Behringer analog synth ripoff thread

Linguolabial Plosive

Linguolabial Plosive

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I couldn't find anything via the search function, my apologies if this already exists but...
What's the consensus on the newer line of Behringer analog synths coming out?

I bought a TD-3 last year and ended up selling it on out of frustration as I couldn't get the fucking thing to sequence MIDI data properly...
The USB MIDI integration with Ableton seemed to be absolute rubbish (couldn't send data to it above ~100bpm without it sending only whole notes)
I've seen more than a few YT videos with it tweaking along nicely at 145+bpm over MIDI since then, so I'm wondering what the issue I had was?

I'm lusting after the Crave, WASP and K-2 (and honestly, another TD-3,) as an outboard playground at the moment (I'm a cheapskate, what of it?) but if I had the same issues sequencing them as I did with the TD-3 I'd be very fucking unhappy...

I must admit, I've never had a positive experience working with MIDI so I might have just set things up wrong from the start...
That's why I'm throwing it out there- I'm sure there are more than a few people with shitty Behringer synths burbling along nicely, but how the crap did you do it?
 
I have a TD-3 that I sequence from a Synthstrom Deluge, and it all works as it should, I'm happy to say.
That's driving it via the 5-pin MIDI interface though, not USB. I haven't tried using it by USB.
I'll give that a go via my DAW and report back...
 
OK, I've just tried that, and I can sequence notes on the TD-3 from the DAW over USB, no problem.
BUT...
I can't make the TD-3's sequencer sync to the DAW. It won't even start.

[Edit] Scrub that, my mistake, I hadn't set the clock source as USB on the TB-3. It's working perfectly now...
 
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Thanks for conducting that experiment, I either had a faulty unit or I'm just an exceptional individual :Grin: (the latter is more than likely correct...)
Well then, looks like super-cheap and rather nifty Borringer synths are back on the menu!
I must admit, the TD-3 sounded really damn good with a bit of EQ and comp, I'm planning on getting a bunch of those lower-end synths and hooking them up to one of my Soundcraft mixers (Spirit FX8 and/or GB-2,), belting the shit out of the gain, putting some rack gear I've got to use and realising my goal of doing a shitty impersonation of Herr Posfords' live sets for my own amusement :Banned:
 
...But will it be any good? :Grin:

EDIT: I must admit, I did have a larf at how the TD-3 came out and a bunch of anoraks immediately set out upon creating a Devilfish mod...
and then Behringer magically came out with their new and improved, MODDED OUT TD-3!
Cheeky as fuck but fair play at the same time... and of course, some incredibly dirty laundry was aired in the process:

www.gearnews.com

Devil Fish hits back at Behringer's proposed "Murdered Out" TD-3

Robin Whittle, the creator of the Devil Fish modification for the original TB-303 has hit back at Behringer's plans to incorporate this mod into a special edition TD-3. Update: And Uli responds.
www.gearnews.com www.gearnews.com

EDIT EDIT: Cripes, I forgot to include the modding guide for those who enjoy surface-mount soldering expeditions:


Personally, I find it quite amusing that the person who reverse-engineered a proprietary circuit design for profit back in the day is butthurt over that same illicit design (which Roland dutifully ignored,) being replicated... I'm also confused as to how there could be any significant profit margin for official Devilfish mods at this point in time seeing as most, if not all, of the original 303s out there have either been modded already or are being used specifically for their original character..

I see all of this as a kick in the arse for designers/manufacturers to start innovating again rather than relying on 30-50 year old designs, and for conscientious objectors to check out some of the amazing boutique kit designers out there at the moment- especially those who freely share their schematics and charge only for kits/pre-assembled modules...

I'm definitely stirring the pot here 'cus I'm bored and honestly would like to know what people think about all this stuff-- for me it's a chance to own all the synths I could never afford previously but I'd be interested to hear differing views :Smile3:
 
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Aaah Behringer, the poors mans Access Virus. Just kidding :Grin: I never owned one but I heard some good and bad things about the company. Good - value for money - BAD - they stole patented designs from other makers and thats a bit sneaky init
 
Kick-Flip said:
Aaah Behringer, the poors mans Access Virus. Just kidding :Grin: I never owned one but I heard some good and bad things about the company. Good - value for money - BAD - they stole patented designs from other makers and thats a bit sneaky init
Click to expand...
I don't think Behringer have made anything that is even remotely like an Access Virus, and as for stealing patents, patents have a life span. After a patent expires, the design is fair game for anyone.
Fair play to Behringer for producing kit that people clearly want, but couldn't otherwise have, without paying stupidly inflated collector's prices, if at all...
 
whitedog said:
This is the one I'm waiting for...
Click to expand...
I'm going to wager that most people who buy this, will immediately sequence 'On the Run' and have a fucking ball with it
I sure fucking will, that's so good!!! I'm not averse to amassing a collection of those gnarly little ripoffs

whitedog said:
Fair play to Behringer for producing kit that people clearly want, but couldn't otherwise have, without paying stupidly inflated collector's prices, if at all...
Click to expand...
That's my stance at the end of the day, I'm stoked to have the chance to play with outboard synths I could never afford to own otherwise...
Kick-Flip said:
Aaah Behringer, the poors mans Access Virus. Just kidding :Grin:
Click to expand...
I'm honestly astounded that this is the most sarcastic reply I've received so far, I thought this would be like sticking my wing-wang in a bees' nest...
Kick-Flip said:
I never owned one but I heard some good and bad things about the company. Good - value for money - BAD - they stole patented designs from other makers and thats a bit sneaky init
Click to expand...
When I was a lad, Behringer was a verb-- ie, 'don't buy that, it'll Behringer your sound--' and sure enough, it did. Their mixers/interfaces circa 2000 had a very 'boxy' sound-- the interpolation was horrible and the tightly-amassed square waves were visible, and audible, to anyone who was subject to the output. Digital distortion of the worst kind. The only item they produced which was recommended was their hum destroyer/ground loop circuit.

At some point, they started using better quality integrated circuits/amplifiers/components and put some honestly decent integrated mixers/interfaces out there (I've had a couple of friends write albums with Xenyx mixers that sounded awesome after treatment,) and confusingly, put out one of the better bare-bones ADAT preamp/interfaces ever produced (ADA8000)... That's about when I started paying attention again
Since then, the ADA has legit Midas preamps (ADA8200) and even SoundOnSound conceded to their quality...

Now they're putting out legit reconstructions of the synths I was fiending after when I was dealing with their absolute bullshit, low-end gear over 20 years ago, and it's dead-on impossible to tell the difference via A/B audio tests...

The engineers who designed that classic synth circuitry haven't been paid for decades (with some exceptions, but honestly only 'cus they staunched the shit out of their colleagues and established their own self as a single entity,) so I could care less for whether or not some cunt opened up an ARP-2600 (which I definitely do want,) and flogged it off BUT

There's one thing that plays on my mind with all of this

The poor cunts that have to put it all together



This is the arse-end of my enthusiasm on this topic, I know that the amazing things we're receiving are the result of pure exploitation from beginning to end...
 
I had a Behringer Eurorack 2642 16->4->2 mixer about twenty years ago, and I have to say, it was really very good. Build quality was fine, and it was actually remarkably clean and quiet, sound-wise.
Not like most of their cheap mixers, at all.
I currently use a Eurorack Pro RX1602, a 1U line mixer, which is OK as long as you don't turn the gains up more than half way, as it starts to get quite noisy if you do. It's good enough for my little studio and it didn't break the bank.
 
whitedog said:
I had a Behringer Eurorack 2642 16->4->2 mixer about twenty years ago
Click to expand...
Me too! It was excellent, and I sold it about a year ago for several hundred quid with everything still working. Credit where it's due.

I'm not bothered about their synth ripoffs either. They're making something people want and as far as I know they're not infringing copyrights (I did a quick google so you know, not forensic). I'll admit they are taking the piss shamelessly by copying vintage synths that are clearly other companies legacy products but at the end of the day I WANT an arp 2600 and now I can get one for £418 or I just saw a real one on ebay for more than 12 grand! It's kicked a big hole in the stupidly inflated vintage synth market that's for sure and I think that's good.
Uli Behringer is a total bellend though. No excuse for all that antisemitic bullshit with Peter Kirn and CDM a while back.
 
Most behringher synth reviews in the comment section under a product on the website seem to quite often include someone saying that it didn’t work and had to send it back. That’s a bit off putting.

It’s strange that some people will be picky about buying a synth from China though and then go out and buy a fridge that was probably made in the factory next door.

Deepmind looks like a good synth, which isn’t a knock off. Juno 106 through some really good effects.
 
I’ve heard it said that the Behringer synths use smt chips which mean that it’s hard to repair? Where’s psy-fi?
 
I've got a Neutron and have no complaints, it packs a lot of weight in the low end and the filter is nice, cranking the res and distortion spits out some lovely tones.
 
तोन् said:
I couldn't find anything via the search function, my apologies if this already exists but...
What's the consensus on the newer line of Behringer analog synths coming out?

I bought a TD-3 last year and ended up selling it on out of frustration as I couldn't get the fucking thing to sequence MIDI data properly...
The USB MIDI integration with Ableton seemed to be absolute rubbish (couldn't send data to it above ~100bpm without it sending only whole notes)
I've seen more than a few YT videos with it tweaking along nicely at 145+bpm over MIDI since then, so I'm wondering what the issue I had was?

I'm lusting after the Crave, WASP and K-2 (and honestly, another TD-3,) as an outboard playground at the moment (I'm a cheapskate, what of it?) but if I had the same issues sequencing them as I did with the TD-3 I'd be very fucking unhappy...

I must admit, I've never had a positive experience working with MIDI so I might have just set things up wrong from the start...
That's why I'm throwing it out there- I'm sure there are more than a few people with shitty Behringer synths burbling along nicely, but how the crap did you do it?
Click to expand...
Yeah - you need the 5-pin MIDI cable. I tried with the USB MIDI cable, for my TD-3.. did not work. went mad!
 
whitedog said:
OK, I've just tried that, and I can sequence notes on the TD-3 from the DAW over USB, no problem.
BUT...
I can't make the TD-3's sequencer sync to the DAW. It won't even start.

[Edit] Scrub that, my mistake, I hadn't set the clock source as USB on the TB-3. It's working perfectly now...
Click to expand...
How?! (via USB).. I could really use some help. you use Ableton?
 
Hahah, glad to know I'm not the only one who has major troubles with the USB MIDI on the TD-3... It's very handy to know that the 5-pin DIN connection's good to go though, my audio interface has a MIDI loop so if I end up getting a hold of some of these synths I'll go that route and save myself some trouble :Wacko2:
 
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