Arturia MiniFreak 5.0 is out now: the multi-engine polysynth lets you import user wavetables and user samples.
In 2022, Arturia released the MiniFreak 2.0 update with wavetables, followed in 2024 by the addition of sampler and granular engines in update 3.0. Fun engines, but with one drawback: you couldn’t load user data.
That has changed now, and it took them just four years to implement them all. Arturia has just dropped firmware 5.0 for the MiniFreak hardware and plugin Synthesizer, with both user sample and wavetable import.
Arturia MiniFreak 5.0
The new Arturia MiniFreak 5.0 firmware is now available as a free update for all users. The long wait is finally over.
Firmware 5.0 and the MiniFreak V update 5.0 let you add user samples and wavetables inside the engine. The import process handles the MiniFreak V plugin and can be done via drag-and-drop.
You can import your own WAV, AIFF, and FLAC samples at 12-bit/32kHz, and each sample can be up to 6 seconds long. You don’t need to convert your files into a specific format. MiniFreak handles that automatically.
The wavetable engine now also supports user wavetables with the new update 5.0. Import mono wavetables from your favorite libraries, including Pigments. They need to be 24-bit and 512 points.
MiniFreak V software now includes a dedicated area on the left side showing how much space remains for samples and wavetables. However, it doesn’t specify exactly how much sample or wavetable content you can import. I’ll ask about that.
Alongside these additions, the new MiniFreak 5.0 update also includes a new bank of 23 presets.
First Impression
I’m saying it again: “finally.” I don’t know how many times I asked Arturia when the import function would arrive. It took a long time, but it’s available now. These additions now turn the MiniFreak into a full-fledged wavetable and granular synth and playground.
The Arturia MiniFreak 5.0 update is now available as a free update for existing hardware and plugin users.
More information here: Arturia
Hardware & Software are available from my partner
Thomann
Wheres the Polybrute 12 update?
Hang on, I’m looking into the crystal ball.
I wonder what this tech would have done to me in 1990 lol