I have an Arturia Mini Brute. I love it but the truth is I have no idea what I’m doing or how I’m doing it. I just fiddle around until I find a sound I like. I love how alive it feels, like it is a tiny monster growling. It’s a fun instrument to play.
TNG, my friend, spend the time and watch the first three episodes flac put together. About 2 minutes into the 3rd episode, lights and fireworks are going to go off in your head, and you are going to GET synthesizers in a deep and visceral way. That's what happened for me. And flac is a fantastic presenter. You don't even need to download Helm... just watch the videos. Watch what he controls, why he controls it, and the logic behind each of the adjustments. It's the same whether it is software or hardware, whether you use Helm, a Moog, or a hand-built synth. Honestly. Flac's content has surprised the shit out of me... great, high quality content, presented well, and at a pace that allows you time to absorb the ideas. He's got a talent.
I did though and it's so much more fun than just watching the videos. It's nice to have it work as a stand alone app for messing around rather than it be controlled through a DAW. I'm already worried ... You don't even need to download Helm
I've got a Microbrute over here, which remains one of my absolute favorite bits of gear - I think the mini brute just has some nice added bells and whistles. I totally relate to it "feeling alive" - there's sort of a playfulness built into it, it's fun to just turn some knobs and see what comes out. Do you ever dive into the "Mod Matrix" on it? Took me a little while to understand it when I first got started, but that's where things really come alive. Also, here's a web app someone made to scroll through "presets" for the microbrute, I wonder if there's a comparable one for the Mini Brute? I like this as a jumping off-point for experimentation.
I was mistaken, I don’t have a mini, I have a micro (I’m gonna live to regret this sentence). I will check out that link Re presets. I literally have NO IDEA how to properly use it beyond fiddling with it using intuition. But it sure is fun.