Hi everyone, i’ve been using the minifreak regularly for a year now and I wanted to reach out about a feeling thats a bit hard to describe. I feel like the minifreak looks amazing on paper with all its functions and possibilities and the simplicity of the user interface …BUT i miss the freakiness, the sharpness compared to the microfreak, the little extra in its sound that makes it special and more emotional. Stimming describes something similar in his Review on Youtube - the minifreak sounds “rounded” compared to the microfreak, more conventional and the different machines all share a very similar sounding character instead of being very different.
So I dont know how else to describe it - I am just missing a certain depth and character to the sound. Maybe thats just how digital synths are but when i watch demos of the Hydrasynth or the MegaFM from Twisted Electronics (both digital synths in the same price range) i hear a lot more power and rawness in their sound. Compared to that the minifreak always sounds a bit flat perhaps, or just not as rich in its harmonics.
So my question to you - did anyone have a similar experience and maybe some advice on how to get more out of the minifreak? What are your sweet spots and usual settings with the minifreak when you start a new patch?
Some settings I often come back to:
- For me one key setting would be to usually turn on the multi comp FX which immediately gives it more grit and especially more high frequencies (often in the sub-setting for high control).
- Another thing is to edit the velocity routing in the envelope settings and route it to envelope, vca,… which makes the synth sound more alive while playing.
- Another one would be to pick a core sound with oscillator 1 and then try to enrich it with oscillator 2. i often tune it an octave above or below and try to get something harsh but interesting (without being too noisy in a digital / bit reduction way which can be hard to find within the possibilities of this synth) on a low volume to give oscillator 1 some more character and the filter something to work on.
- For Pads: I often experiment with using the reverb and delay as send vs return effects (you can find it in the FX settings), which can give it a more lush sounding atmosphere.
What are your favorite settings and workarounds?