Meet MiniFuse, Arturia’s newest line of compact and affordable USB-C audio interfaces with loopback functionality, direct monitoring & more.
Excellent news from Arturia. They have just released the MiniFuse firmware update 1.5, which brings new virtual channels and a low-latency mixer to the MiniFuse 1 and 2. This new functionality unlocks easy loopback recording for streaming, recording, and content creation.
The MiniFuse 4 already has this functionality. The new firmware 1.5 is available as a free download for existing users.
Article From September 28, 2021
Arturia entered the world of audio interfaces in 2017 with the AudioFuse. The start was a bit bumpy but continued strong afterward. With the AudioFuse 8PRE, AF Studio…, they expanded its lineup in 2019. All these products have something in common: they are high priced.
Today, Arturia announces a logical next step. With their new MiniFuse releases, they show three affordable audio interfaces for the first time.
MiniFuse 1, 2, & 4
Arturia shows three in one fell swoop. Two of them will be available soon, the large MF4 in 2022. The core is the same, however. They offer a 110dB dynamic range and a -129dB equivalent input noise, meaning unmatched sound clarity and dynamics. The developers promised that every recording will sound perfect.
The devices are made of robust material and specially-selected components. I can confirm this. The two MFs that I’m currently testing feel very solid and of high quality. The design is very slim and they don’t take up much space. In any case, each MF comes with a 5-year hardware warranty as standard.
There are also very practical functions such as hardware monitoring, a loopback channel handy for streaming, and a USB hub. Later more. The three versions differ, however, in the connections, etc.
The Differences
- MiniFuse 1: 1x combo mic/inst/line XLR input with 48V phantom power, 2 x 1/4″ TRS balanced line outputs with volume control, 1x headphone output with volume control, direct monitor switch, 1 x USB2 type A hub (250mA max.), stereo virtual loopback channel, USB-C, and bus-powered.
- MF 2: 2x combo mic/inst/line XLR input with 48V phantom power, 2 x 1/4″ TRS balanced line outputs with volume control, 1x headphone output with volume control, 1 x 5-pin MIDI input 1 x 5-pin MIDI output, 1 x USB2 type A hub (250mA max.), stereo virtual loopback channel, USB-C, and bus-powered.
- MF 4: 2x combo mic/inst/line XLR input with 48V phantom power + 2 x Inst/Line TRS Inputs, 4 x 1/4″ TRS balanced line outputs with volume control, 2x headphone output with volume control, DC-coupled, 1 x 5-pin MIDI input 1 x 5-pin MIDI output, 2 x USB2 type A hub (250mA max.), stereo virtual loopback channel, USB-C, and bus-powered
I’ve been testing the new MF audio interfaces for a long time. More precisely the MF1 and MF2. Unfortunately, because of the Superbooth 21 work, I didn’t get a very long test for you. In the first test runs, the devices were very convincing. Not only because of the compact design but also the quality, audio, and processing.
A built-in USB hub is great, thank you Arturia. Be careful, the USB hub is, however, not super juicy. It only takes 250mA max which is enough to add an original Keystep or MiniLab Mk2. More power is not possible as they only run with the power of your PC/Mac/iOS via USB-C.
And all three interfaces also run smoothly on iOS. I tried the first two, both are recognized without problems.
Software Bundle
The MiniFuse series ships with an impressive set of software including:
- Ableton Live Lite
- Arturia Analog Lab Intro + FX with 4 effect plugins
- Auto-Tune Unlimited 3-months free subscription
- Native Instruments Guitar Rig 6 LE
- Splice 3-months free subscription
At first look, very nice and compact interfaces for little money. They offer a lot of functionality for musicians and streamers. I like the lighting of the knobs very much, especially useful in dark situations. The USB-hub addon is a neat addon.
Arturia MiniFue will be available in black and white. The MiniFuse 1 & 2 in black will be available in stores in mid-October. White MiniFuse 1 & 2 will be available in stores in November. MiniFuse 4 will be available in 2022. They start at $99/99€ for the MF1 and $149/149€ for the MF2. The MF4 TBA.
More information here: Arturia
Where did you get that outputs on MF4 will be DC-coupled? I didnt see it anywhere but this article. 🙁 If this is true I will wait for this little soundcard as this is exactly what I am looking for.
It was written in the data sheet for the press, I will investigate if this is true or not
rtfm. ouput 3/4 are dc coupled
btw, most if not all headphone outputs on any audio interface dc coupled