We are truly living in an age of abundance when it comes to guitar gear. We live in the golden era of guitar effects pedals, a digital era of amp modellers and hybrid designs, and with that we have all kinds of tones available at our fingertips.

We also have never been better informed about gear, about which pedal does what, and how to find the perfect overdrive pedal. And in this online information eco-system, it is only natural that some items of gear attain a certain cachet – especially when the gear in question happens to be rare. In short, there is a lot of cork-sniffing going on.

But the lesson from Khemmis’ bravura new album, a self-titled capital H, capital M heavy metal epic with an über-metal concept (complete with a full-on story arc, demons, madness and all that cool stuff), is that you don’t need to break the bank in search of a tone that inspires you.

The Denver-based doomsters’ sound could be attributed to the Orange Rockerverb tube amps that both Phil Pendergast and Ben Hutcherson play through. It could be attributed to their Dunable electric guitars, and the Bare Knuckle humbuckers they use.

But Pendergast reveals that the secret sauce in his rhythm guitar tone on the record was a pedal so cheap that you could go into a guitar store and buy a round of them for your friends. You have probably paid more for a takeaway pizza.

“My secret weapon for this record was the cheapest possible guitar pedal that you can buy, the Behringer SF300 fuzz pedal,” says Pendergast, joining MusicRadar over Zoom. And what he finds especially amusing is that he doesn’t even use the SF300 as a fuzz.

“In the Boost mode, it is the entirety of the guitar tone for my main rhythm tones on the record,” he explains.

The Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz is one of those cult classic pedals, loved for its super-cheap retail price – Pendergast's was $28 and you can literally pick one up for just over 20 quid (currently £21.30 at Thomann or $28.90 from Sweetwater) – and mocked for its plastic enclosure.

But it's pedal whose tones speak for themselves, offering players two fuzz modes and a boost, and a fuzz circuit that performs very much like a Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz.

Pendergast only bought it because he wanted to sound like Jus Oborn and Liz Buckingham, then realised that, actually, this was doing a job for him.

“I mean, I bought that pedal just so I could play Electric Wizard-esque riffs, just to try it out, ‘cos it was $28 or something,” he says. “Then I just went to the Boost mode and I was like, ‘That sounds pretty damn good.’ It’s just a really good pedal for preserving the sound of the pickups that you’re using, and then letting you sweeten it a little, and you have quite a bit of control over how, because there is an EQ. There’s a low and higher mid-range tone knob on it. It just worked. I mean, it just was the right fit.”

Pendergast had been using an Xotic Effects EP Booster. That’s what we hear on 2021’s Deceiver. And there are no complaints to be had about that. It’s a single-knob boost pedal inspired by the preamp in an EP-3 tape echo machine, and as such it has become an industry standard tone-sweetener. Pendergast had plenty of options in the studio, too, and yet none could beat the Behringer.

“We had, probably, at least close to a hundred different drive pedals that we brought to the studio [laughs], and we tried a lot of them,” he says. “This was the first pedal that I tried, because I was like, ‘I think it’s gonna be this.’ And then we were like, ‘There’s no way it’s gonna be that. Let’s try other things.’ And then we were like, ‘Yeah, it's that.’

“It just worked really well for what we were going for on this record. So there’s this cheap-ass plastic fucking fuzz pedal that we’re playing – not in fuzz mode – that is all over the record and I just think it’s hilarious. That is very funny to me.”

Hutcherson used The King In Yellow, a parallel blending overdrive from Lichtlaerm Audio that’s inspired by a Tube Screamer, and the two tones mixed worked gangbusters, each offering a slightly different midrange response.

Hutcherson says there is a lesson to be had in all this, and its one that some in the doom scene needs to learn.

“I mean, gear fetishism exists in every genre,” he says. “But anything remotely doomed related – or adjacent – suffers from it in a particularly nauseating way, where people think, ‘Oh, you have to have a first-generation [Sunn] Model T. You have to have this…’”

This is not how Khemmis got their sound on any of their albums.

“Dude, some of the best tones we got in this band – until we started working with Orange – was with a Carvin X-100B and a dirt pedal in front of it, an amp that you can still get that amp for, like, 400 or 500 bucks,” explains Hutcherson. “Phil and I, at one point, we each had two! We paid 200 bucks per head. They’re incredible amps. They take pedals great. The graphic EQ is the secret.

“But at the end of the day, it’s like there is so much totally fine gear, and you hit the point of diminishing returns so quickly.”

All that time spend gear hunting could be spend practising, or better still jamming, and writing. Hutcherson and Pendergast get it; they understand the gear obsession. C’mon, Hutcherson’s Zoom mise en scène finds him sitting next to a Peavey 6505 (just because he likes having it around) and a holy grail Ampeg V4 head. But you don’t need to go overboard.

“Find gear that opens up creative possibilities for you, rather than chasing some imagined tonal perfection,” says Hutcherson. “I guess, find joy in that hunt for the new exciting piece of gear – to a reasonable extent – but a new pedal won’t make you a better player. It won’t make you a better songwriter.

“The ideal, for me, is to have gear that gets as many roadblocks out of the way between getting the ideas from up here [taps head] and then out my fingertips. Like, whatever that needs to be. It doesn’t have to be the most sought-after whatever. It just needs to be something that you play through and you feel electrified when you play it.”

Khemmis’ self-titled LP is available to preorder via Nuclear Blast, dropping 12 June. You can read more from Pendergast and Hutcherson – including about that gnarly concept – coming soon to MusicRadar.

• Buy the SF300 pedal from Thomann (UK/Europe) - £21.30
• Buy the SF300 pedal from Sweetwater (US) - $28.90

Bill Finnegan’s lawsuit against Behringer’s parent company, Music Tribe, over its $69 Klon copycat overdrive pedal has been dismissed.

In a court filing dated 29 September, Finnegan dismissed the lawsuit, without costs to either party, bringing an end to his months-long dispute with Behringer. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that it can’t be picked up again and pursued at a later date (You can read the court filings here).

So what did we learn from all this? Well, firstly, it looks like Finnegan, the inventor of the Klon Centaur, ultimately got what he wanted.

Since Finnegan filed his complaint with the district court of Massachusetts in May, Behringer has made some quiet revisions to the pedal it launched as the Centaur Overdrive in November 2024.

The name Behringer now appears on the front of the enclosure. It was renamed the Centara, and then subsequently the Zentara. The graphic had been changed from a centaur with a Caeser cut and a sword to a long-haired centaur brandishing a spear.

The oxblood-coloured knobs remain, as does the gold enclosure. It is obvious what the Zentara is based upon. But it would appear that these revisions have satisfied Finnegan.

His lawsuit makes a neat study in the ethics of guitar effects pedal design.

When you look at the market today at the abundance of Tube Screamer copies, Blues Driver copies, Big Muff-style pedals and of course, Klon clones – which are so many that it is an entire sub-species of drive pedal in and of itself, the klone – then it is clear that, at a circuit level, there’s little companies can do to protect their design.

Trade dress, how the pedal looks and is marketed, is another thing entirely.

When Behringher launched of the Zentara, née the Centaur Overdrive, Finnegan clearly believed it had overstepped the market, and the further design revisions and name-change would suggest he had a point.

But this is a Klon story, and it wouldn’t be Klon story if there wasn’t some weirdness along the way. This is, after all, the most sought-after overdrive pedal in the world.

The fact that John Mayer and Jeff Beck both used them (and were indeed mentioned in Finnegan’s original complaint), has made the originals a holy grail for your pedalboard, jacking up the price of the originals, which are all made by hand, to silly money – you could by a new Les Paul Standard for less.

But when Finnegan filed his complaint, the price of Behringer’s Centaur Overdrive was now seen as a sound investment by stompbox scalpers and it started appearing online as the “lawsuit era” Centaur Overdrive with list prices of $2,000. Remember, this is a $69 drive pedal we are talking about.

Perhaps all this will just settle down now and go away. Or not. But at least the matter between Finnegan and Behringer looks to be resolved.

Behringer has unveiled a new pedal for electric guitar and synthesizer with a name that pretty much says it all as to what it’s designed for, which is just as well, because with eight adjustable filters, selectable patterns and myriad ways of configuring them, the BM-15M has a lot going on.

As the demo video says, “there’s not really an easy way to describe what this thing does”. Ain't that the truth? But its full name, the BM-15M Murf Box, should ring a few bells.

The BM-15M Murf Box is an analogue filter pedal inspired by Moog’s now OOP MuRF (Multiple Resonant Filter Array) pedal, that was launched in 2004, expanded in 2009, and now is offered by the storied Moog as a guitar VST for digital creators. You can find second hand MF-105M units listed on Reverb for over a grand.

Behringer’s Murf Box shares many of the design features of the original Moog – the wooden side panels and black metal enclosure – though they have swapped the controls around, with the eight adjustable filter sliders located at the top of the pedal, the six dials (Envelope, Filter, Rate, Pattern, Drive and Output) and two slider switches (LFO, Freq) below.

It has eight individual filter bands. Adjust them, then add some movement, with 12 “dynamic patterns” to choose from, adding rhythm and motion to your filter sounds.

Users can dial in low and slow, woozy motion-sickness sounds, chewy weirdness that could work nicely with open chord guitar sequences, or funk rhythm figures, or the envelope could be set up for a super fast response, and choppy percussive sounds. It really is the kind of pedal that encourages – or demands – experimentation. Like the original, it is a pedal to create with.

The Murf Box is an analogue filter pedal but it can be digitally controlled, which is especially helpful if you are using this with a synth or drum machine, or playing to a click.

You can connect this via MIDI or USB and control settings with the accompanying Guitar Tribe software, making deeper edits with your laptop. There are also comprehensive options for controlling its parameters via an expression pedal, with all of its input/ouput jacks located on the top of the pedal.

The BM-15M Murf Box supports mono and stereo operation.

If those aforementioned secondhand prices for an original Moog unit give you the heebie-jeebies, Behringer’s £/$129 street price might make the M-15M Murf Box an attractive proposition. For more details, head over to Behringer.

Behringer’s Centaur Drive, a $69 clone of the legendary Klon Centaur overdrive pedal, has officially turned the world crazy, with people now selling it online for silly money – including one listed for over $2,000.

Whether anyone would be crazy enough to buy one at that price remains to be seen, but it is indicative of… well something. It is certainly the latest turn in the unfolding drama that is the Centaur Overdrive.

This is one of a string of Behringer releases inspired by classic stompboxes of yore that sailed close to the wind as far as originality was concerned.

This was an exacting clone of Bill Finnegan’s Klon Centaur. It had the gold metal enclosure, the oxblood coloured knobs, the mythical beast illustration – and, in case it wasn’t obvious, it even had “Centaur” in its name.

As on 30 May, we could consider that officially too close to the wind, as Finnegan sued against Behringer’s parent company, Music Tribe, alleging that Behringer’s Centuar Overdrive “blatantly infringes upon specific intellectual property” owned by Finnegan’s company, Klon LLC.

“For the record, I have never been consulted in any way about this pedal, it has never been authorised by me,” Finnegan wrote, on Instagram.

Finnegan posted a link to his lawyers’ court filing, accusing Behringer of trademark and trade dress infringement, false advertising, and false designation of origin.

You can still find the Behringer Centaur Overdrive for sale. Thomann, Sweetwater and Andertons are among the major retailers to still list the unit – but they are all out of stock, promising more units on the way.

Enter, the scalpers – or maybe just people listing it for a laugh. After all, can you really be serious when listing this drive pedal on eBay for $1,500/$2,036.70?

Okay, this is an extreme example. But you can find it listed for $1,000, for $695, $749… And so on. One eBay listing – $500 or best offer – explains the pricing rationale as thus, “Listings are getting taken down everywhere, so grab it before it disappears.”

This is not the first time that the market for a stompbox has overheated. Some might even point to the market for the original Klon – juiced by the fact the likes of Jeff Beck, John Mayer et al all swore by it – as being dysfunctional. You could buy two Custom Shop Les Pauls for the money that some people are asking for it.

Josh Scott of JHS Pedals jokingly listed the first ever Klon Centaur online for $500,000 on Reverb. Scott would also play his part in another extreme pricing event, and would later come to regret declaring the DigiTech Bad Monkey as an underrated – and underpriced – overdrive pedal. People, and prices, went nuts. Scott even made a T-shirt about it, and recommended four super-cheap Bad Monkey alternatives.

What’s the lesson here? There’s no lesson. Joe Bonamassa says “something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it” but even so there are limits. No way is a drive pedal worth $2,000.

The designer of the Klon Centaur, Bill Finnegan, is suing Behringer’s parent company Music Tribe over the release of its $69 Klon copy, the Centaur Overdrive.

Finnegan had his IP attorneys file the motion on Friday, 30 May, at the district court of Massachusetts, arguing that Music Tribe’s actions went “far beyond the line of permissible inspiration versus unlawful copying”, and is seeking damages and injunctive relief.

Behringer launched the Centaur Overdrive in November 2024. Retailing for $69, it promised to be a faithful copy of Finnegan’s pedal, arguably the most sought-after overdrive pedal in the world, its use popularised by the likes of John Mayer and Jeff Beck – both of whom are mentioned in the action.

Finnegan has always made each one by hand. Demand has long since outstripped supply, and second-hand Klon Centaurs change hands for silly money.

That someone should copy his circuit was not Finnegan’s issue. He accuses Behringer of trademark and trade dress infringement, false advertising, and false designation of origin.

Behringer’s Centaur Overdrive is an exacting take on the gold enclosure Klon, with the eponymous centaur graphic on the front. Behringer's logo is not on the front of the pedal; you will find that located on the top of the unit above the input/output jacks.

Finnegan’s action cites a transcript of Behringer’s promotional YouTube video for the Centaur Overdrive as Exhibit A. The video mentions Finnegan by name, and his original Klon Centaur is pictured.

Finnegan shared the action on Instagram last night and explained why he was taking legal action.

“IP attorneys I have engaged filed a federal lawsuit against a well-known pedal manufacturer that is currently marketing and mass-producing a pedal that we believe blatantly infringes upon specific intellectual property owned by my company Klon LLC,” wrote Finnegan. “For the record, I have never been consulted in any way about this pedal, it has never been authorised by me, and I have never had any involvement whatsoever in its design, production, or marketing.”

Finnegan said he would make no more public comment on the matter. The complaint, would speak for itself.

This is the latest in a number of controversies surrounding Behringer’s product range. In February, Musitronics, accused Behringer of copying its products, trade dress and appropriating the company’s history for use in its promotional materials following the launch of the B-Tron III Envelope Filter, a clone of Musitronics’ Mu-Tron III.

The B-Tron III was the third in a string of products inspired by Musitronics’ designs. In 2022, Behringer released the Dual-Phase, a Mu-Tron Bi-Phase clone that was originally teased as the “Bi-Phase” before the name change. In 2021, Behringer released the Octave Divider, a clone of the Mutron Octave Divider.

In January, Roger Linn criticised Behringer over the launch of the LM Drum, a clone of Linn’s iconic LinnDrum drum machine used throughout the ‘80s by the likes of Tears For Fears.

“Even if we discount the copying of the visual design, logo style and sound circuit of LinnDrum,” said Linn, “the LM Drum copies my sounds. So I’d have preferred for Uli [Behringer] to ask my permission. Even if he thinks it is legal, I question whether it is ethical.”

Musitronics, the maker of the Mu-Tron III and other funkifiable effects that became a mainstay of ‘70s electric guitar tone, has slammed the German gear giant Behringer, accusing it of copying its products, trade dress and using Mu-Tron history in its promotional videos.

In a Facebook post, Musitronics (aka Mu-Tron), does not mention Behringer by name, but it is quite obvious whom it is speaking of. The post comes just days after Behringer debuted its B-Tron III Envelope Filter, a clone of the Mu-Tron III that retails for $69. Mike Beigel designed the original and formed Musitronics with Aaron Newman in 1972.

“So a $2 billion German company has decided to copy a third Mu-Tron product,” writes Musitronics. “It is being distributed, sight unseen, six month pre-order through a $31 billion investment firm which owns the largest online music store in the world. The pedal is most-likely entirely made in China and will sell for less than the cost of what it takes us to produce here in the USA.”

The B-Tron III Envelope Filter follows the 2022 release of Behringer’s Dual-Phase, a unit based on the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase that was originally teased as the “Bi-Phase” before the name change. In 2021, Behringer released the Octave Divider, a clone – and namesake – of the Mutron Octave Divider.

Behringer is not the first company to make a pedal based on another. It is not the only company to have made a pedal based on a Mu-Tron design. Warm Audio’s Mutation Phasor II, launched in 2023, promises a “true-to-spec recreation” of the Mu-Tron Phasor II, and promises it for $149.

And Mu-Tron is not the only company to complain about Behringer copying a vintage design. In January, Roger Linn slammed the company for the LM Drum, a clone of the iconic LinnDrum drum machine used throughout the ‘80s.

Linn said Behringer’s CEO, Uli Behringer, never asked for his blessing before the release.

“Even if we discount the copying of the visual design, logo style and sound circuit of LinnDrum,” said Linn, “the LM Drum copies my sounds. So I’d have preferred for Uli to ask my permission. Even if he thinks it is legal, I question whether it is ethical.”

Linn was gifted one of the units after the fact. He said Behringer copied the sound design circuit – right down to his “bad ideas” – but used its own operating system and interface and that made it hard to use.

“It uses an entirely different operating system and user interface, one that is based on earlier Behringer drum machines,” said Linn. “Personally, I found it somewhat confusing and difficult to use, though I was given an unfinished manual.”

Mu-Tron also accuses Behringer of copying its trade dress and appropriating the history of the company for its promotional materials.

“This company has not only copied the trade-dress (colour schemes, fonts, labels and verbiage), they have even assimilated the history of Musitronics into their videos as if was their own,” continues Musitronics. “Any suggestions?”

The post has divided opinion among its followers. Mu-Tron has got considerable engineering and pop-cultural equity in the bank. Its designs have been used by the likes of Frank Zappa and Jerry Garcia. Steve Wonder used the Mu-Tron III on Higher Ground. It was a mainstay of Bootsy Collins’ bass guitar sound.

Original vintage units are among the most expensive pedals you can find on the vintage market. Expect to pay north of $800.

The Musitronics online store does not have the original design in stock but it does carry the Micro-Tron IV in Vintage Silver ($279), which is an updated version featuring a Mu-Tron’s MU Opto-Mod tech, an Up and Down footswitch, output level plus a standard CV input to accommodate an expression pedal.

And there is the more compact still Mini Mu, a single-footswitch version for $199 that “provides all the classic Jerry tone and Bootsy funk, in a pedalboard-friendly size”. You can browse the range at Mu-Tron.

The hits keep on coming from Behringer as the latest in its series of budget clones of classic guitar effects pedals brings us the B-Tron III Envelope Filter, an homage to the Mu-Tron III that’s priced just $69.

Like the Chorus Symphony, Behringer’s “faithful recreation” of the Chorus Ensemble that was released last week, the B-Tron III had been teased some time ago. There was even an announcement on the brand’s social media.

Behringer copped some heat for the no-show; critics had labelled them a vaporware company, accusing them announcing products but not bringing them to market. Behringer bit back in December last year, defending itself on social media and arguing that “no other company delivers as many innovative and affordable products as we do”.

Those products, it said, you could check out at NAMM 2025, where the brand returned after a 10 year absence. Anyway, as things turned out, all good things come to those who wait. Enter, the B-Tron III...

Designed by Mike Beigel, launched in 1972, Mu-Tron III is one of the world’s legendary effects, and it was not just for electric guitar. Stevie Wonder used one on Higher Ground. You can use it on electronic keyboards. You can use it on your bass guitar – Bootsy Collins did, as did Chris Squire of Yes. When you think of guitarists who used it, Jerry Garcia and Frank Zappa come to mind.

Behringer’s recreation assumes much of the same unit’s functionality – and there’s more than a passing resemblance with that (metal) enclosure design. It features an all-analogue optical circuit.

But there have been some concessions to modernisation. This is a true bypass design. The power has been updated. The original required two 9V batteries; this only needs one. Though better still, just feed it 9V from a quality pedalboard power supply

As the three in the designation suggests, the B-Tron III has three different filter modes – Low Pass, Band Pass and High Pass, selectable via a three-way rotary dial. There are plenty of wahs, sorry, ways to add some auto-wah vocalisation to your playing.

Funk players are a core demographic. But this is the kind of effect that would reward any open-minded experimentalist. Just remember it’s a dynamic effect – it responds to how you are playing.

The Drive switch allows you to set it up to wah or to “wow”. The Rate switch can be set up to emphasise low vocal sounds or to tease out some more high-end overtones. Adjust the Peak dial for the intensity of the effect.

The Gain dial is a sensitivity control and is used to set it up for your instrument, be it bass, electric guitar, keyboards – or, as in Stevie Wonder’s case, a Clavinet.

The B-Tron III Envelope Filter is officially here. You can check out more pics and details at Behringer. And it’s worth mentioning the price again, £/$69. If that price is familiar it is because Behringer is repeating the trick it has done with its Klon clone, the Centaur Overdrive and the 69 Vibe Uni-Vibe clone.

Pre-order now from Thomann (UK/Europe) or Sweetwater (US).

Behringer is on a hot streak at the moment: following the release of a raft of new products in December - including long-awaited recreations of the classic PPG Wave synth and LinnDrum drum machine - the German manufacturer returned to NAMM after a decade away with a show-stealing clone of the Yamaha DX1.

You'd think the company might take a little downtime after such a barrage of headline-grabbing new releases, but it seems that Behringer is only just getting started. Today, it's announced that the RD-78, a remake of the historic Roland CR-78 drum machine first teased in 2020, is now available to order.

Released in 1978, Roland's CR-78 was a landmark instrument in the history of music technology, being the first drum machine that allowed users to program and recall their own custom patterns. Though designed as an accompaniment for organ players, the CR-78 found favour with scores of influential musicians throughout the '70s and '80s, including Tears for Fears, Blondie and Phil Collins.

Behringer says the RD-78 authentically captures the classic tones of the CR-78 thanks to detailed recreations of the original drum machine's analogue circuitry. A new 909-esque clap joins the CR-78's selection of 14 drum sounds, a list that includes guiro, bongos and cowbell alongside the usual suspects, and you'll find all of the CR-78's beloved preset rhythms onboard.

RD-78 also recreates of some of the CR-78's more distinctive features, letting you drop in drum fills and breaks between patterns, fade patterns in and out when triggered, and adjust the tonal balance between bass and treble via the Balance dial. While the CR-78 required the use of an additional device - the WS-1 - to dial in your own patterns, RD-78 is equipped with a far more intuitive 16-step sequencer that can store up to 32 patterns.

RD-78 augments its vintage forebear with a number of modern features that, though they now seem par for the course, were a little way off back in 1978: you've got individual volume and mute controls over each voice, along with enhanced connectivity options that include MIDI in/out/thru over DIN and USB, sync in/out, and individual 3.5mm outputs for each voice alongside a dedicated headphone out and main output. You've also got also ports for hooking up footswitches to control transport and trigger fills, should you so wish.

Behringer's RD-78 is priced at $199. Find out more on the company's website.

Behringer's latest release is a clone of the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble pedal, as used by Andy Summers and Joe Satriani. With the original pedal fetching big bucks on the used gear market, it was only a matter of time before Behringer stepped in with its low-cost £69/$79 solution.

"It is, of course, a faithful recreation of the Chorus Ensemble, the very first chorus pedal," says Behringer of its latest pedal release, the Chorus Symphony. The original pedal was released in 1976 and was the first to feature the chorus effect introduced in the company's Roland JC-120 and JC-60 Jazz Chorus amplifiers a year earlier (the latter of which Roland has just released in software form).

Notably, it was also one of the first to include the bucket-brigade (BBD) delay - short delays only previously made possible using tape.

Thanks to those innovations and the likes of Summers (who used the pedal on several Police hits including Message in A Bottle, Walking on the Moon and Don't Stand So Close to Me), and other artists such as Nirvana, Satch and Johnny Marr, the pedal has, like so many other early Roland/Boss products, not only achieved legendary status but exorbitant secondhand prices.

You could be looking at as much as four figures for a battered example of the original pedal, so step forward Behringer in a 'hold my pint' fashion to come up with a clone for a fraction of the cost, just £69/$79.

"I hope that someone gets my… chorus in a pedal," Uli Behringer probably isn't saying right now.

Like the CE-1, Chorus Symphony enables you to select between chorus and vibrato with a footswitch, and has a Chorus Intensity dial to adjust both chorus speed and depth simultaneously. There are separate dials to the right to adjust the same parameters for the vibrato effect.

The pedal has two outputs, so can be used in mono or stereo, and you can also simply use it as a preamp to produce the harmonic saturation as heard on the original Jazz Chorus amps. Tinkering with a dip switch in the Chorus Symphony's innards even lets you bypass this effect, should you wish.

There's more info on the Boss-a-like pedal at the Behringer website and in the video below, in which some Behringer youngsters also produce some decent Police-a-like music.

NAMM 2025: The NAMM show in Anaheim, California has long been the world’s biggest music gear convention, although in the music technology realm it’s lost a little of its influence in recent years. In part, this comes down to the pandemic – NAMM took a sizeable hit after being forced to cancel in 2021, and it’s only now getting back to being anywhere near the size it was pre-Covid.

For makers of synths and studio technology, however, the emphasis was shifting away from NAMM even before then. Berlin’s Superbooth, while smaller in scale, now feels more significant as a venue for music technology news. What’s more, these days many synth-makers opt to forego trade show announcements altogether in favour of unveiling gear online and via social media.

All that being said though, NAMM remains a significant industry event and 2025’s show was undoubtedly the biggest and busiest in several years, with major players like Roland and Behringer returning to the show floor.

MusicRadar’s Managing Editor Si Truss and Tech Channel Editor Matt Mullen sat down at the show to discuss this year’s biggest music tech stories and the hottest new products. Watch our full rundown of the biggest NAMM news in the video above, or catch up with our quick summary below.

While we’ve rounded up a few highlights here, there’s much more to see from NAMM, for music technology fans, guitarists, drummers and beyond. Catch up with all the news with our live show coverage.

NI meets Akai (and more)

The biggest news to come out of NAMM is typically the unveiling of a hype-worthy new product from a well-known manufacturer. This year, though, one of the most significant – and unexpected – announcements hasn’t arrived in the form of a shiny new synth for us all to drool over, but something very different entirely.

No, Native Instruments hasn’t rocked up to NAMM 2025 with the next generation of Maschine or an upgraded Kontrol keyboard in tow. Instead, it’s arrived with a message of co-operation and a mission to empower music-makers, no matter whose products they use.

Ahead of this year’s show, the company announced that it’s teaming up with a handful of top names in music tech – brands that could be considered its biggest rivals – to integrate its software ecosystem with products beyond the realm of Native Instruments, giving owners of instruments from brands such as Akai, Novation and Korg the opportunity to access its content and take advantage of integration with its NKS protocol.

We got the chance to check out some NI Kontakt instruments running on MPC hardware during the show, and it certainly makes for a good combo. Our biggest question, however, is where this leaves the future of NI’s own hardware business – should we see this collaboration as an admission of defeat by Maschine to its most direct competitor?

Behringer’s latest clones nail authenticity – for better and worse

Behringer has had to defend itself from ‘vaporware’ accusations in recent years – the suggestion that the prolific synth brand announces a considerable amount of gear, some of which never actually makes it to market.

Given this, the company’s return to the NAMM show after a 10 year absence is a good opportunity to try and get our heads around the shape of the company’s current lineup of genuine products. Highlights from the booth include recent releases like the controversial LinnDrum inspired LM Drum and PPG emulating Wave.

Early impressions are that both Wave and LM Drum sound on the money, and feel authentically vintage – for better and worse. Those looking for an authentic old school experience will likely be happy, but despite a few modern niceties, both designs feel decidedly old school.

The big surprise from Behringer was its clone of the Yamaha DX1 – an ultra-rare, bitimbral, frequency-modulating beast that’s the crown of the DX series.

Like the DX1, Behringer’s BX1 is a 32-voice FM synth with a formidably complex architecture, but the German manufacturer’s remake departs from the original on a few significant points, most notably its analogue filter. All in all, the BX-1 certainly looks like a crowd-pleaser, and it’ll likely be cheap enough to keep Behringer’s fanbase on side when it’s eventually released.

We’re not entirely convinced that FM synths are as ripe for recreation as vintage analogue though, particularly in a world where we’ve moved on to excellent modern FM synths like Elektron’s Digitone or Korg’s Opsix.

Melbourne Instruments’ Roto could be 2025’s best controller

Melbourne Instruments is the Australian brand behind Nina and Delia, two analogue polysynths with a twist: their knobs are motorised and rotate all by themselves in response to modulation and patch changes.

This year, the company has made the ingenious decision to repurpose these touch-sensitive, self-rotating knobs for a MIDI controller, appropriately christened Roto-Control. It’s a simple idea, but an excellent one, giving you real-time feedback on parameter changes in your DAW or device.

It’s not all about the knobs, either; eight keyboard-style buttons and a row of displays provide additional control and versatility, while Roto-Control’s Motion Recorder feature allows you to automate and loop MIDI parameters on external hardware and software.

Donner’s L1 puts a modernised spin on the SH-101

Chinese brand Donner's latest release is another generously priced analogue synthesizer that also takes cues from a vintage Roland instrument: the SH-101. Joining the B1 in the brand's Essential series is the L1, a modestly-sized monosynth that complements the expressive tones of Roland's '80s classic with a modern touch.

L1 is built around a 3340 analogue oscillator and 3109 voltage-controlled four-pole filter, a recreation of the SH-101's original filter chip that features the same self-oscillation abilities. L1's oscillator can produce saw, pulse and triangle waves, along with noise and a sub-oscillator.

These are joined by a single multi-waveform LFO and two envelope generators - one more than the original SH-101 - the first can modulate several parameters including pitch and filter cutoff, while the second shapes the VCA. The synth also features a 64-step sequencer, with storage space for 128 patterns and 32 songs, and a multimode arpeggiator.

Stylophone’s CFM DF-8 filter promises both beauty and beastliness

Coming in the same brutish-looking form factor as Stylophone's DS-2 drone synth, the DF-8 filter includes both an emulation of the smooth 2045 low-pass filter and Stylophone’s dirtier Gen R-8 filter, creating a device that the company says has ‘beauty and the beast’ vibes. But that's only half the sound design story.

While the 2045 filter has just a single low-pass mode, the R-8 can be run in low-pass, band-pass, high-pass and notch configurations. When the two filters are combined you get three additional modes: Bandpass+, Band Reject+ and Notch+.

You can access any of these modes in each of the two channels, and these are controlled by a pair of ADSR envelopes. Trigger options include gate a signal, an audio signal threshold and a manual trigger button, while there’s also an auto-repeat mode that works like an LFO.

With a desktop or modular-friendly form factor and a promised price around $300, the DF-8 looks like a potentially brilliant sound mangling tool that could pair while with budget synths and Eurorack systems alike.

There’s potential in Roli’s tech if you can look past PR bluster

Hear the word ‘piano’ and the chances are that you’ll visualise an acoustic or digital instrument with 88 keys that can be played without the need to connect it to anything else. ROLI, however, has other ideas: its new ‘Piano’ is a 49-note light-up controller keyboard that’s designed to be used with its previously announced Airwave hardware and piano learning software.

The ROLI Piano looks like a larger version of the company’s Piano M, which itself bears more than a passing resemblance to the Lumi keyboard that we first heard about way back in 2019. Alongside ROLI Piano, we’re also getting a companion AI Assistant, a generative AI platform that promises to make learning to play “easier, more intuitive and more fun than ever before”. When these two products are combined with the Airwave, you get what ROLI is calling the ROLI Piano System.

In typical ROLI fashion, the brand wasn’t shy of hyping up the potential of its tech, heralding it as the future of the piano and claiming that, “in a few years from now there will be no piano that doesn’t have a camera”. While that statement is undoubtedly hyperbolic, there’s certainly some interesting tech behind Roli’s system. We’re not convinced it’s quite ready to reshape the world just yet though.

The stage keyboard wars are hotting up

2025 sees Roland return to NAMM after taking a few years off. On the music technology side of things, the brand’s biggest announcement was its new V-Stage piano – a flagship stage keyboard that sees Roland parking its tanks on Nord’s lawn, right down to the cheeky inclusion of red panelled wooden ends.

“It’s basically an all-in-one gig rig but it has a complete focus on keyboard sounds, so that means organ, acoustic piano, electric piano. We do have a synthesizer section as well but the main focus is keyboard sounds with a dedicated section for each. It’s also designed to be very quick to operate, to set up your scenes and your patches,” Roland’s product specialist David Ahlund told us.

While Roland has its eyes on Nord’s turf, the Swedish brand has its own products to show, in the form of updated Piano and Organ lines. In short, it’s a good year for keys players and touring musicians.

Bitwig’s first hardware release wasn’t quite what we expected

We’ve known that Berlin based software brand Bitwig has had a hardware release in the works for a while, but not the precise form of what that would be. It came as something of a surprise then, to discover that rather than follow the familiar route of creating a controller that physically manifests their software (in the style of Ableton’s Push) Bitwig has instead chosen to make an audio interface.

Intrigued, we found out more from Fredrik Astevall, Bitwig’s business development manager on the NAMM show floor.

“Bitwig Connect is more than an audio interface,” Astevall explains. “It’s got all the interface features you would expect – all the ins and outs – but the CV coupling means that you can control analogue hardware, like a synthesizer, Eurorack modules, that gives it an extra layer. “And on top of that it’s a MIDI interface, there are DAW controls and a special Bitwig mode…”

With its distinctive hands-on interface and gritty sound, E-MU’s SP-1200 sampler is a bonafide classic, and now Behringer has suggested that it could be about to start work on a new and “affordable” version.

The news came after a user poll indicated that Behringer fans would be very much in favour of a new SP-1200 from the company, and now the big B is asking for feedback on what this should include.

“What additional features would you like to see in a modern take on this classic sampler?” asked Behringer on its Facebook page, before suggesting that “We believe we could make this happen for under $500.”

Designed by engineer Dave Rossum, the SP-1200 was originally released by E-MU back in 1987. Thanks to its eight channels and built-in sequencer, it enabled producers to create complete tracks using one piece of hardware, and was used extremely creatively by hip-hop producers in particular. In 2023, Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA put the battered SP-1200 that he used to create the band’s second album, Wu-Tang Forever, up for auction.

The SP-1200 has been revisited at various points down the years. In 2020, Dave Rossum began selling refurbished originals, and then announced a proper reissue in 2021. We’ve also had the Isla Instruments S2400, which takes a lot of inspiration from the SP-1200, and Inphonik’s RX1200, a plugin emulation.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard whispers of a Behringer SP-1200 - it was first rumoured way back in 2019 - but the latest news indicates that it’s now more likely than ever. In fact, the company is even inviting experienced software engineers to join them on the project, so it sounds like it means business.

What Dave Rossum makes of all this remains to be seen. Behringer recently announced a new version of another '80s classic, the LinnDrum, leading that machine's creator Roger Linn to share a statement on his website. "Even if we discount the copying of the visual design, logo style and sound circuit of LinnDrum, the LmDrum copies my sounds," argues Linn. "So I'd have preferred for Uli [Behringer] to ask my permission. Even if he thinks it is legal, I question whether it is ethical."

Love it or hate it, Behringer has been announcing a vast number of recreations of famous and not-so-famous synths and drum machines over the last few years. We published our first (huge) list last year which, frankly, nearly killed us with its girth.

Here's our even bigger 2025 'coming soon' update of what's been announced by Behringer – including the company's latest surprise outings at NAMM 2025 – and where each product is in its production cycle. Contributions to our sanity fund will be warmly received…

Little did we know that back in 2016, with the release of its Deepmind 6/12, Behringer was starting a many-years-long mission to recreate/reimagine/repackage every classic (and not so classic) synth and drum machine ever created into a lower cost hardware alternative.

The last eight years or so has seen probably hundreds of announcements of low-cost (mostly) synths and drum machines, many (but not all, it has to be said) based on vintage models costing many times more on the secondhand market.

Uli Behringer and his team have divided opinion with these releases, and made as many headlines, controversial statements and claims as they have actual products, but we're not here to argue the law or ethics – we're simply here to list what is actually available and what is not. Announcements don't always mean actual products, so it''s time to sort the hardware from the vapourware

The good news is that when Behringer does finally get its products onto your local dealer's shelves - and we're talking gear like the Monopoly ,TD- 3 and 2600 synths and RD8 and RD9 drum machines - they actually represent very decent bang for buck.

One thing that has plagued Behringer, as it has other synth and gear companies, has been the rising cost in and lack of components, but many of those issues appear to have been ironed out so that new products are more frequently starting to appear in the stores.

As ever, this is a fluid feature, so expect additions and omissions as we are frequently updated by the big 'B' via its Facebook page, and do feel free to update us on anything we have missed. We're focusing on all things synth – not Eurorack – and drum machine. We're aware of the outboard gear that Behringer is announcing and will run a separate feature for this soon.

So, without further ado, here's our 2025 update (so far). We're off to sunnier climes for a well deserved break. Dive in and we'll see you in a few weeks.

Currently available products

These are the Behringer synths and drum machines currently available to buy, along with a rough guide to their respective street prices.

• 2600 – ARP 2600 – £350/$450
• Deepmind 6 synth – inspired by the Roland Juno 106 – £550/$550 Read our review
• Deepmind 12 – double the polyphony of the 6 – £650/$750 Read our review
• Crave – Moog Mother 32 – £165/$185
• Edge Semi-Modular Percussion Synth – inspired by Moog DFAM – £149/$199
• JT-4000 Micro synth – inspired by the Roland JP-8000 - £50/$60
• JT-Mini – Mini analogue polysynth inspired by Jupiter 8 – £89/$99
• K2-MK II – Kobol synth clone – £159/$199 (in stock soon)
• Kobol – based on an RSF Kobol Expander – £149/$179
• MonoPoly – inspired by the Korg MonoPoly – £369/$490
• Model D – Moog Minimoog – £159/$199 Read our review
• Model 15 – Moog modular – £215/$259
• MS-1 Mk 2 – Roland SH-101 – £299/$349
• MS-5 – Roland SH-5 – £449/$499
• Neutron – original – £349/$400 Read our review
• Odyssey – ARP Odyssey – £439/$499
• Poly D – Moog Minimoog – £499/$599 Read our review
• Pro-1 – Sequential Circuits Pro-1 – £159/$199 Read our review
• Proton – updated Neutron (original Behringer synth) – £349/$399
• Pro VS Mini – inspired by the Sequential Prophet VS – £99/$109
• Pro 800 – Sequential Prophet 600 – £238/$390
• RD-6 – Roland TR-606 – £99/$109
• RD-8II – Roland TR-808 – £255/$290
• RD-9 – Roland TR-909 – £299/$329
• RS-9 – Rhythm Sequencer Module with 64-Step Sequencer – £139/$159
• Solina – Solina String Ensemble – £260/$280
• Spice – Inspired by Moog’s Subharmonicon – £229/$249
• Syncussion SY-1 – Pearl Syncussion SY-1 clone – £169/$199
• System 15 – Moog Modular System 15 – around £850/$900
• System 35 – Moog Modular System 35 – around £900/$950
• System 55 modular – Moog Modular System 55 – £1600/$1800
• TD-3 – Roland TB-303 – £99/$119
• Toro – Moog Taurus –£175/$249
• UBXa and D (module) – Oberheim OBXa – £899/$999 (£$799 for module)
• Vocoder VC340 – Roland VP-330 – £340/$450 Read our review

Products planned or announced

These are the products that Behringer has announced or has asked for feedback on – as to whether we think the company should produce them – plus all the latest updates alongside each one. Or not…

2-XM

What is it? Eurorack-compatible version of an Oberheim 2-voice

Expected price: $299

Announced: March 2022

Latest news (20/7/23): We're assuming it's in prototype form thanks to the cryptic message: "Everyone has left and I’m still here as the guys have locked the office. So I walked over to the testing center and found this beauty on a desk with a note “ready for p”. Does anyone have a clue what that means?"

AKS Mini

What is it? Mini version of a VCS3

Expected price: $99

Announced: May 2022

Latest news (January 2023): The 'final' version was shown over a year ago but has still yet to materialise in a form which we can buy.

ARP Quadra replica

What is it? Clue is in the name

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 2023

Latest news (16/3/23): This is not actually a work in progress… yet. The company is just putting the feelers out, saying: "Isn’t this one of the most beautiful synths ever designed? The iconic ARP Quadra. What do you think? Disclaimer. We’re not promising to build one." And no promises since this quote either.

BCR32 sequencer

What is it? Hardware sequencer

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: Jan 2021

Latest news (2/7/24): "We have just completed the firmware for the highly anticipated BCR32. The next and final step is to involve our external beta testers for final approval before moving to mass production. We apologize for the delay, as the firmware was quite complex, especially with the inclusion of the Zaquencer firmware. Thank you for your patience."

Behremin

What is it? Behringer's take on the iconic Theremin

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: November 2020

Latest news (26/4/23): It's in prototype as Behringer says: "Some of you asked about our Behremin, our interpretation of the Theremin synthesizer. Here is the first prototype and we’re very excited to start the software development. Please let us know what features you’d like to see."

BMX

What is it? Oberheim DMX clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 2023

News (26/4/23): Prototype! Behringer said: "Friday fun. Our engineers love when they get a new prototype on their desk. Today, we fired up the first version of our BMX prototype, an homage to the legendary Oberheim DMX. Aside from the original sound samples, the BMX has also a built-in sampler, analog filters and much more. This is one cool sampling drum machine."

Update 16/8/24: Prototype shown apparently working. "This was an amazing week as we achieved another major engineering milestone. We’re getting closer:-)."

BoogerFoogers

What is it? MoogerFooger clones

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 2023

Latest news (22/3/23): Possible prototype. Behringer has not said much about these other than: "Please welcome our new family members" and showing photos of several models in the Moog-inspired range, so they might or might not be prototypes.

BX1

What is it? Yamaha DX1 clone with some CS80 extras

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: January 2025

Latest news (January 2025): The surprise announcement at NAMM 2025, the BX1 certainly has that DX1 aesthetic, with the imposing design and feel of the original range, right down to the more welcoming front panel. It has access to CS extras - notably the filters and envelopes - on hand via decent-sized screens. The synth includes a CS filter per voice, 32 notes of polyphony and multiple effects including reverb and chorus - all bonus features over the original. It is expected to go on sale in 2026, with a price at the upper end of Behringer's synths so around $1,000 plus.

BX700

What is it? A DX7 groovebox with a Yamaha CS80 filter. Yes, really.

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: July 2023

Latest news (4/10/23): Possible prototype. Behringer says, "It’s alive!!! We’re getting close to finishing our BX700, a really cool Groove Box. It’s a DX7 on steroids as it has an authentic CS-80 analog filter, a built-in drum machine, a B-Ray and many other cool features."

CS Mini

What is it? A tiny CS-80.

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: March 2022

Latest news (28/9/23): This does indeed look pretty cool, like a Korg Volca but with Yamaha CS-80-style innards, and it looks like it might be at prototype stage. Behringer says: "Very exciting. We’re about to fire up the first CS MINI synth prototype. It’s modelled after the famous CS80 and carries the exact same analog voice. It includes polyphony, patch memory and much more."

CZ-1 Mini

What is it? Casio CZ-1 clone (or mini version)

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: May 2023

Latest news (30/1/24): "The momentum keeps building as we introduce CZ1 Mini," Behringer said in January 2024. "It's an extraordinary reproduction of Casio's CZ synthesizer engine, combined with an analogue filter. With its exceptional phase distortion synthesis, the sound the CZ1 Mini produces is unparalleled."

DS-80

What is it? Yamaha CS-80 clone

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: July 2020

Latest news (28/4/22): One of the most anticipated Behringer products because it is a CS-80 clone. This is what the company said on Instagram in April 2022: "We have some exciting update on the DS-80 development. Our lead engineer John Price spent nearly two years recreating the magical CS-80 voice board and transforming it into a modern design, while retaining the authentic behaviour or the original circuitry. This board is now ready to be tested. We have completed the voice “bread board”, which is the final step before moving to the actual design of the synthesizer. This board serves as test and evaluation platform to compare its performance with the original voice board.

"As you can see, the board contains two voices, and also the digital control section, plus VR’s that represent the temporary front panel controls. Because this is one of the most complex synthesizers ever designed, we’re still a long way from delivering a final product, but we hope you’ll find this interesting. Wish us luck with this challenging project:-)"

Sadly no update since this one that we can find.

E-mu sampler clone?

What is it? A (possible) E-mu SP 1200 clone

Expected price: n/a

First mentioned: n/a

News (12/1/25): One of Behringer's 'putting out the feelers' products; so early in fact that there is not even a prototype photo mockup. Behringer said on Facebook: "Many of you have asked us to create an affordable version of the legendary E-mu SP1200 sampler. We’re excited by the idea and would love your input! What additional features would you like to see in a modern take on this classic sampler? Share your thoughts below. We believe we could make this happen for under US$500. Let’s reimagine the SP1200 together! If there are any experienced software engineers who would like to be part of this project, please reach out to us at joinus@musictribe.com"

Safe to say: very early days on this one, then.

Enigma

What is it? Buchla Easel 208 clone

Expected price: $399

First mentioned: April 2022

News (20/7/23): Prototype ready but still a way off. Behringer says, "We're excited to share with you the progress of the Enigma. We have now completed the assembly of our prototype and will start troubleshooting the unit while developing the software. We're still a long way from shipping the unit, but we simply want to share our joy with this iconic synth."

Update 31/5/24: "We're excited to share our latest Enigma prototype as we get closer to the final product. It's a very complex design, particularly with the addition of total patch memory. We hope you enjoy the vibrant colors!"

Grind

What is it? "The next instrument in Behringer's Producer series of compact semi-modular desktop synths; joining the Crave, Edge and Spice. Grind's hybrid architecture pairs a comprehensive selection of digital oscillators with a 24dB analogue ladder filter. Among the 24 oscillator types we have virtual analogue, wavetable, additive, waveshaping, Karplus-Strong and FM synthesis, along with Yamaha DX7 and Roland TR-303 emulations."

Expected price: $199

Latest news (2/10/24): "This new hybrid synth is a jack of all trades and you’re going to be the master of all of them! The Behringer GRIND is an amazing sound powerhouse that can do anything from percussion, searing lead tones, thunderous bass lines, drones and dreamy soundscapes. List Price: $199 (in stock and immediately shipping from our factory)"

Dealers reporting May - July 2025 landing dates.

Groove Keys

What is it? Original groove keyboard

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: December 2022

Latest news (19/12/22): Not much beyond the initial announcement of: "The ultimate Groove Machine. We’re super excited to have completed the first working prototype called Groove Keys. The casing is still 3D printed but all functions are already working. Groove Keys comes with very cool features such as:

- 4-Channel Sequencer

- Dedicated Drum Sequencer

- Internal Polyphonic Sound Engines

- Tons of I/Os and CVs

"We don’t have a delivery date or price yet, but as always it’ll be very affordable. While we’re still waiting for chips, our many engineering teams are working on close to 100 exciting products to come."

Hirotribe

What is it? Analogue Groovebox

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 2022

Latest news (4/3/22): Not much beyond the original Facebook post which was: "In 2019, Hiroaki Nishijima, the legendary synthesizer engineer, who designed the famous Korg MS-20, joined us in our mission to create amazing synthesizers everyone can afford. Hiroaki is watching this space, so please send him some love:-)

Listen to Hiroaki himself:

"The 'Hirotribe' is one of the analog synthesizers I always wanted to achieve. 'Hiro' of 'Hirotribe' was taken from my first name ‘Hiroaki'. I designed and developed the 'Korg Monotribe', but I really wanted to make an evolved version of it. Fortunately, Uli Behringer kindly agreed to my proposal."

JT-16

What is it? 16-voice Jupiter-8 clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 2021

Latest news (25/1/24): A new update tells us this Jupiter-8 clone is actually going to be a 16-voice version. The Facebook post says…

"After many years, we have finally created the first prototype of our upcoming JT-16, a 16-voice polyphonic synth. Our product engineer, Gilles, who is also a synth enthusiast, couldn't stop playing with it, but we managed to pry it away from him for a moment to capture it on camera. Sorry Gilles:-) Currently, the synth is in its very early stages, and we are now focusing on debugging and implementing the necessary software. We kindly ask for your patience, but we assure you that this beauty will come to fruition."

Sadly no update to report.

JT-2

What is it? Eurorack Roland Jupiter-8 emulation

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: Feb 2023

Latest news (21/2/23): Nothing added to the tease from a year ago when Behringer said: "While we’re currently working on a full key version of the Jupiter, here is a new prototype in a smaller and more affordable Eurorack package. It features an authentic Jupiter voice based on the same VCOs and VCFs, plus an autotune and arpeggiator function."

No update to report.

LmDrum

What is it? LinnDrum clone

Expected price: £369/$399

First mentioned: July 19

News (22/9/23): One of Behringer's longest running projects, this drum machine was apparently ready to go (finally) in May 22 when Behringer said, "our final prototype is ready for testing." However the most recent update last July just adds: "We’re getting there:-)".

Update 18/12/24: "Today, we’re proud to showcase the packaging of our new LM DRUM. This amazing drum machine features an authentic 8/12-bit sampling sound engine that captures the essence of over a hundred legendary '80s drums including LM1*, LM2*, LM9000* and more. You can even record and store your own samples using the integrated line input. List Price: $399 (in stock and immediately shipping from our factory)"

Dealers showing availability any time from February 2025 onwards.

Memory

What is it? Moog Memory Moog clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: Oct 23

Latest news (7/10/23): Another 'might do' product after Behringer reached out to gauge a response in October: "Over the years, many of you asked us to remake the highly sought after Memory Moog. However, rather than replicating an outdated user interface, we’d like to ask you what improvements you like to see? Just to be clear, we’re not promising to make this synth, but since one of our synth engineering teams is finishing up a product, there is an opportunity to select the next project."

Model D Soul

What is it? Moog Minimoog, but smaller

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: March 22

Latest news (6/3/22): Not much beyond the initial Facebook post of: "The Model D Soul synthesizer is based on the authentic MiniMoog circuitry. Now you can enjoy the famous sound, but in a portable and affordable package. The Model D Soul is fully completed and ready for production. Once we’ll receive the chips, this synth will be on the way to you."

Mutronics Mutator filter

What is it? What is it? Mutronics Mutator filter clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: June 24

Latest news (18/6/24): "The Mutator is a legendary analog filter and envelope follower that gained prominence in the '90s, known for its unique ability to transform sounds in creative and dynamic ways. It’s been a favorite tool for many musicians and producers, offering rich, warm analog filtering with the ability to create complex modulations and effects. We’re now finalizing our exciting Mutator product and are collaborating closely with the original designer to ensure its authenticity and quality."

Neptune-80

What is it? Roland Juno 6/60 clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 23

Latest news (10/3/23): A lot of excitement about this one, but not a lot of news beyond the initial announcement, although for that there was a 'fully-working' prototype. "So, for years you guys have been urging us to build one of the most sought after synth. We managed to resist for a long time, but we finally gave in;-)

"Here is the fully working prototype of our Neptune-80, an 8-voice polyphonic synth with original analog matrix, BBD chorus and modern user interface such as LCD Display, USB/Midi etc. We modelled it after the best sounding 6/60 version and we absolutely love the sound. Our product engineer Ben (a synth fanatic himself) couldn’t stop playing the Neptune, but we luckily managed to pull it out of his hands and get it in front of our camera. Sorry Ben:-)."

Phara-O-Mini

What is it? A Korg Volca Keys clone?

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: April 21

Latest news (23/12/24): "Embrace the power of the PHARA-O MINI's all-powerful trinity of VCOs, each offering saw or square waveforms to shape your sound. Unleash the multi-mode ring modulator on square waves for metallic sound effects that will transport you to a new golden age of sonic creativity. List Price: $99 (in stock and immediately shipping from our factory)"

Dealers estimate July 2025 release date.

PolyEight

What is it? A Korg PolySix plus 2

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: April 21

Latest news (7/4/23): Another exciting announcement, but getting on for a year for an update. The last one said: "And the PolyEight is getting ready. This is one beautiful sounding synth."

PolyOSC

What is it? OSCar synth clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: August 24

Latest news (7/8/24): "Once upon a time, the OSCar synthesizer was born—a groundbreaking instrument crafted by the Oxford Synthesiser Company between 1983 and 1985. Ahead of its time in many ways, the OSCar was one of the few mono-synths of its era to feature MIDI, making it a sought-after tool for musicians. With only around 2,000 units produced, it became a cult classic known for its distinctive sound and innovative design.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve taken inspiration from this iconic synth to develop the POLYOsc prototype. This modern version builds on the legacy of the OSCar, incorporating many additional features while staying true to the original’s spirit. However, whether the POLYOsc will move from prototype to production is still undecided.

That’s where you come in. We’re looking to the community for feedback to help us determine if the POLYOsc should become a reality. Your thoughts and input are essential in guiding this decision, and we invite you to share your opinions with us. Let’s continue the OSCar’s legacy together."

PolySource

What is it? Moog Source clone

Expected price: $400

First mentioned: July 23

Latest news (7/4/23): Quite a recent announcement so as you'd expect, not a lot to add to the initial buzz but Behringer has added, "PolySource Update. Thanks for all the valuable feedback. We have taken many of your suggestions to heart and like to present our new iteration."

Polivoks

What is it? Polivoks clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: July 21

Latest news (25/8/23): The synth is in prototype stage. Behringer said in August 2023: "Two years ago Vladimir Kuzmin and Behringer entered into a collaboration to develop a new Polivoks synthesizer. Here is the latest prototype, which is now undergoing thorough testing and hopefully the approval of Vladimir."

Pro-16

What is it? Souped up Prophet-5 (from five to 16 voices)

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: March 20

(25/9/24): "Exciting news! Our PRO-16 synthesizer is currently in beta testing, and we’re working on creating presets that bring this incredible synth to life. With 16 analog voices and a polyphonic aftertouch keyboard, the PRO-16 not only captures the iconic sound of the original Prophet 5 but also introduces a host of new features and sound capabilities. The polyphonic aftertouch keyboard adds an unmatched level of expressiveness to your playing, making this synth a true powerhouse. Stay tuned for more updates!"

NAMM 2025: PRO-16 was on display at the show along with the all-new BX-1, and seemed at the same stage of completeness. If that is the case we're looking at an on sale of next year and we'd assume a similar price of around $£1,000.

QT32

What is it? MIDI controller

Expected price: $129

First mentioned: April 22

Latest news (26/4/23): We take a brief break from the synths and the drum machines for a bit of Behringer control: "We built a cool little Midi controller QT32 with 127 MIDI sounds and drum sets included as well as CV out. It’s still a prototype but we’ll build it if you’re interested."

RD-78

What is it? Behringer's take on the Roland CR-78 drum machine

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: June 20

Latest news (30/1/24): "We are in the last stages of pre-production and are working closely with our beta testers to ensure the unit sounds spot on. For those who love the technical details, we have incorporated the exact same circuitry into the design, including the original coils and LC filters. The team is filled with excitement about this legendary drum machine."

Saturn Soul

What is it? Single-voice Jupiter-8

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: Feb 22

Latest news (6/3/23): Another product with little news beyond the initial Facebook post: "Many of you shared with us how much you love the amazing sound of this magic synth. While we’re also working on a full size synthesizer, here is our affordable mini version with the authentic circuitry and sound, but accessible to everyone. The product development is completed and once we receive the necessary chips, we’ll ship this marvel."

STX

What is it? Elka Synthex clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: July 24

News (12/7/24): "Recreating the Magic of the Elka Synthex. We're working to revive the Elka Synthex with a dedicated team of top-notch R&D engineers in Italy, where the original was created. Using original DCO oscillators and advanced Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), we're able to replicate the original circuitry and signal paths, capturing the essence of its distinctive sound.

"Stay tuned as we work to bring the Elka Synthex back to life, celebrating its history and sound with the same passion and innovation that marked its original creation. This “labor of love” project will take lots of time, but it’ll be worth the wait as the Synthex is one of the most iconic synthesizers of all times."

UB-1 Spirit/Micro

What is it? Inspired by an Oberheim Matrix

Expected price: $49

First mentioned: March 22

News (2/3/22): Another product with little news beyond the initial Facebook post: "Introducing the UB-1, a Portable Analog Synthesizer with 2 Analog Oscillators, Classic VCF and Arpeggiator. Uli passionately believes in empowering everyone by providing access to great sounding musical instruments, especially for kids, so they can start a lifelong love affair with electronic music and sound synthesis. The UB-1 synthesizer is fully developed and once we receive the chips, we’ll be shipping this marvel your way. Don’t be fooled by the size - this is a monster synth in a small package."

Update (31/5/24): Now called the UB-1 Micro, but no news on availability.

UB-Xa Mini

What is it? Mini version of the Oberheim OB-Xa clone

Expected price: $99

First mentioned: January 2024

Latest news (28/1/24): "We now have a more affordable option, the UB-Xa Mini, available for only 99 USD for those who want the authentic sound of the OB-Xa. The synth is currently in beta testing and we are looking forward to shipping it soon."

Note: This could be the same as the UB-1 Micro mentioned by Behringer in May 2024: "Here is the little brother of the UB-Xa. Same iconic sound and with full MIDI. We’re targeting 49 USD. What do you think?"

VCS 3

What is it? VCS3 clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: June 2019

Latest news (18/10/23): Another one that's been long on the test bench, but it sounds like we're pretty close now… "We’re now shipping units to our beta testers for final testing and comparison with the original synthesizer. Once passed, we will start manufacturing."

Wave

What is it? PPG Wave clone

Expected price: $TBA

First mentioned: August 2020

Update (10/12/24): "Another legend of '80s music is here and it's sure to make its way into your collection. It’s time to ride the Behringer WAVE! Capable of classic 8 or 12-bit wavetable synthesis and layering of up to 8 different multi-timbral sounds. List Price: $599 (in stock and immediately shipping from our factory)"

Dealers suggesting a landing date of between March and July 2025.

Looking for more great new gear? Get all our roundups, news, features, tutorials, tips and more at our Gear Expo hub page.

Behringer is on a roll. After unveiling a clone of the PPG Wave and a mini-synth inspired by the Roland Jupiter-8 earlier this month, the German synth and effects brand has announced the official release of its long-rumoured LM Drum, a recreation of the classic LinnDrum drum machine.

LM Drum isn't an exact remake of the original LinnDrum, but instead combines its vintage sounds with a host of contemporary features that includes sample recording, transient shaping and enhanced connectivity. The interface is broadly similar in style, though not an exact replica, the main difference being that LM Drum is equipped with an LED screen (displaying a UI that looks, er, oddly familiar). 

The 16-voice drum machine features 109 authentic '80s drum sounds from the LinnDrum, LM1, LM9000, three iconic instruments designed by Roger Linn and manufactured by Linn Electronics in the '80s. You're also able to record and play back your own samples via the 8-/12-bit sampling engine.

LM Drum's sampled drum sounds run through an analogue filter offering low- and high-pass modes and an analogue VCA. The machine is equipped with independent pan and level controls for each voice, and sounds can be processed via Behringer's Wave Designer, a transient shaper found in Behringer's X32 mixer.

LM Drum's sounds can be played via its 16 velocity-sensitive, aftertouch-equipped pads or programmed with its sophisticated 64-step sequencer that supports swing, flam, randomization and probability-based sequencing. LM Drum can store up to 8 songs and 128 patterns, while its Song Mode enables you to chain songs together for live performance.

As for I/O, there's tons of connectivity on offer, including USB, MIDI in/out/thru and sync in/out, joined by three trigger outputs, a stereo output, headphone output and individual outputs for each voice. There's also a line input for live recording and sampling.

LM Drum is priced at $399 and available to order now.

Head over to Behringer's website to find out more.

fBehringer has launched another super-affordable clone of a holy grail vintage stompbox, this time recreating the legendary Maestro BB-1 Bass Brassmaster for the princely sum of $69. And this repro, the Bass Brassmaster Fuzz, is a dead ringer for the original fuzz pedal.

Dead ringer? No pun intended. That could describe the effect itself, an octave fuzz, originally voiced for bass guitar but a circuit that does some magical things to electric guitar too. The BB-1 was nasty, weird, brilliant, a threat to your amp’s speaker cone and a radical thing to expose your bass signal to. The Bass Brassmaster Fuzz recreates all this.

Even on paper, the circuit sounds nuts. This is an octave bass fuzz with an onboard dual-voice ring modulator, opening up a full spectrum of harmonically unorthodox overtones.

There pedal has three knobs and two slider switches. The Sensitivity knob dials in how much fuzz is applied to your signal. The Brass knob controls the level of the fuzz. The most important control is the Bass Volume control, because controls the wet/dry blend, allowing you to keep as much of your clean signal as you like, giving you the option of having full-on chaos but clarity too.

The Brass slider switch toggles between two voicings, with the second packing more midrange, which could be in invaluable when trying to make yourself heard in a mix.

The Harmonic switch selects your filter, toggling between high-end harmonic content and low-end. It’s this sort of tweakability that makes it work whether your playing bass or guitar, rhythm or lead.

Behringer is often known for its use of plastic housings but these vintage reproductions have them reverting to heavy duty metal enclosures. The connections can all be found on the top of the unit. The Bass Brassmaster Fuzz takes 9V from a DC pedalboard power supply and is true bypass.

It follows a busy period for Behringer with the company recently launching a the Centaur Overdrive, a $69 clone of the Klon Centaur overdrive, and the ’69 Vibe, a similarly priced clone of the Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe. And it’s not just guitars.

Only yesterday it launched the JT Mini, a $99 analogue synthesizer inspired by the Roland Jupiter-8, and the company has been in bullish form, calling out its critics who have accused it of being “a vaporware company”, in other words announcing products but not releasing them.

It wouldn’t be the first company in recent years to suffer from chip shortages that have affected synth producers worldwide, but Behringer says it is just getting started.

“Behringer – the ‘Vaporware Company’? Maybe. But only if vaporware means delivering more music-making tools than anyone else,” read a statement on Instagram. “Stay tuned. The journey has just begun!"

For more details, head over to Behringer.

It's been a busy week for Behringer, as the German gear brand follows up its promise to deliver a raft of new products in December with two new synths based on classic instruments. Tuesday saw the announcement of Wave, its long-awaited PPG Wave clone, and today Behringer has unveiled a $99 analogue synth inspired by the legendary Roland Jupiter-8.

JT Mini promises to pack the sound of the Jupiter-8 into a portable, lightweight and affordable package, adopting the same diminutive form factor as Behringer's JT-4000 Micro and Pro-VS Mini.

JT Mini's three analogue oscillators are equipped with saw, triangle, square and pulse waveforms, along with pitch modulation and PWM, and it's a paraphonic instrument, meaning that JT Mini can play multiple notes simultaneously, but its voices share a filter and envelope.

The synth's oscillators run through a multimode analogue filter with both 12 and 24 dB/oct slopes, and there's a single LFO onboard with multiple waveshapes. Both this and its ADSR envelope can be used to modulate a number of different parameters across the oscillator and filter sections.

JT Mini is equipped with a tiny 27-key touch-sensitive keyboard that can also be used to program its 16-step sequencer. As well as recording melodic patterns, the sequencer can be used to record parameter changes and can store up to 10 sequences. There's a multimode arpeggiator onboard too. As for I/O, you've got USB-C, MIDI in, sync in/out and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Earlier this year, the company shared a glimpse of JT-16, a 16-voice clone of the Jupiter-8 that has been years in development; with the JT Mini now shipping, perhaps JT-16 is a step closer to becoming a reality?

Watch a video demo below or find out more on Behringer's website.

Stephen Wilkinson, better known as Bibio, has explored a kaleidoscopic variety of sounds over his two-decade career; his last few albums alone have seen the British musician and producer experiment with sumptuous synth-funk, spectral ambient and tape-worn alt-folk, all varnished with a singular production style that unites lo-fi aesthetics with the punch and precision of professional recording.

These days, Wilkinson works from a well-equipped studio packed with gear and instruments and centred around a custom-built Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console, but - as he revealed in our recent interview - this wasn't always the case. In fact, the song that paid for that five-figure console was recorded through a £150 Behringer mixing desk in a modest bedroom studio. That song is Lovers' Carvings, a bittersweet slice of lo-fi indie-pop from Wilkinson's 2009 album Ambivalence Avenue.

"That track has been good to me," Wilkinson told us. "It has been used in TV, film and advertising a lot, which boosted its popularity. In 2003 I finished university and moved out of London back to my girlfriend’s parents’ house in Wolverhampton, they had a small spare bedroom which I took over with a few bits of kit.

"I had a £150 Behringer mixer, an iMac, and whenever I earned any money from music - which was very little back then - I’d buy a new piece of kit. I also worked part time in a pub and later as a lecturer at Stafford College.

“Eventually I had a few guitars, a bass, a Yamaha CS-10, a few mics, an MPC, and various tape machines. I made most of the album Ambivalence Avenue in that room. It was a long time ago, so I can’t remember it too well, but Lovers’ Carvings started out as two separate songs.

"It was all recorded with a 1988 Hofner archtop, which I purchased for £350 from a second hand music shop in Wolverhampton, the amp was a Fender Blues Jr. I had a Drawmer Tubestation 2 compressor around that time, I used to put stems and mixes through it multiple times as it got grainier and grainier with each generation - that compressor was definitely part of my sound back then.”

Though Wilkinson's current studio set-up is a far cry from his humble beginnings, he remains enamoured with the lo-fi recording techniques that defined his early work. "When you take the edge off things, when you lose some of the detail, they start to resemble dreams," he tells us.

"A pristine and wide-bandwidth recording of something feels more real, whereas a lo-fi recording that has blurred edges, smeared details, faded colour or covered in grain, is less like reality, and that can be a very powerful thing."

"Of course, painters like Monet were experimenting with this with painting techniques, and I often find myself wishing my photographs were more like a Monet painting.

"I think an equivalent exists in audio too - certain artifacts in recording have similar qualities, as they can smudge the subject that’s been recorded, so you’re left with more of an impression of it, rather than something that is very true to life. I’m fascinated with this, but I think high fidelity has its place too, and since Ambivalence Avenue I’ve been trying to somehow merge both worlds.”

Read the full interview with Bibio to find out more about his studio set-up, recording techniques and latest project Phantom Brickworks (LP II).

Just yesterday, we reported that Behringer had issued a spirited response to critics that accused the brand of focusing its efforts on making "vaporware", due to its strategy of regularly teasing music-makers with products in the development stage that are years away from release.

In that statement, Behringer claimed that it was on track to "launch another 6 to 8 groundbreaking products before the end of the year". The company clearly meant business, as today it's announced the official release of Wave, a synthesizer based on the classic PPG Wave, an '80s instrument beloved by artists such as Depeche Mode and David Bowie.

Wave was first announced all the way back in 2020, but the brand seems to have ditched the original name of BBG Wave in favour of an only slightly less barefaced ripoff, Behringer Wave. Side note: Wave is not to be confused with Waves, a Eurorack module released by Behringer just a few weeks ago.

Wave is - you guessed it - a wavetable synthesizer that shares many similarities with the PPG Wave 2.2 and 2.3, while adding some modern bells and whistles. It's an 8-voice synth equipped with 16 digital oscillators, each of which can draw from a selection of 30 factory wavetables, themselves containing 64 waveforms, alongside 64 slots for importing your own via Behringer's SynthTribe app.

Wave is a bitimbral instrument, allowing two different sounds to be layered or split across the keyboard. It's also capable of both 8-bit and 12-bit wavetable synthesis, so you can recreate the vintage charm of the OG Wave if you so wish. Wave's oscillators run through a 24db low-pass analogue filter, and can be sequenced using a polyphonic sequencer and multimode arpeggiator. A single LFO is joined by two ADSR envelopes - one more than the original PPG Wave.

As for the hardware, Wave features 49-key, velocity-sensitive keyboard equipped with channel aftertouch. Though the synth is smaller, its front panel looks remarkably similar to its bright blue forebear, right down to the font and keypad-style buttons on the right-hand side.

Wave is well-equipped in the I/O department, with USB, CV/gate, sync and MIDI in, out and thru joined by a stereo main output, headphone output and eight mono outputs. Expression and sustain pedal inputs are also on board.

Behringer Wave is priced at $599, and the company says it's shipping now.

Find out more on Behringer's website or watch a demo video below.

In a post shared to its social media accounts, Behringer has hit back at critics who have accused the company of only making "vaporware", products that have been advertised but can't yet be purchased.

"Do you remember the comments some people made not so long ago?" the statement reads. "They said 'Behringer only makes vaporware'. Well, time has certainly proven otherwise. Today, Behringer stands as one of the most prolific manufacturers in the industry. No other company delivers as many innovative and affordable products as we do".

Behringer is indeed a prolific manufacturer; the company announces (and ships) new products more regularly than many of its competitors, but has come under fire for teasing music-makers with instruments that are still in the development stage long before they become available for purchase, while offering no official release date. This has become so common that we put together an exhaustive list of these "vaporware" products earlier this year.

To Behringer's credit, many of the products it has teased have eventually come to market; the MS-5, a clone of the Roland SH-5 that was initially announced in 2021, shipped in April this year. Production has also been delayed by the same chip shortages that have plagued synth manufacturers globally in recent years.

However, music-makers are impatiently awaiting the release of many products that were announced several years ago, such as Behringer's planned Jupiter-8, CS-80 and Juno-60 clones. LmDrum, the company's LinnDrum clone pictured above, was first teased in 2019 and has yet to be released, though it's reportedly now in production and will be available imminently.

Behringer says it plans to launch several more products before the year is out. "This year alone, we've brought numerous exciting instruments to market, and the best is yet to come," the post continues. "We're on track to launch another 6 to 8 groundbreaking products before the end of the year."

"Behringer - the 'Vaporware Company'? Maybe. But only if vaporware means delivering more music-making tools than anyone else. Stay tuned. The journey has just begun!"

In a separate post, the company also announced that it will be returning to NAMM, the world's biggest trade show for musical instrument manufacturers, in 2025 after a ten-year absence. Behringer says it plans to unveil "groundbreaking new products" at the show.

Behringer is officially in the zone. Last month alone it unveiled a Tone Bender clone and an audacious replica of the legendary Klon Centaur overdrive pedal, both offering change out of 70 bucks. And now this, the ’69 Vibe, Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe clone that offers those Jimi Hendrix-approved psychedelic tones for just $69.

In sum, for under $200, you could stock your pedalboard with the sounds of three classic stompboxes – and Behringer says it isn’t done yet.

Responding to online critics who have accused the brand of being a “vaporware company” – unveiling products before they are available to buy, ultimately not releasing them at all – Behringer struck a bullish note, arguing that it is “one of the most prolific manufacturers in the industry,” promising more before the year’s out.

“No other company delivers as many innovative and affordable products as we do,” it continued.

Those critics might be responding to its Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble clone. The chorus pedal was teased but has yet to make it to market.

But then there could be a very good reason for that, especially when you consider the case of Behringer's Dual-Phase, its clone of the ‘70s analogue dual phaser from Mu-Tron Bi-Phase that Frank Zappa used to great effect. It was originally introduced as the Bi-Phaser, the name change might have been a way to tip-toe round any IP copyright issues.

The ’69 Vibe certainly delivers on affordability. As for the sound, they're timeless, and date back to when Hendrix was in his pomp and looking for a guitar effects pedal that could emulate the woozy swirl of a rotating speaker.

The Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe did just that, and gave tracks such as Machine Gun the three-dimensional movement he wanted.

It wasn’t just Hendrix who fell under the Uni-Vibe’s spell. Robin Trower created another candidate for the definitive Uni-Vibe track with Bridge Of Sighs. David Gilmour used one, notably on Time and Breathe.

The ’69 Vibe has a familiar look, black enclosure, white text, controls for Volume, Intensity and Speed, one footswitch for engaging the effect and another to toggle between its chorus and vibrato modes. The latter might come in handy for nailing Chris Cornell’s electric guitar tone on Black Hole Sun. And there is an input for attaching an expression pedal so you can control it on the fly.

You will find all the connections on the top of the unit. A pair of 1/4” input/outputs, the input for the pedalboard power supply, and the aforementioned input for the expression pedal.

Behringer suggest placing the '69 Vibe in front of your fuzz pedal, behind it, either side of your drive pedals or straight into a dimed amp a la Jimi. We’d endorse that message.

So there you have it, a £59/$69 Uni-Vibe clone, and once again we have a metal enclosure form Behringer. For more details, head over to Behringer.

When it comes to affordable yet powerful digital mixers, the Behringer X32 has become a beloved staple in the live music scene. Whether it's as the front-of-house desk or as a monitor rig, this hi-tech mixing console has won over the hearts of local and pro musicians alike. And now, with a significant Cyber Monday discount at Andertons, you can join the community and save a whopping £249 off this powerful mixing tool.

One famous champion of the Behringer X32 is lead guitarist for the Foo Fighters, Chris Shiflett. When we sat down with Shiflett to discuss his essential pieces of music gear, he couldn't tour without, the long-serving Foos axeman offered up praise for the digital console. His endorsement carries significant weight, as he said, "We've got a Behringer X32, you know, for our monitor rig on stage. We've got one of those now, and we can control our in-ears on our phones, you know, do that whole thing – and that's freaking amazing, man," beams Shiflett. "Like, this is a game-changer for us. So, I mean, that's a pretty essential piece of gear."

It's pretty high praise indeed for this humble digital mixer and shows that it's used by everyone from bands just starting out to touring global megastars.

The Flagship X32 stands out with its broad range of features at this price point, such as 40 channels, Midas-designed microphone preamps, motorised faders, wireless mixing capabilities, and a full audio interface for multitrack recording.

With 16 XLR outputs, six additional lines in/outputs, two phone connectors, a talkback section with an integrated or external mic, and 16 effects, the flagship X32 offers a lot of mixing power for a very reasonable price. No wonder Chris Shifflett is a fan.

With the end of the Cyber Monday music deals in sight, this deal may not be around for much longer, so grab it while you can.

A whole bunch of Behringer gear has come down to historic low prices of late. Just yesterday, we reported on the fact that Andertons is offering mk1 editions of its SH-101-inspired MS-1 for an incredibly tempting price of £149.

Even compared to that deal, however, I think the Cyber Monday price for Behringer’s Pro-800 at Thomann is frankly mindblowing. In fact, by some metrics, I think it might be the cheapest analogue polysynth of all time.

The Pro-800 is a desktop analogue synthesizer inspired by Sequential Circuits Prophet 600. Designed by synth icon Dave Smith, the original P600 was released in 1982 and was the first commercially available synthesizer to incorporate MIDI. Sonically, it sits in a similar ballpark to Roland’s Juno-106, albeit with a slightly edgier tone. It also had a button pad that let users save and recall up-to 100 patches.

Behringer’s take is fairly faithful to the design of the P600 albeit in desktop form, so you’ll need to connect a MIDI keyboard or DAW to get sounds out of it. It has two oscillators per voice, each with saw, triangle, and square waves as well as pulse width control. These feed into a resonant 24db low-pass filter. Two ADSR envelopes and an LFO provide modulation.

It’s a fairly simple synth design, but one that works great for rich Juno-style pads or retro synth brass. There’s also an onboard arpeggiator and the ability to save up-to 400 presets. Behringer’s design does upgrade the P600 in one significant way – it ups the voice count from six to eight. And this is where my ‘cheapest analogue poly’ theory comes into play.

“£235? Sure, that’s cheap, but it’s not the cheapest polysynth ever,” I hear you shouting at your screen with rage. And you’re right, of course. Korg’s Volca Keys, for example, is a three-voice analogue poly that’s currently selling for £129.

But for eight fully analogue voices? That’s less than £30 per voice. I’ve been reviewing synths for over a decade, right through the ‘affordable analogue’ boom, and I can’t think of anything that’s ever offered that sort of analogue bang-for-your-buck.

Am I wrong? Possibly, it's been a long day. Is there some even more budget friendly poly out there I’m forgetting about? (All analogue, remember, don’t come at me with your Circuits or your Airas.) I’m willing to be proved incorrect, but either way you’ve got to admit – it is very cheap.

Now, full disclosure, I’ve not used Behringer’s Pro-800 extensively, unlike some other Behringer synths. I’ve given one a quick demo, and it sounds pretty on the money, but I can’t vouch for its finer details. That being said, at this price I’m currently doing some quick mental arithmetic to see if I can order one and still afford to buy my kids Christmas presents. So I’ll report back in a couple of weeks…

I get the feeling this year there have been some of the best synth deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday that we’ve seen for a while. Both US and UK retailers have had some absolute crackers and I think I’ve found another in what might be one of the year’s most misunderstood synth products.

Let’s rewind the clock 11 months and head back to those sun-kissed January days in Anaheim, more specifically, to the launch of the Yamaha Seqtrak at the NAMM show. You can’t deny it, it was quite exciting.

Here’s a company that isn’t as prolific as it once was in the synthesizer space, dropping something akin to the design house of Teenage Engineering. A standalone production groovebox with synth, sampling, drum and sequencing capabilities all wrapped up in a minimalistic design. Very TE altogether, and that’s even before we get to the lack of screen, reliance on an app and a Visualizer feature.

The Seqtrak bedazzled us in its rather lurid orange and light grey colourway, with a more subdued double dark grey version also available. Our interest was instantly piqued and we’ve wanted to check one out ever since, but are still yet to have a really good look.

However, from what we’ve seen around the web, there seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about the Seqtrak, almost reminiscent of when Yamaha launched its Reface keyboards. The Refaces have long since been vindicated and are standing the test of time, but it got me thinking, will we be able to say the same thing of the Seqtrak in a few years?

Unfortunately, my crystal ball doesn’t look that far ahead, but what I can say for sure is that this deal at PMT makes testing those waters far more palatable. The one thing guaranteed to turn folks against a product is a lofty price, so when I clocked the Seqtrak in the double dark grey guise down to a mouth-wateringly low price of £199, I just had to let you know about it.

Now, since writing this article, the price has snuck up ever so slightly to £208.95, but PMT has just dropped a site-wide extra 5% off dropping the Seqtrak down to just £198.50, but there are only a few hours of Cyber Monday left, so you’d better hurry just in case this one disappears.

Struggling to think of what to buy yourself that synth-playing loved one for Christmas this year? Well, look no further, because it looks like Gear4Music has the ideal solution for you with these nifty little noise-makers from Japanese manufacturer Reon.

The Driftbox format is a range of small analogue machines designed for hands-on manipulation and sonic experimentation covering, synthesis, sequencing and controller-based activities.

Five Driftboxes are on offer at Gear4Music this Black Friday and Cyber Monday but there is one caveat, only three are currently in stock. Fear not, for the retailer has dropped the price for all five models to a tantalising £99 each. Not bad considering they retailed around the £400 mark on release. Not only that, you'll be hard-pushed to find any of these for sale generally, so it feels like this is the last-chance saloon.

The two out-of-stock models, the Driftbox R and SE synths are available at the same low price as the others but only on order, with an estimated delivery time of eight to nine weeks.

**UPDATE** The Driftbox SE seems to be no longer on sale, but we'll keep you up-to-date on that. Driftbox R, however, is still available to order, with an estimated delivery time of eight to nine weeks.

The remaining three models in stock are the Drifbox J, a programmable joystick synth, the C an audio CV mixer, and the W a multi-modulation analogue synthesizer.

The deals don't end there, because we have scoured the internet to fins all the best music deals for you which you can find on our mega Cyber Monday hub page.

In-ear monitors are becoming more and more common, particularly for us drummers. But nearly as common is the confusion over what to actually plug them into! Behringer’s P2 is a compact, portable, battery-powered personal monitor solution that takes away this question. If like me you don’t like spending loads of money on the parts of your setup that you don't actually play, you’ll appreciate the fact that you can bag this awesome in-ear amp for just £27 in Thomann’s Cyber Week sale.

Why would you want to, though? Well, when it comes to our in-ears, we need to plug into something with a headphone amp in order to drive our monitors. Common solutions for this include sending the feed from the PA system into the auxiliary input of a sample pad, an audio interface, or, carting around an additional mixer. All of which require powering and add to setup time - not ideal on multi-band gigs with short changeovers.

I’ve done all three at various points in the past, sometimes bringing a Roland SDP-SX for sample-less gigs solely to use for my in-ear feed. But, I haven’t had to think about any of that since buying the P2 - I’ve used mine at every gig since I got it.

With the Behringer P2, you get an active, plug-and-play solution for handling your monitor feed. It measures just 33x38x132 mm (HXWXD), is powered by 2x AA batteries and will run for around 12 hours.

It’s also equipped with a combo-XLR/jack socket for the input, so regardless of what cable the engineer is using, (or whether your own PA uses jacks or XLRs for the aux sends) you’ll be able to plug the feed straight in.

Engineers love it, because it makes their life easy, and (as I’ve done frequently), you can just borrow the cable that’s already running to a wedge monitor without disrupting the signal flow back at the desk. Just remember to put it back when you’re finished!

From here, you plug your in-ears into the mini-jack output socket, turn on via the switched volume control and boom, you’re now in control of the level of your monitor feed. It’s got a belt clip so you can hook the P2 onto your clothing, and the handy LED will let you see the battery level/power status.

Talking of which, when it comes time to change the batteries, you can quickly open the P2 up without any tools. Inside, you’ll also find a switch to select either mono or stereo operation. While you’re there, grab Thomann’s four-pack of AA batteries for just £1.60.

I have been writing music gear deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday for around seven years now and for the first time, I have found a deal so tempting that I’m going to make the purchase.

Before you think to yourself, “Yeah whatever, mate”, let me tell you, I am one of the stingiest, tight-fisted synth-lovers going. If I buy anything it’s usually secondhand and I’m instantly wracked with buyer’s remorse after every purchase, but I’m already convinced this time will be different.

This deal on the Behringer MS-1 at Andertons is so good that by the time you read this, I would’ve already bought one and before you ask, I went for the black one, because the blue is out of stock and I’m not a fan of the red.

Based on the widely used and highly sought-after Roland SH-101, the MS-1 from Behringer encapsulates some of the charm of the original with some added extras. Although it’s been widely reported that it’s not an exact-sounding replica of the original, it’s still a great-sounding monosynth that can produce some solid squelch.

“Why so cheap?” we hear you ask. Well, this is the mk1 and Andertons are clearing the decks for stock of the mk2, no doubt. Behringer had quietly discontinued the mk1 and announced a new and improved mk2, but availability is still hit-and-miss. Some retailers have new stock availability as far away as June 2025.

Should you wait for a mk2?

First of all, I’m not too fussed about the extra features and secondly, I’m not looking for an authentic copy of the SH-101 either. So coupled with the fact this model is available for delivery now and is eye-wateringly cheap, I’m willing to miss out on the likes of an arp, and the authentic 662 chip used for the VCA in the original.

Yes, the mk1 has been beset with difficulties and is by no means a perfect synth, that said it could be argued that the mk2 isn’t all that perfect either.

Behringer has unveiled one of the most audacious overdrive pedals in recent memory, a replica of Bill Finnegan’s legendary Klon Centaur that promises not only those same holy grail transparent boost and overdrive tones, but a pedal that makes it easier than the original to dial in your sound.

Furthermore, Behringer’s Centaur Overdrive retails for just $69. What a time to be alive.

Behringer’s design follows a similar template to the original, with the gold box, the oxblood knobs, controls for Gain, Treble and Output.

Under the hood you have soft-clipping germanium diodes as opposed to the hard-clipping circuit of the original but altogether this is a pedal that promises a similarly dynamic drive sound that responds to your picking dynamics and your electric guitar’s volume controls.

You might know Behringer for its plastic enclosures. Some dismiss the brand because of this (and perhaps because they haven’t tried its superlative SF300 Super Fuzz, one of the most fun fuzz pedals on the market and just $25 street). Well, we’ve got a metal enclosure this time, and it has got a man on a horse, with a sword.

The circuit even has that internal charge pump for the stepped-up voltage that helps extend the headroom and dynamic range of the pedal. No stone has been left unturned.

Behringer isn’t messing around here. Not only is it presenting a replica of one of the most expensive pedals on the vintage market that also just happens to be one of the most-affordable overdrives of this or any other year – it says the Centaur Overdrive even improves upon the original. Who knows, maybe it'll find its way onto John Mayer's pedalboard one day.

Behringer has tweaked the design, using a dual-ganged pot for the Gain control that it says is an “improved version of the original concentric gain control”, making it “more reliable and precise”.

“Simply put, you get to easily dial in your tone to get a completely clean signal or have more overdrive mixed in as you turn the knob all the way up,” says Behringer.

And that is a central plank of the original Klon’s magic, adding warm grit and drive without ruining the relationship with your guitar and amp.

Use it as a boost, a full-on overdrive, or somewhere in between. Those sweet spots reveal themselves when your amp is on the edge of breakup, and if those are more easily found on Behringer's design, then maybe, yes, they could have improved upon it.

Behringer’s Centaur Overdrive has an output of +41dB, enough to give your amp’s front-end something serious to think about – to make it squeal.

Like the original, the Centaur Overdrive has a buffered bypass. It takes 9V DC from a pedalboard power supply and draws 100mA. And hell’s bells it is just £/$69 - you can pre-order right now at Sweetwater. See Behringer for more details.

Dan Clarke, a keyboardist for synth-pop artist Howard Jones and former video host for Behringer, has passed away following a cardiac arrest.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dan Clarke, a truly wonderful person and a joy to collaborate with," reads a statement from Behringer on Twitter/X. "His work on the Behringer synth videos was nothing short of amazing. Dan's musical talent and positive spirit will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Dan". 

As Behringer's Global Branding Leader, Clarke was responsible for developing the company's brand and producing content for its YouTube channel, hosting demo videos for the Behringer EDGE and Solina String-Ensemble, and working on tutorials for getting started with Eurorack and using step sequencers in songwriting. 

Prior to his time with Behringer, Clarke spent nine years working for Roland UK after joining the company aged only 17. Clarke was also a member of Howard Jones' band, playing keyboards and percussion in his live performances. 

"Dan Clarke was a beloved member of my band, he brought energy and joy every night to the stage and was such great company on tour," Jones said in a statement shared on Facebook. "I'd like to dedicate our upcoming shows to him and his wonderful spirit. I will miss him so much. Words are never enough."

A talented musician and producer, Clarke also wrote and recorded his own music; listen to his 2020 single Let Go below.

Recent sales charts indicate that Behringer’s UB-Xa synth is flying off the shelves, but even its manufacturer admits that the size of the thing might be a problem for some.

“It’s the size of a car,” admits Behringer, though only if that car happens to be the tiny Peel P50. Still, at 104cm long, the UB-Xa certainly isn’t compact, and certainly not small enough for the - according to Behringer - seven out of ten synth fans who say that they don’t have the space for it.

Enter the UB-Xa D, a desktop version of the Oberheim-aping UB-Xa that gives you the same feature set and sound minus the keyboard.  “All of us spatially challenged producers can finally sleep easy,” reckons Behringer.

We knew this was coming, of course, but the launch of a proper promo video and a pre-order listing on Andertons indicates that it’s now close to shipping. This has the UB-Xa D priced at £699, which is £300 less than the keyboard version. On Facebook, meanwhile, Behringer has the US list price at $799.

Otherwise, the story is very similar: 16 voices, dual oscillators per voice, a 12/24dB filter, two LFOs and two ADSRs per voice. And, although there’s no keyboard, the polyphonic aftertouch and MPE support is retained.

Most importantly, the width has been reduced to just 46cm. If you’d rather have your UB-Xa D in a rack than on your desk, you can mount it there via the supplied rack ears.

It’s been three and a half years since Behringer began switching to its ‘super partner’ model, which has seen the company’s products being sold exclusively through a select network of major retailers rather than smaller, independent ones. Now, the company says that it’s exploring the idea of introducing an additional “direct-to-customer” shipping option.

As its name suggests, this would cut out any kind of third party and involve Behringer sending customers its products straight from the factory. “This would help ensure faster delivery and access to all our products, especially those not carried by our retailers,” says Behringer (via Facebook).

It’s worth noting that, at this stage, the direct shipping option is just something that Behringer is considering. What’s more, the company says that it wouldn’t mean the end of its current retail arrangements.

“We do cherish our super partner relationships and would consider this as an additional channel to ensure we can reach customers in areas currently under-served,” says the company.

Behringer is currently asking for feedback on the idea and, as you might expect, a lot of its customers seem pretty keen. It certainly wouldn’t be the first company to ‘go direct’: the likes of Fender and Focusrite have been offering this option for some time now.

Whether it would lead to even cheaper prices remains to be seen. When Behringer announced its super partnership with Sweetwater in 2021, it highlighted the cost savings involved in sending products straight to Sweetwater’s warehouses. By removing the retailer, which takes its own cut, it stands to reason that these savings would be even greater.

There are also questions surrounding returns and customer service - would these be on a par with what you’d get from a super partner? - but having opened the discussion around direct selling, our hunch would be that Behringer will be rolling it out sooner rather than later.

It would be unfair to say that Behringer only develops synths based on other people's old analogue hardware: it replicates digital instruments, too.

A case in point is the forthcoming Wave, a synth that bears a strong resemblance to Wolfgang Palm’s series of PPG instruments from the 1980s.

The fact that these had digital wavetable engines might make you think that that the emulation process would be easier than for a purely analogue instrument - the original Waves did have an analogue filter and VCA envelope - but Behringer says that this isn’t the case.

“Replicating the unique architecture of the original unit made the firmware development extremely complex,” writes the company in a recent Facebook post. “We’re confident we’ve nailed this synth and aim to ship it in a few months. Thank you for your patience. This is one legendary synth.”

We’ve been here before, of course; back in 2022, Behringer said that it was beta testing the "third and final prototype" of the Wave, prior to releasing it to market.

Two years on and we’re again being told that a revised version is being sent out to beta testers, so who knows when customers will be able to get their hands on it (or, indeed, how much it will end up costing).

Back in the ‘90s, when it was released, the Mutronics Mutator was used across the music spectrum. Daft Punk, Radiohead, Beck, The Chemical Brothers, Nine Inch Nails and Massive Attack are all believed to have been fans of this analogue filter and envelope follower, and now Behringer - who else? - is looking to bring it back.

Released in 1996, the Mutator’s life was cut short when one of components required to build it went out of production. Presumably, Behringer has now found an alternative; what’s more, the company says that it’s “collaborating closely with the original designer to ensure its authenticity and quality”.

For fans of the original, that will be reassuring, and raises hopes that the Behringer clone will be able to recreate the Mutator’s warmth and capacity for sonic weirdness. Each of the two channels has a voltage-controlled filter that can be used to generate synth-style sweeps, and also comes with an LFO. Coupled with the envelope follower, this enables you to create some serious movement.

After some deliberation, Behringer has decided to create a desktop version of the Mutator that can also be rack-mounted, and it will also be Eurorack-ready.

This isn’t the first time the Mutator has been revived. Back in 2014, Mutronics’ James Dunbar and Steve Crow worked with Softube to create a plugin version that they said sounds “very very close” to the original. This is still available, priced at €49. 

We're led to believe that Steve Crow isn't involved in the Behringer reboot - MusicRadar has attempted to contact Behringer to clarify who from the original design team it is working with.

Neither a price or release date for the Behringer Mutator has so far been confirmed.

It’s tempting to think that creating a new version of an existing synth must be easy - just copy what’s there, right? However, Behringer wants to make it clear that its ongoing mission to emulate and enhance the classic Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 has been no bed of technical roses.

In one of its latest Facebook missives, Behringer has revealed the lengths it’s gone to to create a synth that “stays true to the original while adding modern capabilities”. These include 16 voices of polyphony (as opposed to the original’s 5), multimode filters, 8-mode atrophy settings and polyphonic aftertouch.

“Recreating this synthesizer was no small feat,” says Behringer. “The engineering work involved is extraordinarily complex, requiring meticulous attention to detail and precision.”

The company goes on to explain that “One of the most challenging aspects of this project was the development of an 8-layer printed circuit board (PCB). For those unfamiliar, a PCB is essentially the backbone of any electronic device, housing all the components and ensuring they work together seamlessly.

“An 8-layer board means there are eight layers of circuitry stacked within a single board, allowing us to pack more functionality into a compact space. This complexity is necessary to manage the increased number of voices and new features while maintaining signal integrity and reducing noise.”

The post implies that work has now been completed on this board - there’s a photo of it, in fact - and that the end result will be a synth that blends “classic sound with cutting-edge technology”.

In fact, Behringer is confident that its new take on the Prophet-5 will “push the boundaries of what's possible in a synthesizer.”

There’s still no price or release date, though - expect another Facebook with those details at some unspecified point in the future.

Prior to his death in 2022, the late Dave Smith, designer of the original Prophet-5, created his own updated version in the form of the Rev 4 model.

Not only is the announcement of Behringer’s Syncussion SY-1 giving us vintage vibes in the sense that it emulates a Pearl analogue drum synth of the same name that was released in 1979, but it also has us thinking back to 2021, when we saw our first prototype of the instrument.

At that time, Behringer simply seemed to be gauging the level of interest in a possible reboot. In 2022 we were told that, despite the chip shortages of the time, it had everything it needed to build it, but only now has the company gone official with a proper launch video.

Originally designed for acoustic drummers who wanted to augment their kit with some electronic sounds - and used by the likes of OMD, Soft Cell and New Order - the SY-1 was later adopted by electronic music producers such as Aphex Twin, and is something of a techno powerhouse.

In fact, the intro to Behringer’s video makes it clear that, if techno is indeed your bag, “sometimes all the track needs is one synth.” (That synth being this one, obviously.)

This new SY-1 is a 2-channel semi-modular machine that comes in Eurorack format and offers six oscillator modes (single oscillator, FM, dual oscillator mix, dynamic oscillator mix, FM/noise mix, and pure noise).

In each mode you can access tune, decay and filter cutoff controls, enabling you to create everything from electronic percussion to zappy sound effects. Pitch sweeping is a big part of the SY-1 experience, and each channel also has an LFO with square and triangle waves. This can be used to modulate the pitch or the filter.

While it doesn’t have a built-in sequencer, the SY-1 can be triggered from drum pads, other hardware or anything else you fancy.

Behringer says that the SY-1 is in stock and shipping priced at $199.

In the latest in a series of public statements addressing the development of the UB-Xa synth, Behringer has reaffirmed its position that it "shared its plan" for the synthesizer with Tom Oberheim prior to release and "received consent" to use the UB-Xa trademark.

Behringer shared a statement on Facebook on May 24 responding to Tom Oberheim's earlier claim that there was "no collaboration" between himself and Behringer and "no discussion of their plans for synths or anything else". 

Oberheim's statement was made in response to an original post, shared on May 18, in which Behringer stated that it "discussed the UB-Xa with Tom Oberheim and got his consent" in developing the instrument. 

"When questioned about the designer of the original synthesizer, we clarified in a social media post that we have the pioneer’s consent, affirming our right to market our synthesizer and use the UB-Xa name," reads Behringer's latest post.

"The pioneer whose name we’re unable to mention based on a three year old agreement, states: '…have no objection to Music Tribe’s use or registration of the mark UB-XA anywhere in the world…'. 

"We clearly shared the plan for the UB-Xa synthesizer and received consent to use the trademark. We have utmost respect for the pioneer and it is unfortunate that this situation has escalated. We wish him the very best and much success."

Launched late last year, Behringer's UB-Xa is an analogue polysynth that takes inspiration from the classic Oberheim OB-Xa, recreating its factory patches and emulating its oscillators and filters while adding a number of modern features that includes aftertouch and increased polyphony.

"We are immensely proud of our innovative UB-Xa and its success," reads Behringer's latest post. "This synthesizer is clearly not a clone; in fact it is the world’s first and only 16-voice analog and bi-timbral synthesizer with a poly aftertouch keyboard and 8-mode atrophy settings, all priced at USD 1,199, which is a fraction of the cost of competing products."

Earlier this month at the Superbooth trade show, Oberheim unveiled a new synth, the TEO-5. Priced at $1499, the five-voice instrument is the most affordable synthesizer the brand has ever released.

The history of the Oberheim trademark is a complex one. In 1985, following bankruptcy, the company sold off its trademarks to various parties; Gibson acquired the rights to the Oberheim name in the United States and several other countries and began to manufacture Oberheim-branded products.

After Tom Oberheim returned to the synthesizer market in 2009 with the Tom Oberheim SEM, Gibson returned possession of the Oberheim brand to its original owner in a gesture of good will. However, Behringer remained in possession of the Oberheim trademark in several countries outside of the United States.

Back in 2021, Behringer's parent company Music Tribe attempted to trademark the name 'Behringer Oberheim' in the US, a bid that was ultimately blocked by the US Patent Office. Following this decision, Behringer returned the Oberheim trademark to Tom Oberheim, giving him the worldwide rights to his name for the first time since 1985.

Earlier this week, Behringer made a number of statements on Facebook concerning its UB-Xa synth, an instrument that takes inspiration from the Oberheim OB-X. 

Under a post celebrating the news that the UB-Xa is now the "best-selling synthesizer" according to sales stats from German retailer Thomann, Behringer claimed in a now-deleted comment that it "discussed the UB-Xa with Tom Oberheim and got his consent" in developing the instrument.

This morning, Tom Oberheim, founder of Oberheim Electronics and designer of the OB-X, clearly keen to distinguish his firm's product from Behringer's offerings, shared a statement appearing to refute Behringer's claim. 

"You may have seen the recent stories online where Behringer is claiming that they have my ‘consent’ to make UB-XA, and that I ‘know their plans’", Oberheim wrote.

"There is, of course, no collaboration between us and no discussions of their plans for synths or anything else.

"They do have limited rights to use the name UB-XA," he continued, "but not the Oberheim name. So they have permission under certain conditions to release a product using the UB-XA name, but that’s all. 

"I hope this doesn’t cause any confusion about the real Oberheim products like OB-X8 and TEO-5 and the others we plan to release!"

• Read more: "This isn't just a synth, it's Tom Oberheim's dream, realized": The TEO-5 gives you the classic Oberheim sound at an affordable price point

It took a while, but it seems that the time Behringer spent developing its UB-Xa synth was worth it, because it’s now “officially the best-selling synthesizer”.

The company appears to be basing its claim on sales stats from German mega-retailer Thomann, which currently has the UB-Xa at the top of its synth chart. 

Celebrating the milestone on Facebook, Behringer said: “It is the world's first and only analogue synthesizer with 16 voices, polyphonic aftertouch, and eight atrophy modes, all for a revolutionary price. 

“Our product development team has spent six years working on delivering this legendary and revolutionary analogue synth.

“Thank you for all your patience and we hope it was worth the wait.”

Further down the thread - and in response to a post praising Tom Oberheim, designer to the OB-Xa synth that the UB-Xa takes inspiration from - Behringer posited that “certainly he designed a fantastic product. However our UB-Xa is no copy but took inspiration from the original synth and brought it to a complete new level.”

Interestingly, the company also added that “we discussed the UB-Xa with Tom Oberheim and got his consent.”

Apropos of nothing, Behringer also took aim at those who question its policy of emulating synth classics from the past. “How many other products such as VSTs take inspiration from legacy products?” it asked. “Why is it OK for others but not for us?”

In a separate post, Behringer highlighted what it views as the high quality of the UB-Xa’s proprietary polyphonic aftertouch keybed, which was entirely designed in house.

“It undergoes a highly automated and precise calibration test to ensure uniform sensitivity across every key,” says Behringer. “Each key is meticulously tested and calibrated to the highest precision.

The UB-Xa is available now priced at $1,199/£1,129. Find out more on the Behringer website. 

UPDATE 24/05: Tom Oberheim has now responded to Behringer's claim that he gave the brand consent to develop the UB-Xa, stating that there was "no collaboration between us and no discussions of their plans for synths or anything else".

Originally released back in the ‘80s, the Neve 33609 bus compressor has been used on countless hit records. Famed for providing punch without muddiness and extreme musicality, it’s a proper classic; in fact, Neve describes the latest model as a “desert island stereo compressor.”

Pieces of gear like that don’t come cheap, though - the current Neve 33609/N will set back around $4,000. Here comes Behringer, though, with its own take on the design, which will sell for around $500.

Even by Behringer’s standards, that’s quite a price difference, so can the company’s new 369 compressor possibly hope to compete?

Behringer seems to think so: we’re told that “the legacy and DNA of the original Neve 33609 flows through the veins of the 369,” and that its engineering team - which includes people who worked with Rupert Neve - has worked to make this recreation “as faithful to the original as humanly possible”.

As with the Neve hardware, the 369 is both a compressor and a limiter. The limiter comes first in the signal path and is designed to tame unruly peaks, and the compressor is more subtle and musical. Both sections have Threshold and Recovery controls and the option to switch between a fast and slow attack setting, and the compressor also has gain and ratio controls.

Further controls enable you to switch between stereo and mono operation and bypass each compressor and limiter individually. You can also switch between internal and remote control.

The Behringer 369 comes in a 2U rackmount chassis and can also slot into a rack case if you want to take it with you on the road. There are vintage-style VU meters, and inputs and outputs are on XLR connectors.

Thomann has the 369 listed for €499 - which we guess will equate to around $500 - and says that it’ll be available in a few months.

Find out more on the Behringer website.

It’s been a protracted birth - first we thought it was available; then we were told that it wasn’t - but Behringer has now finally released Vintage, its free VST synth.

To recap, some people managed to download Vintage this earlier this month, but then we were told that its short-lived availability was down to an “accidental leak”. In between, Tone2 Audiosoftware was forced to clarify that it had nothing to do with Vintage’s development (some had noted similarities between Vintage and Tone2’s Saurus synth).

Vintage does now have a proper page on the Behringer website, though: we’re told that it’s  “based on meticulous modelling of legendary analog vintage synthesizers” and is the first in a new series of software instruments. It was created with the help of Stefano D'Angelo of Orastron, who - according to his LinkedIn page - previously worked for Arturia.

Vintage offers two oscillators with hard sync and a choice of waveforms (sine, square, saw, noise and sub-oscillator), two 12/24 dB filters that can be switched between low-, high- and band-pass as well as notch and formant modes (plus filter envelopes), and a noise generator.

There are also two amp modules with an ADSR envelope, and dual LFOs. All of which is said to combine to produce a “legendary tone” that gives you the “soul of vintage synthesizers”.

Although it’s free, Behringer says that Vintage is valued at $99. It’s never sold for this price, so we’re assuming that this is just what the company thinks it’s worth. If you think it’s deserving of your cash, you can make a donation that will go to the Playing for Change Foundation.

Vintage is available for PC and Mac and runs in VST/AU/AAX formats. Find out more and download it via the Behringer website.

Spending much of the ‘10s at the heart of the Parisian electronic music scene, French producer and DJ Kartell channeled influences from soul, disco and R&B into slick and sultry beats that sparkled with the mirror-ball glitter of ‘90s French touch. 

In 2021, Kartell escaped the big city to relocate to his birthplace of Tours, building a new basement studio and setting to work on producing his most personal project yet. That project is Everything Is Here, a 15-track statement that expands his already diverse sound in new directions, taking cues from everything from ‘70s soft rock to alt hip-hop. 

With more of a live and instrumental feel than his earlier work, the project invites a varied cast of collaborators, including Tkay Maidza, Barney Bones and Kurtis Wells, to furnish Kartell’s polished, groove-heavy productions with pop hooks and extra personality. 

We caught up with Kartell ahead of the release of Everything Is Here to find out more about how the album was made, and he was kind enough to leave us with three production tips for good measure.

Beginnings, gear, career

When did you start making music, and how did you first get started? 

“I started making music around 15 years old when I got my first computer in my bedroom. It was a small Compaq and I started to play around with Fruity Loops and soon after that, Reason. The first beats were sampling cinematic sound with hip-hop beats, I was very into abstract hip-hop at the time, guys like DJ Premier and DJ Shadow. 

“When I switched to Reason this is really where I started to make full compositions, mainly electronic, house and disco, which I couldn’t really figure out how to make on FL Studio. The stock library of synth and samples from Reason were really all I needed at the time.”

Tell us about your studio/set-up. 

“I moved out of Paris three years ago and bought a house in Tours, which had a basement that I adapted into a home studio. The family before were using that room as a home cinema, but the acoustics were terrible. There was floor tile that I replaced with a floating parquet and some homemade acoustic panels. I did everything on my own and it was a fun experience. 

“The other focus when I moved in was to get a warm and light ambiance since there is no natural lighting. I want to be inspired when I lock myself down there for 7 hours straight. Some vintage 70’s furniture and lamps warmed up the place nicely. 

“I was only using plugins before settling in there, but it turns out I moved in at the same time I was getting a new small publishing deal which allowed me to buy my first bits of hardware: a Prophet Rev2 and a Behringer Poly D. For such a low price, the sound and capabilities of the Poly D still surprise me and it’s probably the piece of gear I use the most now for bass and leads. 

“I also got a TASCAM Portastudio 414 which is nice to use, has some great textures and can give a naturally pitched-down analogue sound. My day-to-day process, though, is still really about plugins.”

What DAW (or DAWs) do you use, and why did you choose it?

“I use Ableton Live 10, it’s a perfect balance for me as you get through sounds quickly when you are having a moment of inspiration, and the workflow for in-depth mixing and arrangements is also very natural.”

What one piece of gear in your studio could you not do without, and why? 

“It’s actually software rather than a piece of gear. It’s called SoundID Reference and I use it to balance my Focal speakers and my headphones. I got so used to this that I can't make any music if this is not turned on. 

"Since no room is acoustically 100% perfect, even with treatment, this software runs on top of your sound card and actually balances your speakers according to the room and to its specs. It has drastically improved my mixes.”

What's the latest addition to your studio?

“I bought an Akai 4000DS MK2 tape recorder to run my mixes through, and it’s an absolute pleasure to hear them coming to life with a subtle wobble - you can hear the physical interaction with the sound.”

What dream bit of gear would you love to have in your studio?

“I want to get a drum kit. Before making music, I played drums in a jazz school for a few months and this is something I really loved. I stopped after a while because I was frustrated I couldn’t get a set at home and experiment more. I’m glad I have my own space now and this is probably my next addition to the studio. 

“I’m building up a shopping list at the moment, looking at various references. I want to get a Ludwig Acrolite snare, which seems to be very versatile and warm for the sound I’m looking for. I have some amazing drum loops packs from Jeremy Pages and Jack Reed which I’m using a lot, and the sound they have is a reference for me.”

When approaching a new track or project, where do you start?

“Chords and harmonies. Even if I have only one nice chord or one note running ambience, I will try to harmonize it with bass and other elements very quickly. I found myself having the most emotional results doing this and my album has a few tracks that started this way - Space Odyssey, for instance.

“I don’t actually know anything about chord theory and I can’t play the piano. I do everything by ear and feelings, and this technique has helped me a lot to get a good starting point.”

Tell us about how you approached the production on your new project. Did you experiment with any new techniques or methods?

“I had a clear image of the album sound and universe as soon as I got something like the first two tracks wrapped up. The theme of space exploration and the tribute to the ‘70s psych rock, mixed up with my influences of R&B and electronic music was quite challenging. 

“Since I wanted a very visual and cinematic approach to the music, I started quite early to gather a moodboard of images with a warm psychedelic ‘70s approach that gave a direction and a meaning for the music and the sound design. I needed a clear direction very early on, since I’m very eclectic in my tastes and in my productions. With that aesthetic in mind I started writing the tracks almost entirely with plugins, Rickenbacker VST for bass, Repro-5, Triton and Clavinet for keyboard and synth, Farfisa and Solina for leads and pads, some Poly D for synth bass.

“I used a lot of the Arturia Analog Lab suite, which brilliantly captures the vintage sound I was looking for. To give some characters, room and unique textures to each track, I used a lot of plugins from Soundtoys and also of the VHS Audio Degradation Suite for Reaktor. I played some live guitars and bass also using amps and pedals from Waves GTR Tool Rack.

“For this project I knew that the fundamentals of the tracks, the bass and drums, needed to be played live. Once I got proper structures and some references, I sent the stems to Max Baby, who is an amazing musician, and he recorded live takes for the bass and the drums. He also played some keys and guitar and developed some ideas when needed, adding some arrangements and much-needed life to the project. Once I got his parts, which immediately pushed further the production, I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with his layers and effects to glue it naturally into my vision.

“Then I did a premix for all the tracks, trying to push them as far as I could and have them coherent sonically together. I view the mixing part as essential as the composition, and I try to get the right sound as soon as possible in my process. 

"Once I got nice reference mixes, I sent everything to Greasy Studios in Paris. Marcus, whom I have worked with before on my latest EP Daybreak, really knows my sound so it was very natural for him. He has an amazing collection of analogue compressors and EQs. All the mixes and masters went through analogue gear which gives the crispness I was looking for.”

What are you currently working on? 

“The album I’ve just finished really explores a vintage analogue sound with live instruments, so for now I feel like working on more electronic and club music. I want to release a club EP next to develop the club aesthetic of this spacy sound. I also have in mind to release a deluxe version of the album with more rock-infused tracks that belong to the universe of the album.”

Kartell's Everything Is Here will be released May 31st on Roche Musique. 

Kartell's music-making tips

1. Layer your kick

“One of the most useful tricks I've refined lately for club music is using different layers of kick, each one with a different purpose. I usually have one for the sub and depth where I take out everything above 100 Hz, another one for the presence peaking between 100 and 150Hz, and two others for the attack, where I usually roll out frequencies below 600Hz and 1.5kHz.

“The first two kicks, with the boom usually sitting around 50hz and the presence around 100hz, should actually peak together almost at the same db level. If you monitor them with a good EQ, adjust gain staging and clear out unwanted frequencies on each of them, you get a really clean thick kick.”

2. Use saturation to add glue and grit

“I have used a lot of Decapitator and Saturn 2 on many elements to get some subtle transients and warm breath. I have treated almost all my drums with a chain of Decapitator and Saturn, gluing everything nicely together since I’m using a lot of layers of live drums and samples. It’s also working nicely on synth and pads to degrade the sound a bit and bring up transient frequencies.”

3. Use room reverb and delay to sit your elements in a defined space

“Making music on a computer tends to sit everything on the same level, coming with the same energy and I feel like recreating a space and a room where it lives is essential. I have used a lot of reverbs, space modulator, frequency shifter and delays from Valhalla on this album.”

Behringer’s marketing strategy can be unconventional at times, so we were left bemused but not completely surprised when it appeared to launch a free synth plugin, Vintage, and then remove any trace of it from its website.

A week on, the company has offered an explanation for the ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ availability of the synth in a comment on our sister magazine Computer Music’s Facebook page. 

“The Vintage VST has not been officially launched and the Weblink for our testers has accidentally leaked,” says Behringer. “We’re in the process of finalising the plugin and launching it soon.”

It seems that some people managed to get hold of Vintage by signing up to receive it on the Behringer website, but the registration page was quickly removed. 

In another comment on MusicRadar’s Facebook page, meanwhile, Behringer has also confirmed that Vintage wasn’t created in collaboration with Tone2 Audiosoftware, which issued its own clarification on this last week.

After some commenters noted the similarities between Vintage and Tone2’s Saurus synth, the company said: “The look and feel of the recently released Behringer Vintage has caused confusion among our customers. Behringer Vintage is NOT a new version of Tone2 Saurus. Both products have a different synthesis architecture and sound different. We are not involved in the development of Behringer Vintage.”

In response to our reporting on this statement, Behringer says: “You are absolutely correct and this VST was designed by a famous designer who creates sound engines for many leading VST brands.”

The company hasn’t said which designer they’re referring to, but adds: “We’re very proud of this partnership and will introduce many more VSTs for free or a minimal fee to empower musicians that ‘have not and cannot’. We’re closely working with Playing For Change Foundation and encourage you to donate whatever you can. We will match any donation up to 1 million USD. Thank you so much.”

A new release date for Vintage hasn’t been confirmed.

Following speculation that it may have had something to do with the creation of Behringer’s new Vintage soft synth plugin, Tone2 Audiosoftware has released a statement saying that it had no involvement in its development whatsoever.

When Vintage was unveiled, earlier this week, various commentators were quick to point out that it looked rather like Tone2’s Saurus synth, which was released more than a decade ago and is still available to buy now. This led some to suspect that Vintage was the result of a collaboration between the two companies, but it turns out that this isn’t the case.

“The look and feel of the recently released Behringer Vintage has caused confusion among our customers,” wrote Tone2 on Facebook. “Behringer Vintage is NOT a new version of Tone2 Saurus. Both products have a different synthesis architecture and sound different. We are not involved in the development of Behringer Vintage.”

Just to clarify things further, Tone2 adds: “We are not responsible for the graphics, the sound engine, or anything else related to it. Behringer has not licensed graphics or source codes from us. We do not collaborate with Behringer in any way.”

Message received loud and clear, but confusion still reigns in relation to Vintage’s availability. Having released it as a free plugin, Behringer now seems to have pulled the registration page from its website, and there’s no mention of it either there or on its Facebook page (the company’s most frequently used channel of communication). 

It remains to be seen whether Vintage will ever resurface, but if it does, we do now know for sure that Tone2 had nothing to do with it.

Way back in 2019, Behringer asked its Facebook fans what they thought about the idea of the company creating its own range of VST plugins, and a few months later, it claimed to be working on a free DAW that would come with a selection of effects and instruments built in. We’ve yet to see any evidence of this, but Behringer has now released a free VST synth known as Vintage.

As its name suggests, this is modelled on the classic analogue synths of the ‘70s and ‘80; unlike many of Behringer’s hardware synths, though, it isn’t a direct emulation of any specific product. The ‘wooden’ end cheeks are there to emphasise the plugin’s all-round ‘vintageness’, and the interface is scalable.

You get a couple of oscillators with hard sync, two LFOs, a pair of filters and the same number of envelopes. If you want to download Vintage - it runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU formats - all you need to do is hand over your details on the Behringer website.

That said, when you click on the link to the registration page, at the time of writing you’re told that it can’t be found. This suggests that Behringer may have taken it down, perhaps after it was struggling to cope with the weight of demand.

Some people have clearly managed to get hold of Vintage, though - check out the video below for a flavour of what you're currently missing.

Assuming the company gets its digital house in order, it looks like Vintage could be just the first of several plugins to be released, as this is said to be part of a ‘Synth Suite’. Whether that long-awaited DAW will now turn up as well remains to be seen.

We've grown accustomed to the lengthy delays between Behringer synth announcements and their actual releases, and once got so bored while waiting that we wrote this very long feature on what stage all Behringer's current product announcements are at.

To be fair on Behringer, chip shortages have affected a lot of companies, not just the big B. And to be double fair, Behringer has made an awful lot of announcements. The MS-5, was first pitched way back in July 2021 but the big news is that it is actually shipping. Right now. And for just $599. 

Sometimes Behringer doesn't outwardly admit what classic synth its latest clone is based on, but the company is not holding back with the MS-5, stating from the off that it is, "a faithful reproduction of the original SH-5 circuit", the SH-5 being the Roland analogue synth, originally released in 1975.  

As Behringer states in the launch video above, that makes it one of the oldest designs in its lineup of vintage synth copies, but that doesn't mean it lacks punch and features. There are two oscillators, each with four waveforms, and a multimode 24dB diode filter (with high, low and band-pass options).

Part of the original machine's in-your-face sound was imparted by its ring modulator and additional band-pass filter, and both of these are present and correct, plus there are the two LFOs and envelopes for flexible modulation options.

There's also the useful switchable signal routing path, mixer, and S&H circuit from the original but it's not all '1975'. Around the back, there's a complement of MIDI connections, audio in, CV/Gate in and out, plus a set of pedal connectors. 

Underneath the angled front panel, there's also a set of PCB Trimmer controls for "you sonic geek meisters" to tweak down to component level – a neat touch as is that angled front panel, similar to that on the Poly D, and capable of four positions (three angled plus flat).

Behringer cites that part of the reason for the MS-5's long inception was a lengthy beta testing phase which they actually announced over a year ago, and this was to ensure that the MS-5 sounds as close to the original Roland as possible. 

We'll be checking the results out in a review ASAP, but you can grab the synth now for that $599 from Andertons in the UK and get more information from the Behringer website here. 

We've also added an interesting video on Behringer's take on the original SH-5 below, made before the company started work on its own version. 

GEAR EXPO 2024: The year ahead looks like being one of the most exciting ever for the hardware synthesizer. As well as the Eurorack phenomenon continuing apace, there are all manner of other hardware synths making waves.

It's not just about the return of huge and expensive analogue machines anymore either, because digital synths have made something of a comeback, too, and they are more cost-effective and easier to use than ever before.

We've gathered all the latest hardware synth news and reviews, and homed in on the most exciting releases across both analogue and digital synth domains. There are all-new wavetable synths, some incredible new and reasonably priced analogues, some Behringer clones (of course) and the best in affordable digital.

Here, then, are the best synths of 2024 so far… 

UDO Audio Super Gemini

Super Gemini is a "bi-timbral analogue-hybrid powerhouse" from UDO Audio that delivers (almost) two of the company's Super 6 synths in one box. It shares the Super6's binaural sound format – effectively putting two identical voices together for a true stereo sound, or you can choose to play a whopping 20 mono voices instead. 

Super Gemini's hybrid nature comes from dual DSS oscillators for each of its two layers that are digital but then also combine with a pure analogue filter and VCA sections. The DSS oscillators are able to produce standard analogue waves or access digital waveforms, and even morph between them. It's not quite up there with full wavetable synthesis, but this does add true dynamic flexibility to the synth's core ingredients.

A key feature is that, while the synth might not have a screen, it does have two sets of controls per synth layer, so it's like having access to two synths. And you get all of this from the front panel, so there is no need for complex menu diving as there is no menu!

Other highlights are the superb modulation capabilities, all combined with a ribbon controller and polyphonic aftertouch that make it one of the most expressive synths we've played. It's not cheap, at £3,595 (around $4,100), but you do get an awful lot of synth for that cash.

A Magnificent 8 Korg Synths

Korg basically won the NAMM show in January by announcing more products than pretty much anyone else, eight of them being hardware synths. Let's take a closer look… 

MicroKorg 2 is an update to arguably – in terms of sales, anyway – the most successful synth in history. The original MicroKorg has had various revisions and limited editions, but the all new MicroKorg 2 is a complete redesign, with a large 2.8-inch colour screen and five assignable rotaries dominating its front panel. 

MicroKorg 2 also has a new vocal processor, with a harmoniser and Auto-Tune-style effects adding to the synth's already fulsome vocoder effects. The synth also boasts an all-new arpeggiator and loop recorder. 

Add in three banks of new effects, a redesigned metal case and a better, 'more playable' keyboard, and you can see that this latest incarnation of MicroKorg really does deserve that 'version 2' status. 

The retail price is expected to be around $699 and £549, with the synth shipping in June, and there will be black and white limited editions, too…

Korg's new KingKorg Neo, meanwhile, is a very neat looking and compact version of the company's KingKorg VA synth. It includes the same XMT (eXpanded Modeling Technology) synthesis, which is geared towards virtual analogue sounds, and as you can see, offers a lot of traditional style controls over them. 

There are also some added extras including a decent set of filters, many of which are modelled on classic synths like Korg's own MS-20. There's also a vocoder, six effect types, and a handy virtual patching system. KingKorg Neo has 200 presets, a whopping three displays and an arpeggiator.

The synth is available now with an RRP of £949/€1099.

Another Korg update is a brand new version OpSix, one of the company's best digital synths, largely because it makes the previously difficult FM synthesis very hands-on and easy to create sounds with. 

The new OpSix MkII looks pretty similar to the original, it has to be noted, but actually doubles the polyphony to 64 voices. The new synth ships in March priced at £699/€799.

Now to desktop synths, with three compact versions of existing Korg instruments: Modwave MkII, Wavestate MkII, and the aforementioned OpSix MkII. All three of these new modules are 4U in size and can be either rackmounted or used as desktop modules. As you might expect, they are pretty much identical to the full keyboard versions, just lacking that 'board.

All three synths will cost around £749/$849 and be available in April.

Next up is NTS-1 Digital MkII, an all-new version of Korg's Nu:Tekt NTS-1. The synth is one of Korg's build-your-own models, but also features a better processor than the original version, and adds more sounds and effects. There's an 18-key multitouch keyboard, plus a step sequencer with both live and step recording modes. 

The price hasn't been confirmed yet but we've seen some presale figures of £139/$149 touted. NTS-1 Digital MkII ships this April. 

Last up, it's the return of a rare vintage Korg synth, the PS-3300. Just 50 of the original machines were built and sold by Korg between 1977 and 1981. The new version is not exactly going to be mass market either, with the synth being built to order and a price of $13,000 making it a 'special' purchase and probably keeping its rarity stakes high.

The new synth has 49 voices of analogue polyphony, but the true figure is actually three times that. That's because it will boast a key feature of the original, whereby each key accesses three oscillators, filters, envelopes and amplifiers, giving you 147 voices in total – pretty powerful for an analogue synth, then.

Whether that is 13 grand's worth of power only you can decide, but you might have time to save because no release date has been fixed yet. 

There's more information on all of Korg's new synth releases on the company's website.

PWM Mantis

PWM's Mantis is our next choice for a synth to look out for this year. It's the last synth that legendary synth pioneer Chris Huggett worked on before he sadly died in 2020. Huggett famously created both the WASP and OSC OSCar synths before having a hand in the Akai S1000 sampler, and helping Novation create many synths including Supernova, Bass Station and Peak.

Mantis is a duophonic synth with what the company calls 'mathematically-generated' oscillators which are based on Huggett's designs. It features an analogue signal path and has a similar signal path to the WASP synth, while its filter is based on that of the OSCar. 

There are two oscillators and a sub per voice, plus an oscillator drift option for pitch variations between oscillators. Each of the duophonic voices has its own signal path with a multimode analogue filter, two LFOs and envelopes. Modulation includes with six control parameters and six sources. Finally, there are digital effects (including reverb and chorus), and an arpeggiator.

The 37-key Mantis is available now for $1,499/£1,349/€1,599. There's more info on the PWM website.

Supercritical Synthesizers Redshift 6

Next up is another NAMM star, the too-cool-for-school Supercritical Synthesizers Redshift 6, a 'Variable Character Synthesizer'. It features both Demon Core Oscillators and the Neutron Flux Filter – so already sounds like the best synth ever. Better still, the oscillators feature different selectable engines including supersaw and 'transistor organ'.

Redshift 6 is an analogue synth but with digital control. It is six-part multitimbral and has up to six voices of polyphony which you can spread between parts (so have six mono synth parts, if you like).  

There's a large screen in the middle of the fascia and the unusual hexagonal buttons make it one of the most outstanding looking synths we've seen. 

The 'Variable Character Synthesizer' name comes by way of how the analogue signal flow combines with those digital effects and more to create a wide range of sounds which the company says can cover "almost digitally sterile and clean to distorted misbehaviour and beyond".

As good as the synth looks, we'll have to wait a while for it (and save for it, too). It's coming this summer and will cost around £1,099/€$1,249.

Get more info from the Supercritical Synthesizers website. 

Behringer’s UB-Xa & Pro VS Mini

So many Behringer synths have been announced over recent months and years that it can be – ok, is – hard to keep tabs on what is just an announcement, what's on the way, or what is actually in the shops. We have tried, though, in this feature. 

The situation is made harder because the time between announcement and actual release can be many years, as demonstrated by one of the synths in question here. 

The two that we're pretty sure are 2024-ready, though, are these classic emulations, the Behringer UB-Xa and Pro VS Mini. The former is the one that's been in the pipeline the longest. Believe it not, we wrote our first story about this Oberheim OB-Xa clone back in January 2018 - that’s over six years ago. 

As well as emulating an Oberheim OB-Xa, the UB-Xa also adds modern niceties such as a 61-note keyboard that’s sensitive to velocity and aftertouch, 512 program memories and comprehensive MIDI support. You can switch between eight vintage modes, too, each of which offers a different kind of sonic character.

All of the factory patches from the OB-Xa have been recreated, and the VCOs and VCFs are said to be “heavily based” on the originals. You get 16 voices, and the keyboard can be split so that you can play two sounds at the same time.

Other features include an 8-channel modulation matrix, 26 rotary controls and preset recall switches that enable you to quickly dart between your favourite sounds during a live performance. 

UB-Xa costs around $1,499/£1,200 and is available now (actually, scratch that: at the time of writing dealers are saying anything between five weeks and three months). 

The other synth hitting the shops in 2024 is Behringer's Pro VS Mini. There are YouTube videos and everything on this one, so it must surely be winging its way to a dealer near you now, right?

Pro VS Mini is a tiny desktop synth with a similar sound engine to the 1986 Sequential Circuits Prophet VS. It's a 4-voice hybrid vector instrument with 127 wavetables, 32 presets, a sequencer, an arpeggiator, a touch-style keyboard and a cool but small display with an oscilloscope. A Eurorack version of the synth was also teased. As ever with Behringer, the retail price is the most astonishing detail – just $99. 

The good news is that we have actually found this one in one UK dealer for just £84, although others are still quoting a three-month wait. To be fair on Behringer, the lack of chips worldwide has obviously had an impact in synth manufacturing (and, of course, other products). 

You can get more information on both synths from the Behringer website. 

Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave

While the amazing full keyboard version of the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave was announced back in 2022, the rack version only came out recently. It is a monster wavetable synth and the rack option has all the power of the keyboard version, but will cost you a sizeable $1,500 less.

The synth has three wavetable engines which not only recreate the wavetables found in the original PPG, but also add new wavetables and analogue waveforms. There's a huge 24 voices of polyphony that can be spread across four parts of multitimbrality, so think of it as potentially four 6-voice synths in one. 

There are 500 presets and the option to import your own wavetables (and those from soft synths like Serum).

The 3rd Wave module is available now for £$3499 and there's more info from the Groove Synthesis website. 

Dubreq Stylophone CPM DS-2 Analog Drone Synthesizer

The Dubreq Stylophone CPM DS-2 Analog Drone Synthesizer is an 'Analog Drone Synthesizer' with two analogue oscillators, filters and sub oscillators, and obviously its speciality lies in making all of them work together to produce drone sounds.

The synth has a compact Eurorack-compatible design with 12 patch points. It also has a vintage-style reverb and delay, and uses either mains or batteries for power so you can drone on a bus, if you wish. 

The synth will cost around $259/€239/£209, although there's no release date as of yet. Get more information and preorder at the Stylophone website. 

Looking for more great new gear? Get all our roundups, news, features, tutorials, tips and more at our Gear Expo hub page.

Behringer used to have a reputation for manufacturing dirt-cheap gear that was a lottery in terms of quality. You would never know if you were getting something that would last years or a dud that would arbitrarily fail at an inopportune moment. In the last few years however, something has changed, and the German music-gear giant has been producing some fantastic bits of gear, all whilst maintaining those bargain bucket prices.

Today’s review item is the Behringer UMC22, a budget audio interface designed to provide beginner or cash-strapped musicians the opportunity to make quality recordings at home. Coming well below the $100/£100 mark, it's undoubtedly one of the cheapest audio interfaces I’ve ever come across, but is it any good? I got hands-on to find out how it stacks up against the pricier competition. 

Behringer UMC22 review: Features

Unboxing the UMC22 my first thought was that it’s absolutely tiny. It’s also very minimalist in design compared to other interfaces I’ve tested, with a lot of blank space on the front panel. It’s actually quite refreshing to have something so sleek where other manufacturers are typically shoving as many features as possible, this one looks super clean.

There are two inputs, a single mic/line combi input featuring a Midas preamp and a 1/4-inch instrument input next to it. Each channel has a dedicated gain knob, with a direct monitor button alongside that and a master volume control for the output. You get a headphone out on the front panel and that’s your lot. On the reverse things are similarly spartan with a USB-B out, phantom power switch, and two 1/4-inch outputs.

Behringer UMC22 review: Installation

There’s no dedicated Windows driver for the UMC22, instead, if you go to the appropriate downloads page on the Behringer website it curiously only features product pictures. Other Behringer interfaces in the U-Phoria range do have drivers, such as the UMC404HD which I used a few years back, so I’m guessing the lack of driver support is how they keep it so cheap. 

It’ll work in Windows without installing anything extra, but you’ll need to use a third-party driver to get this interface to work in any DAW, and I heartily recommend using ASIO4ALL. It’s totally free, super easy to install, and can come in handy for other scenarios like streaming with OBS.

On Mac, it will work without any additional software too, although I had to take a couple of extra steps to get recording in Pro Tools. PT didn't immediately recognize it as a device, meaning I needed to dive into the I/O menu before I was able to arm a track and start recording. Nothing too difficult for someone well versed in these matters, but definitely something to note for the first-time user this interface is aimed at.

Behringer UMC22 review: Usability

Using the UMC22 is no more difficult than using any other interface I’ve encountered. The lack of additional software does mean you need to take a few extra steps compared to others, but for anyone other than absolute beginners this shouldn’t be too hard. I began my test of this budget Behringer interface by loading up my guitar demo template and laying down some tracks alongside a pre-programmed drum beat, and it did a stellar job here.

The latency wasn’t great on my older Windows machine, especially as the plugins started to stack up, so you will need good specs to get the best out of the UMC22. I had zero issues running the minimum hardware buffer on my MacBook Air M1 however, even with a bunch of amp sims, reverbs, and a drum VST running. It certainly performed just as well as other interfaces that cost a lot more money and for a home recording rig, I really couldn’t knock anything about it in terms of pure performance.

Interestingly it doesn’t have a dedicated headphone volume knob, instead, you have to control the output of both headphones and monitors with a single master volume. The headphones do allow you to monitor the sound from your DAW, but there’s no way to separate the two so you’ll need to turn your speakers off if you want to check the low end with headphones. The direct monitor button gives you a half-and-half effect if you’re monitoring a track in your DAW, and works the same way with both headphone and monitor volume controlled from the same knob.

Behringer UMC22 review: Sound

In terms of sound, the overall quality was perfectly usable for home recording, and I got some great guitar tones out of the UMC22 going direct and combining with my favorite amp sim. It doesn’t drive headphones hard, so if you have a high-ohm pair you’ll want a headphone amp but it has plenty of oomph to deliver plenty of power through the monitors, and we couldn’t say it sounds objectively any better or worse than any other audio interface at this level.

Modern interfaces are very close to one another in terms of preamp quality, but there is one where the ultra-low price of the UMC22 becomes more obvious, and that’s the noise floor. I found an audible whine present when recording near a couple of big screens, my studio monitors, and the various bits of musical gear that are part of my setup. 

Of course, this is most likely due to everything being plugged into an extension lead, however, it was definitely more pronounced than when I tested the Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen interfaces on the same setup. It’s not a deal breaker, but if you were to record some quiet sources via a condenser microphone I could see this becoming an issue without some serious steps to cut down noise from extraneous sources in your recording setup. 

Behringer UMC22 review: Verdict

For the money, it’s really quite hard to knock the Behringer UMC22. It’s more than capable of handling home recording duties and producing good-quality audio from a variety of sources. It has its downsides of course, particularly on Windows machines thanks to the lack of a dedicated driver, but ultimately it’s nothing that stops you from doing the job of recording at home. If you’re just getting into recording your own music, or money’s tight and you need something low-cost, it’s hard to look past this brilliant budget interface 

Behringer UMC22 review: Specs

• Connectivity: USB 2.0
• Simultaneous I/O: 2 x 2
• Number of Preamps: 1 x mic, 1 x instrument
• Phantom Power: Yes
• A/D Resolution: 48kHz
• Analog Inputs: 1 x XLR-1/4" combo (mic/line), 1 x 1/4" (Hi-Z)
• Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4"
• Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
• USB: 1 x Type B
• Bus Powered: Yes
• Contact: Behringer

Three months on from the keyboard version of the Behringer UB-Xa going on sale, Behringer says that it’s planning to “turn the synth world upside down” with the release of a desktop model.

Quite what this means we’re not sure - the only thing turned on its head so far is a photo of the new instrument - but for those who want a more compact and affordable emulation of the Oberheim OB-Xa synth, the release of the UB-Xa D (D standing for Desktop, we assume) could be welcome news.

Of course, this being Behringer, putting a date on that release is pretty much impossible - the company is known for teasing products on Facebook well ahead of their actual launches - but, given that the synth engine for this one is already in place, we’re hopeful that it won’t be too long in the oven.

Although the UB-Xa D loses the UB-Xa’s 61-note aftertouch keyboard, we’re assuming that the majority of the synth’s other features - VCOs and VCFs that are “heavily based” on the originals, 16 voices, 512 program memories, MIDI support and eight vintage modes, for example - will remain. Given that the keyboard version costs $1,199, we’d expect the price to be less than $1,000, but this is still to be confirmed.

We all know the names of the biggest synth brands, but which are the most popular, in terms of internet searches, country by country? While not definitive, a new study by Wood And Fire Studio sought to find out, and the results indicate that the two companies leading the way right now are Roland and Behringer.

The results are based on analysis of Google searches for what the researchers deemed to be the six most popular synth brands right now - Arturia, Behringer, Korg, Moog and Roland - and show that, perhaps unsurprisingly, people have a tendency to favour instruments that come from their own country.

This is evidenced by the fact that Roland is dominant in Japan (and Asia in general, in fact) and Behringer leads the way in Germany. What’s perhaps more surprising is Behringer’s dominance in Spanish-speaking countries - not only is it number one in Spain, but it also locks out almost the whole of South America. It turns out that it’s huge in Southern and Eastern Europe, too.

While Roland has a long history in the synth market, Behringer only made its move into the sector relatively recently. While some of its products are original designs, its success has been built on creating new versions of classic synths (including some from Roland) and selling them at rock-bottom prices.

Elsewhere on the map, Moog is the most-searched-for brand in its home country of the USA, and also Lithuania. This might seem like a statistical outlier, but it’s probably explained by the fact that Clara Rockmore, the world’s most famous theremin player, was Lithuanian - Moog is the most notable manufacturer of that instrument.

Arturia takes top spot in its native France and, more surprisingly, the research suggests that it's also the most popular synth brand in the UK.

When it comes to share of the total Google search volume, the research shows that Roland leads the way with 30%, Behringer has 23%, and Arturia is in third with 17%. Both Moog and Korg have around 15%.

Of course, what these numbers don’t tell us is which synths people are actually buying. Reverb’s end-of-year sales charts consistently show that companies such as Teenage Engineering and Elektron also shift plenty of units, so analysing searches doesn’t tell us the whole story.

Find out more about the research on the Wood And Fire Studio website.

When Behringer ‘launched’ the UB-Xa synth a couple of weeks ago, there was one small sticking point: you couldn’t actually buy it anywhere. The good news, though, is that you can now place an order - stock should be available by the end of the year - and for significantly less than we previously thought.

Only last month, we were led to believe that the UB-Xa would be costing $1,499. However, the company has now confirmed that the price has dropped to $1,199, so what’s changed?

Explaining on Facebook, Behringer says: “The entire Behringer team has decided to donate their earnings and even more to the charity ‘Playing for Change’ as they share our vision to empower less fortunate people.

“We are offering the UB-Xa for a price way below the actual value. If you can, please consider donating the balance or any amount in between to the foundation, and we will double your donation up to an additional $1,000.”

So, if you buy a UB-Xa at the lower price, it’s down to you whether you keep the savings for yourself (though it’s worth noting that the $1,499 price was only ever notional - the synth was never actually sold for that price) or give it to charity on the understanding that Behringer will put some of its own money into the pot, too. 

It’s also up to you to decide whether $1,199 really is “way below the actual value” - we don’t know what Behringer’s costs and profit margins are - but it’s a price that many people will undoubtedly be tempted by.

An emulation of the classic Oberheim OB-Xa, the UB-Xa goes beyond the original by offering a 61-note keyboard that’s sensitive to velocity and aftertouch, 512 program memories and comprehensive MIDI support. You can switch between eight vintage modes, too, each of which offers a different kind of sonic character.

All of the factory patches from the OB-Xa have been recreated, and the VCOs and VCFs are said to be “heavily based” on the originals. You get 16 voices, and the keyboard can be split so that you can play two sounds at the same time.

Other features include an 8-channel modulation matrix, 26 rotary controls and preset recall switches that enable you to quickly dart between your favourite sounds during a live performance. 

Find out more on the Behringer website.

We know what you're thinking, did all the good Behringer synth deals end? Did I miss out on grabbing a bargain on Black Friday? The short answer is no. We have found a few early Cyber Monday bargains for you.

Whether you're based in the UK or the US, there are still deals to be had on Behringer products. Unfortunately, you won't find the UB-Xa among them. It's still too early for the classic Oberheim remake, but if you can't wait for that then there's plenty to choose from and it shouldn't put too much of a dent into your UB-Xa fund either.

As with everything during Cyber Weekend, these deals won't be around forever. We're already seeing some TD-3 Analog Bass Line Synthesizer deals sell out already, so hurry before it's too late.

UK deals

US deals

Explore more great Cyber Monday synth deals

• Elektron deals at Sweetwater: save up to $100
• Top sub $500 synth deals: our pick of the best

Who knows whether the Behringer UB-Xa will win any awards for its performance, but we’d like to give it some kind of prize right now for being the synth with the longest time between announcement and release. Believe it not, we wrote our first story about this Oberheim OB-Xa clone back in January 2018 - that’s almost six years ago - but only now is it finally ready to come to market.

Behringer reckons that it’s been worth the wait, though; as well as emulating the OB-Xa, the UB-Xa also adds modern niceties such as a 61-note keyboard that’s sensitive to velocity and aftertouch, 512 program memories and comprehensive MIDI support. You can switch between eight vintage modes, too, each of which offers a different kind of sonic character.

All of the factory patches from the OB-Xa have been recreated, and the VCOs and VCFs are said to be “heavily based” on the originals. You get 16 voices, and the keyboard can be split so that you can play two sounds at the same time.

Other features include an 8-channel modulation matrix, 26 rotary controls and preset recall switches that enable you to quickly dart between your favourite sounds during a live performance. 

It looks like the UB-Xa should be available pretty soon at a price of $1,499. That said, none of the ‘Buy Now’ retailer links on the Behringer website are currently working, so perhaps we still have a little while to wait.

If you’ve already waited six years, though, what’s a few more days/weeks/months? (Delete as applicable.)