USER'S MANUAL Arturia MiniBrute SE User's Manual 1
PRODUCT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT Frédéric BRUN Romain DEJOIE ELECTRONICS Yves USSON Bruno PILLET François BEST Laurent BARET Robert BOCQUIER Antoine BACK DESIGN Axel HARTMANN (Design Box) Daniel VESTER Morgan PERRIER INDUSTRIALIZATION Nicolas DUBOIS MANUAL Yves USSON Craig ANDERTON Antoine BACK Yasu TANAKA Noritaka UBUKATA SPECIAL THANKS TO: Arnaud REBOTINI, Étienne JAUMET, Jean-Benoît DUNCKEL, Simon TARRICONE, Glen DARCEY, Frank ORLICH, Jean-Michel BLANCHET, Frédéric MESLIN, Mathieu BRUN, Gérard BURACCHINI.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 2 Introduction.............................................................................5 Installation...............................................................................9 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3 Usage Precautions.................................................................................................9 Register your Instrument......................................................................................11 Connecting the MiniBrute to the World...................
.2.4.2 Aftertouch................................................................................................................................35 4.2.4.3 Bend Range.............................................................................................................................35 4.2.4.4 Glide..........................................................................................................................................35 4.2.5 Vibrato..................................................
1 INTRODUCTION Congratulations, and thank you for your purchase of the ARTURIA MiniBrute analog synthesizer. You now own what many players feel is the best sounding, most versatile, and most powerful analog synthesizer in its class. The MiniBrute is the culmination of a lengthy (and very enjoyable!) collaboration between ARTURIA’s engineers and analog synthesizer “guru” Yves USSON.
Overview of some of ARTURIA’s software, hardware and hybrid instruments After recreating so many legendary analog synthesizers by translating “golden” versions of these classic instruments into sophisticated DSP algorithms, the time was right for ARTURIA to introduce an analog synth of its own.
Yves USSON and a couple of wired friends Combining ARTURIA’s acclaimed savoir-faire in designing innovative musical instruments, and Yves’ deep knowledge and experience, the MiniBrute analog synthesizer has its roots in the 1970s yet incorporates the best of the 21st century.
We built the MiniBrute with four goals: peerless analog sound, intuitive operation, realistic cost — and no compromises, whether with parts, design, or connectivity. From the smallest electronic OPA3 to the potentiometers and the casing, we cherry-picked the very best suppliers, subjected every component to exhaustive testing, and fine-tuned the design for the best possible player experience.
2 INSTALLATION 2.1 Usage Precautions The MiniBrute uses an external power adapter. Do not use any power supply or adapter other than the one provided by Arturia and specified in this manual (see chapter 4.3.1 for more details). ARTURIA accepts no responsibility for damage caused by use of an unauthorized power supply. WARNING Do not place this product in a place or position where one might walk on, trip over, or roll anything over power cords or connecting cables.
NOTICE The manufacturer’s warranty does not cover service charges incurred due to a lack of knowledge relating to how a function or feature works (when the unit is operating as designed); reading the manual is the owner's responsibility. Please study this manual carefully and consult your dealer before requesting service. PRECAUTIONS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING: • Read and understand all the instructions. • Always follow the instructions on the instrument.
2.2 Register your Instrument Registering your instrument establishes your legal ownership, which entitles you to access the Arturia Technical Support service, and be informed of updates. Additionally, you can subscribe to the ARTURIA newsletter to be informed of ARTURIA-related news as well as promotional offers. Connect to your Arturia account via this URL: http://www.arturia.
Here is an overview of the MiniBrute synthesizer’s connectors: • Audio Input & Outputs..........6.35 mm (1/4'') mono jacks • CV/Gate.................................3.5 mm (1/8'') miniature mono jacks • MIDI Input & Output..............Standard MIDI DIN-5 • USB...........................................Standard USB type B • Power DC Input.....................Internal 2.1 mm, external 5.
2.4 Warm-Up and General Tuning As with all other true analog synthesizers, after being powered-on the MiniBrute needs a warm-up period of approximately five to ten minutes. The allows reaching a stable operating temperature, which insures accurate oscillator pitch. Warm-up time depends on the external temperature; a colder ambiance will require longer warm-up times, while a hotter ambiance will result in shorter times. Once the synthesizer has reached its running temperature, tune it to pitch.
3 QUICKSTART This chapter provides the basics you’ll need to create your very first sounds with the MiniBrute, so you can start enjoying its rich, full sounds immediately. In subsequent chapters, we’ll get deeper into the sound design process so you can create more animated and complex sounds. 3.
Now, press a key; you should hear your very first MiniBrute sound! Nice... but it sounds a bit like a pocket calculator, doesn't it? We’ll improve this in the very next chapter, but for now play the keyboard while pressing either the Down or Up OCTAVE section button. This should transpose the notes accordingly. 3.2 Add some vibrato Press and hold a key on the keyboard, and slowly raise the Modulation Wheel — this will add some vibrato to the sound. Return the Modulation Wheel to minimum position.
3.3 Tweak the envelope Now let’s shape the sound’s amplification envelope, which determines how the level changes over time when you play a note. Until now the Sustain level has been set to maximum, which results in an “electronic organ” sound that has no dynamics. By changing the other parameters (Attack, Decay, Release) we can control how the sound fades in, sustains, and fades out. Increase the AMPLIFICATION ENVELOPE section’s Attack slider to its middle position, then press a key.
Now set these four envelope sliders all the way down, and raise the Decay slider to maximum. Press and hold down a key: the sound appears as soon as you press the key, and slowly fades out to the minimum level. While pressing a key repeatedly, slowly turn down the Decay slider: the sound will fade out more rapidly. In the lowest range of the slider, you’ll hear short, percussive sounds. Now that we’ve covered amplification envelope basics, let’s check out something even more fun. 3.
Press and hold a key: you should hear timbre sweeps, a bit like a didgeridoo, at a rhythm indicated by the red LED. Tweak the Rate knob to slow down or accelerate this wah-wah effect, and play with the filter's Resonance to accentuate it. Be cautious, you've just entered the Dubstep realm... 3.5 Create a sequence The SEQUENCER is a fun and musical addition to the MiniBrute. It will allow you to program in phrases and patterns and play them back at different rates. Start off by setting up the BASIC PATCH.
Speed up and slow down the sequence by turning the RATE knob or pressing the TAP TEMPO button 3 times. 3.5.2 Inserting Rests You have now made a sequence that has a continuous string of notes. Figure 16 While that is fun, it is more useful to have syncopated patterns. To create a pattern that has rests in it, simply press the TAP/REST button each time you want to place a rest. In Figure 17 you can see the result of the pattern if you were to press the TAP REST button between playing notes.
4 GENERAL DESCRIPTION Your MiniBrute is a true analog sound synthesizer, so all sounds are produced by analog electronic circuits. No digital computer circuitry is involved in the generation, filtering, or basic control of sound. This is one of the reasons why MiniBrute creates rich, animated, and lively electronic sounds. 4.1 Analog synthesizer architecture The analog sound production chain uses a classical approach called subtractive synthesis.
These complex waveforms are actually made up of multiple sine waves — a fundamental sine wave that determines the base frequency, and sine waves representing higher harmonics (also called overtones or partials) of that frequency which, when added together, produce a unique timbre. These harmonics are an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e., the second harmonic is twice the fundamental frequency, the third harmonic is three times the fundamental, and so on.
• The Ultrasaw builds two phase-shifted copies of the basic sawtooth signal. These copies have independent and ever-evolving phase shifts with respect to each other, and are eventually mixed with the sawtooth signal. This results in a lively, rich, and bright ensemble effect whose character depends on the modulation rates of the phase-shifted copies. • The Pulse Width Modulator (or PWM) takes the square wave and changes the ratio between the time the waveform is at maximum or minimum.
4.1.3 Filter 4.1.3.1 What is a filter? In general, a filter follows the signal generator and signal enhancers, and modifies the spectral content of the signal or signals. This can involve either attenuating (filtering out) or emphasizing (resonating) particular overtones and partial, and these changes can be either static or dynamic. Filters are very important circuits whose design contributes greatly to the a synthesizer’s sound and character. 4.1.3.
In band-pass mode, the cutoff frequency becomes a band’s center frequency. Partials within this band remain unchanged, while partials below or above the band’s range are attenuated strongly. In high-pass mode, partials above the cutoff frequency remain unchanged, while the partials below the cutoff are attenuated. In notch mode (or rejection filter) the cutoff frequency becomes a band’s center frequency; partials within this band are attenuated, while partials above and below this band remain unchanged.
The cutoff frequency doesn’t have to be static; controlling it with other devices like a keyboard (keyboard tracking), or LFO, envelope generator, or other controllers, creates dynamically-changing, interesting timbres. 4.1.3.3 Resonance or emphasis Resonance is a filter’s ability to amplify or emphasize partials that are close to the cutoff frequency, thus creating a peak in the spectral response.
4.1.5 Modulators Modulators provide signals that are designed specifically to control the behavior of oscillators, filters and amplifiers. Unlike audio oscillators, modulators are lowfrequency signals. For example, when you sing with vibrato, you are “modulating” your voice with a low-frequency change in pitch, typically around 5Hz or so. The tremolo circuit in a guitar amplifier modulates the amplifier’s level.
• The sustain stage starts at the end of the decay phase, and remains at the sustain value long as a keyboard key is held down or a gate signal remains full on. The sustain level is variable between zero (no sustain) and the envelope’s maximum value. • Finally, the release stage starts upon releasing the key, and sets the amount of time for the level to decrease from the sustain level down to zero. 4.1.6 Player interface To play a tune with your synthesizer, as a player you need a player interface.
4.1.7 Inputs and outputs In order to hear the MiniBrute, its audio output needs to connect to an audio amplifier either directly or through a mixer console (or use the Headphones output). As to control, the MiniBrute can accept control voltage signals from devices like an analog step sequencer or MIDI controller (e.g., a MIDI drum pad or wind controller), or even audio signals from an external sound source such as a microphone or electric guitar.
4.1.
4.2 Front Panel 4.2.1 The oscillator and its signal mixer The oscillator delivers three basic waveforms: sawtooth, pulse, and triangle wave. These waveforms are accessible through the signal mixer and their respective levels can be adjusted with the slider potentiometers. A sub-oscillator is available to create sub-bass sounds. The mixer also controls the level of noise and of external audio (if an external source is plugged in the rear panel’s audio in jack). The mixed signals then feed the filter.
be adjusted with the PWM & Metalizer knob in the front panel’s LFO section. Triangle and Metalizer The level of the Triangle wave and Metalizer is controlled with the slider potentiometer labeled with the Triangle symbol. Pulling it down completely mutes the signals and moving it up increases their level. Turning the Metalizer knob from fully counter-clockwise to fully clockwise warps the triangle wave’s smooth, flute-like sound into complex, metallic-sounding waves.
4.2.2 The filter The filter alters the oscillators’ timbre via the four response modes described previously (LP, BP, HP & Notch). Its cutoff and resonance can be adjusted manually. The cutoff can also be controlled by the keyboard and modulated by various modulation generators. The MiniBrute filter is based on Nyle Steiner’s Sallen & Key architecture (designed in the 70s) and offers -12dB/octave slopes in LP and HP modes, and -6dB/octave slopes in BP and Notch modes. 4.2.2.
The ENV Amt lets you control the amplitude and polarity of the envelope signal sent to modulate the filter cutoff frequency. At the 0 position (12 o'clock), no envelope modulation occurs. When turned counterclockwise (below the 0 mark), the ENV Amt knob sends an increasing amount of the inverted ADSR envelope. When turned clockwise (beyond the 0 mark) the ENV Amt knob sends an increasing amount of the standard, positivegoing ADSR envelope. 4.2.2.
brightness depends both on the envelope signal amplitude and on the Velocity signal sent by the keyboard (when the Velocity function has been enabled over USB by the MiniBrute Connection software; see the Software section of this manual). 4.2.3 The amplifier The amplifier controls the sound’s amplitude dynamics, as determined by the Amplifier Envelope and LFO parameters. 4.2.3.1 Amplifier Envelope In normal mode, the Amplifier envelope is triggered by the keyboard GATE signal.
by the Modulation Wheel so when it’s at its minimum position (Min) the targets receive no LFO signal; when the switch is set on this position, make sure the Modulation Wheel is fully engaged to maximum. 4.2.4.2 Aftertouch The Aftertouch switch controls the aftertouch signal assignment; aftertouch is very useful to trigger modulation events while playing without using extra knobs or sliders, thus increasing expressiveness.
4.2.5 Vibrato The Vibrato is a specialized low frequency oscillator dedicated to oscillator pitch modulation. It’s completely independent from other modulation sources, and its modulation depth and triggering are controlled by the Modulation wheel [4.2.4.1] and the Aftertouch switch [4.2.4.2] respectively.
4.2.6.3 Clock The Clock switch sets the LFO rate’s operating mode. It can be slaved to the Sequencer tempo clock (Seq) or set to Free mode (i.e., the LFO rate depends solely on the Rate knob setting). 4.2.6.4 Modulation routing PWM & Metalizer The PWM & Metalizer knob controls the amplitude and polarity of the LFO signal that modulates the oscillator pulse wave Pulse Width, and the Metalizer’s folding level. At the 0 position (12 o'clock) no modulation is sent to the targets.
4.2.7 Sequencer The Sequencer allows you to record a series of notes in and then it will play them back in the order that you played them in. The Sequencer on the MiniBrute is a stepsequencer that allows you to record the notes from the keyboard. It has a total of 6 sequences. Pattern This knob selects between the 6 patterns. Play/Record This selects between PLAY, OFF and RECORD. • Play - In Play mode, the sequencer will play based on the position of the Mode knob. • Off – This turns the Sequencer Off.
Tap / Rest The Tap /Rest button has two functions: 1. Tap Tempo 2. Inputting Rests when recording sequences. Tap Tempo – the Tap Tempo button will allow the user to manually set the rate of the sequencer by tapping the button in real time. Rest – The Tap Tempo button will act as a rest input when you are recording a sequence. When you are in record, pressing the Tap button between notes will allow you to skip a note.
MODE The Mode switch will allow you to play the sequence in a number of ways. Normally a sequencer will play the sequence back in the way you entered it but now you can change this up. • Forward.................This will play the sequence in the normal fashion. 99% of the time, this is the desired setting. • Reverse.................This will play your sequence from back to front • Alternate..............This will play the sequence forward, the it will play it in reverse.
4.2.8.3 Octave The Octave section transposes the MiniBrute keyboard over a wide pitch range. One LED among the five colored LEDs (-2 red,-1 orange, 0 green ,+1 orange,+2 red) is lit at a time and indicates the transposition octave. The default selection is 0 (green LED), where the leftmost C key corresponds to C2 (130.81Hz) and the rightmost C key corresponds to C4 (523.25Hz).
4.2.8.7 Fine Tune The Fine Tune knob provides precision adjustment of the oscillator pitch. The 12 o'clock position corresponds to the default tuning (i.e. A=440Hz) when you play the second rightmost A of the keyboard and the default Octave [4.2.8.3] is selected. The full range of the Fine Tuning knob is from about -2 semitones to +2 semitones. Fine-tuning makes it possible to tune the MiniBrute to other instruments that are slightly out of tune. 4.3 Rear panel 4.3.
4.3.4 Gate Source The Gate Source switch selects which gate signal triggers the MiniBrute envelopes. The default KBD triggers the gate from the keyboard. Hold mode forces the envelope to the SUSTAIN stage independently from any other gate source. This mode is very useful for drones, because there is no need to press a key and you can use both hands to tweak the knobs! In Audio mode, a gate signal is generated when the signal level at the AUDIO In [4.3.5] reaches an internally preset threshold. 4.3.
4.4 Configuration software: MiniBrute Connection However being analog, the MiniBrute synthesizer comes with a software allowing various configuration tasks, such as: Global settings MIDI channel selection Velocity curve selection Aftertouch curve selection Audio Input gain selection LFO re-triggering Play mode Legato activation Sequencer settings Maintenance Firmware update The “MiniBrute Connection” software and its dedicated User's Manual are freely downloadable from the ARTURIA website: http://www.
5 USING YOUR MINIBRUTE 5.1 Let's create a basic sound Let's define a basic, initialized configuration for designing your own sound. Connect your MiniBrute to an external audio amplifier and power on your MiniBrute as previously described [2.3]. Set the Gate Source switch [4.3.4] on the MiniBrute rear panel to the KBD position. Adjust the sliders and knobs and shown in the following patch view. Play the keyboard, and you should hear a basic sawtooth sound rich in harmonics.
Try out various settings of the Ultrasaw knobs Now let's compare the various waveforms available. Turn down the Sawtooth slider and turn up the Square slider. Play the keyboard, and you’ll hear a hollow, clarinet-like sound. Now turn the Pulse Width knob clockwise as shown below. As you turn up the knob, the sound becomes slightly harsher and “nasal,” like a reed instrument. Try out various settings of the Pulse Width knob Turn down the Square slider and turn up the Triangle slider.
middle setting (12 o'clock), you’ll hear a wha-wha-like effect when tweaking the Cutoff knob. At maximum resonance the FILTER starts auto-oscillating, which superimposes a tonal pitch to the filtered sound. Also try out the different modes (LP, BP, HP, Notch). Let's tweak the FILTER Cutoff and Resonance 5.2 Sound modulations Return again to our initialized, basic sound shown at the start of this chapter. Set the CONTROLS section’s MOD Wheel switch to Vibrato.
Another important sound modulation source is the FILTER ENVELOPE. This provides dynamic control over either the FILTER Cutoff, OSCILLATOR Pulse Width, or the Metalizer harshness. The FILTER ENVELOPE amount and polarity are controlled by the Env Amt knobs, which are very useful when you want to create lively sounds. 5.3 External sound processing Plug your external audio source in the Audio In 1/8'' jack [4.3.5] on the MiniBrute’s rear panel.
6 LEGAL NOTES 6.1 No liability for consequential damages Neither ARTURIA nor anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of this product shall be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use this product (including without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information and the like) even if ARTURIA was previously advised of the possibility of such damages.
• Use power outlets that are on different branch (circuit breaker or fuse) circuits or install AC line filter(s). • In the case of radio or TV interferences, relocate/ reorient the antenna. If the antenna lead-in is 300 ohm ribbon lead, change the lead-in to coaxial cable. • If these corrective measures do not bring any satisfied results, please the local retailer authorized to distribute this type of product. If you cannot locate the appropriate retailer, please contact ARTURIA.
