Arturia MiniFuse 1 USB Audio Interface White

Does what it says on the tin, cheap effective interface if you're using it statically connected to one machine. However, it works very poorly with USB hubs/docks and laptops. Every time laptop goes to sleep and the data lines disconnect the interface either:- Resets to default settings, turning off phantom power and monitor- Glitches out completely and requires unplugging from the backReally cannot recommend this unit if that's your use-case or you like your interface keeping default settings.

I have Arturia gear both its hardware and software and find it excellent. It was a no brainer to stay with the brand. Purchased from Manny's, (Melbourne Australia) where over the years I have spent thousands of dollars and always received first class service, fast delivery, and competitive pricing. In this case I needed the audio interface urgently as a replacement for my existing audio interface. Julian Krause on YouTube has reviewed the MiniFuse 1 and 2 and his results and thoughts also reinforced my trust in obtaining the MiniFuse4. Most of my composing is performed in the box so the main task of the unit is for playback. Given I also have outboard mixers and rack gear means I have a range of alternatives for recording sound from an external source. I work ... MoreI have Arturia gear both its hardware and software and find it excellent. It was a no brainer to stay with the brand. Purchased from Manny's, (Melbourne Australia) where over the years I have spent thousands of dollars and always received first class service, fast delivery, and competitive pricing. In this case I needed the audio interface urgently as a replacement for my existing audio interface. Julian Krause on YouTube has reviewed the MiniFuse 1 and 2 and his results and thoughts also reinforced my trust in obtaining the MiniFuse4. Most of my composing is performed in the box so the main task of the unit is for playback. Given I also have outboard mixers and rack gear means I have a range of alternatives for recording sound from an external source. I work professionally in a niche market in Australia and internationally. Consider the Arturia MiniFuse4 a professional piece of equipment in the low price sector of interfaces.

Awesome, Small, Budget, Audio Interface

I was excited for this audio interface to come out because of the two headphone outputs for monitoring, multiple output port options on the back, in-built additional USB-A ports, and that it operates by USB-C. Also I heard great reviews online. The in-built usb ports are great, so that I don't have to have as many adapters from USB C to USB A for my laptop with other devices. I first heard of Arturia when I was in the market for a midi keyboard, and so far, they do not disappoint. A massive bonus for me is how this interface is much smaller than I expected, which is amazing. Plus, it comes with power plugs for different countries. It doesn't HAVE to be plugged in to power (unless you want to use the interface's additional in-built usb ports for something like a midi ... MoreI was excited for this audio interface to come out because of the two headphone outputs for monitoring, multiple output port options on the back, in-built additional USB-A ports, and that it operates by USB-C. Also I heard great reviews online. The in-built usb ports are great, so that I don't have to have as many adapters from USB C to USB A for my laptop with other devices. I first heard of Arturia when I was in the market for a midi keyboard, and so far, they do not disappoint. A massive bonus for me is how this interface is much smaller than I expected, which is amazing. Plus, it comes with power plugs for different countries. It doesn't HAVE to be plugged in to power (unless you want to use the interface's additional in-built usb ports for something like a midi keyboard), so that is nice, but also good to have the ability for extra usb ports. It would be even better if it didn't have the need to be plugged in to get power to the usb ports to power my midi keyboard, but I can live with that compromise because I think that's just literally a physical necessity (I don't think there's anything out there at the time of writing that could do that without a power supply). The small form factor is great for me since I travel a lot, and I don't expect to need to replace this interface for a long time since it's perfect for my needs.

Bought for the MIDI interface, not yet working

Reviews suggested this was nearly as good as the Focusrite Scarlet but also provided a MIDI interface and fully compatible with Mac OS. So far I have not been able to figure out how to make it work, it would appear that the Mac is not able to recognise the interface. I have posted support requests to Arturia where they state you should expect a reply within 48 hours, as yet no reply and it is now outside that time.The device itself is robust and the audio inputs and outputs work fine and seem to be of good quality. Again I was a little disappointed, it was not clear in the advertising but I was expecting to see two inputs on the computer. It would appear both inputs are mixed before sending the signal to the computer and only a single interface appears.These ... MoreReviews suggested this was nearly as good as the Focusrite Scarlet but also provided a MIDI interface and fully compatible with Mac OS. So far I have not been able to figure out how to make it work, it would appear that the Mac is not able to recognise the interface. I have posted support requests to Arturia where they state you should expect a reply within 48 hours, as yet no reply and it is now outside that time.The device itself is robust and the audio inputs and outputs work fine and seem to be of good quality. Again I was a little disappointed, it was not clear in the advertising but I was expecting to see two inputs on the computer. It would appear both inputs are mixed before sending the signal to the computer and only a single interface appears.These issues severely limit the value of this interface for my use.I will happy increase my rating and value for money if I can get the MIDI interface working.

Perfect as a mobile interface powered from a phone/tablet when your workflow requires using a USB MIDI controller/device.

I use this on stage powered by an iPad Pro.It is small enough to sit on top of a stage keyboard and easy to see the meters and use the monitoring knob to adjust the output. Being made of metal is also important in a stage environment.I was not interested in it as a recording device, however the direct monitor feature is useful for local summing a mono keyboard up with the iPad audio if the front of house only supplies one mono connection to the mixer.The killer feature for me was the built-in USB 2.0 hub. It's not technically revolutionary at all as it is just a 2 port USB 2.0 hub inside with the audio interface circuitry hardwired to one port internally and the other port exposed on the back of the enclosure. However it is super convenient as now your USB 2.0 ... MoreI use this on stage powered by an iPad Pro.It is small enough to sit on top of a stage keyboard and easy to see the meters and use the monitoring knob to adjust the output. Being made of metal is also important in a stage environment.I was not interested in it as a recording device, however the direct monitor feature is useful for local summing a mono keyboard up with the iPad audio if the front of house only supplies one mono connection to the mixer.The killer feature for me was the built-in USB 2.0 hub. It's not technically revolutionary at all as it is just a 2 port USB 2.0 hub inside with the audio interface circuitry hardwired to one port internally and the other port exposed on the back of the enclosure. However it is super convenient as now your USB 2.0 hub is inside a super solid metal case and not another thing to get lost, forgotten, broken, disconnected because it's an awkward form factor or uses adapters, dongles etc. You’d need to have some other USB based device like a MIDI controller that you use or plan to to benefit from this feature of course.I use the rear USB port to send MIDI clock to my Nord Stage 3 so that the synth arpeggiator is in time with Cubasis on an iPad. If I'm not using any additional USB devices beyond the Nord then that's a really simple cable setup. However when adding a Korg nanoKontrol, this works by adding a basic USB 2.0 hub plugged into the back of the Minifuse 1 so I can connect both the Nord and use the nanoKontrol as a Mackie controller for Cubasis. Even then, that extra hub is away from the iPad not dangling off it so it’s better that way. USB hubs with long or detachable cables exist to solve the problem another way but I really appreciate this being solved in the audio interface itself.I bought from PMT Newcastle where Gaz let me try out the interface plugged into my phone and onward to a synth where we could hear the MIDI clock worked as I increased the tempo in Cubasis and the synth’s arpeggiator sped up, so I knew it would all work.Note 1: The cable supplied is USB A to C, so when using an iPad pro or other USB host directly, you’ll need to provide your own USB C to C cable or C to A adapter.Note 2: Really all that is expected to be plugged into the USB port would be USB MIDI controllers. It’s not super high speed or high power so isn’t there for attaching super fast, high power SSDs or anything like that.Note 3: If you want to power a phone/tablet simultaneously then this device has no support for power delivery up to the host device. Only a couple of much more expensive audio interfaces from other brands can do that. This device is designed to be portable and bus powered FROM the host device, not supply power TO it. You need extra gear to allow simultaneous use of any bus powered USB peripheral like this and to charge a phone/tablet at the same time through its single port.Note 4: The LED on the headphone knob will flash as a reminder to install the Arturia software on a Mac/PC and after running said software this switches off the flashing and the device from exposing itself as removable storage with the link to download the software in the first place. The device works fine on an iPad without installing the software but the flashing is annoying so I installed the software on my Mac just to stop the flashing and not have the interface appear as removable storage when I plugged it into things.

Perfect for use with M1 iPad Pro 11 with usb-c

Overall:I bought this to use as an interface for my iPad Pro with the usb-c. The iPad Pro 2021 powers this unit flawlessly for hours without any external usb power hub. I plugged the MiniFuse in to the iPad for the first time while the iPad was at about 98%, then, I plugged my usb midi keyboard into the provided usb hub that’s built into the minifuse, and played, using Steinberg Cubasis 3, for about 3-4 hours, possibly longer, because I got tired. When I did decide to quit for the evening, the iPad was at around 43%. All and all, this setup doesn’t seem to drain the power any faster than when using the iPad for any other day to day tasks. Very happy with the results

Recommend for combination of midi and audio

This is my second review and is follows my support request being answered. If you see my previous review a complaint was the lack of a support response. I lodged two support requests and the first notification I see is that they have replied and saw no response after 10 days... problem with email, or junk mail? Not sure.The remainder of this review assumes it is just an email delivery issue.1. 2 simultaneous inputs are now working2. midi now works wellJust be aware, it is essential that you install the MiniFuse Control Centre software. Without this you will not see the high sample rate options for the audio inputs and the MIDI function will not work at all. I missed this, which I think is because the instructions focus on installing Arturia Software Centre ... MoreThis is my second review and is follows my support request being answered. If you see my previous review a complaint was the lack of a support response. I lodged two support requests and the first notification I see is that they have replied and saw no response after 10 days... problem with email, or junk mail? Not sure.The remainder of this review assumes it is just an email delivery issue.1. 2 simultaneous inputs are now working2. midi now works wellJust be aware, it is essential that you install the MiniFuse Control Centre software. Without this you will not see the high sample rate options for the audio inputs and the MIDI function will not work at all. I missed this, which I think is because the instructions focus on installing Arturia Software Centre (yes, even now that feels misleading). MiniFuse is essential, Arturia Software Centre only helps with the licenses for the software that is supplied with the MiniFuse.Recommend: Definitely. If you do not need the MIDI capability, then I would choose the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 instead.

Review of Arturia MiniFuse 2 White Audio Interface

Very nicely made, with metal box and backlit controls. I bought it mostly to use as a DAC to give my PC an extra audio out pair. I can now listen to YouTube tutorials from the PC's headphone output socket at the same time as using Ableton Live (which demands exclusive access to outputs) through Minifuse to my amp and speakers. As expected, the sound quality is crystal perfect, hiss and glitch free (using 24-bit/48kHz out from Live). I've not used the front panel inputs (pre-amps/ADC) so can't comment. Slightly strange it has no on/off button, so I had to change a setting in my PC's BIOS to power off the USB ports after shut down.

Size, quirky metering and a thinner low end keep it from four stars

There are several decent choices for "step above entry level" audio interfaces (and the quirky Audient Evo 4 is a mighty nice budget choice) and this is one of them. It's $20 cheaper and a bit longer than the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd generation but it has loopback. The 2i2 is kind of the benchmark so I will compare it to that model. The low end is a hair thinner than the 2i2 but the real screwy thing is the metering. Focusrite got some flak for just having input metering being lighted dials that change color (green, yellow and red) instead of "real" metering as in the Motu M2 (a bit more expensive and bigger than the 2i2 but with loopback and good audio across the board). Arturia offers output metering similar to Motu but the input metering is worse than the 2i2 ... MoreThere are several decent choices for "step above entry level" audio interfaces (and the quirky Audient Evo 4 is a mighty nice budget choice) and this is one of them. It's $20 cheaper and a bit longer than the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd generation but it has loopback. The 2i2 is kind of the benchmark so I will compare it to that model. The low end is a hair thinner than the 2i2 but the real screwy thing is the metering. Focusrite got some flak for just having input metering being lighted dials that change color (green, yellow and red) instead of "real" metering as in the Motu M2 (a bit more expensive and bigger than the 2i2 but with loopback and good audio across the board). Arturia offers output metering similar to Motu but the input metering is worse than the 2i2 -- it only flashes red (and with a bit of a delay) when clipping. The green-to-yellow zone is more helpful in maintaining recording levels. Arturia should have gravitated closer to the Motu. Arturia gets some rave reviews but I don't see it as the greatest thing since sliced bread. The cheaper Audient Evo 4 is plastic and quirky but good sound while the somewhat more expensive Motu M2 is low noise, great metering and arguably a better lower end. The 2i2, even in 3rd generation, is getting long in the tooth and maybe Focusrite will incorporate the best of the competition in the update (and then again maybe not). If you can live with the quirks and metering, then this would be a good choice. The preamps are certainly clean enough and it's $50 cheaper than the Motu M2 which recently had a price increase. The cheaper Evo 4 has loopback, clean gain preamps and incremental metering (though learning the red zone is trial and error with the Evo 4) in its plastic body. The 2i2 has the "vintage" air circuitry (which I don't use) and a bit richer sound. With all the flak the 2i2 gets over metering Arturia should have offered what Motu does, not worse than the 2i2. Many people will never use loopback although it's nice to have and Focusrite should have included it in the 2i2 3rd generation. I can't "officially" recommend the Arturia because of the metering. If that's not a problem and you can live with a bit thinner low end then you'll save $20 over the 2i2 by getting this. Certainly competent but not the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you can spend $50 more, get the M2 and don't look back.

Works great with tiny annoyances.

Does exactly what it's supposed to do, and sounds good doing it.I've got zero complaints about the function.Two annoyances though:1 - LIGHTS A red one for phantom power and another blinky fella under both the small volume knobs. Can't leave it plugged in overnight or my room lights up. Can't put tape over them either :/ I may try to tear it apart and unsolder the LEDS...2 - It's a thing to attach fake storage to USB devices now and put the device's manual in it. Kinda cool. Until your monitor and audio interface and other audio interface all have manuals filling up the sidebar of OS file manager... it's just gross. Disabling in device manager only lasts until you change the USB port. I suppose you could plug it into every port on your pc and disable it for ... MoreDoes exactly what it's supposed to do, and sounds good doing it.I've got zero complaints about the function.Two annoyances though:1 - LIGHTS A red one for phantom power and another blinky fella under both the small volume knobs. Can't leave it plugged in overnight or my room lights up. Can't put tape over them either :/ I may try to tear it apart and unsolder the LEDS...2 - It's a thing to attach fake storage to USB devices now and put the device's manual in it. Kinda cool. Until your monitor and audio interface and other audio interface all have manuals filling up the sidebar of OS file manager... it's just gross. Disabling in device manager only lasts until you change the USB port. I suppose you could plug it into every port on your pc and disable it for each to cover them all... Whatever. Not required and it's just clutter.