Behringer Model 15: Semi-modular with Grandmother style
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Behringer Model 15 · Source: Behringer
Behringer Model 15 · Source: Behringer
Behringer Model 15 · Source: Behringer
Behringer shows no sign of stopping the avalanche of synths and today we have the Model 15 based on the Moog Model 15/35/55 modular circuitry.
Model 15
Behringer has already recreated the modules from Moog’s vintage modular systems into Eurorack form. This time they’ve pulled some of them into a nice looking semi-modular synthesizer. The little bits of colour, layout and configuration suggests a large influence from the Moog Grandmother.
Model 15 has an analogue signal path with dual oscillators, a ladder filter, a high-pass filter and VCA. You have a choice of 4 waveforms, sync, PWM and a sub-oscillator. There’s a mixer for the oscillators and a noise source. You have a single envelope and well-featured LFO set over to the left. An arpeggiator, sequencer and spring reverb round off the feature set although the reverb is emulated rather than physical.
Behringer Model 15
All the patch points have been brought over to the side like their Neutron synth whereas the Grandmother has them sprinkled within the instrument. It’s in the familiar Eurorack sized case and has full MIDI/USB implementation.
The Model 15 is a good use of everything Behringer has learned from recreating the Moog modular. While it lacks the charm of the Moog Grandmother as an instrument I’m sure it will sound great and at $299 it’s a fantastic price. Once again Behringer says it’s ready to go if only they had the chips which is a recurring theme that’s starting to get a bit tiresome. While it’s exciting to see these new synths and ponder the possibilities I would much prefer to see an announcement and then be able to buy it from a shop the same day, but that’s not Behringer’s style.
- Behringer Model 15: Behringer
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36 responses to “Behringer Model 15: Semi-modular with Grandmother style”
“suggests a large influence “? what are you guys sitting in Uli’s pocket announcing clones of todays market without any critique or strong position? they just straight up ripped of moog grandmother. behringer just keeps sinking in my eyes, when I think they’re the lowest they can get they manage to go lower.
Bla bla bla ..
And there are comments on other articles about them complaining about giving Behringer too much sass.
LOL you mad bro?
most modular and semi-modular designs are open source so uuuuuuh yeah not a “rip off”
That’s not what open source mean and that’s not how copyright works but okay.
Truth is that copyright is extremely complicated and almost on a case by case basis
Behringer get away with their shady clones because they have more money and smaller brand don’t want to/can’t engage in a chancy legal battle
What is that you people are even on about? Get a LIFE
People with disposable income will never understand.
I see your point, and I love the grandmother. But I don’t think these machines take away anything from the originals. They’re still as great as they were before.
In the case of the grandmother, moog didn’t make it super cheap, but they also made it really nice. It’s worth the asking price imo. If Bs has a similar sound in a slightly different, more economical, for factor that doesn’t change what’s true about the moog.
Whether it’s shady to be making copies of machines still inproduction is an entirely different matter.
Of all the recent Behringer announcements this one is definitely the one I’m most interested in.
I love my Neutron and Crave and this would suit my set up well.
Yeah, I know Behringer is bad.
But they sound good, so that’s all I really care about.
Also, this actually looks quite nice. The Neutron is a bit of an ugly synth. I think the Crave is beautiful with it’s 70’s burnt orange colour, but I can see why people don’t like it.
I don’t see what makes them any worse than all of the Western companies having products made in China, period. What I see is that it’s selective calling them out for it. Why don’t some of their critics call for global unions? This isn’t a moral issue in the end, it’s about rich people who participate in synthesis are angry they’re not so special now. Someone who truly respects art would want this in the hands of people all over the world, children who, because they have these things they can afford, they can grow, even become great artists. According to some, only a few can, which is a lie.
Yea i agree with you !
Imagine you have a small business, you produce innovative stuffs locally with passion, spending years to perfect a product before releasing it.
Then imagine you have a mega-corporation, copying your creation down to the font, and releasing it for a quarter of the price, because they have a mega-factory in china and they don’t have to do any R&D, pay people properly or respect anything.
How would you feel ?
And more importantly, how do you think it would impact innovating companies if they can’t get a return on investment because of said mega-corporation ?
There you go. It’s nothing to do with rich synth owners or whatnot. Synthesis (and music production in general) have been affordable for the past 20 years (way before B. entered the synth scene), what’s new tho is that they don’t respect anybody and just steal from everyone to flood the market with clones
What “small business” is Behringer supposedly ripping off? Moog has been rehashing the work of its founder for years, and the bulk of their R&D work is spent figuring out how to make them with cheaper components and sell the brand name for more. Most elements of synth design are not intellectual property, so yes, THIS IS FINE.
Er… they’ve ripped off Moog, Arturia, Oberheim, Sequential, Mutable, Ebtech, Mu-tron… and many more
all have between a few to 90 employees when B. has 3500
Also… you probably have missed a lot of news in this site. For instance the DFAM is quite unique and the mother 32 was too when it was released
People : you can buy B. without having to lie to yourself they are a decent company. They aren’t
I really don’t think Moog has anything AT ALL to worry about with Berhinger! Moog is a legend and always will be. People will always shell out the dough to get their own Moog when they can. But there is nothing wrong with putting out great sounding equipment the REST of us can afford! I couldn’t afford a Moog. But now I’ll be able to get “that sound” without shelling out a fortune! Someday I will own a Moog! And that is the exact reason they have nothing to worry about. Legends will always be legends. And we will always eventually strive to own a legend. But in the meantime it is nice to be able to buy something that sounds like a legend. And you have to remember it doesn’t sound exactly like a Moog. It can’t, because it isn’t a Moog! And that is yet another reason Moog has nothing to worry about….
« That sound » has been available for super cheap for years and years : vst, iPad app (the moog ones are great), samples, Virtual analog and recently in many cheap analog synth with a ladder filter….
It’s crazy that people are so blinded by the form factor that they don’t realise cheap synthesis has been around for at least 20years
Sure, it’s better to have knobs, but a 50€ midi controller with masking tape does wonders (that’s how I started)
Behringer DOES NOT make synthesis accessible, it’s been cheap (or even free) since the late 90s. These clones are concentrated marketing biases and there’s a reason they look so much like the originals : they want you to think you are saving money
Completely Agree with you.
Moog is Moog ever, but is not for all.
But, as I can see is part of the democratization of technology, which as has happened with many other gear (remember the first Plasma TV was around 10,000 USD, now anyone can purchase a TV with highest technology), whoever has enought money should buy Moog and be happy, whoever does not have it should buy beringher and be happy!!!
“This isn’t a moral issue in the end, it’s about rich people who participate in synthesis are angry they’re not so special now”
pretty much this. but you get an ugly product, where it’s clearly shown that no professionnal designer was involved. I guess having an instrument that doesn’t look like crap is where the rich people privilege resides now.
Nice one.
I’m just ultimately happy I can finally afford a $10k dream synth for $299. Behringer is out here just eating Roland and Moogs lunch. And while I
do truly love my Moog synths and their quality, I do wish they were a bit more reasonably priced.
I find the negative response to Behringer so strange. At the time they released their Boog, Moog was selling the Model D reissue, a design from the 70s costing at most a few hundred in parts, for close to $4k.
In any other industry a company like Behringer would be heralded by the people as heroes. Yet somehow many people pick the side of the pharma firm exploiting their patent with ridiculous margins and keeping generic manufacturers out of the door screaming “research, innovation!” (most of which happens at University affiliated labs and is paid for by the tax payer).
If anything Behringer forces Moog to innovate because they can’t just keep sitting on their old catalog of products. It’s healthy competition.
” it’s about rich people who participate in synthesis are angry they’re not so special now. ”
pointing fingers, trying to deflect.
so, your ethics don’t cover what you purchase. that’s okay.
but don’t try to devalue people’s opinions with red herrings.
There is nothing bad on Behringer gear .There are persons always bashing whatever they do .
Some Behringer fans are the living embodiment of the “this is fine” meme.
It’s alright to buy B. We all buy cheap crap sometimes. But be honest with yourself and stop pretending there’s nothing to say about it. There are. You can decide to ignore them. But they are still there.
Well mister i’m making music from 1990 until now and used Moogs , Sequentials , Oberheims , Ensoniq’s etc etc and there is nothing wrong with the Behringers .
Not sitting on your table, no.
Before they get into your hands, plenty wrong.
Behringer has a message. And honestly, with where global inflation is going, it might be time for the other designers and purists to stop crying and get with the program. I’m no longer to be guilt tripped out of buying Behringer. I added a few of their modules to the collection a some years ago and they have been rock solid since. The Proton is 100% their design and it is actually the most interesting to me right now. Go Behringer!
And how exactly can they “get with the program” ?
So, we close all manufactures where people are paid properly, and everybody stops innovating and just re-hash the same few “legendary” synths over and over ?
You do realize that Behringer NEEDS smaller companies to exist, right ? They NEED someone to steal from, just like a leech
So, I get it, you like B., good for you, but expecting everyone to adjust to them is just ignorant : when a synth is expensive, it’s because it cannot be cheaper
The ways B. uses to get things cheap are very questionable and cannot (and shouldn’t) be generalized. Period
agreed, thanks for your comments.
This are old models never recreated from the original brands . If i look how my Micromoog and Rogue are made . Pffff serious . They look Soviet
Take every household item, electronics equipment, cars and tools you own and get rid of them ‘cos gues what, they are highly likely to be rip offs from china. If you dont, then shut up ‘cos you are just a hypocrite.
I mean seriously, its pratically impossible to live in the modern workld and NOT consume mass produced ripped of crap from China…
It just seems that now this has reached the world of synths everyone is upset.
The reality is there has NEVER been a time hwere there are more “boutique” companies making music kit. Go look at euro rack, many of these makers are now branching into synths amd stand alone modules.
Behringer, for the large part has created their own designs or have created clones of past anolgue kit people lust over but could never afford, dont see how that impacts on any new marked.
Roland basically refused forever to make a clone of a 303, 101, 909 or 808 etc and realsed a whole bunch of crap toys before behringer did what so many people wanted.
I love the behringer remakes of classic dance units, I l;ove the behringer remakes of system 100 modules and am interested in the obscure VCS3 and Syncussion units if they ever get released – again who is this hurting?
If you are really worried about the exploited workers making this stuff, then you have a problem with the whole world in 2022 and need to go live in a cave somewhere.
This opinion piece is a clone in itself and seen many, many times in one or another shape, and first many moons ago. Have you paid royalties to the original creator?
I agree
These are like the knock off Strats and Les Pauls from through the years. Somebody will always be in the market for a high end piece from Gibson and Fender. Just like somebody will always be in the market for a Moog or a Sequential. Are these rip offs, yeah. I don’t feel it’s more shameful to buy one of these however than it is to own some blue jeans that aren’t Levi’s.
I’ve never owned a Moog and never planned on buying one, then one day I bought a behringer model d…… since that day I’ve bought 5 original Moogs