Behringer Teases Roland Jupiter 8 Clone

Can’t afford to spend $20K for a vintage Roland Jupiter 8 synthesizer?

It looks like Behringer may have you covered.

Uli Behringer shared a teaser image, above, that looks like it could be a prototype for a Behringer clone of the Jupiter 8.

The company hasn’t shared any details yet, just this message from Uli Behringer:

“Christmas came early this year for our German Tribers?

Guess what caused the excitement?”

The company has teased plans to clone everything from the ARP 2600 and Synthi VCS to the Octave The Cat.

Think they’re going to clone the Jupiter 8? Check out the photo and let us know what you think!

65 thoughts on “Behringer Teases Roland Jupiter 8 Clone”

  2. Might be interesting since, if I recollect correctly, the Jupiter 8 and Yamaha CS-80 both date from the pre-Curtis, pre- SSM chip revolution, e.g. they use discrete components explicitly. Curious on how they ‘clone’ it and how it compares, although not the synth for me.

    1. A discrete component based poly from Berhinger would be interesting to see, as a reference price… The Jupiter-8 would be interesting to mee, though… The CS-80, would most likely be even more expensive, though, but a Jupiter-8 oculd give a rough idea.

      I checked the wikipedia page, becaue I didn’t fully know either if the 8 was discrete… apparently it was, the Jupiter-6 and the MKS-80 (Super Jupiter) however was not, and both based on the 3340 chipset that berhinger now used in the Neutron….

      1. I wonder if Behringer would ever partner with Black Corporation in the same way that Roland did with Studio Electronics for the SE-02 and make a streamlined, mass-produced sequel to the Deckard’s Dream.

        1. I doubt it.
          Behringer would probably want more control over designing the components, to suit their production, so the Deckards Dream designed would probably have to be thorwn out and started over with… meaning that there would be no benefits for them to partner at all.

          Behringer will likely take on the CS-80 though. The market will perhaps not be huge, considering where the price would probably end up. But they could probably sell at least 1000 clones even at a high price, which by the Roland VP clone seems to be their cut-off for wheter it is worth making or not.

    2. I agree…
      Desktop version that can be rack-mounted (19″ I mean.. some synthheads see rack or module and always think eurorack and modular…), please.

    3. What would be *really* cool is if they follow the Model D pattern of making a Eurorack-compatible device, complete with a handful of patch points.

      1. For mono synths, yes… for poly synths, not so much… The patch point would only relate to a single voice, but drive the total cost up, quite a lot.
        But if the do a Jupiter-8 with patchpoints based on the same voice architecture as the Jupiter-8, as a separate product, well that would be nice.

    1. i thought so too but since it is an original 909 in the background i thought that it is “the aims that will be cloned-hint”…. 🙂

      1. Clearly an original. There are too many details that they would not have copied for a prototype.
        The ones speculating on the image being a proto probably missed that the desk hides the top part, and thus thinking it was about the depth of an DeepMind.

      1. Exactly. That’s what I’m thinking too. The teaser probably means Uli bought a real Jupiter 8 and sent it to one of his synth design teams to begin the cloning process.

    1. yes i much enjoy that. so while i might not agree with everything behringer does cause i would prefer more neutrons than clones , it shows that 2000-4000 for a synth is not as normal as some manufacturers present it to be

    2. It actually still costs too much to make but Uli can’t count and more importantly he’s got the Chinese government behind him who is supplying him with an almost free workforce.

      1. Any proof of your claims?

        Labour is cheaper in China than in Japan or US… but when the orignals were built labour was cheaper in Japan, and US compared to today. Probably not as cheap as it still is in china today.
        But the relevance is not the exact amount they are paid, but what kind of lifestyle they can affoard, in china with that pay.

        Uli or someone else at the company can probably count. They however often post figures based on the lowest expected retail price, in the US (as not all states in the US have VAT or sales tax), some retailers can’t get prices down to those levels, though, other companies usually lists prices with higher retail margins.
        And the calculations are based on expected sales volumes, and large production volume benefits.

        The production is also based on surface mounted components, and a production-line that can to large parts be automated.
        The originals were not built in that way.

  9. That’s a real Jupiter-8 they’re playing. The top bit with lettering etc… Is blocked because it’s on a tray sliding out from slightly underneath the table.

      1. Or its not a coincidence and they are monitoring our reactions right know. I thought that its a real Jump-8 in the picture , but the meaning of the picture is something else. It actually might mean more than “look we are having fun with a jupiter” . But thats just assumptions (which are fun)

        1. Berhinger is monitoring us, that is for sure.
          But I don’t think the hidden upper part in this image is any referenc to the design of the clone…
          If they would do a Jupiter-6 or MKS-80 picture next, than it could be part of monitoring if the interest in discrete over CEM3340 based Jupiter is large enough.

  11. That’s a Jupiter 8, not a clone or prototype. They’re just excited they got one and maybe they will look into it and think about cloning it in the future.

  16. I’d deffo buy an Uli CS80, Matrix 12 – or a SEM-based 8 voice – but I never really liked the Jupiter 8. However – there is an Uli Model D in the mail for me.

  18. “Christmas came early this year for our German Tribers?

    Guess what caused the excitement?”

    Uli just bought a Jupiter 8, that’s the excitement. I would be excited too.

  19. Yep its real one. I gigged for years with mine. Sold it for 400.00. The brassy stringy pads were nice in its day, but I can far surpass the bigness and richness of it today with my various Kontakt samples. I have no plan to buy a clone of it thats for sure.

  20. Next: A Synclavier clone, a Yamaha GX-1 clone, a clone rig of everything Jean-Michel Jarre owns and a naked woman on a unicorn that craps pepper-jack cheeseburgers. The 21st century is awesome!

  22. It’s confusing how a company that has effectively released one synth so far (in three versions) gets so much buzz and attention. It’s not even that they have a reputation for making good synths at a low price yet – they just talk about it. But people get so excited when being promised bargains that they do Behringer’s marketing for free.

    1. The deepmind comes in three versions, yes.
      But you are blatantly ignoring the Model D, that is out, and that they sold loads of, but the pre-orders have been so large that there probably aren’t many if any demo-units in stores.
      They cloned a Roland string machine, be it, that they only made one or a couple of units.
      They have also started sending out Neutron to their beta-testers, and they are on at least the 2nd revision of units, if they are fully porduction ready, I have no idea.

      Looking at the number of released programmable synths by Berhinger in the last two years, they are not far behind other brands. Ahead of some even. And in terms of sold units they ave been doing quite well.

      Behringer don’t do premium quality synths, but neither does most other brands, even the ones charging more.

  23. Judging by the built quality of the DM12, how on earth is a 1:1 replica going to happen, seriously.
    Even at $2000 it’ll still be inferior, just like every single other piece of equipment Behringer ever made.

  25. IF they get this right then it would be fantastic. JP8’s are now so expensive that people have been crying out for a modern version. Roland just seem to flatly ignore the constant requests for a well made re-issue – with a few modern features i.e. midi, maybe USB and velocity & aftertouch. I hated the keybed on the Roland System 8 when I played one – I’ve played nicer mini-key synths and I REALLY hate those with a passion.

    Personally, I’m still holding out for a poly-aftertouch CS-80 clone (I don’t get on well with rack synths)………but I’m not holding my breath (I really hoped Dave Smith would have come up with something in collaboration with Yamaha when they let him have the Sequential name back).

  28. I think they’re just having a bit of fun with us. Take it lightly. If the Neuron’s any indication, there’s no telling what they’ve got coming.

  29. Uli needs to learn from Dave Smith. Keep it under wraps until it’s ready to ship. Then drop the announcement out of the blue. Nobody expected the OB6. It just appeared at NAMM. Boom!

    And don’t take orders for things and then make/ship them 8 months later.

    Behringer can’t be doing these teasers to find out what sorts of things people are interested in. How to explain a vocoder/string machine being their second clone? Is there a pent up demand for such a thing?

  30. i dont think showing a pic of a few doods smiling and playing a Jupiter 8 means that one is going to be cloned. if they were showing a prototype or some voice board replication then maybe it might mean theyre testing the idea. But this is just a few guys smiling and showing off that their boss can afford the 20k for one…so far.

    Having said all that…please make a clone Behringer! thru-hole components, same internals. Otherwise it will always be considered inferior by everyone

  32. For those crapping on the DeepMind 12…..Have you played One in person? A few years ago I wouldn’t even touch behringer stuff. After spending time on the road with an X32, I changed my tune.
    I own Moogs, Elektrons, Rolands, Yamahas, etc… and I’m not gonna say the DM32 blows them away by any means, but it certainly holds its own. In fact, for pads and soundscapes it crushes, everything else it does very well (although I still use my Moogs for Bass nearly every single time).
    I did notice my keybed looks a little shifty, that is one slight towards it. But other than that, the Build Quality is spot on.
    Just my actual User Opinion

  39. I own a Jupiter 8, which I’d like (reluctantly .. but sadly would) to sell. Any suggestions on how and where? (And are they really up to $20k?)

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