Post-Superbooth24 update includes new Model 15, K-2 MKII and VCS3! Get all your Behringer clone news with this constantly updating list. And of course there are some rumors included.
Behringer Clones
Behringer doesn’t do things the normal way. Most musical instrument companies make formal announcements of new products, which then begin shipping. Behringer takes a more guerrilla approach, dropping ideas for prototypes into its Facebook group and asking for direct input from customers. This approach can be exciting but it can also become difficult to keep track of what’s actually been announced for production and what is just R&D.
With this in mind, I’ve trawled through the company’s Facebook group timeline and compiled a list of all of the Behringer clone synthesizers that the company has said will be going into production. This doesn’t include drafts or general prototypes (see the bottom for more on these). It also doesn’t include MIDI controllers, Eurorack modules or effects. I’ve done my best in good faith but I may have missed a few. If you find any, please let me know in the comments.
Ready to meet the Behringer clones? Here they are in alphabetical order.
AKS Mini
Part of the Mini line, AKS Mini looks to be a Honey, I Shrunk The Synth version of the VCS3 (below). It will have three VCOs, a built-in arpeggiator and a 16-step motion sequencer, plus “the exact same oscillators, filters, etc., and of course the magic VCS sound,” according to a Facebook post from big B. The retail price is targeted at $99 and shipping was scheduled for summer 2023 but it has yet to materialze.
CZ-1 Mini
We’re officially moving this one up from the rumours list. As of January 30, 2024, the CZ-1 Mini is heading off to beta testers and, “upon successful completion, it will enter production,” said Behringer in a Facebook post. What is the CZ-1 Mini? It’s an instrument combining Casio’s 1980s phase distortion synthesis – as heard in the ultra-popular CZ-101 – with an analogue filter. “With its exceptional phase distortion synthesis, the sound the CZ-1 Mini produces is unparalleled,” says Behringer.
Enigma
Uli’s take on West Coast synthesis will arrive with the Eurorack-format Enigma, a Behringer clone of Buchla’s Music Easel/Easel Command. In July 2023, Behringer announced that it had completed assembly of the prototype although it’s “still a long way from shipping the unit” so you’ll have to wait to get your lo pass gate on.
Hiro Tribe Soul
Hiro Tribe Soul (written as Hirotribe with one word in Facebook posts) is apparently a Monotribe groovebox recreation made in conjunction with Korg MS-20 engineer, Hiroaki Nishijima. Like the Model D Soul (below) it was reportedly finished in spring 2022 and waiting for semiconductors. Behringer also said it would be working with Nishijima on “many more synths.”
JT-4000 Micro
The first to be released of Uli’s Micro series, the JT-4000 Micro is a four-voice hybrid paraphonic synth with two analogue-modelling oscillators per voice plus an analogue filter. It appears to be based on Roland’s trance-powering JP-8000. I can’t say that I love the design but it does sound good in the demo video. A firmware update as of late January 2024 adds an oscillator balance parameter, which “allows for more nuanced control over the sound, enabling you to blend and shape tones with greater precision,” according to Behringer.
Jupiter-8 / JT-16
It’s no secret that Behringer is working on a full-size version of the Jupiter-8. Now we have an official announcement about the first prototype and production. He’s even teased the JT-2 Jupiter Voice. Until more information becomes available, we’ll have to content ourselves with these shots of mystery PCBs. Or check the announcement of JT-16 here.
Kobol
Coming soon is the Kobol, a keyboard-attached recreation of the famous French monosynth. Originally made by RSF in the 1970s and offering a monophonic keyboard, two expanders, and polyphonic keyboard versions, Behringer’s Kobol places the synth in its flip-top housing.
Kobol Expander
Now available is the Kobol Expander, a Eurorack-format recreation which slots the circuits from the two different expander units into one instrument. The Kobols are renowned for their lovely sound so I’m excited to hear these in action. Note that Behringer has also teased a keyboard version of the Poly Kobol but there’s no confirmation of production so far.
K-2 MKII
During Superbooth24 Behringer announced that the K-2 MKII, an updated version of their K-2 MS-20 clone, was available for preorder. We ran a story with a link to Thomann but then as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.
As for what the update will comprise of, exactly, we don’t know. “Behringer has yet to reveal the full details about the upgrade”, we said in our original story. “As of now, we don’t know exactly what sets it apart from the first version. When the RD-8 MKII came out, Behringer said that they’d redesigned the circuitry with upgraded components to get even closer to the sound of the original. We assume that the new Behringer K-2 MKII has received a similar upgrade, but as of now, that’s pure speculation. We’ll keep you updated when we find out more!”
The original is still available of course.
Model D Soul
A miniaturized Minimoog, Behringer announced the Model D Soul back in March 2022 as part of a line of tiny synths. Two Soul-branded instruments, the Pro VS Mini and AKS Mini, are now called Mini so I expect this one will change as well. As of spring 2022 it was “fully completed and ready for production” and just waiting for chips.
Model 15
A Moog Model 15 in Eurorack format or a Behringer clone of the Grandmother? Model 15 will be both, really, as Grandmother is based on circuits from the 15 modular system. Behringer announced on April 19 2023 that Model 15 was getting ready for production and the target price was $249.
As of May 14, 2024, you can now preorder the Model 15.
MS-1 MKI/MKII
The MS-1, Behringer’s SH-101 recreation, is getting a new version, which is “based on the original 662 chips for a vastly improved VCF and VCA performance,” according to the company. It also adds a dual glide function.
MS-5
Another widely anticipated Behringer clone is the MS-5, a recreation of Roland’s SH-5 monosynth from the 1970s. Behringer’s version will be in its familiar flip-top format. As of March 2023, it was heading out to beta testers and then to manufacturing. So, any day now?
Update! As of April 3, 2024, the MS-5 is now available to purchase.
MonoPoly and PolyEight
Announced back in 2021, PolyEight, the Behringer clone of Korg’s PolySix, is apparently still happening. Until then, content yourself with Behringer’s version of the Mono/Poly, the MonoPoly.
Neptune-80
The Juno-inspired DeepMind series of synthesizers is well-received but what people really want, it seems, is a Behringer clone of the Roland Juno-6/60. Enter the Neptune-80, an eight-voice remake with an additional analogue matrix, BBD chorus and modern user interface, according to the company.
Interestingly, a new image of synths at Behringer shows a Juno remake labelled Juno and not Neptune. Hmm.
Pro VS Mini
The first of Behringer’s Mini line of pocket-sized and affordable $99 synths to be released, the Pro VS Mini is a reimagining of Sequential Circuit’s groundbreaking hybrid Prophet VS. It has 16 digital oscillators and 128 waveforms plus a vector joystick for morphing between them, as well as a 24dB/octave analogue filter and two LFOs. Advance demos sound really good. It’s sure to sell boatloads.
Pro-16/Pro-800
Does the world need another Prophet-5 remake? It would appear so, as Behringer is reportedly “getting closer” (as of spring 2023) to the release of its Pro-16. As the name suggests, Uli and team are beefing it up from five to 16 voices. I hope you have a lot of fingers. Now available is the Pro-800, an eight-voice version of the Prophet 5’s younger brother, the Prophet-600.
Proton
Not a Behringer clone but a Behringer original, Proton is a Eurorack-style upgrade of the company’s popular Neutron. It looks like tons of fun and as of June 3, 2023, is “fully approved and ready for production.”
RD-78
In late January 2024, Behringer teased photos of the RD-78, its version of Roland’s famous CR-78 analogue drum machine. They said that they were in the final stages of pre-production and that units had gone out to beta testers, although there was no mention of release date or price. “And for those who love the technical details, we have incorporated the exact same circuitry into the design, including the original coils and LC filters,” they added. The look, however, is very different from the original and more in line with its other, Roland-like drum machines.
Saturn Soul
Another spring 2022 tiny synth announcement, Saturn Soul (probably Saturn Mini when it comes out) is inspired by the Jupiter-8 but with three VCOs and a multimode filter, and can be played monophonically or paraphonically. “The product development is completed and once we receive the necessary chips, we’ll ship this marvel,” Behringer said.
Spice
You’ve got the Crave and the Edge, so now it’s time to add some Spice to your life. A remake of Moog’s Subharmonicon, Spice is reportedly currently in final beta testing and is expected to sell for $249.
Syncussion SY-1
A Eurorack-format Behringer clone of the famous Pearl percussion synth, Syncussion SY-1 will have two voice sections for triggering disco toms and synthetic snares.
TD-3-MO-BK
The black version of the TD-3-MO is still on its way, according to an announcement made by Behringer on July 27 of this year. TD-3-MO-BK adds a new black livery to the line of “modded out” acid boxes, which takes inspiration from the famous Devil Fish TB-303 mod.
UB-X
A Behringer clone of Oberheim’s 1979 OB-X poly, UB-X will be an analogue recreation with two oscillators, ostensibly creamy filter and hopefully massive unison. As of June 1, 2023, the company was assembling the first prototype.
UB-Xa
Not to be confused with the grey UB-X (above), UB-Xa is a remake of Oberheim’s OB-Xa, the pinstripe follow-up to the OB-X. This one was a long time coming but is now out.
UB-Xa D
The UB-Xa D is a keyless desktop version of the UB-Xa (above). As of May 2, 2022 it was ready for testing so hopefully we’ll hear more on this soon.
UB-Xa Mini
Want a UB-Xa but don’t need all that real estate (or all those voices)? The new UB-Xa Mini is the one for you. A three-voice Oberheim-style poly in a tiny package, this one is slated to sell for $99. Currently in beta testing as of late January 2024 and shipping “soon.”
UB-1 Micro
Now called the UB-1 Micro, this one reimagines Oberheim’s Matrix-6/1000 analogue synths in a very tiny package. “Don’t be fooled by the size,” the company’s social media person said. “This is a monster synth in a small package.”
VCS3
Update! On May 22, a new image of the VCS3 (BCS3?) appeared on Behringer’s ever-entertaining Facebook page. The only text was “Caption this…” but the image did show the VCS3 in the Behringer factory(?) – along with a Juno-60 clone (although not the Neptune-80 that we saw before), Polysix remake Polyeight, the JT-16 and Wave along with a MonoPoly.
Development of the VCS3 continues apace, with Behringer updating improvements on the patch bay as well as “extensive lifecycle testing.” The VCS3 is of course a clone of the famous EMS VCS3 from 1969, one of the world’s first portable synthesizers. There’s no word on a street date but it does seem to be getting closer.
VS-80
Formerly called the DS-80, Uli has renamed his Yamaha CS-80 clone VS-80 in honour of the late Vangelis. As of December last year, the development team was trying to decide between the original user interface or a “very cool mod matrix.”
Wave
The Behringer clone of the PPG Wave, Wave should hopefully be hitting stores any day now. The wavetable remake was touted as being in its final stages in May 2022.
2-XM
Another Eurorack-format Behringer clone, 2-XM will be a recreation of the Oberheim Two Voice, which famously combined two SEM modules into one powerhouse. This one appears to be really close to release now that worldwide chip shortages are finally getting settled.
Such A Tease: Behringer Clone Unofficial Posts
I’ve tried to stick to instruments that have production announcements for this story. However, there have been plenty of tantalizing Facebook posts that don’t fit that criteria. Here they are in alphabetical order:
More Information:
Image Sources:
- Behringer AKS Mini: Behringer
- Behringer CZ-1 Mini: Behringer
- Behringer CZ-1 Mini: Behringer
- Behringer Enigma: Behringer
- Behringer Hiro Tribe Soul: Behringer
- Behringer JT-4000: Behringer
- Behringer Jupiter-8?: Behringer
- Behringer JT-16: Behringer
- Behringer JT-16: Behringer
- Behringer Kobol: Behringer
- Behringer Kobol Expander: Behringer
- Behringer K-2 MKII: GEARNEWS/Behringer/All Canada Photos/Alamy Stock Foto
- Behringer Model D Soul: Behringer
- Behringer Model 15: Behringer
- Behringer MS-1 MKII: Behringer
- Behringer MS-5 Prototype: Behringer
- Behringer Polyeight : Behringer
- Behringer VCS3 and so much more.: Behringer
- Behringer Neptune-80: Behringer
- Behringer Pro VS Mini: Behringer
- Behringer Pro-16: Behringer
- Behringer Proton: Behringer
- Behringer RD-78: Behringer
- Behringer RD-78: Behringer
- Behringer Saturn Soul: Behringer
- Behringer SPICE: Behringer
- Behringer Syncussion: Behringer
- Behringer TD-3-MO-BK: Behringer
- Behringer UB-X: Behringer
- Behringer UB-Xa : Behringer
- Behringer UB-Xa D Prototype: Behringer
- Behringer UB-Xa Mini: Behringer
- Behringer UB-1: Behringer
- Behringer VCS3: Behringer
- Behringer VS-80: Behringer
- Behringer Wave: Behringer
- Behringer 2-XM: Behringer
