What are the tricks worth knowing on the Arturia MicroFreak?

The answer, in full

Arturia MicroFreak Tips and Cheat Sheet

MicroFreak oscillator and Matrix deep tricks

The real MicroFreak lives in the Matrix and the weirder oscillator models. Here's the stuff buried under the hood that actually changes how the thing sounds.

Steps

1. Assign envelope times as Matrix destinations, not just filter cutoffFilter cutoff is a hardwired Matrix column, but attack/decay of the standard and Cycling envelopes have to be dropped into the Matrix by hand. Route the LFO there to get evolving, breathing envelopes.
2. Use the Matrix as a mixer, not just a routerMultiple sources into one destination sum together, so you can stack LFO + Pressure + Cycling Env on the same target and blend their influence with each Matrix cell's amount.
3. Exploit bipolar Matrix modulationEvery Matrix amount is bipolar (goes negative and positive). A negative-going value on a Fall or Attack stage makes it shorter as the source rises, so pressure can tighten an envelope instead of loosening it.
4. Modulate the Cycling Envelope's own Rise/Hold/FallIn the Matrix, send a very slow LFO or Pressure to the Cycling Env Rise and Fall stages, then route that reshaped envelope onward to other targets. You get an envelope whose shape morphs while it runs.
5. Get the two sequencers to share a sound bankThe A and B sequencer modulation tracks share modulation consequences: an osc-type change recorded in A carries over when you jump to B mid-sequence. Copy a preset and record fresh sequences into the copy to effectively get four sequences of eight mod tracks per sound.

Ideas to try

Fuzz via randomness on cutoff — Route the random/sample-hold source to Filter Cutoff in the Matrix with a small amount for a grainy, fuzzy shimmer. Same trick on an envelope's decay or sustain stage adds life to any repeating rhythmic pulse. Great for reviving a preset that's gone stale.

Cyclic crescendos on arpeggios — Send the LFO sine or saw to an envelope's level in the Matrix, then run the arpeggiator. You get waves of swelling and fading across the arp. Slow the LFO way down and aim it at the Cycling Env's Rise/Fall for slow-motion morphing swells.

Rising saw for realistic transients — The rising sawtooth LFO into the decay time of the standard or Cycling envelope adds a natural snap to drum-ish and bell-like tones. Flip to the falling shape for the opposite feel.

Chase the Mutable and Noise Engineering models — The osc types aren't all vanilla VA. The Mutable-derived models (Karplus-Strong plucks, harmonic, speech) and the Noise Engineering BASS/SAWX/HARM oscillators react to Wave/Timbre/Shape totally differently per model. Don't read the parameter names, just sweep the three knobs on each and listen. The Speech oscillator especially is a whole vibe.