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Arturia presents the MicroFreak Vocoder Limited Edition speech synthesizer and has a free firmware update 2.1 ready for all owners of a regular MicroFreak digital synthesizer keyboard.
Arturia still has a lot to do with the small hybrid MicroFreak and is releasing the MicroFreak Vocoder Limited Edition in a new look, with a detachable gooseneck microphone and a 16-band vocoder mode.
The Arturia MicroFreak Vocoder Synthesizer Keyboard features 14 digital oscillators with variable modes and includes the open-source Plaits engine created by Mutable Instruments. With a remarkable amount of options and paraphonic performance capabilities, the MicroFreak ensures otherworldly sounds, modes, and parameter controls.
Arturia has developed a new 16-band mode to transform the human voice. The vocoder engine offers three waveforms (sawtooth, pulse width, and noise), while the timbre knob and the shape knob adjust the response of the 16 frequency bands. In terms of sound, the MicroFreak Vocoder Edition should go beyond the robot sound. 16 vocoder presets provide instant access to android translations, crystalline harmonies, and vibrant formant sequences.
The simple, detachable microphone attachment in gooseneck design is connected directly to the headphone socket, with the preferred settings being set in the Utility menu for microphone gain and noise gate. You can also connect other sound sources to the headphone jack, which are then alienated by the sound of the vocoder engine, e.g. drum machine or synths.
In the Vocoder Edition, the MicroFreak now also has a new white look with a revised control panel. For all owners of the regular MicroFreak, Arturia provides a free firmware 2.1 update that brings the functionality of the MicroFreak vocoder. According to sources, the gooseneck microphone will also be available separately.
Price and availability
Arturia MicroFreak Vocoder Limited Edition speech synthesizer has been priced at $349 and is now available to pre-order via the Bhphotovideo.com website.
Earlier this year, Arturia has also introduced the Arturia KeyStep Pro is one of the most popular keyboards for many as it is one of the few compact devices that can send MIDI along with a combination of BeatStep Pro and KeyStep. And the Arturia AudioFuse Studio and AudioFuse 8Pre with three USB audio interfaces.
