Behringer : 40% (up to) off across the range

They are not all clones. Neutron is completely original and Deepmind has lots of features that were not in Juno.

Great, now you people have convinced me. I’ll get the Neutron then. Just not sure if I should get it before or after Cocoquantus, Vidiot and Octatrack+Heat combo, that all have been in my shopping list for ages.

1 Like

A mass produced factory product – that – FOR SURE!

They’re mining forests for this thing. Bottles of gasoline. ADDED: I guess this vid is for a different product – Oh well. Sounds good to me anyways.

1 Like

Yes, he is just a genius and I have been planning to get his instuments for a while. Now they are also sold in Europe but in my universe they are very, very expencive.

There is a Behringer in every industry…its normal and appropriate. Low cost means high volume and the model is definately reliant on causing disruption…if it wasnt Behringer it would be someone else filling that bracket…they are monopolizing the low end of town and that is smart, but means they have to sell a butt load of units for it to work (and keep selling a butt load)…the way to do that is mass appeal, bang for buck, and built in obsolescence… its is a reactive possition to be in no matter what industry. I dont envy them, and respect the massive bite Ulli has taken out of music technology manufacturing… the disruption he would have to create would have to be a reactive, direct attack on the leaders in the field, its thier customers he needs…his buisness model is “like the quality one but cheaper” and when the market switches direction so will he…he is doing nothing different than ibm, Wang, Commodore did to apple…we all ended up with affordable personal computers in our homes.

But we dont get on forums and hate on manufactures of cheap white goods, computers or cars…we just buy em to do a job and when they break in 3 years buy a replacement…like we expected to get what we paid for…we are passionate about synths but its no different. Just a well forecasted plan to make something and sell it for profit (with some built in obsolescence so you can sell something else soon)…cars and phones and computer manufacturers all do this to the point we think its normal…car 300000kms. Computer or phone 3 years…

Of cource he needs to clear units fast. He is volume bassed.

I have some stereo d.i. boxes made by Behringer that just do what it says on the box…when they die i won’t feel hard done by i will just buy more disposable cheap replacements. Because they are affordable.

I think its about realising where and how you are being traded as consumers in these “deals” the more we know about trade and business models the more consious descisions we can make about purchases without demonizing any part of the spectrum of manufacturers. None of them are evil or good…just doing what they do and the responsibility rests on us to buy or not.

2 Likes

I respect your point of view Adam but I thing you’re wrong.
This couple 300€ synths Behringer as built (and the ones to come) don’t feel like the plastic disposable gear they use to do.
The quality and the sound of a Boog or Neutron draw a shift in Behringer policy.

2 Likes

Sure, and thanks for sharing back. i think i rambled and was a little unclear, i’m not dissing Behringer, i’m just suggesting that his motives and tactics are kind of obvious (but i’m not judging im just saying he is following some basic rules of business for the position he has in the market) . And i agree with your comment on policy. Their acquisition of Klark / MIDAS / TC is testament to what you say. Similar to what KIA did when its quality was under fire as their engines were falling out after 150,000 kms, They acquired talent from Volkswagen…( i now own a KIA because i dont care where a company has been, i care where its headed!!) I think he knows exactly what hes doing and im enjoying the show.

And I don’t think that they necessarily make plastic disposable gear, I am an advocate for some of their gear. I own a 4 Channel 19’ RU Compressor which has the bonus of converting 6.5 line level to XLR (so its a well thought out 4 Channel D.I. for Synths as a bonus) and a vintage time machine, and a V amp Effects Units, also the D.I.s i mentioned. All of these are more than 5 years old and still working fine. I would buy more Behringer no problems (even before the acquisition of MIDAS and TC and the evident paradigm shift in quality and ethos).

My “Built in obsolescence” didn’t necessarily imply that it was plastic crap that would break. Just that it would be obsolete in 3 years or so once the market and music becomes saturated with “affordable” knock offs of mono synths from yesteryear, there will be next to zero demand as everyone moves to the next thing (probably poly given Moogs focus, or maybe its time to bring back 19’ Rompler Rack Units from the 90s haha).

Now that knock offs of our dream mono synth from the past are accessible to the masses the desire will shift as we purge the retrospect from our systems. And form factor will shift…Just as it always has… from Modular to Analogue Synth to Digital keyboard to 19’ RU Rompler to Groovebox to VST to Analogue Synth remake to Eurorack to the mother of all analogue poly synths…blah blah blah…

We are going in circles buying the same parameters with a slight twist each time hoping for different result. Like a fly repeatedly smashing into a plate glass window trying to get outside (we know how that ends)…but things are evolving…trust me i started doing this before computers were common…we now have eurorack mountable, CV and midi controlled mono analogue synths for less than a weeks wage. Un frekn believable to someone who had to commit Ensonic Mirage performances to 4 track tape if he wanted to listen back. After saving samples to floppy disc in hope they will be there tommorow.

The obsolescence is driven by us, no one will give a damn about a Volca bass in 3 years…and if they all broke on mass in 3 years there will be no uprising against Korg to replace our “quintessential” $150.00 analogue monos. We would shift focus to something else that activates us…and our creativity. (hopefully not 19’ RU romplers from the 90s)

Korg and Behringer will be there selling whatever that is if they are smart enough, so will Elektron, and my point is that is a good thing, (companies do go under trying to make us synths!) as long as we have our eyes open and are conscious enough to work out that we are the end user, we are trading our time for money to buy these products and we are the ones therefore being traded…and in this deal we will be told whatever, whenever under the guise of “doing it for u”…Ulli is doing it for Ulli… (I Hope)

I want these companies in business in decades to keep making dreams come true…and if a tactic like 40% across the range is what Ulli needs to still be there in 10 years, more power to him.

Saying that i could be very wrong…so i have set an entry in my calendar to revisit this entry in 3 years from now 24/10/2021 to see how off the mark these comments are… :rofl:

4 Likes

Out of interest how long does the average minimoog last before something breaks and needs presumably expensive repair/service?, I know there are some different components inside but do behringers circuit boards have less expected life in them?.

Its a very good question…! I mean there are some original model ds arround still and its been 35 years between production runs? But i bet there are plenty in landfill…! Or in need of a service. Where would the stats exists?

i think the differences would be that they were made by hand (not always good!!) But alot of bad/dry solder would get picked up etc. And more care hopefully… But some of those parts would be supperceded with stuff that is more efficient and has far greater longevity. And some of those Behringer parts would definately be better quality than the archaic tech of post war merica.

Its a different mentality (not an elitist at all) with moogs. I own a sub37 ang sub phatty and the dfam…if they break i would pay whatever it cost to get them back in service. No questions asked…and i think anyone who invests alot of money to have a synth of that calibre (elektron products included) are in balls and all…so to speak, they take thier tools seriously and maintenance is accepted as part of caring for what opportunities those tools bring. Its like the labor if love that comes with owning a vintage car…its probably 80% ego but…most owners accept expensive services and parts as part of the parcel. And when someone appreciates thier ride its all worth it. But if they drove a daewoo that needed hexy parts or services they would flick it…

God lay off the coffee!!

3 Likes

This thread will run and run .

The App Store is full of clones , candy crush is a remake of a million other match 3 games , but the public have embraced that version .
If a tv show becomes a hit there’s often shows that try to mimic it.
A famous street artists posts pixelated art / space invaders on walls , is he paying Namco a royalty ? Is anyone avoiding his books in protest .
Big artists often sample other tunes without permission ,
Apple copied the icon / mouse system from a competitor
Self driving car companies employ each other’s talent to gain knowledge .
Tim tams are a blatant copy of penguin chocolate bars .
Which came first , Pepsi , cola ? …
yo sushi is commercialising a national Japanese dish … panic !
Codemasters hacked the nes and made a cheat cartridge that sold millions , did anyone boycott all codemasters games ?
Famous artists don’t even paint their work , they just sign them … isn’t that worth boycotting .

If anyone wanted To be consistent in their condemnation of copies I doubt they’d be able to buy much.
Personally i’d Prefer they paid a license or acknowledged what they doing , but there are so many others doing similar things … I do what i can as we all do , we choose where our money goes .

I can hardly criticise others unless i’m Only purchasing from originators , which i’m not… I suspect very many of us are in the same situation.

5 Likes

Just out of curiosity. When a major media company rips off your music and uses it in a movie and if asked, serves you your owns speech, would you sign off your rights as an artist with the same satisfaction as writing these insiprational lines here?

luckily, that one is an entirely different discussion because (at least here in Germany), “Urheberrecht” (copyright) is granted automatically and cannot ever be taken or signed away.

licensing/usage rights is a different thing and those CAN be signed away, but not your copyright for creating something.

i get what you are trying to say, but you chose a poor example :wink:

1 Like

I’m not sure what you are asking and I don’t exactly feel ‘satisfied’ writing my thoughts , I don’t think they’re ‘inspirational’ either , just my point of view . I just question how consistent ‘one’ can be if going down the boycott route .
With the limited knowledge I have when purchasing things , I do what I can.

I also know pointing out some of those examples (which I have done in other situations) hasn’t been met with the support for the originators as you might think. Some people are quite happy to encourage ripping off others with no credit especially if an individual is ‘ripping off’ a corporation .
And ultimately I guess it’s an issue between those 2 parties , my opinion whether it’s on a forum or whatever is likely to be irrelevant and if they have 1 less sale it’s unlikely to register.

Either way , i bought a neutron , i’d Buy a dm12d but I’ve got enough gear to use atm.
I’ll probably buy the ms101.

1 Like

nice one! :timer_clock::heavy_dollar_sign:

2 Likes

What about knockoff companies like Samson, Sub Zero etc? Do they get a free pass just because they are even cheaper than behringer?

Oh right, they haven’t copied synths yet…

Getting back on topic, isn’t the price reduction the same for about all synth manufacturer ? I feel like the ones for whom the price has dropped the most is Korg (the mono/mini/prologue’s prices are crazy low in their respective category). Even Elektrons prices are pretty low. It happens almost every year, and the prices goes back up somewhere around January or February.

I feel like it’s just an indicator that component prices have dropped, and Behringer tries to put it as though they are making a big gesture. It’s probably just a marketing stunt, but since we’re talking about it, it is definitely working.

Also, Behringer is known for its pretty toxic businness practices and behaviour, this is just fact. I think it’s pretty valid to not want to buy their stuff from all the different stories about them. Now, those who do buy behringer have their own reason and/or might just want cheap synths/clones, and it’s perfectly OK. Let’s try not to judge each other on a few forum comments.

As for my personal opinion, if my advice is worth anything, I’d say, if you want to buy a behringer synth, buy the neutron, encourage behringer to make their own original stuff. Nostalgia is cool and all, but let’s try to drive music technology forward (because as far as hardware goes, music technology is lagging behind modern technology really hard)

4 Likes

I like your personal opinion…not a shread of victim anywhere, pro active and its kinda empowering.

2 Likes

Hopefully the prices stay low, so when they finally release the MS-101, I can get it cheap! Any news when they’re dropping all this knock off gear by the way?

Model D sounds great and the deepmind is an excellent polysynth. I’d rather have cheaper gear so that when it breaks I’m not financially ruined.

Behringer have already stated the reason why they have dropped prices, and its down to their recent move into a bigger factory of their own, which meant lower costs, which is passed on via lower prices.

There is nothing wrong in Behringer, making new versions of old gear, surely its upto the user to decide how he uses that hardware. Studio’s and artists still use their original old gear, so why shouldnt we be able to do so as well.