At Superbooth 2018, Behringer was displaying a wide range of engineering prototypes of clones of classic electronic music gear.
We talked with Erik Steckmann – Music Tribe Engineer, Product Management – and he gave us an overview of the Behringer Pro-One and some insight into its development.
Note: Steckmann said that the Pro-One, along with most of the other new gear on display, was an engineering prototype and that the device’s sound, functionality, etc. could change.
An official introduction – with specs, release date, etc – is expected to come later this year.
Please make it programable.Memories would make it a game changer.
Programmable memories would require an original design using a microcontroller and more complex circuit with digital control. Copying Dave’s original all-analog signal path is cheaper and far easier.
This is all about maximizing profit for Music Group by selling other people’s hard work as cheaply as possible.
This is great because after 50 years these overpriced basic electronical devices will finally be available to 3rd world countries where people will be doing great new music unheard so far on the planet.. instead of us occidentals repeating ourselves over and over and complaining about everything. You have food in the fridge? You have a fridge? Yes? So what are you complaining about???
Maybe the “third world” should focus on getting a fridge first then.
They buy the fridge with the money they make selling CDs made using instruments they legally bought which were produced 100% legally ethically and morally involving long ago expired patents in some cases, and no patents at all in others. Only a crazed fundamentalist bankster who hates brown people could possibly object to this. Are such fundamentalists terrible people? Yes, unequivocally. This is common sense. Should such fundamentalists by tried and imprisoned for crimes against humanity? Possibly, if they are unrepentant of their oppression.
Right. The answer to all the third worlds problems is cheap 80s mono synths.
I think anybody that wants synths can find a way to afford them in whatever form they want, but to act like these new synths are going to re-sculpt the economics of the world is moronic.
And here you show a desperate unability to think. Nobody said any problems will be fixed through that, but maybe they too deserve to have fun sometimes NO? Come on.. are you from the KKK or what?
“Moronic”? Oh gosh, are we going ad hominem now? Hey let’s not, but say we did.
I’ll use the term ‘a poorly thought out recommendation’ instead when referring to your plan for the third world to run out and buy refrigerators rather than moronic, which you called my plan for them to invest in tools needed for a business. Refrigerators use a LOT of electricity. Most of the world shouldn’t be buying a refrigerator. Places with no electricity won’t be able to run them on solar panels. Those with electricity the typical person can’t afford the electric bill. They are better served doing what they are already doing. Storing grains, drying vegetables and fruits, and any perishables like milk or meat are used on the day they are taken.
There is no market for their foods in the west though and they can’t comply with safety standards. But the west does like their art and music. For an impoverished person from artistic cultures, a good plan is to develop those skills and sell that art. Music in particular can be sold with no overhead of shipping, logistics, or customs restrictions. It’s the ideal export for an impoverished third worlder. Most who have solar panels and cell phones. Add some instruments to the mix and a bandcamp page and they are in business. They guy who followed your recommendation and bought a refrigerator is out a lot of money and has a big rusting useless box while his family starves. That plan was not so good!
Thanks Rabid Bat! Thank you!
Are you even serious?
I would normally agree with you, but since they say that all the parameters are addressable via MIDI CC, doesn’t that mean that they are already using digital encoders to speak to the analogue back-end? Wouldn’t this mean that saving programs IS possible?
“Memories” would also make it more expensive.
What dd I say a few weeks / months before… “I wish Behringer would produce a clone of the Sequencential Circuits – Pro-One” !
It’s funny how now Behringer has a first name, my guess is some PR company got a lot of money to suggest that…Anyway clones are clones, if you need your first name to be remembered design something of your own..
I don’t have thousands to spend on the originals. I play for fun. So these clones are great. I am glad Behringer is making these clones. I want to get the MS-101 instead of the SH-01a. The Behringer Model-D sounds great as well.
Uli Behringer has always had a first name. Those grapes must be so sour by now lol
I have known about Uli Behringer for some 25 years or so. The fact that he’s a real person is nothing new!?
I’m going Yazoo all the wayyyyy yay!
Finally my generation will be able to afford these synths! (besides all those rich hipsters making lame music) Time to bring back early 90s techno…. (Belgium did it best!)
People with normal income are now getting the oportunity to buy amazing synths.. Well done Uli…
How accurate is this clone? Does the clone simulate the dying of the membrane style keyboard of the first Pro-Ones?
While I understand people appreciating the idea of cheap instruments, power to the people, blah blah etc., the tidal wave of cheap Chinese guitars has not delivered to us a generation of great new musicians or songwriters, so I see no reason to believe that all these masses of working-class folks with limited income to spend on their electronic instruments will produce a great utopian wave of new, innovative electronic music – especially when it is built upon the backs of the designs of 35 years ago.
Why not instead, do something original with what you have, rather than buy in to the retro/nostalgia of owning a Pro One to make your great new music none of us can imagine?
There are PLENTY of synths to be had for $199, which is a LOT less than it cost my generation to buy gear back in the 1980’s. No need to package them to look like a synth from 1982, except to cash in on nostalgia from a generation who were not there at the time.
“the tidal wave of cheap Chinese guitars has not delivered to us a generation of great new musicians or songwriters”
How could you possibly be so sure about that?
I’m pretty sure that many, if not most, great guitarists (and other musicians) started out on cheap instruments that they could actually afford!
Behringer have already sold more model D’s than Moog, Norlin and Moog 2 ever made. I think that is the answer to why they will continue cloning old gear. Subtractive analogue synthesizers are simple instruments to design, so I don’t think it’s down to developing costs. Marketing on the other hand I think is more important. It’s way easier to sell something you already know people want, than making something new.
Exactly. By copying the Pro-One, 101 or 808, Behringer doesn’t have to create an original design or worry about marketing it.
Dave Smith and team did the hard work, yet everyone is congratulating multi-millionare Uli Behringer for copying instruments like the Pro-One and Model D in a massive Chinese factory and “saving” us from little companies like DSI and Moog.
Bro, these instruments have not been made famous by the manufacturers, but by the dudes using it and becoming famous through that. NEVER forget, the 101 and 808 where the cheap crap stuff that poor people could afford instead of buying a nice drumset from slingerland and afford to have a rehearsal room, and that is how techno in the US started for example. But there wouldnt be no Techno from detroit if the 808 or 303 or 101 had been premium expensive machines like they became now!
Good point Alfonse you say true words…
^This.
Haha, makes me wonder if cheap digital synths and romplers, and cheap/free plugins and smartphone synths will be the next big thing!! 😉
It probably won’t, because while being cheap they still have a phisicality and a personality as “real” musical instruments.. a smartphone app.. there are a few that have that but they are rare, and perishable.. a sh101 you can repair it easily wth a few condensers and a solder iron..
Oh by the way! Dont forget that sh101 for example is kind of a mini copy of model d aswell.. a cheap, 1osc roland interpretation of a integrated portable synth.. clones are new but mow maybe less disguised!
Peace
I think the sales figures that Behringer has given are just more advertising hype. He can make up whatever number he wants.
Methinks the proof is in how they sound more than anything. As far as I know, DSI and Moog have (mostly) moved on to create other designs (with a few retro throwbacks from Moog, like the “new” Minimoog Model D and huge modular systems like the III-P). It’s also notable that, despite people wanting Roland, Moog, Sequential/DSI, etc., to reissue or update these classic machines they have (for the most part) been ignored. ACB JX-3Ps, anyone?
Meanwhile, the second-hand market prices for Prophet Vs, Pro-Ones, original Model Ds, TR-808s, TR-909s, Jupiter 8s, CS-80s, SH-101s, etc, have shown the outrageous demand by virtue of used gear prices that have gone through the roof. If Behringer can (legally) create great-sounding, low-cost viable alternatives for these overpriced and (sometimes) unstable units of yesteryear, then more power to him. I’m hoping they do an SP-1200 clone next. And maybe an EMS VC-3 or EL-101 Electro Comp 🙂
Much more interesting than Moog clone, since that’s been done a million times in software and hardware. So that’s low on my list. SelE-02 is a better knockoff with bonus features. Only u-he Re-pro comes close to this, so I’m in. P5 next?
Lookong foward to that Jupiter 8 clone teased. Talk about an unobtainable synth!
ive got the moog copy love it,giveme one and i will give money,
dont care about the politics.