Arturia Micro Freak rechargeable battery powered synthesizer

I built a rechargeable battery pack into the Arturia Micro Freak just to see if there was enough space. though I would not recommend anyone doing this themselves as you can just plug a 5 volt battery into the usb port anyway.
AMAZON link Arturia microfreak amzn.to/397TWO0
above is my amazon affiliate link for the Arturia microfreak where i can earn a tiny percentage but you pay no more than the actual cost. every little helps towards making my future videos.

[@annother3350]

I like the way Markus speaks like an early 80s childrens presenter -- but not condescending!

[@SoundOfVinyl]

This is why I like your channel so much, it's funny and I like to see inside of new shiny synths....

[@markusfuller]

Thanks Peter

[@dennisristow2102]

@@markusfuller Agreed. Watching your videos has given me the courage to open up and fix (well replace) parts inside my old Hammond L-100 organ. I've changed out some monster big capacitors (safely discharging them first) after seeing all your general tear downs and old organ videos. Thanks for all the tips.

[@meneerjansen00]

I miss your video's. Thanks for all the nice informative and inspiring video's over the years. 🙂

[@pixelflow]

Its crazy to see how all the logic is being boiled down to multiple microcontrollers in this design!

[@stevenbirch]

That's just a tease; we need to hear Micro Freak in action now.

[@markusfuller]

Hi Steven I did not want to do the sounds on this video as theres many really good videos demonstrating this unit already.

[@aspectcarl]

Yes but you have a certain sound we like 😜

[@zaprodk]

Some power banks do allow you to charge the battery and have the output active at the same time. The new cheap models use one chip for both jobs, and so can only do one thing at a time. The older models have a chip for charging, and one for boosting to 5V.

[@Rompler_Rocco]

YESSS!! We all love it when you get bored, Markus! 👏

[@techtalkmike4968]

I really enjoy your content Markus and your commentary throughout the process. Whatever it may be, either disassembling a synth for repair or just curiosity. Thanks for taking the time and effort! Oh, and +1 for wearing an anti-stat strap!

[@robertsyrett1992]

I love a good old-fashioned tear down video. Thanks for uploading this one :)

[@JaysElectronicTinkerShack]

Cracking video can’t beat a bit of modifying me am too lazy I would have just got a short usb lead and Velcro’d thepower bank to the side lol

[@markusfuller]

Jay that is the easiest and better way and you would not kill the warranty.

[@JaysElectronicTinkerShack]

Indeed but ur way is most defiantly more fun

[@KoshDukai]

Next MOD (probably as unnecessary as this one): Built-in speaker ;) (ARP-2600 style)

[@annother3350]

Calculator?!

[@aspectcarl]

In my automotive engineering day job, when one of us asks “are you on the bus?” We don’t actually mean are you on the omnibus 😛 love the mod but I could see the toggle switch being a weak point if the keyboard is in a bag with the switch pointing down. But this probably would have been my preferred way too. I haven’t a musical bone in my body, please make a video with this sounds and rhythms that peeps like me could follow along with, I feel like I need one these little gadgets in my life but need the creative seed 👍

[@QrchackOfficial]

Could always go with a rocker switch or a miniature pushbutton

[@Firing_Order]

Oh sweet! I wanted one and was thinking About chopping the keybed and using it as a desktop module. Glad to see it's just a ribbon cable!

[@ThomasGrillo]

Hello Mark. That tape, Kapton tape, is pronounced like cap-t(on). It's used a lot in aerospace industry, and NASA. That's a very cool, little synth.

[@ChipGuy]

USB ports are usually restricted to 500mA current consumpton. Without prior configuration you should only even take 100mA max. out of a USB port. However, many devices don't care and just take 500 mA without being configured at all. Simple chargers that can deliver at least 1.5A have their D+ and D- lines shorted out. So you could make a circuit or use a microcontroller to check for that short and then switch to fast charge. Some power banksdo exactly that. Nice little mod.

[@Pterrordon12]

That would be a great USB keyboard! And with CV too great idea.

[@markusfuller]

yes it could even be foldable and still thin.

[@vicimilen6067]

Polyimide is a high strength hi temperature resistance polymer, however it's prone to water steam, ammonia, hydrazines (anhydrous liquids or vapor), primary and secondary amines, and solutions having a pH of 10 or more. Chemical reagents which act as powerful oxidizing agents (nitric acid, nitrogen tetroxide, etc.) must also be avoided. It also provides excellent isolation.

[@procta2343]

good little upgrade/mod! be great to see you mod another synth.

[@frankramrath8433]

A little "Dock" for the Backside and in that an Speaker and a Powerbank integrated. Would make the MF a little bigger, but would be interesting. A 90° usb plug cable would be interesting.

[@SeanMayVids]

Arturia: Hire Markus and have him work with you to make a battery-powered Microfreak!

[@Mabelrode77]

Big Thx for the Video :) Nice Idea, nice Work :)

[@maasle]

Finally another video :) Thanks

[@markusfuller]

Thanks Jimmi

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Just got a Freak but don't think I am up to modding it yet! Great vid maybe Arturia will take note.

[@TheGosling8]

Love your videos. Keep them coming!

[@markusfuller]

I struggle with getting the time to make videos but will try my best to keep them coming.

[@bushmann9272]

this opens so many doors Markus, great video man, ima mod mod Yamaha RY30

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

Gr8. Hope you can sell it to Arturia. A real portable microfreak would be freaking gr8! Work on it, Grenoble guys👍!

[@bobafruti]

Jean Bonnefoy I’m sure arturia are aware of this possibility and didn’t do it for their own reasons.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Thank you for this excellent video, this is a really neat way of doing the mod. Can I suggest a slide switch instead though ? It's much harder to mount but much less likely to accidentally knock about. Why did you waste that cable instead of direct soldering to the pins in the battery box ? PS: It's called Kapton heat resistant tape.

[@alelondon23]

those cables are cheap (or free!?) and you can replace the power bank in the future without soldering. I know. still the glue gun.

[@steveswan5714]

Nice one Markus I must be like you I would have to do the same if I owned one its just the challenge 😬

[@muppetpaster]

1:15 You'd still need to plug in speaker ot headphones, thus having things hanging off it.

[@debaserNYC]

Nice to see you back!

[@markusfuller]

Thank you

[@AnalogDude_]

Hot snot would be better solution @ 16m51, to have some prevention of gravity ripping on the cables weakening the solder joints. why didn't you make a mini custom pcb with the necessary components or the same as from the powerbox instead. a decent solution instead of cutting 2 usb cables.

[@ExtremeSquared]

The only problem I see with this is that those Chinese flat pack cells always puff up. When that happens, it's going to put stress on the board. I wish there was an outrigger solution that used good cylindrical cells.

[@mb2776]

Since you allready opened it, now it's a good time to ditch those crappy mini jack midi ports and put in some real DIN ports.

[@pixelflow]

Awwww Nano Brute is the internal name :)

[@annother3350]

That was my nanas nickname ;O)

[@hermask815]

we're cheated by a factor of 1000 :-)

[@sensiblynumb]

I like the mod, guess it is ok to to do the 'mod' either way. Cheers

[@perrypelican9476]

You need 2 of those flat packs and have a switch with these states State 1-running off battery 1 and battery 2 charges State 2-running off battery 2 and battery 1 charges' State 3- both batteries charge

[@markusfuller]

I thik If I did it again I would make a base for it with larger thinner batteries inside.

[@karlramberg]

Nice voice synth in outro :-D

[@markusfuller]

sorry mad moment in the park. I had to leave that one in the video.

[@systemno3]

Wow, amazing! I wish I could do that on mine! :D

[@spankenheim]

Kapton like Sir Eric without the L

[@markusfuller]

Thank you :-)

[@SyncdAlien]

Great work!

[@godzil42]

You should have added a diode (or any safety), if the external USB is plugged and the switch on the wrong side; it's going to not behave very well...

[@annother3350]

11:50 - he's designed a robot to take over the earth, people -- I bloody knew it!

[@st3ddyman]

You could always 3d print yourself a new base so you can put any combination of batteries in you want

[@markusfuller]

yes I could have looked into that and used a bigger battery

[@muppetpaster]

There are loads of flatpack batteries that DO charge and give of power...

[@grigioviola8523]

Genius

[@hyerlevel77]

@markusfuller Do you have links to the battery, etc. that you used?

[@LoserDub]

How would they even know you took it off to void your warranty?

[@ildarkinildarkin]

Nice video thanks!

[@jean-pierrejoubert6140]

Glad to see another video! One thing I'm curious about is how, when you have multiple microprocessors and a single USB, how do they use that one USB to update firmware on all three? The two ways I've imagined it working is to use bitbang out of the main microprocessor to send it via Rx/Tx (basically RS-232) to another microprocessor. The other way I imagine it works is by connecting it using something like i2c or similar, but I don't know if you can program over that. I don't suppose you could explain this to me, or at least point me in the right direction?

[@radiofloyd2359]

I've only ever worked with robots once, but the way we did it (we had to program a robot and then have it print something once it was done doing the things) was by installing with UART and then transmitting via RS232

[@RegebroRepairs]

Next: A built-in speaker? :-) But you still need to make drum sounds with your mouth to make an orchestra. Boom-tst-tjick-tst-boom-tst-tjick-tst. Edit: Oh, and you did drum sounds in the outro, hah!

[@markusfuller]

yes I was having a crazy moment there in the park. some people kept looking at me wondering what I was doing :-)

[@PorchBass]

Will it leak in the long term? Nothing worse than a vintage piece full of battery fuzz. Nice conversion! Needs a speaker too to really trigger fellow commuters.

[@Johnsys359]

Hey Markus, I was wonder if you could do a video in future about the 5v mystery of the Arturia BeatStep Pro? Question is how it can do two 5v/oct sequences with velocity controls and drum gates all on one USB power cable.

[@kotomonstr]

Step up dc-dc converters? Converting 5 volt from USB to 10 or 12v?

[@ChipGuy]

15:50 : It is called KAPTON (Speak CAP TON) tape.

[@grigioviola8523]

Well done!!!

[@KoneKone]

great video, thanks. is it possible to self-ground the microfreak? then it would be possible to power it via usb from computer or other sources rather than have to always use the external power supply. I would love to use it as a portable midi controller/external synth too...

[@disarmsox]

Anker make a powerbank that allows both charge and output at the same time.

[@markusfuller]

I have a large 12000mAh one that will do it but will not fit.

[@RussCottier]

Can you sequence on the machine itself? If not let’s see a midi sequencer attachment that runs off battery too. I can imagine a whole setup, Marcus-Michel Jarre’s studio on the number 15 bus.

[@markusfuller]

those batteries are not that great (poundland) when you are using the microfreak ie twiddling knobs etc the battery lasts about 80 minutes.

[@RussCottier]

markusfuller you can record a whole album then... so long as you get it right in one take ;-)

[@lee__1707]

Top video Markus thanks very much :):)

[@markusfuller]

Thank you

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

Nice mod - but can't help feeling that switch is going to snag on something and snap off.

[@markusfuller]

yes it does stick out more than I would want.

[@romeocastor]

Is there a way add an ssd to load more samples?

[@Finarvas]

Super interesting, cheers!

[@markusfuller]

Thank you

[@GrumpyOB1]

Kapton tape 👍

[@kps2420]

this is really cool, thanks for sharing! why did you use a toggle switch rather than a sliding switch similar to the one the microfreak uses for its power switch?

[@markusfuller]

It would have been better with a similar slider switch but I did not have one in my spares box.

[@cloddo]

Hi Markus, Arturia reports that: "A convenient advantage of the MicroFreak is that it can be USB powered. However, its touch capacitive keyboard needs a proper grounding to work flawlessly." Have you encountered any of these issues with your mod?

[@markusfuller]

Hi the unit seems to work fine though I have noticed the display does show that the pitch bend is being randomly activated. not sure what is going on there but yes there is certainly a bug in my design.

[@YouTubeSupportTeams]

just a question, why is the power adapter 12v when usb voltage is 5v?

[@Zwedgy]

Maybe because there are more 12v power adapters than 5v ones?

[@troublesomecorsair]

Ah yes! The old Kapton Polyimide Tape!

[@markusfuller]

always had problems with pronouncing that word.

[@jakayboy]

how did you know what voltage lion battery to use?

[@TimeToRelax222]

天照 it doesn't matter because that voltage is boosted to 5v by the Powerbank circuit anyway which is required to power the synthesiser.

[@SoundOfVinyl]

Where is the patch memory ?

[@JeremyForTheWin]

Totally random but the Amazon link goes to the microbrute

[@markusfuller]

Sorry about that Jeremy. things must have changed at amazon as it was a few years ago when i did this video. I will remove the link.

[@JeremyForTheWin]

@@markusfuller totally fine, wasn't bothered! just wanted to make you aware

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

Since batteries are about power: I just blew up my Arturia Keystep MIDI-keyboard, because I used a power supply with the wrong polarity. Could you do an instructive video on these differences? Why do they exist and how come it's so hard to distinguish what polarity a power supply is? Apparently (most) guitar effects are centre-negative and my synth gear is mainly centre-positive (I just found out (most come with their own power supply, but the Arturia didn't)). I have a 'balanced' power supply providing 1,5-12V, with changable polarity , but measuring just revealed 9V gives 9,3V, and some of the (multi-)plugs less (7,5V etc). This unstandardized mess is driving me mad.

[@markusfuller]

Hello Frits, I agree that there should be a standard as in everything either positive or everything negative centre. most things may have a diode protection so they simply wont work if the power + - is incorrect but sadly not all manufacturers add this component which would only cost a few pennies. I myself have destroyed many things in the past with incorrect polarity. I could not even tell you which way the polarity is on the arturia as i do not know myself as i have always used the usb connection as the power supply. it may be worth trying the usb connection on your midi keyboard and plug the other end into a phone charger as it may just work if you are lucky. if it does power up then my guess is there could be a surface mount fuse on the board near the power adaptor that needs replacing, normally the component could have the something like F1 printed on the board next to it but I cannot say for sure as i have not been inside the keystep to see. The multi adaptors will always seem to be a higher voltage than you set if you test it on a multimeter when it is not actually under load ie not plugged into something that is drawing power.

[@aken2348]

Nice video Markus! Could we get the brand/model of the battery you use?

[@markusfuller]

Hello Ken. it was just one of those cheap generic power blocks that is used to recharge a mobile phone, there was no brand or model number. caution I did start to get some odd random things happening with the pitch/bender touch strip after a while and when i turned off the internal battery that problem went away.

[@dryaldibread2327]

I actually did the same with such a power supply with a laser connected to a button

[@markusfuller]

they are great little batteries.

[@Slider2732]

Am sure someone is going to stick a 12000mA iPad battery in one now :)

[@markusfuller]

I do have a 12000mAh powerbank but no way will mine fit. i guess the apple ones are thin enough.

[@Roderick_Legato]

What's the story of that giant knob?

[@truthseeker3907]

Thumbs up! :)

[@dennisristow2102]

The CME XKey 37 is a 3 octave keyboard that is similar to the the Micro Freak as its quite low profile and MPE. Have you tried using the XKey and if so how does it compare to the feel of the Micro Freak. I haven't had the chance to try a Micro Freak, but it is intriguing with it's touch capacitive surface for it's aftertouch.

[@Neffers_UK]

Cool mod Markus. It's Kap-ton btw :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapton

[@markusfuller]

Thanks Neffers

[@robertkilbourne323]

World's first Microfreak mod?

[@markusfuller]

yes i guess it is. Im not sure there can be many mods done on this as its digital.

[@TheNewNumberTw0]

Nanobrute?!

[@TheSlowGrowth]

Hmm, just be careful not to have the switch in "battery powered mode" while also supplying current from a computer. Short-circuit. Definitely not safe.

[@markusfuller]

true I should have mentioned that.

[@bobfrode]

Duct tape will do the trick :)

[@markusfuller]

yes but the stickyness turns into gunge eventually.