Behringer MS-1 MkII review: nostalgic vibes

Recreating the Roland SH-101 fell short in the original MS-101: does the Behringer MS-1 MkII feel like the real thing or is it just a tribute?

• Cheap analogue synth with an early ’80s aesthetic
• The original costs five times as much, is less flexible
• Successfully captures the spirit of the SH-101

Behringer MS-1 MkII: £239 rrp. Buy from Thomann or Andertons
In the US? Behringer’s synths are available on Amazon.com – buy an MS-1 MkII from Amazon US

When Behringer chose to break out of the standard Eurorack-sized format for its analogue synth recreations, and instead chose to create a 1:1 visual copy of the iconic Roland SH-101 analogue synthesizer, it sparked controversy (again). That’s the best marketing you can’t buy, but the attention gained soon highlighted flaws in the way some features were implemented against the original – and that diverts attention from the MS-1’s qualities as a cheap analogue synthesizer in its own right.

When the MS-101 was announced, Roland already offered various ‘reborn’ SH-101s, from the System 1’s AIRA plug-out version (now part of Roland Cloud), to the SH-01A boutique, and many other ways of approaching the single VCO, highly intuitive synth in various keyboards and modules.

What Roland has not done is simply make a new run of SH-101s. The lapsed patent allowed Behringer’s swift product team an opportunity to raise the bassline beast from the grave…

What is the SH-101’s appeal?

The first one came out in 1982, and the plastic, short-keyboard, basic monosynth was a bit of a flop in the era of digital, new wave polyphonic synthesizers that were affordable to musicians, and portable enough for gigs. With a price of just £249 in the UK, you could have bought six SH-101s for the cost of just one of the sparkling new Yamaha DX-7, and it had a step sequencer, CV/gate and clock sync, and a great analogue filter.

For full ’80s chic, you could stick a handle and strap on it to play it like a keytar – it even ran on batteries. That (partly) wire-free independence is something Behringer has omitted from the MS-1…

Like another famous, cheap Roland monosynth (the TB-303), the 101 just missed the MIDI bandwagon and didn’t sell well new, despite its bargain price. Like the 303, it was rediscovered by dance artists in the ’90s and became something of a cult classic. Aided by the rarity of the red and blue limited editions, the original SH-101 is now a collectors’ item and commands a very high price in good condition.

With snappy, powerful bass and screaming filter, and of course, the repetitive nature of the step sequencer inspiring a particular style of music, the SH-101 and a simple effects chain can be incredibly versatile without falling into the quagmire of mod matrices and patching.

Behringer MS-1 vs Roland SH-101: mods and changes

Like a much-loved ’80s classic given a Hollywood going-over and shoved out to a new audience, the Behringer interpretation has received a few edits. Some are good, a couple are less good, and one was a mistake – rectified in the MS-1 MkII.

Here’s a simple checklist of what’s obviously different about the Behringer MS-1 and the original SH-101, items in bold are modifications that can be applied to an original SH-101:

• The MS-1 includes a modification for FM, often called Novamod, frequently applied to used SH-101s
• The MS-1 offers an audio input
• The MS-1 has a ‘three speed’ LFO
• The MS-1 offers an additional waveform – triangle (some mods use this for the LFO/PWM)
• The SH-101 uses a Roland IR3109 filter – MS-1 uses the circuit the IR3109 encapsulates
• The SH-101 featured a 100-step sequencer without non-volatile storage
• The MS-1 offers a 32-step sequencer with memory for up to 64 patterns
• The the MS-1 has USB, MIDI and clock connections, the SH-101 predates MIDI and USB
• The MS-1 keyboard is velocity sensitive, both as a controller and to apply accent to live playing
• The Roland SH-101 could use battery power – the Behringer is PSU-only
• Behringer include the mod grip and keytar strap as standard
• SH-101 mod grips usually match the synth, Behringer offers only black ones
• The SH-101 LFO clock can be used to drive the sequencer

In raw terms, the Behringer MS-1 in either form is, for the most part, an improved SH-101. As this is a much-loved musical instrument, flaws and limitations were part of the original’s sound, so improvements can be subjective. The short sequencer, but with the ability to hard-sync to LFO, inspired many of my own early attempts at making music in the late ’90s when I had a very scondhand SH-101.

It’s a yearning to feel that sense of ‘silly inspiration’ that drove me to pick up the Behringer MS-1 MkII when I spotted a discounted MS-1 MkII for sale at Gear4Music, and here’s the instant verdict:

Behringer MS-1 Mk II– a fantastic synthesizer for the money

Retailers are asking between £199 and £239 for the MS-1 MkII, which is currently only available in red. This makes it easy to spot that you’re getting the revised model, at least.

Some places still have the original MS-1 in black or blue, and aside from a couple of small changes that are really aimed at making the MS-1 more ‘authentic’ in playing technique for anyone who remembers the first time around, a cheap MS-1 Mk1 is absolutely worth having to fill that analogue synth space in your studio, or as a cheap intro to synthesizers for your kids. Behringer’s latest firmware update for the MS-1 Mk1 includes most improvements made for the MkII’s behaviour but not the three-position glide switch or different filter/VCA chips.

I’m not joking, the MS-1 was being knocked out for £166 – officially – for a while at the end of 2023, though the official RRP for the Mk1 is £199/$199. That’s like, three new game downloads on a console? Unlike the original, the MS-1 exists in a world where a computer or tablet can also provide many, many more sounds, and it’s a reasonably good velocity-sensitive USB MIDI controller keyboard as well so it can be used with music teaching apps on tablets and smartphones that support USB accessories.

Don’t fall into the trap of a cheap home keyboard if your kid loves modern or dance music – get them something that looks like it was made for grown-ups and rockstars. Paired with a Novation Circuit Tracks, the MS-1 could be the basis of a complete recording with less than £500 worth of kit.

Behringer MS-1: first impressions? Time machine…

I’m neither grown up, nor a rock star, but within minutes of unpacking my MS-1 and plugging it in I was transported back to 1999, the beginnings of a ‘home studio’ with an old iMac and a couple of keyboards, a cheap mixer, and some home audio speakers, and that first sequenced loop + external delay rhythm. A couple of filter sweeps and boom – yep. Right back there. I already love this synth.

Crucially, when I bought an SH-101 I had no idea what ‘an SH-101’ should sound like. It was just a cheap analogue keyboard to go with the Roland JV-50 I owned – a sample+synthesis machine much like a home keyboard in a professional suit. You couldn’t /make/ your own sounds with the JV-50 easily.

I loved the 101’s sound, it was (see those 303 roots) the electronic creativity I wanted. In 2024, Behringer’s MS-1 MkII hits that spot and then some, because the sequencer can store several patterns rather than losing them between sessions. Familiarity and experience means I can now delve into the MS-1 and understand what it does well, and revise what I missed on my first SH-101 experience by having no real knowledge or info – just wanting to play.

The big change is that the FM modification and additional triangle wave open up the MS-1 as an ‘arcade’ sound machine. It can make crunchy, low-fi beats and explosions, little fast riffs, and eerie modulated silence and noises that are beyond the capability of the original SH-101.

I can’t think of many synths that offer so much, for so little money, while retaining a proper keyboard. However, if you want even more sonic fun, Behringer’s Micro and Mini synths can be fed through the MS-1’s audio input and controlled by the keyboard and sequencer, though their fairly weak output could use some help in the form of a pre-amp or gain control on the MS-1.

How does the Behringer MS-1 Mk II sound?

It sounds like an SH-101, of course. Or for certain patches, a Behringer CRAVE, or TD-3, or any number of similar single VCO monophonic synths, at least at first. The subject of ‘why a specific synthesizer has a certain sound’ and ‘how many synthesizers do you need’ is one that could last a lifetime, since the point of a synthesizer is to ‘create’ a sound. and in many cases the sound you associate with a particular genre, band or song can be made by most other synthesizers as long as they offer enough control.

In this regard the MS-1 moves the SH-101’s abilities forward, thanks to the FM mod and additional waveform. It’s very flexible, and the distinctive sub-oscillator that gave a lot of the SH-101’s sounds a strength that other cheap monosynths of the time lacked is still very effective. It’s this growl below the lead pitch that really lifts it above the other synths in Behringer’s range based on the same VCO and filter architecture.

Basslines and leads, quick riffs and drones are all easily achievable (within the limits of a single envelope generator). Patterns and low-rate LFO modulation can expand what the synth is capable of, treading gently into prog and ambient, though what it excels at is repetitive pattern and punch. You can play a basic tune on it of course, and careful use of noise and FM can give some surprisingly realistic acoustic tones.

To really enjoy the MS-1’s sound an effects chain is essential. Delay for cascading beeps and sweeps, reverb for a bit of ambiance, chorus (the thing that kicked a Juno one-note lead into more character than just a beepy synth organ), and more sophisticated tricks can make the MS-1 a foundation of some really great sounds, rather than an ‘all in one’ solution.

This is where many ’90s synths diverged from the ethos of ‘synthesising your own sound’ and became more consumer-friendly, rather than musician focused, integrating effects that in a recording situation you’d never really bother with (but they sound great in the shop). Behringer do include effects on some synths, but when the SH-101 was new you had to roll your own, usually with guitar pedals.

Back in the day I had the cheapest effects rack in the shop (a Zoom one) and the delight at the sounds I could get with it and the 101 is hard to explain. If you’re starting out and have never played before, I recommend picking up a cheap unloved rack effects unit, but you can use guitar effects as well.

FM modulation: MS-1’s new (old) trick

Behringer’s implementation of the Novamod FM modification, and provision of a triangle wave, pushes the MS-1 beyond the abilities of a normal SH-101 without detracting from the pure analogue character of the synth. Sending LFO or audio-rate modulation to the filter some absolutely howling, gritty, complex sounds are possible, as well as more subtle, nuanced acoustic softness.

Going to extremes feels ideal for industrial and dubstep, you can get arcade-like crunch and low-fi distortion and grain-like scattered fragments of harmonic tone within noise. Time taken to fully explore the potential reveals the Behringer MS-1’s unique character. It deserves to be considered as an instrument with its own sound and personality rather than just compared to a 40-something year old Roland.

It may never find the fame the SH-101 did, but there’s every chance a future famous musician could find a signature sound in here that they’d struggle to recreate elsewhere. The same modification is applied to the ‘MO’ (modded out) edition of the Behringer TD3, and the small price premium for the MS-1 keyboard and form factor is well worth it if you don’t specifically want the TD3’s compact package.

Behringer MS-1 keyboard and controls

You can rely on the MS-1’s envelope and ‘pressing a key’ to make a sound, but for big synth experience, you can get hands on with all the sound shaping controls while playing. The first trick someone showed me was using an arpeggiator and pitch bend to make a full bassline progression (in fact, in pre-arpeggiator days you could use the LFO to gate a held note, and then flick the ‘footage’ (oscillator range) up and down an octave in time with the beat to create the effect).

There’s no getting around the fact that the MS-1 feels built to a price, but the sliders and controls are no worse than the original. In most cases they’re a bit better, though the pitch bend lever feels slightly flimsier in my opinion and doesn’t seem quite as precisely calibrated. The mod grip was an option on the OG grey SH-101 (it was standard with the colour models) and I confess I can’t remember how mine worked, but on the Behringer the mod wheel defaults to pitch up (which makes sense to anyone who has bent a note on a guitar), but if you move the pitch bend lever slightly down, the mod wheel moves the pitch down more.

I don’t think many people have the right number of hands to play the notes, move the pitch bend back a little bit, then push the mod grip as well, but Zaphod Beeblebrox LOVES this feature. Admit it, if Zaphod played an instrument, it would be a bright red keytar.

The keyboard is okay – slightly nicer than the Poly D, not as nice as the Odyssey. 32 notes can be a bit limiting, but the authentic shiny toggle switch for octave up/down clicks over with a light touch and feels robust enough for prolonged use. It is velocity sensitive, and while this makes a great deal of sense for a MIDI controller Behringer has allow allowed the analogue synth engine to benefit with a programmable velocity value that triggers accent (open filter) when played.

With a metal baseplate and strap brackets, just like the original, and no battery door to lose or battery compartment to find leaky old cells inside, the MS-1 is overall, very well made for an instrument that costs so little. The provided strap isn’t very nice, but that’s a good place for a personal touch. It also bugs me that Behringer chose to make the MS-1 MkII in red only, but didn’t move to making the mod grip in red as well.

Software and documentation for the MS-1 – user friendly?

Welcome to the 21st century, time to enjoy some random collection of attention seekers on YouTube. Yes, the MS-1 does have a quick start guide so you don’t go back to the shop complaining it’s broken after plugging the power cable into the USB socket (you can’t do this without making a lot of effort and things obviously breaking, but I’ve seen worse things done when things don’t have a manual). Actually getting a sophisticated range of sounds out of if when you’ve never used an analogue synth before, you’re going to be hitting Google and most of the results are videos.

The manual is a particularly weird creation as it divides the sections into languages, rather than being a collection of full manuals in each language. This means one half of a spread is in English, the other, Spanish – it is not very easy to process at all.

There are no preset patch suggestions, either – once a staple of consumer-targeted analogue synthesizers. Just a couple of blank patch sheets for you to, er… photocopy? The effort’s been made, but it wasn’t much of an effort…

The software is Behringer’s SynthTribe app and it allows easy visual programming (and saving, loading) of sequences, adjustment of MIDI behaviour for the keyboard, and firmware updates. At the time of wiring the latest firmware is 1.0.7 which is mostly a bugfix, but the refreshed firmware since the MkII’s launch has already included improvements to the sequencer to enable the SH-101-style ‘legato’ glide between notes.

Using the sequencer isn’t quite as intuitive as the original, but it’s more powerful and your work can be saved, so that’s a big improvement. The only feature lacking as far as I can tell is a hard sync between LFO and tempo/clock, though the LFO can sync to MIDI clock and the MS-1 can transmit MIDI clock – perhaps turning the local keyboard control off, then feeding a MIDI cable from out to in, would result in LFO and tempo being locked.

Is the MS-1 good for professional musicians?

Professional musicians can probably make anything work well – but ‘is the MS-1 a toy that won’t add anything to the studio’ is not very SEO-friendly is it. Serious and thrifty synthesizer experts can probably extract anything they’d get out of the MS-1 with a single oscillator in any modern DSP-based virtual analogue, such as the Novation Circuit, but that’s missing the point and appeal of the hardware.

If you’re sitting in a room full of synths, with every imaginable sound creation option available in your DAW (digital audio workstation, if you’ve not heard the term before) and you’re exhausted by the endless ocean of presets, computer and software updates, logins, two-factor authentication, cables. That’s when the simplicity of the MS-1 is really, really good for serious synth players.

One: it’s cheaper than some plugins. It’s not THAT much more expensive than Roland’s software SH-101. Unlike a plugin, it’s easy to mess around with for a couple of months then sell when you’ve got your spark back enough to tackle the sheer complexity of modern music tech again. You won’t lose much money.

Two: it’s distracting and red and looks cool. I’ve seen SH-101s and MS-1s worn in band pics as a keytar, or used on stage, and they look great – more authentic than the curvy modern Rolands. Plus, referring to point one, if you drop it, someone spills vodka and orange in it, or you’ve had a really good/bad gig and want to throw it into the audience (don’t, it’s heavy), point one is still very relevant.

Three: sonically, it’s the foundation of many genres and styles. You can get a lot out of it easily, it’s intuitive, and very responsive. If you’re already considering Behringer desktop modules, the MS-1 is good value as a keyboard controller and additional sound source and filter.

The downside is that it takes up quite a lot of space for a simple sound palette. If you’re happy with an ITB (in the box – DAW, plugins, self-contained computer-based studio) setup then you can get much smaller, more space-efficient alternatives.

What are the alternatives to the Behringer MS-1?

Obviously the SH-101 has had 40+ years of people trying to recreate it. Maybe 30 years after it got cool again. Software is your first port of call with many options out there beside Roland. TAL BassLine-101 is highly regarded and costs around £65 (no subscriptions, no activation server as far as I know) for Mac, Windows and Linux platforms for example. But it’s not hardware, and doesn’t feel the same as playing the instrument directly.

Copies of the SH-101 – Roland’s virtual retro recreations

For musicians looking for a replica SH-101, you can find hybrid hardware/software from Roland based on Roland’s ACB software emulations. These are not 1:1 copies of the SH-101 though.

Back in 2014 or thereabouts – and available secondhand from around £225, though not always with the software included, the Roland AIRA System-1 introduced the ACB (Analogue Circuit Behaviour) original plug-out concept. It lacked the step sequencer, and looks very different – and while the SH-101 mode is cool, the System-1 is a more powerful synth that makes you wonder why you’re switching into a more limited instrument.

Part of the Boutique line introduced later, the Roland SH-01 (SH-01A) copied the SH-101 style but is four-voice polyphonic. You can also get the System-1/System-8 plugin as a lifetime key in Roland Cloud. The plugins cost a little bit less than the Behringer, the SH-01 about twice as much when you add the optional keyboard (but it is a four-voice, digital clone, rather than an analogue recreation). There is also an SH-101 model in Zenology, which means the Jupiter X/Xm type synths can produce SH-101 sounds, and this also applies to the more affordable GAIA 2 synthesizer.

Closer in spirit to the SH-101 is Roland’s AIRA Compact S-1. This pocket-sized SH-101 ACB clone is similar to a Korg Volca format and very competitively priced, it also allows custom waveforms and a few other tweaks not possible on a real SH-101 or 1:1 clone. That makes it a different instrument, in my opinion, but it does provide Roland’s SH-101 modelling at a very good price point if you just want the sound.

Proper analogue hardware 101s

If you can imagine the results of Teenage Engineering and maybe ROLI teaming up to make an SH-101 clone, the Superlative SB01 ‘Space Bee’ Kickstarter project addressed the MS-1 (at the time, 101) shortfall of lacking a battery, but it diverged significantly from the original plastic shell into a sleek, low-profile metal chassis and funky all-black design. It looks great and at $899 when launched, was not unreasonably priced. Although it was first seen in 2019, the Kickstarter page for the SB01 suggests full production began in September 2024 – so, there may be more to come from Superlative’s upmarket interpretation.

In October 2024 the affordable instrument brand Donner revealed their third ‘producer’ style instrument after the B1 analogue bassline synth and D1 sample-based drum machine (both of which have been well received by electronic musicians). The Donner L1 is an SH-101-style instrument based on a single-VCO analogue architecture, but it is also a little different in that it has a second assignable envelope and a detachable keyboard section.

Full details and pricing for the Donner L1 (Essential) are yet to be revealed – it’s unlikely to be on sale before winter 2025 – but it looks very interesting!

A couple of quirky ‘copies’ exist, such as the Michigan Synth Works MSW-810. This is actually a clone of an obscure 1980s computer music system (the CMU-800 by Roland/Amdek), and contains essentially a Roland MC-202. The MC-202 is very rare, the CMU-810 even rarer, and the chunky metal-cased MSW-810 is fairly good value at £306 in that context. Once you pay shipping and taxes it’s still more than twice the price of the MS-1, but it’s a very cool bespoke instrument and probably well worth it for many studios. CV/gate and MIDI versions are available.

Alternative cheap synths: MS-1 stands apart?

There’s not much to match the Behringer MS-1 in terms of ‘solid build, full-size keys, and flexible analogue sound engine’ equivalents, particularly if full-size keys matter to you. The IK multimedia Uno synths are more powerful as a sound source, but you’ll spend much more to have a keyboard. Korg’s 2-VCO monologue (£239 – £300 – view latest offers at Thomann or Amazon UK) is arguably the closest mainstream synth brands have got to giving musicians a ‘new SH-101’ but it has minikeys and rather simpler envelope generators.

For a similar small keyboard, sequencer and analogue sound engine it’s worth seeking out the Novation BassStation II (and Circuit Mono Station) – these are widely regarded as the true SH-101 successor, but cost considerably more now. Novation appears to have discontinued the Circuit Mono Station, though the Circuit Tracks is worth exploring. Stepping away from the SH-101’s format entirely, with a budget of less than £250 Circuit Tracks is one of the best starter synths going, but it uses pads rather than keys. Its twin Nova-engine virtual analogue synth engines are more powerful and flexible than the old-school single-VCO MS-1 and Novation’s Components editor is very easy to use and accessible.

Behringer MS-1 as A low cost synth for kids

The MS-1 is a great keyboard for learning sound shaping, and paired with the right apps or teacher is perfectly valid for learning piano and music theory as well. The biggest shortfall is the lack of internal speakers – it needs headphones or an amp. Thanks to the USB MIDI connection any app that gives interactive training with a piano will work with the MS-1, and the combination of full-size keys but small, 32-key footprint makes it more portable than the typical 61-key home keyboard options.

If you want internal speakers – for learning music quickly with more focus on reading notes and theory, for a similar price there’s the Loog Piano. Sales and promotions can bring it down to less than £199, but it’s usually less than £250. It is supported by a very accessible music course through the popular app Duolingo, though Loog is well established as an educational instrument specialist.

I found out about the piano from Duolingo releasing a rebadged one, and at first thought it was a gimmick until I looked into the company and the hardware. The Loog Piano is a self-contained (with speakers), rechargeable battery powered portable piano with a funky wood and fabric aesthetic, and high-quality piano modelling (or samples, it’s hard to tell from the spec). It can also act as a MIDI controller over USB, making it easy to enjoy the many virtual synthesizers available on smartphones and tablets.

Loog is a young company focused on making fun educational instruments including affordable, and simplified, small guitars for children, supported by a video and flashcard learning system. If Loog go down the route of making a synthesizer, it would probably be similar to an SH-101…

Behringer’s recreation is analogue – can it be modified?

Since it’s a true analogue synthesizer, albeit one that uses modern, tiny SMD components and mass production-style tolerances and quality rather than homebrew soldering and wires, yes – you can mod the Behringer MS-1 and MS-101. Synth-wizard Maffez’ mods for the MS-1 are aimed at making it more like the original and addressing issues found by Gearspace users when comparing the two synths.

Verdict: should you buy a Behringer MS-1 MkII

Absolutely! I can’t think of many instruments that are this well-rounded and complete for such a low price, and the build quality is better than you might expect. It’s simple enough to appeal to a wide range of users, where a lot of the Behringer cheap synths really need a bit of experience to get anything good out of them, and it’s one of the few in the range that really hits the spot for people who just miss their old, original version of the cloned synth.

• UK and Europe: Buy from Thomann, Gear4Music, or Andertons
• North America: Amazon.com – buy an MS-1 MkII from Amazon US

It looks the part, feels the part, and sounds the part – and if anyone’s still making derisory comments about Behringer’s approach, Roland hasn’t made a 1:1 copy of the SH-101 itself (whereas Korg has released new runs of classic systems), and neither has Behringer – it has added features and improved the heart of the SH-101 quite a lot while keeping a familiar face on the instrument. For a new generation of synth players this is a brilliant little keyboard, a bargain, and I’m glad it exists.

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