Turning the Arturia MiniBrute into a MegaBrute!

BETA VERSION TAKE CARE

A guide to hacking the MiniBrute. Leafcutter John Januar !"#$
e%ai& &eafcutter'ohn(g%ai&.co% )ith correction* and addition*.
The MiniBrute (MB) is an affordable analogue mono-synth which offers several Control
Voltages (CVs) for use with modular synth systems
As standard you get!
" #itch out
$ %ate out
& %ate in
' Am( in
) *ilter in
+ #itch in
, Main audio out
- .ead(hone out
/ Audio in
"0 Midi in
"" Midi out
This is ama1ing for a synth of this (rice but inside the MB lur2 many more useful CVs!
3(ening u( the synth you will see there are many test (oints4 these are all numbered and
will ma2e the tas2 of modifying your MB a (iece of ca2e
.ere you can see the $ test
(oints which 56ve soldered
thin stranded wire onto
These (oints carry the 7"$v
8 -"$v (ower for the synth
They are 9uite small but
they are very easy to solder
to and as long as you 2ee(
the amount of bare wire at
the end of your cables down
to a minimum and you are
not an absolute soldering beginner you should have no trouble ma2ing the modifications
:;< ;=A>?<? @5=<4 solid core will not be fleAible enough and you6ll come unstuc2!
5 would recommend a decent tem(erature controlled iron with a fine ti( for this wor2 Be
V<=B CA=<*:C not to overheat the circuit board and don6t s(latter solder over the board
The surface-mount com(onents are tiny and you don6t want to cause difficult to s(ot
solder bridges 5f you tin the test (oint and the stranded wire you should be able to ma2e
all connections in "-$ seconds (5 set my iron to &)0 ?eg C and used leaded solder)
+orking on the MegaBrute
5 unscrewed the bottom (late which houses the 2eys ?isconnected the two connections
between 2eys and the smaller circuit board and (ut the 2eysDbac2ing (late to one side
=emove the thin metal section under the front of the 2eys E it6s not attached by screws4
and if you try use it a carrying handle your synth will hit the dec2 li2e mine did!
>eAt 5 removed the three blac2 screws from the bac2 (anel of the synth which frees the
smaller circuit board The board can be lifted u( which will give you more room to wor2 on
the main board 5f you intend to (ower u( the synth li2e this ma2e sure you don6t short the
little circuit board to the case (it is %=3:>?) 5 (ut some thic2 ta(e over the bac2 (anel so
that the little circuit board could hang out and be safe (see below)
32 on to the fun bit the (atch (oints!
5 found the following (oints using an oscillosco(e4 there will be more
#T numbers are mar2ed on the MB #CB6s
,o)er -*%a&& .oard %idd&e/ ground %ain .oard &o)er &eft0
#T,'$ 7"$v
#T,'& -"$v
#T,$0 D #T +0) &&v
#T",) %round E there are loads of ground (oints to choose from4 try and stic2 with one
though
En1e&o2e* -&arge .oard u22er &eft0
#T"0) *ilter <nvelo(e
#T""$ Volume <nvelo(e
L3O* -&arge .oard &o)er %idd&e 4 the*e a&& re*2ond to te%2o and are MI5I .eatc&ocka.&e60
#T)/ =andom ;te(s
#T)- ;mooth ;te(s
#T&) ;ine
#T&$ Triangle
#T&' ;aw
#T&& ;9uare
O*ci&&ator* -&arge .oard %id right 4 re*2ond to 2itch0
#T"& ;9uare
#T")- ;ub (s9uare or sine as selected on MB (anel)
#T$$ Triangle (7metaliser if activated)
#T"/ Triangle (clean)
#T$0 ;aw (the modulating wave for this is #T+))
#T), >oise
#T")" some 2ind of folded triangle ( FGDFDGF )
C&ock* -&arge .oard .otto% &eft0
#T"&+ Cloc2 out
#T"') Cloc2 in (see s(ecial ta( emulation circuit)
Modu&ation -*%a&& .oard .otto% right0
,T787 After Touch
,T788 Mod +hee&
,T78$ ,itch Bend
The*e are "49.91 and need a &itt&e care to u*e a* out2ut* .ecau*e the MA: connect
direct& to the %ain C,;/ ou don<t )ant to ki&& that no) do ou= Read on for a *o&ution.
Making Connection*
*or all out(ut CV6s a(art from the Modulation CV6s and the Cloc2 in 5 buffered the signals
from the MB using non-inverting buffers (TC0,' - you get ' o(-am(s (er chi() the circuit is
very easy and loo2s li2e this Bou need one buffer for each signal you want to send out It<*
2o**i.&e to not u*e the .uffer* .ut there i* a chance that it<&& affect the o2eration of the
MB de2ending on )hat ou 2&ug into. I )ou&d not tr and u*e the en1e&o2e out2ut*
)ithout .uffer*/ it<&& %ake our MB >uieter and )e don<t )ant that6 ?on6t forget to (ower
the TC0,'6s from the MB 7"$v 8 -"$v (atch (oints
*or the Cloc2 in connection you are simulating (ressing the ta(-tem(o button which
shorts the switch Bou can do it using a s9uare wave from another modular synth li2e this
56ve not fully tested the modulation out(uts yet but 56d be inclined to be very cautious with
them There is a chance that if you accidentally get voltage into these test (oints you
could fry your main (rocessor :sing a diode clam( will (robably ma2e it safer 56ll u(date
this soon .ere is an image of a diode clam( 5 (ulled of the internet E 56ll re(lace it in the
neAt u(date of this document %reen s9uare is the modulation (atch (oint on the MB
VCC should be the &&v connection on the MB and %round is ground on the MB 5nstead
of a (ush button send the out(ut to a non-inverting buffer then out to modular land!
.ere is what the insides of my MB loo2ed li2e after my mods
The wiring is not su(er tidy but the soldering is good and that counts! The beige (roto-
board in the to( left holds ' A TC0,6s for buffering out(uts and the transitor circuit for the
cloc2 control mod 5t6s bolted to the MB6s smaller board using a short standoff
5 cut a hole in the side chee2 of the MB to
allow me to connect a brea2-out boA
5 ran all the CV6s and the MB6s ground
connection down a ribbon cable that
connects to a brea2-out boA made of
aluminium
.o(e you enHoy your M<%AB=:T<!