync
• ADSR envelope
• Step sequencer with 8 patterns
  
• Mini patch matrix
• 25 mini keys with velocity
• MIDI In
• USB MIDI
• Audio input with level control
• Audio output
• Headphone output
• CV / Gate Control voltage outputs
• Gate In
• cool UFO design & all black keyboard

Sounds from Retro to cyberpunk

The analog sound generation of the MicroBrute is a specialty of its own: The signal path consisting of oscillator including sub-oscillator, filter and VCA is based on the Roland classic SH-101, but goes its own way in terms of sound.

The oscillator simultaneously generates the sawtooth, square and triangle waveforms, which are implemented here as Ultrasaw (superimposed, multiple sawtooth), Pulse Width (classic PWM) and Metalizer (downstream wavefolder). A sub-oscillator with a square waveform, which oscillates an octave below the oscillator, provides more punch in the bass range, but can also be turned up to the "fifth" to create 2-tone pseudo-chords.

As the mixer is integrated into the oscillator block, the next step is a wonderful vintage sounding Steiner-Parker Multimode filter with lowpass, bandpass and highpass characteristics. The filter circuit comes from the Steiner-Parker Synthacon synthesizer from 1975 and is characterized by a particularly pithy resonance and musical overdrive behavior. The filter has been extended by the BRUTE control, which corresponds to an adjustable feedback loop between the filter output and input and provides the heavy sounds.

The last element in the signal path is the VCA, which works in the envelope or Gate-Mode mode.

Modulations for lively sounds

When it comes to modulation, the MicroBrute is more flexible than you might think at first glance. The ADSR envelope is hardwired to the filter and VCA. The LFO has three waveforms and can run freely or be synchronized to MIDI-Clock. Both modulation sources also appear in the mod matrix at the top right. The six control voltage inputs are assigned to the Ultrasaw, Pulse Width, Metalizer, Sub, Pitch and Filter parameters. Simply connect the supplied patch cables from Out to In and turn up AMOUNT for LFO and envelope until it fits. The modulation wheel can control either the LFO intensity or Cutoff. The internal step sequencer has eight memory locations with a pattern length of up to 64 steps; this is more suitable for jam sessions and creating sound sequences freehand.