Affordable retro sound: Behringer synth roundup

• Early analogue synthesizers went from junk, to unaffordable antiques
• Behringer’s retro synths are incredibly cheap – how?
• Wondering which Behringer synth to buy? Read this…

Synthesizer players have never had it so good – to the point that there’s an overwhelming selection of instruments now, all for far less money than when the electronic instrument pioneered new experimental genres and made home music exciting and accessible.

Experienced players probably love the flexibility and power available over half a century later (at least, measured from the first MiniMoog). However, if you’re new to synths, you could be excused for finding the variety daunting – and if you search for advice after checking out some online stores, you’re going to find one firm’s extensive range of affordable synths divides opinion like little else in the gear-obsessed world of electronic musicians.

Behringer.

From angst-ridden teenagers and hobbyists, taking the dream route from Casiotone to one-hit-wonder status, to savvy pro studios working on a tight budget (or sensibly, not wanting to risk valuable kit on the road), everyone’s musical backstory probably includes something made by Behringer. In recent years the firm has become synonymous with making less-expensive clones of sought-after classic kit, rather than ‘ripping off’ current products to undercut rivals.

How cheap are Behringer synths?

Black Friday deals for November 2024 include such irresistible deals as:

• Behringer K-2 – Korg MS-20 module. £114 from Thomann (25% off – already a bargain synth)
• Behringer MS-5 – Roland SH-5 keyboard. £389 from Thomann (20% off)
• Behringer DeepMind 6 – Roland Juno-esque original polyphonic analogue synth – £359 (18% off)

Cheap doesn’t always mean sales are needed though. The complex, long-awaited Behringer UB-Xa is just £735 now from Thomann, and that’s an analogue polyphonic clone of the OB-X. As well as an excellent sound engine, it features a poly aftertouch keyboard.

It’s a winning tactic for Behringer. In this model nearly all of the synths are well out of production – most are approaching 40 years old and hard to find in good condition. They’re the kind of synths I once horse-traded away when they seemed to get valuable, and now regret selling.

Instruments or collection? Choosing the right Behringer synth

As a result Behringer’s hardware (nearly all of which costs less than £500, and most is less than £250) is almost excruciatingly tempting – but I’ve enough experience to know kit doesn’t solve problems. Whether you want a trip down memory lane, or just want an affordable synth, faced with so many familiar, technically similar faces – how do you choose?

One thing I’ve learned is that ‘trying to buy everything’ really isn’t sensible!

Which Behringer synth to buy?

Most of these Behringer analogue synthesizers cost less than £300 new, with a three-year warranty and support included, undercutting used examples of the originals by a significant amount and at much lower risk.

Check out the full range of Behringer synths available from Thomann

There was a time that I’d buy every one of these, and probably find out that ultimately I made pretty much the same sounds with them all. Even when I had an Access Virus TI and Moog Voyager, I tended to create sounds that could be created on an ARP Odyssey, for example…

If you’re collecting recreations of classic synths, then all you really want to know is how good Behringer’s versions are. But if you’re new to electronic music, how can you choose!

Cheap starter synths for the beginner:

• If you want a true synthesizer for your kids to learn on the Crave is playable and robust – and cheap
• For a semi-modular starter, the Neutron is very flexible for £250
• For less than £250, if you want a keyboard get the MS-1 Mk II
• The Odyssey is the one to go for if you can go up to £500

Powerful synthesizers for electronic musicians:

• To add some distinctive new sounds for near-plugin money, get the CAT, K-2 or WASP
• The Kobol Expander is astonishingly good value
• For less than £600 the Behringer 2600 puts an analogue dream machine on your desktop
• The impressive UB-Xa features polyphonic aftertouch at a groundbreaking price

A note on prices: shop around! I include Amazon links because when I started GeeXtreme I did not want to have any intrusive advertising. The affiliate links don’t cover the costs remotely, but it’s something; they also link to many resellers in effect. However, in the course of writing this, I found Thomann to have consistently good prices, and Gear4Music to have some good deals and bundles. For Behringer gear Andertons is probably one of the best dealers in the UK overall.

At a glance, the parade of affordable monophonic analogue synths look kinda similar, but they’re not – this chart details how different the original wave of synths are before you’ve even got into how they sound.

Behringer synths - voice specifications compared

	Voices	Oscillators	Waveforms	Cross modulation	Filter	EGs	LFO
		Per Voice	Available across all oscillators
2600	2, Duo	3 VCO	4, patchable Variable noise	PWM Sync FM Patchable Ring Mod	Early/late revisions 4012 LP 16Hz 4072 LP 11Hz	1 x ADSR 1 x AR	Sine/Vibrato + delay Saw Square
Model D	Mono	3 VCO	7, selectable White/pink noise	Osc 3 to...	24db Ladder LP/HP	2 x ADS(D)	1, 2 waves Osc 3
Neutron	2, Duo	2 VCO	5, variable White noise	PWM Sync Patchable	12db LP/HP/BP	2 x ADSR	1, 5 waves
MS-1	Mono	1 VCO	3, mixed Sub-osc -1/2/pulse Noise	PWM FM (NovaMod)	24db OTA LP	1 x ADSR	Sine Square Random Noise
Odyssey	2, Duo	2 VCO	3, switched White/pink noise	PWM FM Ring	Selectable: 1 x 2-pole 12db 2 x 2-pole 24db LP/LP (BP)	1 x ADSR 1 x AR	Sine Square Sample & Hold
Poly D	4, Para	4 VCO	7, selectable White/pink noise	Osc 4 to...	24db Ladder LP/HP	2 x ADS(D)	1, 2 waves Osc 4 Noise
Pro-1	Mono	2 VCO	4, switchable	Sync	24db 4-pole LP	2 x ADSR	2, 3 waves
TD-3	Mono	1 VCO	2, switchable		24db 4-pole LP	1 x AD
Mono/Poly	4, Para	4 VCO	3, selectable Noise	Sync PWM X-Mod Single X-Mod Double	24db 4-pole LP	2 x ADSR	2, 2 waves LFO 2 triangle
Cat*	2, Duo	2 VCO	4, blended Sub-osc square White noise	PWM EG	24db 4-pole HP/LP (BP)	1 x ADSR 1 x AR	Sine Square Sample & Hold
Wasp	Mono	2 DCO	3, selectable Noise		Multi-mode LP/HP/BP/Notch	1 x ADS(R)(Hold) 1 x ADD(R)	1, 4 waves Sample + Hold Noise
Crave	Mono	1 VCO	2, selectable Noise	PWM FM	24db Ladder LP/HP	1 x ADS	Square Triangle
K-2	Mono	2 VCO	4, selectable Noise	PWM FM Ring	Early/late revisions 6db HP 12db LP	2 x ADSR	2, variable waves
Deepmind 12	12, Poly	2 DCO
Deepmind 6	6, Poly	2 DCO
* The original Cat was considered a clone of the Odyssey, and the specs are very similar...
VCO = voltage controlled, analogue			Select: Choose a waveform for the ocillator
DCO = digitally controlled, analogue			Variable: Blend between adjoining waveworms
Digital = digital oscillator			Switched: Enable/disable waveforms, synth blends them
			Mixed: All waveforms available, user blends levels

Keep reading to find out what the whole range entails, and if there’s a better synth for your needs.

There’s definitely a cachet to owning the originals here (check out prices on Reverb to come back to earth) – but spending thousands on your first analogue synth might be quite frustrating. Behringer’s analogues (in every sense) are great synths for getting into hardware, as well as adding classic sounds to an existing studio.

Behringer offer a couple of accessories for building these synths into your studio and using them alongside modular gear easier. All of the desktop modules can be removed from their cases and fitted in Eurorack chassis. But they aren’t identical, some are 80HP wide, some are 70HP; this affects using the Behringer desktop stand that fits three synths together (they must be the same width) or which rack ears you buy (rack ears for 70HP and 80HP cases are available, and cheap – third-party builders have made rack ears for the Crave).

How do you play these things?

Most of Behringer’s synths are modules – they don’t have a keyboard, and they’re controlled by MIDI either over USB, or old-school five-pin DIN. You can hook them up to that old home keyboard if it’s got MIDI ports, or get a dedicated controller – the Arturia Keystep is a safe bet and it’s got a sequencer to record notes, too.

• Behringer synths with keyboards

The majority include a degree of CV – control voltage – connectivity too. That allows other analogue gear to add to, use or shape the sounds.

Where’s the ‘synth lead’ patch? How many presets?

You’ve discovered the biggest advance made in analogue – and it appeared after most of these synthesizers were first invented! You have as many sounds as you have bits of paper (or smartphone shots of the front panel now) to remember the settings. In the early days of synths, the affordable ones with presets were set at the factory and most people avoided such machines for ‘serious synthesis’ – they were more like home organs.

Nearly all of these instruments except the modern DeepMind series will need you to set the controls for the sound you want. It’s an immersive, responsive experience, but there’s no ‘push button, receive bassline’ option.

• Behringer synths with preset storage

There are loads of preset sheets out there, though. Here’s an example applicable to the Model D – a book of Minimoog patches. You can use MDI editor CTRLR to draw patch panels with templates like this one from Goodweather. Arturia even include some pre-cut templates with the MiniBrute…

The best Behringer synths (and their origins)

Here’s a quick rundown of the Behringer range, highlighting the best and most flexible Behringer synths currently available, how much they cost, and why the original synth was important. If you want more detail, I’ve broken the range into guides for each category – keyboards, rackmount and modular, and desktop synths and modules.

There’s also a guide to the ‘pocketable’ Mini and Micro synths alongside a review of the ProVS Mini, as only two of these have been released as of October 2024.

I can’t think of any other manufacturer turning out so many different individual products, or offering such a broad range at the same point in time.

As a rule, the sound is the most important aspect for these synths. Compared with originals the build quality, keyboard action and precision of the controls may be different. That doesn’t always mean inferior, but for the price Behringer sells these instruments at even where something does feel a little lighter in quality or wobbly, you’re still getting a lot for the price.

Behringer synth modules and rackmount systems

For easy integration into an established studio, the Behringer desktop modules come in 3U-high, rackmountable cases that are either 70HP or 80HP wide, so they need rack ears to fit a standard 19″ rack. The notable exception to this is the Behringer 2600, which is a full-width rack mounted recreation of the powerful Arp original.

Unless stated otherwise, these instruments are monophonic synths. All support USB MIDI, direct MIDI, and most have some degree of CV/Gate control (more on semi-modular models). Many have both high- and low-level outputs on balanced jacks, as well.

• Model D – 70HP, clone of the Moog Minimoog Model D 3 VCO analogue synth
• Behringer CAT – 80HP, clone of the Octave CAT 2 VCO paraphonic analogue synth
• Behringer K-2 (K2-MkII) – 80HP, clone of the Korg MS-20, 2 VCO analogue synth
• NEUTRON – 80HP, 2 VCO paraphonic, patchable semi-modular. Not a direct clone
• PRO-1 – 80HP, clone of the Sequential Pro-One, 2 VCO analogue synth with advanced filters
• Model 15 – 80HP, homage to the Moog Grandmother… 2 VCO semi-modular, with sequencer
• Kobol Expander – 80HP, replica of the RSF Kobol, 2 VCO, variable waveshapes
• PROTON – 80HP follow-up to NEUTRON, 2 VCO analogue with wave folding, semi-modular
• SOLINA STRING ENSEMBLE – 70HP recreation of 49-voice polyphonic analogue string machine
• Syncussion SY-1 – 80HP recreation of duophonic analogue percussion synthesizer
• TORO – 80HP clone of the Taurus 1 pedal, 2 VCO analogue bass synthesizer
• WASP DELUXE – 70HP clone of EDP Wasp, 2 DCO hybrid synth with state-variable filter
• PRO-800 – 80HP clone of the Prophet 600 with two extra voices, eight-voice polyphonic analogue
• 2600 (Grey Meanie, Blue Marvin) – 6U rack clone of ARP 2600 3 VCO analogue, semi modular

A legend on your desktop that fits your wallet – the 2600

Street price – £399 – £699 – View offers on Thomann
Want a Close Encounter with a 2600 in the states? Amazon.com has the 2600 from $419

Value rating: A Close Encounter with a GAS giant

• 19-inch rack mountable analogue monster
• Improved recreation of a true legend, for an amazingly affordable price
• Additional models provide a choice of colours and analogue or digital reverb
• Powerful, yet very musical, 3 VCO semi-modular synthesizer

This is, probably, the diamond in Behringer’s desktop analogue synth crown. It’s a recreation of the ARP 2600 – and yes, Korg has done this as well, both in limited-edition, budget-breaking full-size replica form and more affordable 60% sized compact form – without the keyboard, and for £1699.

There are differences between the Korg and Behringer 2600s beyond the ‘cork sniffing’ of sound quality and perception of audio, though, such as built-in speakers on the Korg.

Behringer has released two versions of 2600. The original, in black and orange colour scheme, and limited-edition Blue Marvin and Grey Meanie models.

The limited editions don’t just have a new faceplate – the components are hand-selected and the digital reverb has been replaced with a mechanical spring reverb for greater authenticity, plus the rather gaudy multi-coloured LEDs are now a single colour. They still don’t have built-in speakers though.

All models expand on the original 2600’s sound-creation capability with an additional LFO, improved envelopes (but crucually, still compatible with the original intent when required), alternative pre-wired routing and switchable early/late filter designs (a feature that the Korg 2600 M also offers), and include USB & MIDI interfaces for modern connectivity.

There’s very little price difference officially, though Brexit has made comparing suppliers a little harder – at the time of release, Andertons wanted £655 for the limited editions and £555 for the standard 2600 , but other dealers seem to be charging between £535 (BAX Music) and £699 (Gear4Music). Currently the 2600s are less than £500 regardless of version, with many retailers dropping to £399 again.

Rarity reborn: The Behringer Kobol Expander

Street price – £169 – £219 – view offers on Thomann
Americans can buy the Kobol Expander on Amazon.com for around $219

Value rating: A semi-modular that anyone can make sing

• 80HP dual-oscillator, hightly patchable analogue magic
• Rare original is almost unobtainable – Behringer’s is cheaper than some MIDI CV interfaces
• Quality reflects Behringer’s steady improvement in materials and controls
• The ideal complement to the 2600 or a launchpad for a modular system

I’m still wrapping up a mini-review of the Kobol after another studio rearrangement, but I bought one to use alongside my 2600 Blue Marvin and it’s been an absolute joy to use. It’s more accessible than the CAT or Neutron, though the Neutron has a lot of flexibility, and crucially the Kobol has a very expressive, distinctive sound.

What’s special about the reissue of the RSF Kobol is that this French synthesizer – an answer to a Minimoog, yet very different – is simply excruciatingly rare. The original was short-lived and fewer than 200 Kobols were made. The Expander module is clearly designed to work alongside, rather than be a clone of, the original Kobol keyboard. For most synthesizer players the chance to hear, control and use a Kobol would be out of reach. This is one of the Behringer clones you and I can be very happy exists.

Despite the low price (I bought my Kobol for £175 from Thomann, it’s now a bit cheaper) the Kobol Expander’s knobs are a distinctive design for the model, reflecting the original synth’s aesthetic, and the weight and precision of adjustments is satisfying and predictable. That’s not always the case with Behringer’s synths, but it suggests more attention to detail and value is being placed on giving the instruments a solid feel as well as accurate sound.

Behringer’s Model D – Mini Minimoog

Street price – £211 to £299 – view offers on Amazon UK or buy a Model D from Thomann
The Behringer Model D is $229 on Amazon.com currently – great value for Americans

Value rating: 10/10. The essence of analogue

• Analogue synthesizer, defined – it’s a Moog clone
• Three oscillator, faithfully recreated, and utterly classic
• Based on a 1971 original that costs thousands now
• 70HP Eurorack compatible, CV control

Arguably Behringer’s killer synth, the Model D is a desktop Minimoog clone that costs about a tenth of a real one; it’s been adopted by huge numbers of synthesizer nerds and musicians alike for its hackable nature and authentically analogue signal path.

It’s one of those instruments that raises a lot of questions – not least ‘why did this take so long’. Previous Minimoog desktops varied from lovingly soldered recreations for many times the price of this little unit, or software emulations running on DSPs (Creamware’s MiniMax, and the related Use Audio Plugiator).

Countless Moog and Behringer owners have tried to prove the difference between the instruments, and ultimately, you’re as likely to find the same variation between samples of the same instrument (one of the appealing aspects of analogue tech). Hacks and modifications are well-documented and it seems that the community that values synthesis and sound over tribal brand loyalty respects the Model D quite a bit…

The sound of the Model D really needs no description – it’s the sound of a Moog, and it’s as versatile as your programming skills can make it. Fat basslines, soaring, complex leads, gentle pads; it has the capacity to achieve them all.

Cats on Synthesizers – Octave The Cat

Street price – £169 to £329 – view offers on Amazon UK
Looking for a CAT in the USA? Buy one on Amazon.com for around $219

Value rating: 9/10 cats prefer it

• Quirky two-VCO analogue synth with versatile oscillator modulation
• Recreation of a relatively rare cult synth
• Cats on Synthesizers is a thing…
• 70HP Eurorack compatible, CV control

This one snuck out in the evening while everyone was looking at the Pro-1 and K-2, and it falls into the pantheon of synths-named-after-animals as an apex predator that was hunted by rivals almost to extinction and – at least for budding synth enthusiasts – obscurity.

Where the Wasp was notable when new for its affordability and cost-reduced construction, the Octave The Cat (yes, that’s technically correct) caused problems with the neighbours – ARP figured it looked a lot like their pet Odyssey, and in true USA-style, litigation en-sued. As this 1999 Sound on Sound Retrozone states, the Cat was deemed worth £150 back then – these days, you’ll hand over £1500 for a broken one.

Or you could pay around £300 for a Behringer The Cat. Complete with a cat, on a synth; I hear plans to send one to the ISS are well underway, if only they could coax it into the pet carrier.

All of The Cat’s original features are reproduced; if you consider this feline was once deemed to be a clone of the Odyssey, Behringer’s Odyssey clone spawning a clone of a clone makes perfect sense, particularly as the Behringer Odyssey has a keyboard.

There’s enough difference between them to make The Cat interesting, though. It includes an extra waveform and cross-modulation tricks.

The Behringer Wasp Deluxe

Street price – £130 to £279 – view offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann
Has the WASP invaded America? Yes – it’s $179 on Amazon.com

Value rating: £130 vs. £1,000+ – no brainer…

• Two oscillator digital synthesizer first launched in 1978
• Notable for aggressive sound and versatile filter
• Good for processing external audio as well
• 70HP Eurorack-compatible

Since I already mentioned the Wasp, we’ll start with Behringer’s model. The Wasp’s USP is a pioneering logic-based architecture, the origins of the DCO (Digitally Controlled Oscillator) that allowed a two-oscillator synthesizer to be reliable, stable and affordable and a versatile filter design that offered far more flexibility than buyers at this price point would ever have expected.

If you have bought a Behringer MS-1 or Poly D keyboard, the Wasp is an excellent and cheap expander that adds a new sonic palette to complement the existing instruments – and at the time of revising this guide Thomann are asking £135 for a new one, or £125 for B-stock – it’s hard to think of a better value synth this side of the pocket-sized £85 Behringer Pro-VS Mini.

The parallels with Sinclair’s clever home computers are more than just visual similarities – both British firms were true pioneers in the the nascent electronics market, both benefitted from Government investment at the time, and both were enthusiast-driven innovators who cast traditional product design aside to deliver more functionality.

Both Sinclair and EDP experienced problems by perhaps, biting off more than they could chew in terms of meeting demand in an era before outsourcing, fast-turnaround mass production had really taken hold.

The Behringer Wasp Deluxe is by all accounts, 100% accurate in terms of the circuity – and it joins a long legacy of Wasp clones that have used and built on the original transistor-logic based design – no custom ICs or software here, after all. It loses the membrane keyboard in favour of MIDI and USB connectivity; the five-pin DIN ports echo the original Wasp’s prescient sync and poly-chain connections.

Chaining Wasps together was a common practice; polyphonic Wasps are rare and expensive, like this ‘Stinger’ once owned and used by The Shamen. One of allegedly four made, it’s £4,199. Think how many Behringer Wasps you could link together for that…

You’ll love the Wasp’s vicious, fast envelopes and aggressive filter; it can shatter the top end and put the boot in the low end of the range with ease, but some might argue it lacks the soft edge of classic analogue thinking. Most of that is down to the programming – and without the flakiness of the original, the Wasp Deluxe has a great deal of potential.

I had the use of an original Wasp, and never fully explored it – it was too valuable for me to keep. For that reason alone the appearance of Behringer’s off-the-shelf, MIDI-and-solid-build one is very exciting.

A true star – the Neutron

Street price – £259 – £279 – view offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann
The Neutron is $399 on Amazon.com for buyers in the USA

Value rating: (?2±8)×10?22 e out of 10

• Relatively original, and full-featured
• Includes useful effects and modular layout
• Immensely powerful for the money
• 80HP Eurorack compatible, CV controllable semi-modular

Not everything Behringer’s produced is a clone, even if it’s competing with ‘similar’ products; as you’ve probably gathered from this article, the analogue synth market has pretty much always been saturated with similar products that gain status and brand equity from the artists they’re associated with as much as the technical ability.

The Neutron is a lesson in how to give analogue synth enthusiasts everything they’d realistically want in a desktop module/eurorack thing for not much money. It uses classic dual VCOs with variable waveforms, has a full complement of envelope generators and flexible filter routing, it’s patchable to a ridiculous degree (for the budget) and it even includes overdrive distortion and classic delay effects.

It doesn’t even look like any classic synths. Maybe a bit like a Moog Mother 32 for having the patch points, but it’s a very different sound engine. Such is the wildness of the Neutron’s design, there’s a thriving market for replacement faceplates.

If you’re an experienced synth programmer/player and are curious about Behringer, the Neutron is probably the best starting point to get a cheap taste of the hardware – though the ARP 2600 clone recently released is probably a better use of your money if you want to translate software/digital programming skills into usable sounds.

The Controversial One – K-2 (and K-2 MkII)

Street price – £166 – £329 – view offers on Amazon UK or order a K-2 MkII from Thomann
The Behringer K-2 MkII isn’t on Amazon.com, but the K-2 is – at $329

Value rating: MS-20/10

• Patchable beast of a monosynth
• So popular it’s still available from Korg – with a keyboard
• Behringer’s one is cheaper – and more useful for many
• 80HP Eurorack compatible, CV controllable semi-modular

One thing links all of Behringer’s clones – the original analogue models are long out of production.

Where the original manufacturers have reissued them, they’ve usually been 21st-century thinking – the Roland SH-01a and TB-03 aren’t analogue at all, they’re DSP-based softsynths emulating analogue behaviour (ACB), and may as well be the Roland Cloud software ones in plastic shells.

There’s an exception to this. Korg. The K-2 is a desktop version of Korg’s absolute storming classic MS-20, and the MS-20 is a cockroach of a synth that while it was first buried in 1983, crawled out of the woodwork as a VST and USB controller in 2004, as a Nintendo Gameboy app (DS-10) in 2008, as a full-size kit, a desktop module MS-20M (and kit), an 87% scale synth, an iOS app… You get the idea.

Korg has definitely not forgotten the MS-20. It still makes the MS-20 Mini – and it’s a genuine analogue synth, not a DSP-software recreation, even if the nuts holding the jack sockets on are fake.

There’s logic behind the Behringer one though. MS-20s, even minis, take up a lot of space with their upright shape and keyboard. Korg’s version of the desktop MS-20 was insanely expensive by comparison, and is very rare. The Behringer one is under £300 and well made, fitting into the standard Eurorack-friendly case of other Behringer synths.

Sound wise, it’s a vicious bassline machine that plays very nicely with other CV modules, and it’s also really enjoyable to build patches on with the semi-modular form. I first played an original MS-20 in the late ’80s having found a forgotten one in a school cupboard, and wish I’d had more time with it.

Going Pro – the Pro-1

Street price – £215 – £329 – view offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann
In the US? Amazon.com has the Behringer Pro-1 for around $349

Value rating: Arguably, the One to get for synthwave

• Legendary synth reborn
• But Sequential are still going…
• New Wave synthesizer for 1980s money
• 80HP Eurorack compatible, CV controllable

Sequential Circuits’ Pro-one fell into the category of trying to make a more affordable brush – in this case, a single voice from the legendary Prophet 5, and cased in a super-simple plastic clamshell case with a cheap keyboard mechanism (though the J-wire mech is actually pretty common in ’70s designs like the Jen SX-1000).

It found many fans, despite the cheap build (still well over three times the cost of the EDP Wasp mentioned in the intro), and excels at metallic, ’80s-driving basslines and evolving textures thanks to the complex mod matrix, allowing routing of more sources than the usual LFO and envelopes for sound shaping.

Of course, what provides the dilemma here is that unlike the eighties, when you’d be clutching EDP Wasp money in your paw and peering wistfully at the Pro-One in Tottenham Court Road’s windows, you can have the Sequential’s voice for the same money. It includes a dual 64-note sequencer, too, though it lacks the keyboard of the original.

Behringer’s desktop modules – the producer series

This is an odd category, because it encompasses the ones that don’t want to fit anywhere else. They’re still very much classics, and the range keeps growing. There are at least two formats here – the flat, metal-cased patchable synths, and the plastic-cased recreations of Roland TB-303 type machines. Most producer-series synthesizers include a 32-step sequencer, the same as that seen on some of the keyboards.

Producer synthesizers

• CRAVE – 1 VCO, very patchable 3340-based monophonic analogue with classic low-pass filter
• EDGE – 2 VCO, analogue percussion synthesizer similar to the Moog DFAM
• SPICE – 2 VCO Subharmonic mathematically-derived tone analogue synth – TBD
• GRIND – 1 Plaits hybrid oscillator module, monophonic synthesizer with analogue filter

Plastic synth modules

• Behringer TD-3 – 1 VCO 303-style analogue bassline generator (many colours offered)
• Behringer TD-3 MO – modified 1 VCO analogue bassline synth with FM and more

Behringer Drum machines

• Behringer RD-9 – classic analogue/digital hybrid drum machine, Roland 909 inspired
• RD-8 and RD-8 MkII – analogue drum synthesizer, 808 clone
• RD-6 – plastic counterpart to the TD-3, eight-voice analogue 606 clone
• Behringer LmDrum – sample-based drum machine, reminiscent of LinnDrum – TBC

Price-dropping acid – the TD-3

Street price – £89 – £169 – view some Amazon UK offers here
You can get the Behringer TD-3 and TD-3 MO from Amazon US if you’re in the states. The TD-3 MO is currently very good value at $169, compared with European prices.

Value rating: 140bpm/10

• The repetitive sound of rave and acid house
• Simple, portable analogue synthesizer
• Born 1982, gone by ’84, defined a genre in ’87

Underlining the value of these remakes, the Behringer TD-3 is literally cheaper than a plugin softsynth. Roland’s lifetime keys for Roland Cloud position the TB-303 at for $149 outright…

Few synths have experienced the resurgence in value and credibility that the Roland TB-303 achieved. Laughed at in the early 1980s as a sad little plastic ‘bassline’ beatbox for buskers that failed to reproduce the intended bass guitar tones, it failed to do for bassists what the 808 had done for drummers (replace them) and was cancelled after 10,000 units, being sold off for ‘peanuts’.

As a clearance and used buy though, its fierce square-wave, low-budget price and super-interactive repetitive sequencer and irresistible cutoff frequency knob (in an era when ‘filter cutoff’ was Parameter 38 on Menu 48 adjustable in 127 easy steps – not MIDI values, but button pushes on a minimalist front panel) made it the darling of dance music, techno and rave – straight from the bargain bin to auction houses.

Such was the reputation of the 303 – and it’s more hallowed sibling, the 808 drum machine – that it inspired one of the first commercially successful software synthesizers, ReBirth RB-338 by Propellerhead software. You could download a revamped version on iOS until a few years ago – I first used it on a PowerMac back in 1997 and it felt revolutionary – but Roland’s desire to re-release the TB-303 as the TB-03 Boutique synth and Cloud plugin put paid to 20 years of RB-338…

It hasn’t, however, been sufficient to block Behringer; the TD-3 is a beefed-up clone of the 303 (there have been many others, most notably the Cyclone Analogic TT-303 – but none as affordable or backed by such a large company). It comes in a refreshing array of colours, including the lovely yellow Acid-themed model, and adds more pattern storage and distortion to the otherwise-faithful recreation of a TB-303.

It’s perfect for dance, rave, sparse electronic beats and of course, acid house; Behringer’s also recreated the analogue drum machine so often paired with it (the 808) as the RD-8. Between them you can get a powerhouse of late-’80s – ’90s music production for less than £400.

At the end of 2020 the colour range was expanded with a set inspired by the original Apple iMac, with shades like grape and blueberry in translucent plastic, and in 2022 the TD-3 MO (modded out) version began shipping with several upgrades including FM modulation and a more powerful synth architecture overall.

CRAVE – snack-priced monosynth

Street price – £149 – £169 – find offers on Amazon UK

Value rating: Almost disposable tunes

• It’s under £150, orange, and makes noises
• Crave is a basic building block for dance music
• 3340 VCO, Moog-style filter, patchable

Many electronic instruments remind me of a probably apocryphal story about IBM mainframe computers, where ‘the next generation’ speed bump consisted of an engineer opening the machine and moving a belt on a pulley to a higher-geared step.

For example, the Crave – an Behringer that exists on its own merits rather than resurrecting an ancient name and look – contains the same 3340 VCO as the Pro-1, or MS-1, or an SH-101, or a Prophet 5 – yet it’s a much cheaper, simpler instrument with fewer waveforms and less on-board control of the sound.

As a simple monosynth without effects, it needs something more going for it – and it’s got plenty. An 18-point patchbay for integrating with modular systems expands the Crave’s potential, and a 32-step sequencer gives instant gratification in a similar style to the TB-303. It’s hackable, too – you can add an external sub-oscillator, for example, giving it similar capabilities to the MS-1.

Behringer’s keyboard synths

All of the synths above are modules, and you need a keyboard, sequencer or MIDI controller to play them. Given their affordability, that’s not a big deal, and you can get great keyboards with sequencers included for less than £100 for mini keys, or spend five times that for a Novation SL Mk III that can handle multiple instruments at once. Behringer make a couple of controllers, too.

If you’re just starting out though, you might want a synthesizer with a keyboard built in – and Behringer’s got five to choose from currently. They’re usefully different, and as it happens, the starting point is a classic analogue synth for beginners that is a very welcome return…

Behringer’s bespoke-format synths: these are designed to look like the originals, or have a unique chassis.

• Behringer MS-1, MS-1 Mk II (MS-101 – 32-key, 1 VCO SH-101 clone with FM and extra waveform
• Behringer Odyssey – 37-key full-size recreation of the ARP Odyssey
• Behringer DeepMind 12 – 49-key polyphonic analogue synthesizer similar to a Roland Juno
• Behringer UB-Xa – 16-voice polyphonic analogue synthesizer with 61 full-size polyAT keys, like an OB-Xa

Flip-top synths: 37-key adjustable module format – these resemble the old MiniMoog format, with a synthesizer that can be tilted up or lies flat between wooden sides. The keys are a little bit lighter than you might expect.

• Behringer Poly D – four-voice poly/paraphonic Model D, MiniMoog plus extra VCO
• Behringer MonoPoly – four voice poly/paraphonic Korg Mono/Poly clone
• Behringer MS-5 – Roland SH-5 clone

Low-profile synths: these resemble a blend between a 37-key keyboard, and one of Behringer’s desktop modules in a fixed format.

• Behringer Vocoder VC340 – 37 key, velocity sensitive analogue vocoder
• Behringer DeepMind 6 – reduced polyphony, reduced keyboard for the lower-cost DeepMind

Minikeys: So far, only controllers with minikeys have escaped Behringer’s factories, but there have been teasers of models that look like they use the same keyboard as the SWING MIDI controller.

• Behringer POLYOsc – a polyphonic clone of the OSCar synthesizer – TBC

Behringer Odyssey

Street price – £469 – £499 – find offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann
The Odyssey is available on Amazon US for American buyers, at $599 typically

Value rating: 12/10 – it’s 20% bigger than its rival…

I own one of these – full review will come soon but I recommend it for synth players of all abilities

• Dual VCO, duophonic classic synthesizer
• Beautiful glassy leads, evolving pads and powerful bass
• Onboard effects and sequencer distinguish from rivals

You’ve heard the phrase less is more, I’m sure. The reverse applies here, more, is less – the Behringer Odyssey is of course, a resurrection of the ARP Odyssey, but it’s not the first one – Korg already sells an analogue Odyssey remake, and desktop and iOS virtual ones, too. So why would Behringer dive into this already established market?

First, there’s the fact that Korg’s time machine seems to take the whole ‘things that are further away are smaller’ paradigm very literally. Like the MS-20, their Odyssey is scaled-down. It’s also a fair bit over £500; not a bad price for what you get, but Behringer’s gone full-size and under £400.

Even so, with Korg’s connection to the original designer, and a limited edition full-size one (albeit at £1,299 – no longer available), it’s going to take something good to turn the heads of synth enthusiasts. So the Behringer Odyssey gains a few extras.

Effects and sequencer included…

Just above the full-size weighted keyboard is Behringer’s familiar step-sequencer layout. It offers 64 32-step sequences, and has the convenience of being built into the synth. And on the top left there’s a very un-ARP looking display for built-in Klark Teknik effects.

At least on paper, there’s no downside to the Behringer either. Balanced XLR output? Sure. MIDI and USB? Got it. All three revisions of Odyssey filter? Present…

Analogue synth 101, the MS-1 and MS-1 MkII

You can still find the original Behringer MS-1 for sale from some retailers – it’s your only choice if you want a black or blue one – but having bought and reviewed the MS-1 MkII I can’t see any reason to get the earlier one unless it’s very cheap.

Street price – £166 – £239 – find offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann
In the USA? Amazon US has the MS-1 MkII in stock at around $299

Value rating: 10(1)/10 – a real bargain of the synth world

• So many musicians started with the SH-101
• And now a new generation can share that experience
• Low-cost, keytar fun and bright colours, too

If the TB-303 was a bit of a flop for Roland in the ’80s, the SH-101 was anything but. Produced in the hundreds of thousands, this plastic-bodied single oscillator monosynth squawked its way into the hearts of bedroom musicians everywhere, thanks to the simple step sequencer, characterful sound and the amusing mod grip that turned it into the most fashionable, most un-embarrassing of instruments ever – the keytar.

In the ’90s an SH-101 was still a low-cost starter synth, but collectability and attrition kicked in, and now a decent SH-101 will set you back well over £750 – fully serviced and as new, you can double that, and you’ll pay a premium for the rare red and blue versions. The appeal is undeniable though, and crucially though an SH-101 wasn’t my first synth, it was the first one I really understood for sound creation.

Although an SH-101 has just one VCO, you can blend both waveforms freely, and add a sub oscillator (square wave) at one or two octave intervals for a full, punchy sound and it’s got easily-understood modulation source and destination controls, so it’s a lot more expressive and versatile than it seems at first look – the sliders are also really easy to read ‘at a glance’, too.

The Behringer isn’t totally faithful to the original – there’s no internal battery option, it’s got a more flexible modulation setup with filter FM and a velocity-sensitive keyboard with CV output for controlling other instruments.

Inevitably Behringer’s clone isn’t remotely as expensive; usually under £300, it comes with a more advanced sequencer, MIDI, and the mod grip and keytar strap is no longer an accessory (but it’s also no longer colour-matched to the synth, sadly). Choose blue to get that extra ‘unattainable SH-101’ feel.

Like the TD-3, Roland produces a boutique recreation – the SH-01a; it’s modeled using ACB plug-in technology like the Cloud VST or System-1 plug-out, rather than analogue – but it is four-voice polyphonic. It’s less than £400 (offers on Amazon UK) but comes without a keyboard.

Behringer Poly D – breaking the MonoPoly…

Street price – £449 – £699 – find offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann

• A unique diversion built on classic thinking
• It has one obvious, obsolete rival
• Delivers something unique for the money

Even though you can polychain and stack if you must, and many legendary musicians made globally recognised and loved tracks with a monophonic instrument, the idea that ‘if you Minimoog voice is awesome, what would MORE Minimoogs be like’ just won’t go away.

It’s an question that virtual analogue synthesizers keep on answering – even a MiniNova has three oscillators per voice and a choice of waveforms, mixing and modulation – but still the allure of analogue means ‘that’s not what we wanted!’.

Behringer’s answer – and I’ve no doubt they could, if they wanted, make a full 16-voice, 3 VCO-per-voice, 61-key 20Kg masterpiece if they felt the market was there – is to add one more oscillator to the Model D, and make it paraphonic. So, although it’s sort-of-four-voice polyphonic like a Minilogue or System 1, it’s not. Its closest ancestor is the Korg Mono/Poly, and if you’ve played with the iOS, Legacy or Full Bucket Music virtual ones (or a real one), then you know that’s a proper beast of a synth capable of an incredible range of tones and moods.

The Poly D costs over £600. Weirdly that feels expensive in this company, but you get a properly built, wood-and-metal Minimoog-esque analogue synth with adjustable front panel angle, fast semi-weighted 37-key keyboard with velocity and aftertouch, and so forth. It’s really quite remarkable value.

It is up against some formidable synths, though, at this money – analogue or otherwise – so it’s less of a no-brainer than adding the eurorack-style modules.

An actual Mono/Poly…

Street price – who knows?!

• On past form – you’re going to want this
• Much coveted paraphonic beast
• Yes, the Poly D does kinda the same thing…

It’s beginning to feel like if there’s a classic analogue synthesizer you wanted, you could starting saving up for the original and before you’ve got there, Behringer will have released a remake.

I’m not going to be able to add anything to the video – but there you go; after the Model D and Odyssey this will probably be the most talked-about Behringer synth for the rest of 2020.

If you can’t wait, you can always play with Full Bucket Music’s Mono/Fury.

VC340 – vocoder and strings

Street price – £420 – £449

• Analogue 10-band vocoder with delay-based chorus
• Strings ensemble for distinctive ’70 and early ’80s-synth tracks
• Instrument and dynamic mic inputs

This is the closest you’ll get to a preset machine or organ in Behringer’s current range – a recreation of the Roland VP-330 that first appeared in 1979, it includes string and human voice sounds on a split keyboard as well as the ability to process incoming audio for that distinctive robotic voice effect. The original wasn’t offered for very long, and it now costs thousands – famous tracks produced with it include Laurie Anderson’s haunting ‘O’ Superman’ and a fair bit of William Orbit’s work (with a rackmount version, the SVC-350). The latter is where the appeal lies for me – Pieces in a Modern Style and Madonna’s Ray of Light era strings and textures.

The sounds are mixed together, forming complex, lush layers, and there’s an analogue bucket-brigade delay (BBD)-based chorus that fattens the sound and adds texture. Unlike many synths-with-vocoders, the VC340 doesn’t come with a microphone – it’ll support your existing dynamic mic via the XLR connector (if you don’t have one, Lewitt‘s handheld/stage dynamics punch above their weight).

It’s possible to use an external source as a carrier for the vocoder, too – so what at first glance is one of the simplest machines in Behringer’s analogue line up is potentially, one of the most sonically creative. It would take a full review to really go into the scope of the VC340 – but if you’ve got an established setup of synths, drum machines and so forth, this is the one I’d add to a typical studio for more flexibility and inspiration.

DeepMind – Behringer’s first* synth

Street price – £400 – £700 – find offers on Amazon UK or buy from Thomann
In the USA? Amazon: DeepMind 12 around $799, DeepMind 12D around $679, DeepMind 6 around $659

• Analogue polysynth with a Juno-esque feel
• Immensely deep, clever interface
• Sound and build quality both impressive for the money

This one is actually three instruments. Behringer’s synth debut took the shape of the Deepmind 12; as the name suggests, it’s a 12-voice polyphonic synthesizer, with two digitally-controlled (DCO) oscillators per voice. A smaller version, the Deepmind 6, offers fewer keys and a small saving, and there’s a desktop/expander model too, the 12D.

Although UK prices can vary wildly with availability, you shouldn’t pay more than £650 for a DeepMind 12, £500 for the 12D, and £450 for the DeepMind 6. These are the only analogue synthesizers in Behringer’s range that offer preset recall – for now; several big, expensive classics have been previewed or teased.

It’s said to be closest to a Roland Juno in sound, but it includes digital effects (which can be bypassed), flexible modulation and three envelope generators, so it’s not a direct clone by any means.

It makes full use of Behringer’s acquisitions over the years – it was designed in the UK at Midas, and includes Klark Teknik effects, and also some of the WiFi/iOS integration lessons of Behringer’s most advanced mixers. However, what really matters is how it sounds. When it launched, the market for analogue polyphonic synths was dominated by relatively expensive options – such as the DSi Prophet ’08. Now there’s a lot more on offer – but the DeepMind’s usually sub-£700 price keeps it competitive.

Extras: Behringer’s bonus features

Many of these synthesizers were as basic as they could be in terms of the sound you got. What they provided was comparable to, say, an electric guitar before you’d even hooked it up to the pre-amp. Synths with built-in effects became more common through the 1990s – after these legends had retired. Similarly, very few featured computer-controlled sequencers or patch memories – the latter, Behringer’s remained true to.

Here’s what you get in each Berhinger that the original lacked.

Effects, sequencers and other changes

	Sequencer		Effects		Other changes:
	Original	Behringer	Original	Behringer
2600	No	No	Yes	Yes (Digital on 2600)	No speakers Different pre-wiring Changes to LFO Switchable filter
Model D	No	No	No	No	Module
MS-1	Yes 100-step Arpeggiator	Yes 32-step 64 patterns Arpeggiator	No	No	NovaMod FM Mod grip included CV control
Neutron	N/A	No	N.A	BBD Delay Distortion	Original design
Odyssey	No	Yes 32-step 64 patterns	No	Klark Teknik effects	Sequencer Multi-effects
Poly D	N/A	Yes 32-step 64 patterns Arpeggiator	Yes	Stereo Chorus Distortion	Original design
Pro-1	Yes 40-note 2 sequences Arpeggiator	Yes 64-note 2 sequences Arpeggiator	No	No	Module Patchbay
TD-3	Yes 16-step 64 patterns 7 songs (tracks)	Yes 16-step 250 patterns 7 songs (tracks)	No	Distortion	Range of colours CV patchable
Mono/Poly	No	No	No	No	37 keys instead of 44 keys Adjustable angle case
Cat	No	No	No	No	Module Housetrained
Wasp Deluxe	No	No	No	No	Module Solid build
Crave	N/A	Yes 32-step 64 patterns	N/A	No	Original design
K-2	No	No	No	No	Module
Deepmind 12	N/A	Yes	No	Klark Teknik effects Chorus	Original design
Deepmind 6	N/A	Yes	No	Klark Teknik effects Chorus	Original design
All Behringer's synths feature MIDI and USB MIDI, not a feature of the originals

What’s coming next from Behringer?

Current projects in the pipeline or rumoured include:

• PolyEight – an eight-voice clone of the Korg Polysix, with enhanced effects and patch naming
• VCS 3 – a pioneering early analogue synthesizer
• RSF Kobol – keyboard synthesizer (the Kobol Expander has already been released)
• PPG Wave – keyboard wavetable synthesizer

A range of low-cost synths, referred to as Spirit and Soul in early teasers, offers an even smaller intro to analogue. The first of these are now on sale, the ProVS Mini and the JT-4000 Micro. These are a little like a cross between Korg Volca and Modal CraftSynth 2.0 thinking, with digital and analogue models planned between $49 and $99 initially.

Kicking off with a four-voice JP8000 ‘clone’ as well as some familiar analogue faces, these look promising – though the ProVS Mini has so far sat on my desk since release without quite grabbing my attention. A three-voice OB-Xa (UB-Xa Mini) and a Casio CZ clone (CZ1 Mini) are the next models expected…

Behringer’s got this market sewn up…

Not quite. With a budget of, say, £350 to get your first synthesizer, there are several options outside of Behringer’s affordable classic remakes. A good starting point is the Novation BassStation II; it’s the spiritual successor to the EDP Wasp with over two decades of development and advances applied.

You could also consider the Novation Circuit Mono Station – read my Circuit Mono Station review to find out how it compares with Behringer’s offerings in terms of value for money, but it has been discontinued as a new product. The BassStation II is still readily available on Amazon and elsewhere, and offers a similar sound engine.

Low-run, hobbyist and quirky machines come from the likes of Mutable Instruments, and you’ll find the Shruthi and Ambika kits both well documented and pre-made from places like eBay.

Modal Electronics (currently undergoing restructuring under new ownership) offers a range of affordable, accessible synths, as does IK Multimedia. Mutable’s influence can be found in the sub-£300 paraphonic Arturia MicroFreak, and Arturia also offer the Mini and MicroBrute analogue monosynths.

Finally, Korg and Roland haven’t exactly abandoned this market – though Roland’s offerings are strictly speaking, emulations, Korg’s are authentic analogue synths. The Monologue is less than £250 and wonderfully accessible.

Why are Behringer synths so cheap?

The drive to make bigger, more complex, more powerful synths lead to some amazing instruments, particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when computers and large-scale-integration of silicon chips allowed huge amounts of complexity to be packed into tiny, low-energy, low-heat packages. The DSP (Digital Signal Processor) allowed accurate recreations of the circuits in analogue kit, and impossible to conceive designs while the masters of analogue tried devices like the Andromeda A6, with incredible discrete-component complexity.

But a lot of the time musicians didn’t want a better brush – just wanted the ones we had and loved to be more affordable. Some firms tried to bring cutting edge to market on a tight budget. in a similar manner to Sinclair’s rubber-keyed microcomputers, EDP’s membrane-keyboard Wasp pioneered digital oscillators and integrated synchronisation.

Backed by government schemes to boost new industry, these were the ’70s equivalent of Kickstarter projects, exploding into delayed reality – but for British firms with British enterprise-board finance, keeping it all in-house and local pushed costs up.

Keeping the Sinclair metaphor – Sir Clive achieved real success, too, but the thinking remained too… small, even when profitable they tried to make thousand-pound computers for £399 with pointless compromises.

They were absorbed by Amstrad, and like Behringer, Amstrad’s skill was in getting the largest-scale production and most consumer-friendly package, for the lowest price. Amstrad and Sinclair made one mistake though. In the search for the cheapest RRP, they made choices like non-standard storage (microdrives or 3.0-inch floppies) or rewired joystick ports to avoid paying royalties. That kept them out of serious businesses, no matter how good the hardware was. That would be like Behringer using non-standard rack divisions, or making a non-compatible MIDI port – and fortunately, Behringer has adopted Eurorack, standard connections and conventions throughout.

Why analogue synthesizers?

What makes analogue synths so interesting is the the hands-on feeling of directly interacting with the signal path, the immediacy of control. It is a very different experience to in essence, programming a computer to render an audio file (albeit at very high speed) through calculations.

When you look at the history of analogue synthesizers – of synthesizers in general – like any technology, the cutting edge was always about making it do more and more with each generation. Complexity and component cost ensured all but the simplest designs were unattainable for hobbyists, and the companies making it tried to stay at the profitable cutting edge until the consumer electronics boom of the 1980s.

Once we’ve got mass-production involved, there’s another issue. Really understanding a synthesizer (rather than just playing presets) takes time to master – and the nice kit falls into the hands of the widest pool of artists just as it becomes obsolete. A new shiny arrives – right as those people are really cracking how to get the most out of the existing tech.

Analogue synthesis didn’t stay still and stuck in the 1970s and ’80s; it’s more exciting than ever – and one could argue the reason many of these synths were seen as obsolete by the 1990s was because they marketed as dated and old, without any thought given to the sound or the user experience – hence the continued resurgence.

When it comes to analogue synthesis, though, the humble oscillator, filter and amp is as timeless as music itself, an electronic rendering of blowing across a grass reed in your hands.

What’s the secret to Behringer’s success?

In recent years Behringer’s size and turnover means they’ve acquired some innovative and highly-respected brands – T.C. Electronic, Klark Teknik, Tannoy, Midas… you get the idea. One of those firms is CoolAudio, manufacturers of audio ICs including, crucially, recreations of classic synthesizer chips from the ‘golden age of analogue’.

The gap in the market Behringer has occupied is meeting the demand for an affordable ‘brush’. Classic old synths are cherished and loved for their simplicity and sounds; why waste money trying to reinvent the wheel?

These days an EDP Wasp, which used innovative design and manufacturing to break the entry-level cost of synths in 1981 (in the same way that the Sinclair ZX80 and 81 did for home computers) and cost £199 new, can fetch up to £2,000 even with cracks in the simple shell and wear on the printed keyboard. Behringer’s version is typically £130 new, with a power supply and up to three year warranty.

The same story applies to well-known Rolands – the SH-101, once a cheap monosynth you’d find unloved in secondhand shops, can comfortably reach £800 with dirty faders and wear (more if it’s a rare colour), and the TB-303 synth originally intended as an electronic bass accompaniment – is now over £2,000.

If money equals sound, that’s terrible value. These early analogue monosynths are barely as capable as a new sub-£300 virtual analogue synth (such as a Modal Skulpt SE or Novation MiniNova) – and certainly nothing like the monster Arturia Matrixbrute or Moog you could pick up for the same money as that trio of beloved classics (with change left over).

* Uli Behringer built a synth well before building a music-kit empire, apparently…

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