Uli Behringer has been stirring up the synthesiser fanbase but good of late. In numerous posts on the Gearslutz forum, he proclaims his love for vintage hardware synthesisers and, astonished at some of the prices that the second hand market commands, has taken it upon himself to mass produce low priced clones to make the hardware of yesteryear available to all. If the quality and price is right, this could be the most disruptive force in decades.
Rocking the boat
Take one of the more prominent clones to leave the Behringer stables of late: the Behringer D. A desktop module clone of the ur-monosynth the Minimoog Model D, it pulls favourable comparisons with its originator and at the time or writing is finally shipping preorders to the UK.
I suspect that a lot of the positive press comes not only because the D provides a very close experience to the Minimoog in a more compact form factor but also because of the price. The D can be picked up for the princely sum of £299, an incredibly attractive price for your first monosynth and in the same ballpark as the Arturia Microbrute, Korg Monologue and Novation Bass Station 2. Even Moog’s closest product, the Minitaur, still clocks in at over £400 for a dual oscillator desktop monosynth, though both are small fry for the cost of the real thing.
Race to the bottom
Let's not mince words: original Moog Minimoog Model Ds that inspired this product typically cost anywhere between £2,300 and £3,900 on the second hand market. Even Moog’s short lived reproduction will run you into a good £3,000 to own an official D. The gulf between these prices makes it clear what this instrument is marketed to: it's for the collectors, professional musicians, or even investors looking for one of a small run.
To detractors who say that this the Behringer D is going to cannibalize sales from Moog, the difference between prices and products could not be clearer. For most hobbyists and bedroom musicians, whether you go new or chance a second hand, getting 80 or even 90% of the way to the sound of the original for less than a tenth of the price tag is an absolute bargain and much more attainable for this sector. There will always be a market for the prestige of owning an original or who prefer a full sized keyboard for live play, and there will always be a market of others who want a similar sound but either lack the funds or don't care enough about badge names.
Luckily there is a great example we can look at when it comes to clones and how they are received. Korg also produce low cost and upgraded versions of their MS-20 in the form of the MS-20 Mini, which has done little to stop the demand for the original while also satisfying new customers who want to get their hands on a very similar sounding synth with most (if not all) of the synth's original features intact.
Korg also supply the smaller Volca grooveboxes that can also be used as a sound module, which are cheap enough to buy as an impulse purchase as they are the first hardware synthesiser. Once their limitations are met, cheaper products can act as a gateway for synth owners to buy other products, now that they are used to the advantages and/or associated workflow.
Putting affordable hardware like the Behringer D in the hands of musicians who may not have been able to may also produce a halo effect in getting more business for high-end manufacturers once they need additional things that the D doesn't provide - like integration with a full sized keyboard or a more expensive alternative that enables more polyphony or performance features. Imagine if they buy a D, then get the bug for hardware synths and then go on to consider the DSI Rev2 or Novation Peak afterwards? I am sure that other manufacturers would be happy to gain more new customers who they wouldn't heard from before.
Luckily there is a great example we can look at when it comes to clones and how they are received. Korg also produce low cost and upgraded versions of their MS-20 in the form of the MS-20 Mini, which has done little to stop the demand for the original while also satisfying new customers who want to get their hands on a very similar sounding synth with most (if not all) of the synth's original features intact.
Korg also supply the smaller Volca grooveboxes that can also be used as a sound module, which are cheap enough to buy as an impulse purchase as they are the first hardware synthesiser. Once their limitations are met, cheaper products can act as a gateway for synth owners to buy other products, now that they are used to the advantages and/or associated workflow.
Putting affordable hardware like the Behringer D in the hands of musicians who may not have been able to may also produce a halo effect in getting more business for high-end manufacturers once they need additional things that the D doesn't provide - like integration with a full sized keyboard or a more expensive alternative that enables more polyphony or performance features. Imagine if they buy a D, then get the bug for hardware synths and then go on to consider the DSI Rev2 or Novation Peak afterwards? I am sure that other manufacturers would be happy to gain more new customers who they wouldn't heard from before.
New Money, Old Synth
There's also another interesting point here about reliability. There are plenty of opinionated fans who will smirk at cheaply made products flooding the market; Behringer make no secret that their success is down to grass roots marketing and the bulk manufacturing that Chinese factories make possible. But in the case of clones vs synthesisers that are now getting on for over 40 years old, wear and tear and component failure in particular is something that should be expected in a second hand “vintage” synth and factored into buying process. One calls to mind the trouble that Roland Juno 106 users have had with failing voice chips in that machine and the efforts to either clone or find replacement chips.
Consider this: the only reason Moog stopped their production run on their reissue was the lack of supply of older components needed to recreate some of the designs. If those older parts fail in even a relatively recent build, then good luck getting replacements if even the manufacturer cannot source enough. At £300, the D or the recently announced Neutron are should be more easily fixed with more immediately available components, or even replaced under warranty.
As an aside: the fact that Moog have happily reported that they have sold out their reissue proves to me that there is still a market of customers for top-rate reissues, regardless of whether there are clones or not available.
What's next?
It's kind of a mixed bag as to what Behringer are looking to clone. There are working prototypes of the VC340 Vocoder/String synth that are competing directly with Roland's own boutique VP-03, both of which reimagine the Roland VP330. I recall reading that the initial 1000 orders Behringer is looking for have not been met, though vocoders and string synths do seem a bit of an obscure type of instrument, even within the synthesiser world, and the cost is closer to $700.
There's also the UB-Xa, a desktop module clone of the rather large and sought after Oberheim OB-Xa that at the time of writing looks amazing, the unusual EDP Wasp monosynth, a mass produced ARP 2600 as opposed to the TTSH and more.
Whether Behringer have targeted these products either because copyright has expired or that there are currently no competitors remains to be explained, but at least with these three there shouldn't be any treading on others' toes to directly compete. Korg owns the Arp name but have said in the past that they don't see enough of an audience to make a reissue, EDP have long since bit the dust and Oberheim are concentrating on their two voice pro, SEM and DSI collaborations to consider a clone of the OB-Xa.
Conclusion
Simply put: I believe that the competition created by the disruptive nature of well made and affordable clones can only be a good thing. The future looks good for us synthizens and musicians who can get their hands on new hardware, plus there is potential for manufacturers to gain new customers as well. As long as Behringer aren't cloning existing products, they are only competing with the dwindling second hand market - isn't giving people what they want what it's all about?
Of course, there are plenty of official and unofficial VST emulations of discontinued synths as well - Arturia and Native Instruments both have well-regarded emulations and versions of classic synth hardware. Ultimately the ability to have the choice of hardware or software of your favourite synth and that suits different budgets and preferences means we are truly living in a golden age.
As an aside: the fact that Moog have happily reported that they have sold out their reissue proves to me that there is still a market of customers for top-rate reissues, regardless of whether there are clones or not available.
What's next?
It's kind of a mixed bag as to what Behringer are looking to clone. There are working prototypes of the VC340 Vocoder/String synth that are competing directly with Roland's own boutique VP-03, both of which reimagine the Roland VP330. I recall reading that the initial 1000 orders Behringer is looking for have not been met, though vocoders and string synths do seem a bit of an obscure type of instrument, even within the synthesiser world, and the cost is closer to $700.
Whether Behringer have targeted these products either because copyright has expired or that there are currently no competitors remains to be explained, but at least with these three there shouldn't be any treading on others' toes to directly compete. Korg owns the Arp name but have said in the past that they don't see enough of an audience to make a reissue, EDP have long since bit the dust and Oberheim are concentrating on their two voice pro, SEM and DSI collaborations to consider a clone of the OB-Xa.
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Simply put: I believe that the competition created by the disruptive nature of well made and affordable clones can only be a good thing. The future looks good for us synthizens and musicians who can get their hands on new hardware, plus there is potential for manufacturers to gain new customers as well. As long as Behringer aren't cloning existing products, they are only competing with the dwindling second hand market - isn't giving people what they want what it's all about?
Of course, there are plenty of official and unofficial VST emulations of discontinued synths as well - Arturia and Native Instruments both have well-regarded emulations and versions of classic synth hardware. Ultimately the ability to have the choice of hardware or software of your favourite synth and that suits different budgets and preferences means we are truly living in a golden age.
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