Arturia have announced MiniFuse 1, MiniFuse 2 and MiniFuse 4, a trio of compact USB audio interfaces available in black or white, starting at $149 AUD (MiniFuse 1 expected street price).
MiniFuse 1 & 2 should be available very soon and the list of features and bundled software looks impressive for the price point. Here’s the brief overview taken from Arturia’s press release:
MiniFuse 1 – 1 in / 2 out audio interface: The portable solo audio interface for great guitar, vocal, and instrument recordings in no time.
MiniFuse 2 – 2 in / 2 out audio & MIDI interface: Record audio & MIDI information with plug-and-play ease and a smart, compact design.
MiniFuse 4 – 4 in / 4 out audio & MIDI interface: Crystal-clear ensemble audio & MIDI recording with a versatile set of connections for producers. (there’ll be more info closer to its release in 2022).
Arturia’s founder Frederic Brun has this to say regarding MiniFuse:
“Arturia’s mission has always been to help everyone find their own sound. We’ve created award-winning software instruments; edgy analog and hybrid synthesizers; as well as intelligent MIDI controllers for modern producers. The audio interface is key to this workflow, this creative ecosystem uniting hardware & software, computer & creativity.
Following in the footsteps of AudioFuse, we knew we would need to deliver more affordable audio interfaces, a solution that would open up audio creation to everyone. That solution is MiniFuse – our vision of an affordable audio companion.”
Arturia are claiming ‘class-leading sound’ with preamps boasting 110db of dynamic range and 129db equivalent input noise. They’re also well built with a full aluminium casing, and Arturia are offering 5 years of warranty coverage. Not bad.
MiniFuse 1 gives you a single mic/instrument preamp, whilst MiniFuse 2 & 4 give you two preamps as well as full size MIDI in and out. MiniFuse 4 adds two additional audio line ins and outs on the rear, compared to MiniFuse 1 & 2’s pair of balanced monitor outs.
MiniFuse 1 & 2 are bus powered via a USB Type-C connector, but also function as USB hubs via an additional USB Type-A port. (Great for anyone battling dongle-fatigue. Here’s hoping I never need to say ‘dongle-fatigue’ ever again.)
MiniFuse 4 also supports an external PSU so we can assume it is not bus powered, however it does also boast an additional USB Type-A hub port for connecting more peripherals.
Given Arturia’s renowned expertise for virtual instruments and effects, you might be expecting a generous serving software to be bundled in at no extra cost. And you would be correct to do so.
From their FX Collection, there’s the 1973 Pre, Rev PLATE-140, Delay TAPE-201, and Chorus JUN-6.
In terms of software instruments, there’s Analog Lab Intro which features a large number of customizable presets from classic synths and keyboard instruments featured in their V-Collection library.
Also included is Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 6 LE for virtual guitar amps and effects, as well as Ableton Live Lite so you have everything you need to start recording right away. Plus there’s a 3-month subscription to Auto-Tune Unlimited, and also a ‘Splice Creator Plan 3-month subscription’ for access to plenty of samples and loops.
MiniFuse 1 and Minifuse 2 are expected to arrive in Australia in November with MiniFuse 4 expected sometime in 2022. Expect to pay $149 AUD for MiniFuse 1 and $229 AUD for MiniFuse 2. That’s $99 and $149 USD MAP respectively. MiniFuse 4 pricing is yet to be announced.
More info is available on Arturia’s website.
