FIVE MINUTES WITH Arturia MINIBRUTE

[@jurgenstrijbos]

Great video ! The Minibrute was, as for many people, my first analogue synth. Pairs great with the MicroBrute. Firmware update/hack to switch between arp & seq, very nice. Cleaning the sticky stuff off with isopropanol worked for me…would love the wooden cheeks though 😄

[@TheFreeRadikal]

I cleaned up my Microbrute a couple of months ago with a toothbrush and hoover, lost one of the sliders up the hoover and Arturia were nice enough to send me a free set of sliders, all the way from France to NZ, merci beaucoup Arturia

[@petercane6376]

And people persist in complaining about lack of support from Arturia. Not fair!,,,

[@mcshafty1]

Great to see the MiniBrute get its 5 min in the sun. It was always a fun, characterful, and brutal noise maker. I upgraded the firmware to SE on mine too. I wish I still had it - hmmm maybe I'll check the classifieds 😊

[@fortheloveofnoise]

I wonder when the Microbrute II will come out?

[@enricopallazzoofficial]

The original Minibrute is such a classic synth. I agree with another comment, the 2 has more features but lost the character of the synth. In such a simple package, Arturia created a true instant classic. The Minibrute was Brutal (in a good way) but also extremely flexible. I miss mine so much.

[@matijapavlic356]

I still have it :)

[@plade5433]

It's a modern classic for those who know how to recognize it.

[@roblewis5044]

I love this little synth, so much character and abilities.

[@DoctorRevers]

What a great beginner (and beyond) synth

[@hulkslayer626]

Minibrute will always be my favorite because it's what got me into synths ❤

[@purpleturtlehurtle]

Very nice format of the video, silent , almost mesmerizing, and yet very informative. Thanks

[@Stakkeroid]

The OG MiniBrute is one of my favorite synths, I use it all the time! It’s the most analog feeling synth of all the analogs I’ve got… I go for it when looking for something organic or rough, but it can do a lot of things. You just have to look for the sweet spots and it can go to unexpected places. I don’t have the sticky problem myself… Perhaps because I have the red version with white knobs/faders? Also, metal keys 🤘

[@MrPeyghman]

I just love my mb, such a classic synth

[@intheblink]

I miss my Minibrute!! I had a MB2 and loved it as well but ended up selling both. If I ever have the funds and the space, I’d love to get an OG Minibrute (pedals take it SO well) and maybe the sequencer version of the 2.

[@marksmadebyrobots]

Funnily enough, I just dug out (and cleaned up!) my Microbrute after neglecting it for years.

[@bismarkmontalvan6850]

Let me ask you, are your knobs on the synth sticky?

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

Discovered Arturia with its first virtuyal moog (my first ever foray in virtual synthesis and DAW) and I still enjoy my VMoog 55 on a big 27" touchscreen but I really fell for their brick and mortar synths (starting with a wonderful sturdy midi controller, the the whole series of Brute: brought me back to the good old times of high quality original and rich warm sounding French synths like the wondrous Fernandez Bros's RSFs!

[@PresbyterDJ]

I've had mine for years. The plastic end cheeks have gone sticky and I have already repaired the keyboard. It still sounds good though! I feed it basslines from Ableton.

[@westofvenus8950]

It’s fairly easy to clean up the endplates; I had the same issue and managed to clean them down to the plastic and it’s all good now. Though I haven’t played it in ages.. might dig it out this weekend!

[@plade5433]

The problem of sticky potentiometers can be easily solved by washing them with alcohol. They can be easily removed and placed in a jar. I did this once and it hasn't happened again.

[@Stadsjaap]

Plug in a neglected synth today... now that's a good tip ❤

[@acefstripe]

loved my Minibrute but sold before it got the sticky syndrome. it was a special moment when it got released.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

My Microbrute got sticky knobs, sliders and wheels. My Beatstep too. Oh, and my Bass Station II, to the point every piece of rubber disintegrated inside the box. 😢

[@donaldpriola1807]

Last time I dug mine out, the filter was cranky at best, or not working at all. Oh, analog. What did you clean the goo with? Thinking of breaking mine out again, and at least sampling it while it still lives.

[@BOOelectric]

I used "sticky stuff" an adhesive remover, but to be honest it didn't do much, it was more the scraping that got it off... I've had lots of suggestions since though, from IPA to baking soda and beyond... All cleaning involves removing the knobs and putting a bit of elbow grease to work no matter what you use, as far as I can see. Good luck!

[@donaldpriola1807]

@@BOOelectric Thank you! After digging mine out, the knobs are decent enough. I live in a very low humidity area, and that may have something to do with it.

[@Stadsjaap]

I used hand sanitizer. The alcohol will dissolve the goo, but it might cause discoloration. I didn't mind, though. Adds even more character to an already characterful synth

[@donaldpriola1807]

@@Stadsjaap Thanks. So nice of you all to chip in advice.

[@Pan6888]

The best vid on this great synth ! btw 2 questions how do you go for the arpeggiator hack - sounds so vince clarke/erasure - and how do you glean the goo out of the knobs ?

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

Thanks for the great video. I'm curious what you would think is the best way to clean the goo.

[@rsvp9816]

how do you clean the goo? and one of my keys is slightly elevated is it a hard fix?

[@entropybentwhistle]

I have the SE version and find it makes a lot of useful sounds. I’m not a fan of the limited keys, through, so I end up using it MIDI’d to my Kurzweil or Summit as controllers, depending on project.

[@jasonbeatty831]

Only complaint is it didn’t have a sequencer. Otherwise perfect starter synth.

[@rachelar]

Luxury!Back in the day(dinosaur times )few starter synths had sequencers, ok SH101 did you got me.

[@jasonbeatty831]

@ yeah, but this isn’t back in the day.

[@warzsawa80]

This one, compared to Korg Ms 20, which do you prefer?

[@iantanner7579]

Very inspiring - thank you

[@GerenM63]

I really wish I'd bought one of these when they came out. The "2" is cool, but for some reason I don't resonate with it as much as I did with this.

[@newignis]

How did you clean the knobs?

[@BOOelectric]

A detergent called "sticky stuff", but really it was a case of elbow grease and much scraping :/

[@petercane6376]

If I have the sq64 sequencer is there any need to do the hack?

[@mildred714]

Would you reccomend this or a minibrute 2?

[@petercane6376]

Towards the end it kinda played as if through a sequencer. Is the SE or whatever a firmware upgrade to introduce a sequencer and is it problematic in 2024 to do please?

[@TheFibreman]

It's easy enough to change it from standard to SE and back again from the software, and completely safe to do so.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

This reminded me I forgot how much I missed my Microbrute.😢

[@hugo54758]

I love this demo

[@jazzlover10000]

Cool! I will pull mine out soon.

[@Harmonie432Hz]

Arpegiator is on ON position but there is no arp .... strange !

[@Harmonie432Hz]

I understood !!! the arp is programmed as sequencer, so is in OFF position.

[@erikavery1105]

MUST….FIND….THIS😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@dangeraardvark]

can u save presets?

[@tvatre1990]

Raw and organic, vintage or modern. My first synth and may well be the last to go. Nail polish remover fixed the rubber goo for me.

[@Mbah_Dukun_Nyerutu]

Awesomeness!

[@cougarman8]

One of my favorite synths, but the inevitable stickiness kind of ruins it for me.

[@ziggyzipgun]

Arturia replaced all of the knobs, slider caps, wheels, and side panels for a very reasonable price when it was 9 years old. I had previously replaced the entire keybed for even less than that. Excellent customer service.

[@meneerjansen00]

Thanks for the warning that the Minibrute is rubberized. We chemists get the death sentence for rubberizing stuff. It's been known for over 30 years that that polyurethane disintegrates into awful sticky goo that, in some cases, is impossible to rub off w/ alcohol. And you have to take the synth apart to be able to scrub it hard enough in the right places and to make sure that not too much of the alcohol gets in the synth. BTW I couldn't rub that stuff off from the knobs of my beloved Korg Monologue. Luckily I could replace 'm with some other knobs from Aliexpress. I can't believe they still use that rubberise-stuff (polyurethane) after the nineties. Every manufacturer knows it's DEAL BREAKER nowadays. To me, a second hand Microbrute is worth almost nothing now. Not gonna deal with that goo... P.S. Nice video! I love these "5 minutes with" vids. :)

[@BOOelectric]

Oh no, the monologue's got it too? I had no idea... Yes, landfills the world over are filled with late 90s-early 2000s sticky tech... It really shouldn't have been still in use by 2012, but there it is, forever gooey.

[@Stakkeroid]

Hey, I’m curious… can you explain why my MB is not sticky? Is it because it’s the red special edition with white knobs and red cheeks, so the material is different? Or, is it perhaps because it is protected from UV light under a Decksaver, and it’s UV that degrades polyurethane? (Polycarbonate blocks UV AFAIK.)

[@meneerjansen00]

@@Stakkeroid Your Minibrute might be made of different material. Does it look and feel "matte" instead of the usual smooth plastic? BTW UV light is not per se the culprit. The culprit is time. The material (polyurethane) that they use is chemically unstable: it disintegrates over time. In theory crystalline carbon (non-chemists call that a diamond) is also unstable. But it takes thousands of years for its morphology to change. Like I said: every chemist and every manufacturer has known for over 30 years that you can NOT use this awful rubberizing stuff.

[@ToyKeeper]

I've definitely enjoyed my Microbrute Red. I really should use it more. It sounds delightfully trashy in all the best ways.

[@ToyKeeper]

Has been ages since I finished a song with it though... the last one was years ago, in a video called "Four Chords Explored" on my channel. The 'brute does the bass and all 3 lead parts.

[@jiltedgenerator]

01:01 ❤

[@TheEstateOfHoHu]

They tamed the filter way too much on the minibrute 2 what's getting real obvious when I see this. I never hadn't the MB1 but I had the Microbrute which had the same violent filter.

[@synesthetica]

One of the best monos with lots of character, but the build quality is really bad. Keys breaking, key weights falling off, rubber coating on knobs, sliders and side panels getting sticky, noise generator dying, the whole LFO section dying, filter switch going bad, etc. I still have mine, packed in a carrying case, half dead, not really knowing what to do with it, since Arturia's support is almost non-existent. I miss it, but I'm not sure I'd get another one and face its inevitable premature death again.

[@g-muni5855]

Gotta get out of the box sit in the garage LOL

[@illeagle8041]

Of all the synths Ive owned and sold. This is the one I will die with in my possession. On top of that I just learned I don't know shit about it realy.

[@synkrotron]

I got one of them things not mine, technically, it belongs to my lad he ain't getting it back any time soon

[@divady9939]

Pouet pouet sound

[@Robotique69]

Yummy!