The new model swaps the original’s 37 slim keys for 49 semi-weighted ones and adds a pressure-sensitive touch matrix.
Arturia has released the MiniFreak 49, a larger version of its MiniFreak hybrid synthesizer. The new model has 49 full-size, semi-weighted keys, Resident Advisor reports, in place of the 37 slim keys on the original. Arturia’s product page already lists the synth with a Buy Now button.
What the MiniFreak 49 offers
Like the original, the new synth has six voices. Arturia says it pairs two digital engines with an analogue filter on every voice. The engines have more than 30 modes, with algorithms from Arturia, Mutable Instruments and Noise Engineering. The keys respond to velocity and mono aftertouch.
The main new control is a pressure-sensitive XYZ touch matrix. Arturia says it puts modulation, macros and preset control on one surface. According to RA, aluminium pitch and mod wheels replace the touch strips on the original.
Arturia also lists filter FM and voice panning among its features. The company says the synth has eight times the sample and wavetable memory of the first MiniFreak. There are three FX slots, a 64-step sequencer, an arpeggiator and four modulation lanes.
RA counts more than 200 factory presets and says the MiniFreak 49 works with presets from the original. Registered owners also get MiniFreak V, Arturia’s software version of the synth, at no extra cost. Arturia says presets can move between the hardware and the software.
Price
Arturia’s website lists the MiniFreak 49 at $849, or €799 in Europe. RA reported a US price of $829, along with €799 and £689. We checked Arturia’s page on Sunday, Oct 25. On the same page, the original MiniFreak costs $649.
Who the MiniFreak 49 is for
The original’s slim keys kept it compact. Arturia pitches the bigger model at two-handed playing, chords and melodic lines. Producers who already own a MiniFreak can bring their sounds with them.
For more studio and DJ gear news, see our report on the Technics SL-1210MKX turntable.
Sources: Arturia, MiniFreak 49 product page; Resident Advisor, “Arturia releases MiniFreak 49, four-octave hybrid synth”, Oct 25, 2026
The Arturia MiniFreak 49. Image: Arturia (press image, via Resident Advisor)
