The v2 update for the Microfreak adds a noise generator that can morph between particle noise, white noise and "metallic" noise, the company says is reminiscent of an old-school synth cymbal. You might be thinking white noise isn't particularly exciting, but it's an extremely useful tool to have in your arsenal. Especially when combined with the Microfreak's mod matrix for percussive sounds.

That's not the only new feature this year, though. There's also a custom chord mode, where you can play a chord once, then move that shape around the keyboard with just a single keypress. And a scale mode that will keep you from ever playing a bad note every again by locking the keyboard to a predetermined set of notes.

There's also been some tweaks to make the synth more player friendly. For one, the sequencer and matrix have new shortcuts that make it easier to copy and clear settings. And the display will now show parameters and changes even when it's being controlled by an external device. (Like, say, Arturia's new KeyStep Pro, maybe?)

The update should be available now. Just connect your Microfreak to your PC, launch the MIDI Control Center and click update.