The Return of the Raw: Now in Extraterrestrial Black
Just when you thought the age of truly raw, uncompromising analog synthesizers had passed, Arturia’s MicroBrute UFO descends from whatever cosmic realm discontinued synthesizers inhabit. This isn’t just another limited edition color variant—it’s the triumphant return of an instrument that helped define what affordable analog synthesis could be, now dressed in mysterious alien black with otherworldly green accents.
The original MicroBrute was never meant to be polite or refined. It was designed to be immediate, aggressive, and unapologetically analog in an era when digital convenience was king. The UFO edition preserves everything that made the original special while addressing the one issue that plagued early Brute series owners: those infamous sticky knobs that seemed to develop their own gravitational pull over time.
The Brute Legacy: French Engineering Meets Sonic Rebellion
Arturia’s journey into analog hardware began in 2012 with the MiniBrute, marking a bold departure from their software roots. Under the guidance of French developer Yves Usson, the Brute series established a new paradigm for affordable analog synthesis—instruments that prioritized character over cleanliness, personality over perfection.
The MicroBrute, launched in 2014, distilled this philosophy into its most accessible form. While subsequent iterations like the MiniBrute 2 series added features and polish, many felt they sacrificed the raw, unbridled character that made the original Brutes so compelling. The UFO edition represents a return to those primal analog roots.
Compact Aggression: 25 Keys of Analog Fury
At its heart, the MicroBrute UFO remains unchanged from its predecessor—and that’s exactly the point. The 25-key mini keyboard with octave up/down buttons provides just enough range for performance while maintaining the instrument’s compact desktop footprint. The onboard 64-step sequencer with pattern memory turns the synth into a complete composition tool, perfect for building the kind of relentless, hypnotic sequences that the MicroBrute does best.
But it’s the synthesis engine where the MicroBrute’s true personality emerges, and the UFO edition preserves every bit of that analog character.
Single Oscillator, Infinite Attitude
The MicroBrute’s approach to sound generation is refreshingly direct: one analog oscillator delivering saw, square, and triangle waveforms that can be mixed and blended independently. This isn’t about pristine oscillator tracking or clinical precision—it’s about immediate, in-your-face analog character that cuts through any mix.
Wave Shaping Arsenal:
- Ultrasaw: Thickens the saw wave with detuned duplicates for instant analog chorus
- Metalizer: A wavefolder that transforms simple waveforms into metallic, bell-like tones
- Overtone: Adds sub-octave or fifth harmonic content for deeper, more complex textures
These wave shapers aren’t subtle seasoning—they’re fundamental tools for sound design that can transform the basic oscillator into something completely different. Push them hard, and the MicroBrute reveals its capacity for controlled chaos.
The Steiner-Parker Filter: Unconventional Character
Where many affordable synthesizers compromise on filter quality, the MicroBrute UFO features the distinctive Steiner-Parker multimode filter design. This isn’t your typical Moog-style lowpass—it’s a more complex beast offering lowpass, highpass, and bandpass modes, each with its own sonic signature.
The filter’s character is distinctly musical yet unpredictable, capable of both smooth sweeps and dramatic resonant peaks. It’s the kind of filter that responds to your playing style, becoming more aggressive when pushed and more subtle when treated gently.
Brute Factor™: Controlled Destruction
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the MicroBrute is the Brute Factor™—a feedback circuit inspired by the Minimoog’s external input design. Turn this control up, and the output signal feeds back into itself, creating everything from warm saturation to screaming feedback-driven distortion.
This isn’t just an effect—it’s a fundamental part of the MicroBrute’s sonic identity. The Brute Factor can transform a simple bass patch into a growling monster or push lead sounds into territories that would require multiple distortion pedals on other instruments.
Modulation Matrix: Eurorack Integration
The MicroBrute UFO includes the same modulation capabilities that made the original so appealing to modular enthusiasts. The patch matrix allows CV signals from the Eurorack world to modulate internal parameters, while CV/gate outputs let the MicroBrute control external modules.
Modulation Sources:
- ADSR envelope generator
- LFO with multiple waveforms
- External CV inputs via patch matrix
- Keyboard tracking and velocity
This integration capability transforms the MicroBrute from a standalone synthesizer into a bridge between the keyboard world and modular synthesis, perfect for hybrid setups.
Audio Processing: External Signal Destruction
The mono line input isn’t just for convenience—it’s an invitation to creative destruction. Route external audio through the Steiner-Parker filter and Brute Factor, and suddenly drum machines, vocals, or field recordings become raw material for sonic transformation. It’s like having a dedicated analog destruction box built into your synthesizer.
The UFO Aesthetic: Alien Abduction Complete
The visual transformation from the original’s cream and wood aesthetic to the UFO’s alien black with green accents is more than cosmetic—it’s a statement of intent. This is the MicroBrute for a new generation, one that appreciates both vintage analog character and contemporary design sensibilities.
More importantly, those problematic sticky knobs have been replaced with new hardware that should maintain their tactile response over years of use. It’s a small but crucial improvement that addresses the most common complaint about early Brute series instruments.
Connectivity for the Modern Studio
Essential I/O:
- CV/Gate in and out for modular integration
- Mono line output for mixing console connection
- Headphone output for private practice
- Mono line input for external audio processing
- USB MIDI for computer integration
- 5-pin MIDI input for hardware sequencing
The connectivity options reflect the MicroBrute’s role as both a standalone instrument and an integrated part of larger setups, whether analog or digital.
Raw vs. Refined: The Brute Philosophy
What sets the MicroBrute UFO apart from more recent Arturia offerings is its commitment to rawness over refinement. While the MiniBrute 2 series added features and polish, many felt it lost some of the primal character that made the original Brutes so compelling. The UFO edition preserves that original vision—synthesis that prioritizes character over convenience, attitude over accuracy.
This is synthesis for musicians who want their instruments to push back, to surprise them, to contribute something unpredictable to the creative process. It’s not always well-behaved, and that’s exactly the point.
Limited Opportunity: €349 for Analog Rebellion
At €349 for a limited time, the MicroBrute UFO represents exceptional value for genuine analog synthesis. This isn’t a budget compromise or digital emulation—it’s a complete analog instrument capable of sounds that simply can’t be achieved through software modeling.
The limited nature of this release adds urgency to the decision. Arturia has shown with previous limited editions that when they’re gone, they’re gone. The UFO edition offers a chance to own a piece of analog synthesis history while gaining access to sounds that defined an era.
The Return of the Raw
In an industry increasingly focused on digital convenience and preset perfection, the MicroBrute UFO feels like a transmission from a more adventurous time. It’s synthesis for explorers, for musicians who understand that sometimes the most interesting sounds come from the spaces between notes, from the imperfections and instabilities that make analog synthesis irreplaceable.
Whether you’re building your first analog setup, adding character to a digital studio, or simply seeking an instrument that responds to your musical intentions with unpredictable creativity, the MicroBrute UFO offers something increasingly rare: genuine analog personality at an accessible price.
Ready for abduction? Visit arturia.com to secure your MicroBrute UFO before this limited edition disappears back into the cosmic void where discontinued synthesizers dwell.
About Me
Hi, I’m Canoy Dang. I grew up in Granada and now living in Málaga, in the south of Spain. Sound has always played a central role in my life — from early home recordings to the deeper, ongoing exploration of the modular synth world. Modular, semi-modular, and desktop synthesizers have become my main tools for expression, experimentation, and sometimes, simply for getting lost in the process.
