Arturia has been busy recently with the release of both V Collection X as well as a free firmware update for the MiniFreak. 

Arturia V Collection X is the latest version of the popular plugin collection and features the usual assortment of new instruments along with a few rebuilds. As always, the collection now includes all the standalone instruments that were released since the previous collection, along with a few brand-new ones making their debut. One of these instruments making a debut is the CP-70 V, which honors the legendary Yamaha electro-acoustic piano that was popular during the 70’s and 80’s. It is a sound that will be familiar to all fans of Abba, U2, Simple Minds, and other acts that used the CP70. The other new addition is the Augmented Woodwinds, which joins the Augmented Brass and Augmented Grand Piano that were released earlier and are also now included in the collection. 

Acid V and MiniFreak V are also featured in the collection, with the latter being based on the new update discussed below. In addition, Arturia has rebuilt the Mini V and Wurli V instruments from the ground up, so these now feature new sound engines and enhanced production capabilities. Finally, Arturia V Collection X ships with three expansion packs containing an exclusively crafted selection of presets. These were specifically created to showcase what the instruments in the collection can deliver. Check out the video below for a rundown of the new and rebuilt titles in the collection (https://www.arturia.com/products/software-instruments/v-collection/overview).

On the hardware front, Arturia has released a new update for the MiniFreak. This also carries over to the software version of the instrument, which is featured in V Collection X. The biggest addition is a new wavetable engine that includes 32 wavetables and 64 new patches. According to Arturia, this update brings one of the most powerful engines to MiniFreak. MiniFreak now also has enhanced LFO modulation, so users can decide if the LFO rate corresponds to a single step or the entire Sharper curve. The inclusion of the new chorus-type effect, called Super Unison FX, allows users to transform a simple patch into a supersaw monster. 

MiniFreak hardware users can now save up to 64 of their favorite presets and access them with ease. Arturia has also made a new sound store available for MiniFreak owners with two paid banks and three free banks. These are available at launch, and Arturia will be releasing more in the future. All of these and other enhancements are available free as part of the MiniFreak firmware 2.0 update. Visit the official website (https://www.arturia.com/products/hardware-synths/minifreak/update) update the firmware and check out the video below for a rundown of what is new.