Arturia MiniBrute 2 Semi Modular Synth - SonicLAB Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- Arturia's latest analog - the MiniBrute 2 - takes the original Brute concept and runs with it. 2 Oscillators, Steiner Parker filter, patchbay and Keystep style sequencer
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The Bass on these things is ridiculous. Exactly what I was after lol.
Can't beat the doof!
The "doof wave", from now on
Doof
Guy goes into a music store and says, "I'm looking for a synth."
Salesman: "What kind?"
Guy: "Something that has a lot of DOOF to it."
Salesman: (grins) "I've got just the thing."
LOL, good one :-)
yall know what oscilliscope hes using? i really qanna get one on my computer to help me learn me synth-ineering but idk really how to go about that and wasnt sure if i could like even do that. new to synths if u cant tell
D00F
This thing is fantastic after a few lengthy workouts. All the classic techno, fm, space etc tones can be absolute perfection with this instrument.
Sonic State makes some of the best demos. I also love the straight to the point and detailed descriptions :-). The Microbrute 2/2S sounds insane with reverb pedals.
Totally agree, throw a reverb with an overdrive/distortion pedal and you get some magically intense sounds. I’ve got a moog matriarch which is an incredible machine, but the arturia really adds gritty tones that compliments the harmonically rich moog sound.
I'm liking the new Arturia line. The old stuff never really grabbed me, but this seems like it's refined what made the Arturia stuff "unique" in the first place.
I like the fact the s.p filter has been tamed , however i think the tendacy as with most synths, people tend to crank the res all the way up. Great review , great synth.
Yay! Been fiending for a new sonic lab!
Nick says this version allows for a more mellow and less aggressive vibe, but I always picture those who gravitate toward this type of synth as tantamount to the Dave Chappelle rendition of Rick James thrashing about on a couch, yelling expletives. Which I mean as a total complement. Thrash on.
+Scott - Great analogy, I love it!
Ur right lmao
Brilliant review as always, Nick! Just scored the MiniBrute 2 keys version along with the 6U rack (which is huge, but wanted max expansion). I just love it. It's my first Arturia product, besides a Beatstep Pro still in the box somewhere and having fiddled with a MatrixBrute in a shop (also a fantastic synth!). They really did a home run with this one. It gives off the vibe of Synthi meets Moog with everything in between, sonically and aesthetically. Absolutely beautiful and built like a tank, to boot! AND, a massive setup for well under a grand.
12:03 - 12:07 he got totally carried away and could have played with different patching options for hours. How absolutely precious to see that passion coming through that probably got him into this line of work in the first place. :D :D :D At 12:07 it really looks like he got an external cue "dude...stop fiddling...continue with the review!" and is all like 'oh shit!! yea...where was I".
Ah, to do something you truly love is living in the promised land.
I have 30 guitar/bass fix pedals and 5 amps. I just bought my first analog synth(moog sirin),and I am already on here watching videos. Thanks for acknowledging what I was beginning to suspect, this is some sort of weird addiction.
Absolutely, I confess, I’m a total junkie, ‘I Just Can’t Get Enough’ of these synth videos.
Had this synth for a year and love it more every time I use it, just wish I had more time
The looping envelope, the larger patchbay, the keystep-like sequencer..I’m in!
I want this in a bad way! Sounds great, looks cool, priced right.
I totally agree with the Oscillator 2 tune knob being too close to the LP Filter knob…I’ve grabbed it by accident 3 times now during a live gig! And gave it a solid twist. Ye Gods!!!
Finally! A new review by Nick and what a lovely little synth. Thank you! BTW, I love the pantomime of the Brute Factor at 4:35! :-)
No one touches the reviews here. Thank you!
What a great review, as usual. Mr Batt, please consider also reviewing the Behringer Model D. It's selling like hot cakes. I love mine, and I would review it myself but (a) I haven't the video facilities and (b) I don't know the technical aspects of synthesisers yet ("This knob doesn't seem to do anything"). So a review from yourself would shed a lot of light, I think.
we should also point out that dialing the resonance in doesnt kill the bottom end ;-) this is still an issue with lots of synths these days. very nice to see that Arturia took care of this as well. now these things just have to be available pretty soon :-) im getting the 2S, thats already for sure!
thank you for pointing that out, helps me decide to go for it
Thank you Nick. Yep, I get the Low end all right, something I thought the original "Brutes" lacked somewhat. I can definitely feel the bass in this, no problem at all. I'm loving this, another great video, thank you my friend.
Excellent review Nick 🙂 And top marks to Arturia. The existing 'Brutes were already cool equipment in their own right. But this, particularly with the RackBrute added, seems to be in a league of its own. And yet again a year with Arturia stealing the show.
Usually, when people rave about semi-modular patchbays, they seem a bit "meh" to me. For instance the MicroBrute. The MiniBrute actually had far more advanced and capable modulation routings in the form of knobs and toggle switches. So if you weren't gonna actually interface the MicroBrute with some (semi-)modular gear, it was a considerable step back. But the MicroBrute got way more attention.
This time it looks like they've put enough thought and effort into the patchbay, that it really makes sense, even standalone.
Overall it also comes with enough features that it feels complete and capable on its own. By comparison, when I tried the Mother-32, I was always missing another oscillator, another modulator, another etc. It sounds great and seems high quality, but for me atleast, the Mother-32 feels dependent on interfacing with other gear to truly make sense. It was awesome paired with the Roland System-500, but not really by itself. Note: I know people doing amazing things with it, I just couldn't get it there.
The MiniBrute2 seems well raised above such issues.
I think it's a stroke of genius to make something as independently strong as the MiniBrute2, and then with the addition of the RackBrute, make it so obvious and inviting to add to it. Rarely have I GAS'ed as bad as I do for the MiniBrute2S + RackBrute.
Eurorack have been a long standing temptation, which I've intentionally avoided buying into, although doing several small tests. But this is the first time it's trying for me to avoid it.
Arturia would do well to bring out their own line of modules, or at the very least strike some kind of partnership deal with a company already making interesting modules.
Arturia and mutable instruments would be unstoppable! Literally I would take out a second mortage
Ben Minor wow it’s crazy you say they bc they did Colab for the MicroFreak!
Coming back to this review a year later to decide if I finally want to get it and it’s crazy because Arturia totally stole the show this year with the MicroFreak as well. The Microbrute is the synth that got me into synths and semi-modular. It was my first synth ever and I loved it. Now many years later and I’m about to buy the MB2, and already own a MicroFreak and Drumbrute.
Watch out for stacked synths starting at 14:44 ! :-)
I cringed when he did that... especially since he didn't even take the patch cables out first. Quick way to damage the cables and the jacks. :(
This Brute sounds amazing. Fantastic instrument.
Great demostration as always Nick, Arturia Rocks!
Sounds huge on the studio monitors. TH-cam has better sound than you think :) or at least the weight of the sound is coming thru !
Joona Lukala Yeah I've got some good cans on and it sounds great to me.
Yay... F.F.T. is back! I'm loving the Minibrute 2 and yeah, the pedal makes it glisten. Thanks Nick for the fulsome zen like atmospherics.
Superbe review again! Thank you Nick! Already super happy with the microbrute - this is fab!
i've never heard of bass described as "doof". I like it.
i've had my minibrute 2 for a year now and i'm still just watching because i like nick's reviewing.
I love envelope looping. It should be a standard feature on every synth. Also, resonance modulation.
Was hoping they added presets to make life easier like companies started to do back in the 80’s. It has become different enough from the competition that now one might hesitate deciding between this and a BSII. I’d still rather have a BSII but maybe this as well in the other format.
BS2 has considerably dropped in price, get one for sure! It's a LOT of synth for the money.
10:13 I hear a little bit of Depeche Mode "New Life" trying to come through there. :p
Very nice review Nick, especially the sequencing part was good.
Arturia’s purist approach to (sound) quality makes this a challenging and intriguing instrument
Well maybe ‘challenging’ isn’t the correct word...... it does things really nicely
I may be interested in this ...it's a big leap from the original minibrute
@ 14:48 - I don't really know about the workings of synths but I'm tempted by the sounds of the MiniBrute 2 and might buy one as my first hard synth. When you say that the MiniBrute 2s doesn't have a keyboard, I do have a MIDI keyboard controller that I've used with my soft synths in Studio One, so could I use that keyboard to play a MiniBrute 2s?
My MIDI controller is an Alesis VI 49 (I think) and has 49 keys instead of the Arturia's 25 on the MiniBrute 2.....it has decent keys on it, plus a shit load of knobs etc and it'd be handy if I could use it to control a hard synth.Plus I also have an Akai MPK 25 so it seems like a good idea to me if I could save on the wear and tear of a synth that will potentially cost me more money than the MIDI controllers did. or doesn't it work like that? Cheers 👍
was very glad to see a new sonic lab today. not disappointed
Please tell me you're doing the Neutron soon too! I've never been so torn between two pieces of gear in my life!
just get both and put the neutron in the rack :)
Amæthron I would if I could afford it. :( Looking at the prices it looks like it's definitely gomna be the neutron haha
MB2 is a perfect gateway drug for Eurorack. Weird that the most interesting stuff from NAMM-time this year happened not during but before and after - this and the TR-8S. There goes the gear budget!
This is the first youtube demo I've seen that doesn't suck. All the rest make it sound like R2D2.
Nice, I've been waiting for the Sonicstate analysis of the Minibrute 2. Definitely the 2S for me. Don't really need any more keys. I pre-ordered one and was hoping they would be out by now. I guess it shouldn't be too much longer.
i was genuinely surprised with the build quality of my microbrute, after i had my hands on it i started paying more attention to arturia
i really dig it! great review nick :) the first arturia synth that has captured me.. :)
The sonic labs are back! Looking foward to the Quantum and Prologue (16 voice PLEASE) sonic lab reviews!
Will there be a future video/s demonstrating sounds made with the patch panel?
You mean like a real review? Haha!
Seems to be slightly Buchla inspired = Easel, 259 vco and AD loop
Envelopes? Snappy. Pulse? Width.
Very cool review! Thanks for sharing! Love the sound and the low frequencies. Have a question, is there a Oscilloscope version we can use for this or for any other analog device connected to a DAW? I mean, an Oscilloscope that can be used as a "VST"... or outside of the DAW but while the keyboard connected to the computer. Thanks a lot!!!
I heard that the minibrute oscillators mixers overdrive halfway up the faders, is ti true of minibrute 2 also? anyway i'm always a little surprised to see demos pushing them to the max..
Just threw the 2S right on top of the patch cables like an absolute savage
Really disturbed me. These types of actions speak to the reviewer's REAL perception of the value of the synth. The words say "OMG! It's sooo good," then tosses the synth into a pile of synths with missing teeth and knobs, the action says it is not highly regarded. Nick is hilarious.
How would this stack up against a Sub 37? Sounds warmer than previous brutes, and loads more modulation options (and second osc). I guess it would be fiddlier live, but so much cheaper - and more expandable
No answer for your question. I'd like to know what people think as well. And I'm looking at a Moog Grandmother, and I suppose you have to consider this synth in that space. But the first minibrute was a pos, in my opinion, so I don't have a favorable opinion of this brute, or Arturia for that matter.
Thank you Nick, I always love your videos .
Really hope quality control is sorted out on this. I have now had two replacements for faulty drumbrutes and build quality of the two beatstep pros I've owned is appalling, would love to see a BSP that is actually flat and not warped/wobbly. Looks and sounds great but for £500+ hope it's got a lot better build quality than I have experienced. I sold all of my arturia gear last week and will not be spending any more of my cash to give them a second chance!
Great review as usual Nick :)
About the issues with Y-tube and audio quality, could you record sound samples as a separate file (and refer to them as sample 1, 2... in the video)?
R K most manufacturers put stuff on SoundCloud, do recommend
Late to the party but this demo caused me to 'pull the Trigger '
Great demo might have to plump for the Ventris. You're a cruel man Mr Batt and no mistake, dont know how you manage to sleep at night 😅
You can program 2 independant pitch tracks with the minibrute 2s version, each one addressing a different osc!, even seperate oute wave forms or noise from filter and achieve drums and bass at same time if you want.
Why didn't you review the sequencer edition. That one is so much better and more interesting with the mighty sequencer instead of the basic keyboard with a few tiny options above..
He talks about it a bit at 14:30
I REALLY was uninspired by the sound of the first Minibrute. I almost never sell synths or samplers that I buy, I always find a particular use. But I sold this synth, and I didn't even regret it afterwards. Anyone else feel the same way about the first minibrute?
But my question is, a year and a half after the release of this synth and this video, how did this synth do in the market? A lot sold? Are studios across the world filled with Minibrute 2's? Does this brute sound better than the first? Honestly, I shot out my minibrute vs several vst's, and the vst's won out for SOUND and ease of use/convenience. I cannot say that about my other synths. But I am mildly interested in the 2, the sequencer is a really vital addition to the synth, really opens up possibilities but then with the limited sequence storage, it seems more like a studio piece rather than a live piece. I don't know, your thoughts?
VST....ease of use? Well you are defiantly Yin if I am Yang.
Hey guys, another great review thanks. Will you be reviewing the MFB Dominion Club at any point? Would really like to see that.
That patch bay really sets it off.
Next time my dog jumps up and chews my arm, I'm going to ask her if she's a MiniBrute.
Good review. You mentioned the weighty bass several times, and I notice the Sub Oscillator of the Mini/Micro is gone altogether on the Mini2. Did Arturia add low-end to the wavesforms instead...?
M. Woofington My guess is that seeing as you have a second vco , a sub osc may have been overkill. However i love the MB1s' sub osc very meaty.
This new MiniBrute 2 has 2 oscillator so you can use one as a sub oscillator. The old ones only had one OSC.
joserendon Exactly and more waveform choice , Get in !!! 👍👍👍
Dear Sonicstate, please leave the oscilloscope showing in a corner instead of on a screen behind Nick. I would find that much more useful.
edit: added please
+Robert Syrett how come? I think it works well and requires a less complex setup
I can appreciate that it takes more effort, but if you look at a channel like DivKidVideo you share a lot of information passively when the oscilloscope is left up. For example, what type of wave shaping is happening with the metalizer? The oscilloscope would be able to share that but it was on a shot of the keyboard. Thanks for tanking the time to reply :)
I don't think it's that big of a deal. I think we see enough scope already.
Would it be annoying to you if it were there in the corner?
Hi Robert, you can use your own oscilloscope (in your daw, resize your window and put side by side of YT window and make sure to select the right audio input). will work great when Nick is not speaking
The time I waited was not wasted, gret review!
Nick has all the best adjectives
Great vid man,,, i have a Mini and a Micro. they both sound different. not a fan of the Brute factor really, so i use them the way i like them ,this thing has really mellowed out the sound some more, i love it..... on the to buy list... great vid as always...
I think you sold me this beauty!
All synths need plenty of Doof!
Great minds... hehe
Soft bass & lead sounds using the original Minibrute, with careful programming it can be really warm. I was looking for as much "Roland SH" as possible when doing this. Live tweaking of the lead / solo synth. bitley.bandcamp.com/track/artyrua
Hello!
Does the Minibrute 2 has a HOLD function for drone of just 1 note?
I know it can "hold" the arpegiator, but I need to Drone 1 note.
The original minibrute had a 3 way switch on the back for this.
The microbrute had a trick for this connecting the gate out into gate in.
But I cant seem to imagine how to drone 1 note with the Minibrute 2.
Thanks ! on this depends if I buy one or not.
I'm finding the "rounded" waveshapes a bit surprising, because I'm not seeing that on my scope. Stupid question: What's the audio path used? Could the pedal be "rounding" the waveshapes i.e. the pedal's bypass mode not being transparent enough (if still used on that audio path to the scope)?!
Kosh Dukai that was my first thought
Kosh Dukai Maybe they change due to how hard you drive them. ?. I Noticed on the triangle Nick had the triangle crank all the way up. I know on the brute 1 if you drive the mixer hard enough the waves start to really saturate the vca and round off the sharp edges.
It'll drive a bit, yes, but not enough to get a Saw/Sqr and even the Tri so "rounded" as shown on the scope there. Guess I'll have to do some short video with that... and take the opportunity to show the MB2's OSC Hard Sync capabilities, that I love and haven't seen any video properly showing it :)
I did check that, the scoped signal was the same prior to adding the pedal. path was: MB2-> DI->split 1-> Scarlett i/f split 2-> audio for video
ok, thanks. Well, I guess I'll have to "show mine" then :)
I bought one of these and the thing that I am disappointed with is that the mod wheel only modulates the pitch with a slight vibrato rather than going into the wild range that most mod wheels can add.
Hi , putting the keyboard and sequencer aside,
1) which one sounds generally better: Mimibrute 2
or EreBus 3 (oscilators, filters, etc).
2) which one is more versatile for sound design?
Thanks!
Love the demo. Meandering...love it!
I'm a complete noob to this stuff, but can you record sound samples lets say water puring in a cup and then assing this to a key, and change it with all the different modes?
Have you done a video on how you connect the Brute to the guitar pedal? I've always been a little fuzzy on this... does it go right into it with no problems even though it's Line level? Does Line level come out the other end? I've seen vids where the hook it right into it and I've seen vids where people solder a capacitor(I think) into the cable to get it to work safely. Too much non clear information. I'd greatly appreciate it if you would do a video(if you haven't already) since I love your vids and respect your opinion and clear way of explaining things. Thanks in advance :)
Looks like they're plugged directly into this one. Not sure if that particular pedal has any preference for instrument vs line level.
Pedals can differ in their ability to this. That's why you see people doing different things with different pedals. The easiest way around it is to get a re-amp box like this -
www.swamp.net.au/radial-prormp?gclid=CjwKCAiAlfnUBRBQEiwAWpPA6SfM_pbTeQ82c9y6mslH17HiaUkdXsFETwSDd8ayMG03khL30buynRoCITkQAvD_BwE
Having this means you can transform a line level signal into instrument level. You could then use a DI box to change the output of the pedal back to a suitable level for recording into your computer.
It would actually be awesome if Sonicstate did a video or two around synths and guitar pedals. Even if they did reviews of pedals based on how they work with synths. That would make for an interesting perspective on pedals that I don't reckon anyone else is really doing.
How about it Nick?
Niall Cameron I have a Pigtronix Keymaster. AMAZING little pedal! But it would be nice to know if I didn't HAVE to use it and could just use the pedals. Especially when using multiple synths. I mostly have Pigtronix pedals which are 18v so I don't know if that makes a difference as well. Definitely need a video to clear things up :)
I don't think the fact that your pedals are 18v really comes into it much. It's more the type of pedal you're using. A distortion pedal that's made for guitars, for instance, is going to be looking for an instrument level signal (for the most part). Plugging line level stuff into those is likely to be too loud for it to sound as intended. Same rule of thumb for fuzz, filter and other input-sensitive things.
As for delays, reverbs and modulation stuff? Most of the time I find things sound fine just going straight in. As always, use your ears, if it sounds weird - use the Keymaster. It certainly looks to be a bit of a Swiss Army Knife.
I wouldn't hold your breath on the video : )
Maybe send an email to the Pigtronix people. They'd probably be more than happy to clear up your query.
What is the "pedal" to the left of the synth?
Ventris Dual Reverb
Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb......wonderfully creative dual engine rev/echo pedal
sonicstate s
Question : i want to buy a Drum Machine, but... do you know if this synth can make 909 kicks or 808 kicks? I mean loving this can do and if it can do kicks variations would be just my 1st option
what soft u use for oscilloscoping
Picked up a second hand 2S. It is a fabulous bit of kit. Now, if I can just find a second hand 3U or 6U ............
20:47 ...I think something has fallen...2S ???
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!
Great demo !
I don't see a KBD filter tracking knob, how do you regulate that? Does that mean it's always on 100% or do you have to use the patchbay KBD into Filter? or something like that?
I'm asking because on the Bass Station 2 it's always on 100%.
+ato zee c.v out of the midi section into mod1 then use mod 1 amount into the filter for the scale amount
Thank you for clarifying this.
lovely pedal
14:26 "Hi-yah! Surprise Minibrute 2S!"
When I'm working, I will buy this 100%.
Do I need it? Probably not.
But I am fucking buying it.
Nick's back baby!
Thank you for this verry nice review.
Would you consider reviewing this synth together with the Drumbrute?
great overview and a great instrument.
How do you guys think, which of the Brutes is the best one to get ? Besides the Matrix Brute that is.
My fav synth explorer 😊
the burning question I have is: what is that gaping hole on the left side of the instrument??? It's bothering me not knowing what it is
nevermind, just saw the mounting system lol
The modified filter sounds different than the original Minibrute that wouldn't self oscillate below 600Hz (not as squelchy?)
self oscillates down to 80hz-ish ! Slightly softer than the MiniBrute also
Can you save patches on this Brute.
Only sequences
If you have a good memory.
for live performance: the MiniBrute2S is better ???
Hello! Could anyone please tell me what is the oscilloscope software used in this video?
How would this compare to the bass station 2?
"Might not come across on TH-cam, put some reverb on it" - Nick Batt
Doof
No matter how you patch it, it’s still the Minibrute osc and filter ... a sound like a sick animal farting underwater.
Good review though .
... and a pretty please: Neutron and Model D. They both seem like very nice hotcake nobrainers, but we need the Nick weighin :-)
The earlier Minibrute was so flimsy it remains the only synth that I ever broke - I miss the sound, but I'm not confident that it will standup to my hamfisted mashing.
It's filter "topology," not "topography" FYI.
How do I get that oscilloscope that you've got running on that tv?
every DAW has an oscilloscope