This is really far from a normal drum machine, as I’ve become to know them. Drum synth with sequencer is closer to the truth. Got to give it to the Moog guys, it’s fun to come across something that really surprises you and leaves you wondering what the hell it is all about. I’m looking forward to a huge amount of happy accidents with this one. Oh, semimodular as well. Everything should be semimodular, come to think of it.
This is something that is so different from anything else ever. It will most definitely require a lot of experimentation and me wrapping my head around subharmonics instead of just the usual stuff that’s present in every other synth ever made but this one. Even if it definitely is a machine that goes “Pinnnnnngg”, it also definitely does it its own way. I think the happy accident-route is something I’m going for with this one as well.
Behringer’s version of the classic-est of all classics, the Moog Minimoog Model D. With these prices, I just could not resist getting one. Seems solid so far.
Behringer’s version of the classic Korg synth. The original was the only one of the Older Monos that has been on my to-get list since I got into analog synths. At the time, 2004-ish, you could get a decent “antique” mono from 500€ upwards, and I remember seeing the original Mono/Polys going for somewhere between maybe 1000€ and 1200€. But when it came time for me to get one, the prices had gone insane, so I never got one. Imagine my joy when this one came out. And it’s a really fun synth to waste time with. Turn on the arpeggiator or sequencer, and let it do its thing. That stepping-through-oscillators thingy is quite nice.
Another case of Behringer cloning a piece of synth history, the ARP 2600. The original was on my wish list, the one you know will never happen. So Behringer really did a lot people happy by bringing this one to market. It’s a r-e-a-l-l-y nice semimodular synth, endlessly tweakable. Loads of patch points and, best of all, sliders! Sliders are so much more fun than knobs. Too bad they let in more dust into the units, but you can’t have everything. This is one of those sit-down-and-tweak-and-at-four-o-clock-in-the-morning-consider-going-to-bed-as-the-alarm-will-go-off-in-three-hours kind of machines. Again, hard to resist with the Behringer pricing.
Got this as my on-the-road keyboard. Just a bit wider than my laptop, so it fits nicely in my bag. It will undoubtedly see more use during summers. Took it out for a spin a couple of times last summer, works like a charm.
Another Behringer clone-of-a-classic, this time the Sequential Circuits Pro One. I also have the original, and they do sound quite the same. So, again, for this price, no reason not to get it if you need live analog voices. Oh, patch points!
More Behringer clones. A noise machine definitely, in ARP Odyssey territory. Really fun and quirky sound, lots of modulation possibilities (plus the patch points), so definitely a fun thing to sit down with.
Behringer clones again. They’ve really chosen quite a nice set of synths to copy. This is quite a straightforward and basic synth, but the repeating envelopes make it special. The sound itself is great, as really is the case with practically all analogs I’ve ever tried. I guess I would call it “juicy”. However, it could definitely benefit from more patch points.
Lovely! A modern (= better working) version of the wonderful classic ARP Odyssey. My original one is becoming a bit tired, so this one is a really welcome addition to the Heap. Compared to the original that I have, this one has clearly snappier envelopes, and overall it sounds a teeny-weeny bit different. It has selectable filters, so it “emulates” the three different original models from the early 70’s by just selecting the filter with a switch. That’s quite nice. Always loved the original, and this one is right up there. Sliders! Simplicity!