Nanasi has released a free Ctrlr patch editor for the Akai Miniak and Alesis Micron.
Features:
- Browse patches in synth and .syx files.
- Patch category search that includes .syx files.
- Load and Save individual patches in synth. (Synth tab/ Category tab)
- Load and Save individual patches in .syx format. Compatible with patches from MINIAK/Micron. The .syx patch is loaded to edit buffer. You can preview .syx patches on the fly. (File tab/ Category tab)
- Randomizer for oscillator, filter, tracking generator.
- Patch initialization.
- Revert/Unrevert. (not function on synth.)
via jejeje
Thank you!!!
Most other Micron/Miniak editors (for PC) seem to be in various states of abandonment. I haven’t tried out Ctrlr yet, but this will cause me to give it a go.
Is this a stand-alone PC app? There are no requirements listed. Would love Mac based but excited to check it out either way! Thanks!
OK I did more research and realized this is a patch for Cntrlr, which is a VST based plugin host. Very cool! Had never heard of it, very exciting.
This is awesome. I’ve been looking for a nice Micron patch editor for years now and this one is by far the best I’ve ever used. I had never heard of Ctrlr either; it’s such a great piece of software that it’s hard to believe it’s free. Thanks for sharing this.
The Ion engine was incredibly deep, and improved with delay and verb when the Micron came out. The Miniak is an even nicer package that the Micron, and this free editor is amazing.
Way back when the Ion came out, it was the only VA I knew of that sounded analog. By that, I mean when you tweaked the filter knob, there were no audible steps – totally smooth. This was in the day of terrible 127-step parameters.
And you could detune the osc by a single cent, with that subtle phase. (Or by microcents using the analog drift parameter)
I think the engine is still deep enough to compete with newer VAs. The MiniNova/Ultranova don’t have that supersmooth filter tweaks (merely smooth-ish).
If I were Akai, I would release the SuperAk – an updated Ion, for $999.
Ditch those old buttons for rubber backlit pads. Make the display or the entire control panel tiltable. Add USB with audio. They wouldn’t even have to update the synth engine, maybe just fix a couple of the old bugs (amp noise, white noise glitch, etc.) and increase poly by a few voices, which is now cheap to do.
A knob or button for every parameter with an OLED display – it would be the flagship VA poly.
Well worth the long wait. I’m going to dust off my Micron and even set to work to re-solder the crackly volume pot.
This beautiful app comes in both standalone editor mode, VST and AU. Dual platform goodness. And free as green grass.
(Love the idea of a SuperAk.)
that stinking volume pot on mine drives me nuts….
i will say this, my micron is the best synth i ever took off a garbage heap…well not quite, but i got it at a flea market for $40!!!
Contact cleaner WITH LUBE and your volume pot will be as good as new!
Normal cleaner without lube will work for a week,or so, but with lube will last indefinitely. Tried on 2 Miniaks and both perfect over a year later.
Need to take off top of case to access pot,spray liberally inside pot!
Every Miniak has volume problem and the fix is so simple it should have been done by Akai.
Can I use this on my ION?
Can you please e-mail me step by step instructions on how to download the Akai Miniak software editor to my Apple Mac computer? Your help would be appreciated
Thanks
[email protected]
ctrlr website is down but the panel can still be downloaded here: https://web.archive.org/web/20240212051826/http://ctrlr.org/wp-content/uploads/delightful-downloads/2014/01/MINIAKmicron.bpanelz