MiniBrute SE
Here's a quick overview of the new MiniBrute SE (not MicroBrute SE as stated in the video) from last week's Musikmesse in Frankfurt.
Arturia MiniBrute SE analogue synthesizerArturia's MiniBrute analogue synth really impressed us in 2012 when it was launched. You can read our review here from March 2012.
Now the French company have announced the MiniBrute SE, a special edition version of the synth in a housing the same size as the original, but with a brushed aluminium case and and wooden sides. That's not all that's changed though. The MiniBrute SE replaces the arpeggiator of the original with an all-new step sequencer with six available patterns, each with up to 64 steps.
There are some useful features of the step sequencers available, including a playback mode knob that can be changed to create new musical phrases from existing material, a Gate Length control that alters timing, as well as Swing.
Of course, it retains the same core as the original with features like a multi-wave oscillator and Sub Osc combined with a Steiner-Parker multimode filter (revised by Nyle Steiner himself). It also keeps the same range of modulation capabilities, the Ultrasaw (for generating shimmering sawtooth waveforms), the Metalizer (for adding extreme triangle waveform-induced harmonics), an LFO with sample and hold, and full USB/MIDI/CV connectivity.
It's due to become available at the end of May and should cost €549$599
Arturia's Keylab 88 controller keyboardKeylab 88
Arturia are also launching KeyLab 88 — the company's top-of-the-range 88-note MIDI keyboard controller and hybrid synthesizer solution.
The keyboard fills out the top of the KeyLab range with high-quality hammer-action Fatar keybed and 88 keys. It also ships with Analog Lab — Arturia's software synthesizer solution for Mac and PC with over 5,000 TAE® (True Analog Emulation) synthesis-powered professionally-programmed preset.
At home in the studio or on stage, the Keylab 88 has a removable laptop/synth stand with a rubber base to prevent slippage during performances. An integrated music stand can also accommodate an iPad if you want to use iOS synths or have a requirement to read lyrics or music.
The Keylab 88 has some useful front-panel controls including 16 backlit pressure-sensitive pads, an LED screen and a selection of knobs and sliders. These are pre-mapped to work seamlessly with Analog Lab, putting filter cutoff, resonance, ADSR envelopes and much more at your fingertips.
