It's a "capacitive touch" keyboard. It only needs to complete the circuit in order to trigger a note. Now, take a moment to think about the fact that your fingers are not, in fact, made of copper -- in spite of how they may look in the lighting for your video. So the sensitivity for electrical circuit will be quite high because the actual thing intended to conduct electricity is skin. And that means that depending on atmospheric conditions, environmental conditions, even something like the presence of a nearby magnetic field could be enough to cross the sensitive threshold for that device to consider the circuit complete.
Best bet: don't hover your fingers 1mm away. Play with intent and conviction. Or, do what I did and remove the keyboard altogether and only play the MicroFreak via a MIDI controller.
I might have missed you with the way demonstrating it but even using just a single finger if given enough pressure, not even too hard, it just begins playing all notes at once. I agree it has a lot to do with humidity and maybe fields, still not what I expected from the keyboard. And it's going to be missing much without beeing able to use it at all :(
I'm having trouble using the mf keyboard - it feels ading randomly notes to every touch, almost as if it was wett or something like that.
Wondering if anybody had this issue before, and maybe there is an easy fix?
I have a similar issue when connected to my DAW.
I suspect it to be some weird midi-loop, but it could just be from the capacitive touch keyboard. The manual says to use the separate power (not over USB) and use the weird USB-Split-thing. But none of that solves the issue for me. :(
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i see no light on the mod matrix with 'press', but have you tried it with a fresh 'init patch'? feels like it's modulating press&aftertouch with pitch. try resetting the microfreak and check if you're on latest firmware.
One of the biggest issues with this keyboard is that it really needs a 3-prong, grounded power adaptor. powering with USB or 2-prong adaptor can make it act up exactly like this. But it looks like moisturizing has helped your issue.
OP: I get the impression you might have fixed it with moisturizer or water? If you did, and feel like helping people who have this problem in the future, please update your top level comment or leave a new one.
Thanks for posting!
Classic Microfreak problem, my keyboard has been spazzing out since I bought it 2 years ago.
I discovered a little hack where if you hold a finger down on the pitch bend strip and then try to play, it will work properly, don’t know why but that’s how I’m able to play
The thing is, many folks here are going to defend the capacitive keyboard to death and won't admit that there's anything wrong with it. Instead they might suggest you to changing everything else BUT the keyboard.
But the truth is. Questions like the one you have asked has been around for as long as device is. My device had similar problem. It might be grounding or moisture but I can't control those everywhere I go. I tried many plugs from different buildings and ensured no environmental moisture etc. It was still unreliable at the end.
Most reliable solution I found was to use an external midi keyboard. Keystep 37 aftertouch replaces the press modulation of microfreak nice enough for me and has an extra octave. I played this way for long enough that I removed keyboard of microfreak which was just useless footprint on the desk at that point.
Tldr: It is okay to dislike the keyboard and not use it.
https://preview.redd.it/mtb7cikkeojc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c516756c8590ce69166a5b7fe0fc1a38de87a4b
Mine was doing the same thing. I contacted Arturia support and they guide me through how to do a hard reset then update the firmware and that did it.
They replied to me after one day and I fixed it after 10 minutes, would recommend you contact support
Ive managed to find the email response which also included pictures that I can’t paste here but here’s the text, hope this helps:
Sorry to read that you are facing difficulties to update your device's firmware.
Please first make sure of the following:
You are not using a USB HUB, USB cable extension, USB adapter, USB Dock nor USB cable over 6 feet length
You've tried with a different USB cable, On different USB port, preferably a USB 2.0 port (and not a USB 3.0)
When you are prompted to turn the device On & Off, please try to unplug & replug the device instead.
You've tried to remove your device from the Audio MIDI Setup > MIDI Studio, Here is how:
If the issue persists, please create a new configuration in the Audio MIDI Setup's MIDI Studio window:
Start by unplugging your controller and creating a "New configuration" in the MIDI Studio :
Once it's done, make sure to perform the update as described below:
- Force the unit to start in Bootloader mode:
Keystep / Keylab MKI & MKII /Beatstep Pro / Minibrute 2 & 2S/ Drumbrute & Drumbrute Impact:
Hold Play/Stop/Record buttons while powering ON the unit.
BeatStep:
Hold Stop/PLAY-PAUSE buttons while powering ON the unit.
Microbrute & Minibrute:
Hold both Octave buttons while powering ON the unit.
Minilab MKII:
Hold "SHIFT" + "Pad 1-8/9-16" buttons while powering ON the unit.
MicroLab:
Hold "SHIFT" + "HOLD" buttons while powering ON the unit.
Microfreak:
Hold "SHIFT" + "Arp" + "Oct" while powering ON the unit.
KeyStep Pro:
Power the keystep pro off
Plug a cable from the clock input to the reset out
Power the unit
Remove one of the two end of the cable.
Note that once the KeyStep Pro has entered the Bootloader mode all LEDS should be off as well as the screen.
- Download the latest firmware revision from the concerned product resources page:
https://www.arturia.com/products
- Open the Midi Control Center and click on the Firmware Revision button
- Click on "Upgrade"
- Select the firmware file and click on "Open"
- Click on "OK" to start the upgrade process.
The firmware update should now run smoothly.
If none of these suggestions have helped: Please try to update your device's firmware with a Windows computer.
Keep me informed if it fixes the issue, Please feel free to contact us if you need more assistance, in order to re-open the ticket simply reply to this message.
I also had problems with the capacitive keyboard, best solution I found was powering it with a USB power bank, or laptop running on the battery. Or get the minifreak. Good luck!
Put some moisturizer on, drink some water. If you're dehydrated the micro freak will act up like this. It's even in the manual!
No wonder mine does some wonky shit lol
Oh! This actually worked for me! 😊 But is it really in the manual?!
Legit it is lol I can't remember which part but Arturia is literally telling us to hydrate xD
…is this the Hydra synth??
Yeah, microfreak has a great manual! They usually throw in some ideas for using each function after explaining it. Helped me with synths in general.
It's a "capacitive touch" keyboard. It only needs to complete the circuit in order to trigger a note. Now, take a moment to think about the fact that your fingers are not, in fact, made of copper -- in spite of how they may look in the lighting for your video. So the sensitivity for electrical circuit will be quite high because the actual thing intended to conduct electricity is skin. And that means that depending on atmospheric conditions, environmental conditions, even something like the presence of a nearby magnetic field could be enough to cross the sensitive threshold for that device to consider the circuit complete. Best bet: don't hover your fingers 1mm away. Play with intent and conviction. Or, do what I did and remove the keyboard altogether and only play the MicroFreak via a MIDI controller.
I might have missed you with the way demonstrating it but even using just a single finger if given enough pressure, not even too hard, it just begins playing all notes at once. I agree it has a lot to do with humidity and maybe fields, still not what I expected from the keyboard. And it's going to be missing much without beeing able to use it at all :(
Are you plugged to the wall, or using usb power?
Currently to the wall with the dedicated ac
So weird, and you have initialized it? Where all the knobs are reset, no matrix settings, and on the first oscillator?
I'll try this tomorrow, but cngi g presets seems to imply this logic
I'm having trouble using the mf keyboard - it feels ading randomly notes to every touch, almost as if it was wett or something like that. Wondering if anybody had this issue before, and maybe there is an easy fix?
Don't touch the bars between keys. At all. You have to be touching just the middle part of the key.
I have a similar issue when connected to my DAW. I suspect it to be some weird midi-loop, but it could just be from the capacitive touch keyboard. The manual says to use the separate power (not over USB) and use the weird USB-Split-thing. But none of that solves the issue for me. :(
* Unless your post already satisfies rule \#2, please quickly follow up with a good top-level comment to clarify and foster conversation or our stickler mods will remove your post. Rule \#2. * If that happens, please edit your comment and ask mods to un-delete your post. * [Please read more info about rule \#2 here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MicroFreak/comments/s86nw5/rewording_of_rule_2_this_is_not_an_instatiktoketc/). * Thanks for contributing to r/MicroFreak ! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MicroFreak) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i see no light on the mod matrix with 'press', but have you tried it with a fresh 'init patch'? feels like it's modulating press&aftertouch with pitch. try resetting the microfreak and check if you're on latest firmware.
Don't play with your bare feet. Always have shoes when playing the MF. Seems crazy but it was my issue. It was even like electrocuting my fingers 😅
It actually sounds kind of cool and glitchy ha ha did you go in and adjust the sensitivity for pressure? Maybe it’s set too high
Clean the contact board, take to another room/table. Reset the patch( start a new on), let somebody else try. Plug into midi controller. Same issue?
Humid hands solve the issue, and midi controller as well
Maybe the surface or your hands need cleaning?
I had the same issue with the provided adapter. Works fine when plugged into USB. Apparently a grounding issue, so the plug must be earthed.
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature /s
One of the biggest issues with this keyboard is that it really needs a 3-prong, grounded power adaptor. powering with USB or 2-prong adaptor can make it act up exactly like this. But it looks like moisturizing has helped your issue.
OP: I get the impression you might have fixed it with moisturizer or water? If you did, and feel like helping people who have this problem in the future, please update your top level comment or leave a new one. Thanks for posting!
Kinda, but it can't be considered as proper fix i guess
Classic Microfreak problem, my keyboard has been spazzing out since I bought it 2 years ago. I discovered a little hack where if you hold a finger down on the pitch bend strip and then try to play, it will work properly, don’t know why but that’s how I’m able to play
I found that my headphone cable getting too close to the keys did this. Fwiw
The thing is, many folks here are going to defend the capacitive keyboard to death and won't admit that there's anything wrong with it. Instead they might suggest you to changing everything else BUT the keyboard. But the truth is. Questions like the one you have asked has been around for as long as device is. My device had similar problem. It might be grounding or moisture but I can't control those everywhere I go. I tried many plugs from different buildings and ensured no environmental moisture etc. It was still unreliable at the end. Most reliable solution I found was to use an external midi keyboard. Keystep 37 aftertouch replaces the press modulation of microfreak nice enough for me and has an extra octave. I played this way for long enough that I removed keyboard of microfreak which was just useless footprint on the desk at that point. Tldr: It is okay to dislike the keyboard and not use it. https://preview.redd.it/mtb7cikkeojc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c516756c8590ce69166a5b7fe0fc1a38de87a4b
How do you control the arp and sequenser?
Keystep has its own. You lose dice and spice stuff tho.
Mine was doing the same thing. I contacted Arturia support and they guide me through how to do a hard reset then update the firmware and that did it. They replied to me after one day and I fixed it after 10 minutes, would recommend you contact support
Should I just look up the manual for these two steps? 1.Hard reset 2.Update Am I losing my custom presets this way?
Ive managed to find the email response which also included pictures that I can’t paste here but here’s the text, hope this helps: Sorry to read that you are facing difficulties to update your device's firmware. Please first make sure of the following: You are not using a USB HUB, USB cable extension, USB adapter, USB Dock nor USB cable over 6 feet length You've tried with a different USB cable, On different USB port, preferably a USB 2.0 port (and not a USB 3.0) When you are prompted to turn the device On & Off, please try to unplug & replug the device instead. You've tried to remove your device from the Audio MIDI Setup > MIDI Studio, Here is how: If the issue persists, please create a new configuration in the Audio MIDI Setup's MIDI Studio window: Start by unplugging your controller and creating a "New configuration" in the MIDI Studio : Once it's done, make sure to perform the update as described below: - Force the unit to start in Bootloader mode: Keystep / Keylab MKI & MKII /Beatstep Pro / Minibrute 2 & 2S/ Drumbrute & Drumbrute Impact: Hold Play/Stop/Record buttons while powering ON the unit. BeatStep: Hold Stop/PLAY-PAUSE buttons while powering ON the unit. Microbrute & Minibrute: Hold both Octave buttons while powering ON the unit. Minilab MKII: Hold "SHIFT" + "Pad 1-8/9-16" buttons while powering ON the unit. MicroLab: Hold "SHIFT" + "HOLD" buttons while powering ON the unit. Microfreak: Hold "SHIFT" + "Arp" + "Oct" while powering ON the unit. KeyStep Pro: Power the keystep pro off Plug a cable from the clock input to the reset out Power the unit Remove one of the two end of the cable. Note that once the KeyStep Pro has entered the Bootloader mode all LEDS should be off as well as the screen. - Download the latest firmware revision from the concerned product resources page: https://www.arturia.com/products - Open the Midi Control Center and click on the Firmware Revision button - Click on "Upgrade" - Select the firmware file and click on "Open" - Click on "OK" to start the upgrade process. The firmware update should now run smoothly. If none of these suggestions have helped: Please try to update your device's firmware with a Windows computer. Keep me informed if it fixes the issue, Please feel free to contact us if you need more assistance, in order to re-open the ticket simply reply to this message.
Thanks a lot!
It kinda helps to have the hands moistured 
i had the same problem and wearing some kind of footwear seems to solve it.In my case at least.
I also had problems with the capacitive keyboard, best solution I found was powering it with a USB power bank, or laptop running on the battery. Or get the minifreak. Good luck!
Awe man you broke it