Why Arturia is the best synth manufacturer right now
Budget-Friendly Innovation. (And definitely not a sponsored article)
Arturia was founded in 1999 but it wans’t until 2012 that the company started making a serious impact on the synth market releasing the original Minibrute. The Minibrute was their second attempt at making a hardware synth after the unknown “Origin” synthesizer.
The Minibrute was the start of the company’s amazing journey to the synth world while they were also developing the software plugins and MIDI controllers. Since 2012, and a lot of product releases, Arturia is definitely one of the most influential and successful companies on the music gear market and that’s not because they’re lucky.
Where business meets passion
It seems that people in Arturia know exactly what they’re doing business-wise but it is also clear that they have a pure passion for music and music instruments. That translates to their products where they keep finding ways to push their boundaries and get unusual (in the best way possible).
So what are the things that make Arturia so great?
Continuous Innovation. Almost every instrument or controller Arturia makes has a few extra details and innovative features that are not present in other music gear of the same categories. Either it is something straightforward and simple like adding an actual MIDI port and an Arpeggiator on a small MIDI controller like the Keystep or something really complex like the “Morph” function on their flagship Polybrute, they always push their releases a bit further adding something extra. And the greatest part of this is that all those little extras end up being super useful so they’re just some experimental gimmicks.
The list of innovations goes on…
The Brute Factor on the Microbrute and Minibrute. A feedback loop as a sound modulator.
The complex oscillator on the Microbrute and the Minibrute with a Sub, a Triangle, a Square, and a Saw blending into one while each one has an extra level of modulation
The Beatstep Pro that has become a modern standard for sequencers
The Rackbrute ecosystem
The Microfreak with its touch keybed and multiple oscillator models
Modulation Matrix everywhere. From the oversimplified patch matrix on the Microbrute to the advanced patching capabilities of the Minibrute 2 & 2S to the crazy matrix on the Polybrute, Matrixbrute, and Microfreak
Top-of-the-line products in almost every category.
Their wide range of products. Analog Mono and Poly synths on many price ranges, a digital super flexible paraphonic synth, two analog drum machines, Eurorack cases, keyboard controllers and sequencers, budget and high-end audio interfaces, one of the best VST synth, Pigments, and the best emulation VST “V Collection“. The only things Arturia does not produce at the moment are Eurorack Modules, Samplers, and effect pedals…
And lastly, and probably the most important thing, is the price. There is not a single product that feels overpriced for what it does. Often times you check on the price of an Arturia product and you cannot understand how they managed to price it that low. Even the 2.600€ Polybrute seems very reasonably priced for what you get (which is probably the best poly synth money can buy right now). The thing is that they’re not just producing cheap stuff. They deliver amazing, innovative products that are the definition of “value for money“. Having this wide range accessible to so many people around the world is that pushes this industry forward and helps musicians and producers expand their capabilities without selling their car.
I honestly can’t wait to see what’s next for Arturia. I’m certain that they’ll keep creating exciting products that respect our wallets.
So thank you Arturia for showing that running a business that makes money doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be an a%#^&le.
