Freakier Firmware Lab

Help · read this before you flash anything

Recovery guide

How to put each instrument back on its official firmware, and what to back up first. Plain steps, no jokes.

Last updated 6 October 2026

Draft. We publish every step here before any download goes live, and we rehearse each one on our own unit first. Steps marked Not yet rehearsed are from our notes and have not been walked end to end.

Before you start

  1. Back up everything the instrument holds. Presets, samples, patterns, projects. The steps for each instrument are below.
  2. Keep your own copy of the official firmware for the version you’re running. We never host or link firmware, so we can’t give you one later.
  3. Use a computer, a good USB cable plugged straight into it (no hub), and the instrument’s own power supply. A firmware update that loses power halfway is the most common way to get into trouble.
  4. Read the whole section for your instrument once before you begin.

Don't update your instrument's firmware until the compatibility table says ✅. A new official version can arrive before we've ported to it. Keep your own copy of the official firmware file you're running now.

MicroFreak

Not yet rehearsed. SuperFreaker isn’t released. We’ll walk these steps on our own MicroFreak, and update this section, before the first download goes live.

Back up first

  • In Arturia MIDI Control Center, save your presets, samples and wavetables to your computer.
  • Keep the official firmware file. SuperFreaker is built for version 5.0.0.2084. Its SHA-256 is c2b405e3c8565b7b73b4dd06522559458190082a8ba633cc5f1bcc43dc64332c, so you can check your copy is the right one.
  • SuperFreaker’s Starter pack includes a read-only backup reader. Once it’s on your synth, a backup tool can copy your unit’s calibration data to your computer. Keep that copy somewhere safe.

Go back to the official firmware

  1. Connect the MicroFreak to your computer by USB, with its power supply plugged in.
  2. Open Arturia MIDI Control Center and select the MicroFreak.
  3. Update the firmware with the official file. Your presets saved under SuperFreaker still load on the official firmware; the extra values are ignored.

If it won’t start normally

  1. Switch the MicroFreak off.
  2. Hold Shift + Arp + Oct/Mod and switch it on. This asks for the update mode the official updater uses.
  3. In MIDI Control Center, use force upgrade with the official firmware file.
  4. Don’t unplug anything until MIDI Control Center says it has finished.

What the mod never touches

SuperFreaker changes only the main program in the firmware file. The bootloader, the part that lets you re-flash, isn’t in that file, and your unit’s serial number and calibration live in a separate area the patches don’t write to. We still can’t promise every possible failure is recoverable, which is why the launch gates include rehearsing this guide.

SP-404MKII

The Screen Loader

The Screen Loader only adds pictures to a project’s PICTURE folder. To undo it, delete startup_1.bmp, startup_2.bmp and screen_saver_*.bmp from that folder (or put your old ones back), then import the project again. The firmware is never involved.

Back up first

  • On the SP: SHIFT + pad 13 (UTILITY) › BACKUP/RESTORE, and keep the backup on your computer.

Go back to Roland’s firmware

  1. Download the official system update from Roland and keep your copy.
  2. Format an SD card as FAT32 and put the update file on its own in the card’s root folder.
  3. With the SP switched off, insert the card, hold SHIFT and switch it on.
  4. Press VALUE to start the update. It takes about 90 seconds. Wait for UPDATE COMPLETE before you switch off.
  5. Delete the update file from the card afterwards, so it doesn’t run again.

BeatStep Pro

Not yet rehearsed. The BeatStep Pro mod isn’t released. We’ll walk these steps on our own unit before the first download goes live.

Back up first

  • In Arturia MIDI Control Center, save your projects and device settings to your computer.

Go back to the official firmware

  1. Connect the BeatStep Pro by USB and open MIDI Control Center.
  2. Under Device Settings › Firmware Revision, choose Upgrade and pick the official file (2.0.1.6 is the version our mod is built for).
  3. Don’t unplug anything until it has finished.

We’re still confirming the BeatStep Pro’s start-up combination for when it won’t start normally. It will be here before any download goes live.

Still stuck

Email [email protected]. Tell us the instrument, which build you flashed, what the screen shows, and which steps you’ve tried. We answer recovery questions first.