Hardware synth, virtual instrument upgrade & new interfaces on their way
Hardware > Audio Interface, Synthesizer
Software > Synthesizer, Virtual Instrument
Arturias experimental Microfreak hardware synth, a hybrid featuring a digital multimode oscillator and an analogue filter.
French manufacturer Arturia advanced on all fronts at NAMM, announcing another new hardware synth, a free v1.1 upgrade (already?) to their not-long-released Pigments wavetable/virtual analogue synth software, and two new fully-featured additions to their Audiofuse range of audio interfaces.
The Microfreak is an experimental digital monosynth, a collaboration with Mutable Instruments that combines a firmware-upgradable multimode digital oscillator (offering 11 types at launch; more are in development) with an analogue filter based on the one in Oberheim's classic SEM. When you press the keys' on the keyboard, you're actually playing' the PCB directly, an interface that is both pressure-sensitive and transmits polyphonic aftertouch - which makes it interesting as a potential controller as well as a sound source. There's also a multi-point modulation matrix and a built-in unique sequencer/arpeggiator with some interesting controlled randomness' parameters. Due to arrive in April, Microfreak will cost a very reasonable $349£279. SOS Features Editor Sam Inglis was introduced to the Microfreak on the Arturia booth at NAMM, as you can see in the video below.
Video of Arturia MicroFreak - NAMM 2019
The Audiofuse 8Pre (below) is a wordclockable 1U rackmount USB-C audio interface with eight built-in mic/line analogue inputs (each featuring switchable 48V phantom power and Arturias Discrete Pro preamps). The 8Pre is thoughtfully laid out with the front panel featuring discrete controls and LED metering for each analogue input channel, along with stereo eighth- and quarter-inch headphone jacks and an independent front-panel headphone level control.
Arturias new Audiofuse 8Pre interface.
Of the analogue input channels, the first two can be used for instrument-level signals from bass or guitars and have also been made handily accessible from the front panel on combined quarter-inch/XLR connectors. Insert points are also available via quarter-inch jacks on the rear panel for these first two channels, so other processing or pedals can be patched in pre-conversion. Last but not least, as well as the eight analogue ins, there are an additional eight channels of digital I/O on ADAT optical connectors.
Going from the digital to the analogue domain, eight channels are available on discrete line-level quarter-inch jacks, and theres a further dedicated pair of quarter-inch jacks to connect to monitors. Of course, another eight outputs can be sent via the ADAT optical out, raising the possibility of daisy-chaining two 8Pres together via the ADAT optical ports to create a 16-channel system. The 8Pre looks pretty versatile and, at $799£659, seems good value for the flexibility it offers.
The new Audiofuse Studio interface.
The other new interface, the Audiofuse Studio (above), is also a wordclockable USB-C audio interface with ADAT interfacing, but is a console/desktop unit with with a rather different set of features to the 8Pre, including some handy monitor switching/controller capabilities. There are four mic/line analogue inputs with independent Gain controls, neatly accessible via the front edge of the unit, again with phantom power and Discrete Pro preamps; this time all four feature (rear-panel) insert points and are capable of accepting instrument inputs from electric guitars and basses.
There are also a further four line-level-only inputs on rear-panel jacks, two of which are optionally accessible via phonos (so this is where you could connect, for example, a set of decks). Output signals can be routed to monitors via two independent balanced jack pairs; users can then select which output pair is driven from handy buttons on the top panel, and set the respective output level of each pair using the large, friendly top-panel output level encoder. Headphone monitoring is more flexible than on the 8Pre, with two independent headphone outs, each one with its own level control and set of eighth- and quarter-inch connectors.
Other extras on the Studio interface compared to the 8Pre include a further pair of instrument-level outputs on quarter-inch jacks (designed with re-amping in mind), S/PDIF I/O, and, interestingly, a Bluetooth audio receiver, so that audio captured on smartphones can be played into the interface directly. As on the 8Pre, the optical ADAT I/O means that units can be daisy-chained together to give users more simultaneously accessible input channels if required. The Audiofuse Studio is expected to ship in Summer, and will retail for $999£839.
Both new AudioFuse interfaces will ship with the AudioFuse Creative Suite, a collection of modelled hardware in plug-in form, including classic vintage preamps, filters and instruments.
Once again, Sam Inglis was on the Arturia booth at NAMM to receive a detailed rundown on both new interfaces - see the video below.
Video of Arturia AudioFuse 8 Pre & Studio - NAMM 2109
https://www.arturia.com
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Hardware synth, virtual instrument upgrade & new interfaces on their way 
