Heritage Audio has introduced Synth Buddy, a 10 to 1 reversible and fully passive stereo switch for managing large synth rigs.
Synth Buddy lets you connect up to 10 stereo (or 20 mono) line level sources and toggle between them with the turn of a knob.
Synth Buddy is a passive design, meaning that it does not require power and it passes your signals through transparently.
Here’s the official Synth Buddy intro video:
Specifications:
- Inputs: 10 x Stereo / 20 x Mono TS Jacks.
- Outputs: 1 x Stereo / 2 x Mono TS Jacks.
- Inputs and outputs reversible.
- Full passive circuit.
- Weight: 988 gr.
- Dimensions: L: 190mm x D: 105mm x H: 80mm.
Pricing and Availability:
Synth Buddy is available now, priced at about $200 USD.
$200 for a mechanical switch in a box???
Surely you can’t be serious!
Genuinely trying to figure out a use case for this. Any ideas?
Me too. You have 10 possibly stereo synths, but you only want to record them one at a time?
you have a Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, but 10 stereo synthesizers, and you want to keep them connected all the time even though you can only record them one at a time.
But i only use a tb-303
I’m mostly struggling to see where I’d want this over a patch bay.
-The cable jumpers might be shorter on the synth buddy.
-Half as many cables.
-You don’t need the flexibility of a patch bay.
It’s really only two fewer cables if you patch you synths into the back of patch bay and use a pair cables to patch from those outputs (on the front) to the inputs of whatever destination you care about.
Not for me but I imagine this will be ‘the perfect thing’ for some folks. Dedicated boxes are a real nice thing have.
User case: Have 10 different devices run random sequences and switch between them radomly but rhythmically – there you have it: Dubstep!
$200 for this is insane.
Just wait until we have greenland and panama canal
don’t forget canda and mexico too! project 2025 to the rescue! barf.
Might be the killer of Frankin Audio ss-6 😀
Yeah, the price for that one just jumped to over $300US. Not sure if the build quality on this new item competes with the Franklin, though, but it certainly accommodates more inputs.
Though the SS-6II is also a DI box if I’m not mistaken and has a thru that allows you to use it as a kind of effects out. I think its more useful then this despite having fewer connections.
Lol, that’s, what? 20,- worth of components in a box? With the two deck 10 position rotary being 1/3 of that. All that hassle of having to switch jacks on a patchbay, through which you can actually select multiple synths at once.
one man euro-boutique shop. it’s non-polluting too!
a KVM for synths is a cool idea… the price is crazy, but i suppose it could be justified if its genuinely boutique manufacturer and the parts are pristine, etc… most pro studio gear used to be “too expensive” like this – so maybe its a throwback
Actually the pricing is pretty normal, a passive summing box will cost from 500 to 2k, and no, it’s not just 30 or 40 dollars of components. A good patchbay for instance is also not just “cheap” components and also costs more. No one complains about shitty modular patch cables that are made in China and sold for 10 fold…or have you guys ever complained about shitty convenience food or sodas being expensive? A can of coke is 1.50 and costs about 5 cent, you drink it every day and never complain. See the point here? You won’t complain about these things and accept them no matter what and support billion dollar corporations but you criticise a small company? I smell Behringer fanboyism, zero reflection.
You are 100% right…
Lol, some jacks, a rotary and perhaps some popping resistors? Even if you use American and European components, you’re not going to exceed my estimation by much. Nothing to do with Behringer, all about joining DIY audio electronic commmunities and learn about the scam that is pricing, and what “high quality” or “mil tec” components” really mean. Audio isn’t all that picky about components. Shit, if anything, old synths sounding “better” has more to do with components being out of spec, as was the case back in the day. Otherwise “serviced” gear would sound shitty as well, with filtering caps and all that being replaced by modern run of the mill stuff all the time.
It may become cheaper when Trump invades Greenland
the townsfolk will toss him back into the sea. *they’re* no dummies.
What on earth are you going on about?
Lots of patch cables are overpriced. It’s not too difficult to make your own. That bit of your sentence kind of makes sense.
It’s everything else that has me lost.
What has Coke got to do with? I never drink the stuff. It rots your teeth and your stomach.
Billion dollar corporations? What?
Then throw Behringer into the mix at the end for good measure!
there is no point to your mental gymnastics.
So its not ok to criticize a small company for wanting way to much money, for a thing that just connects cables, because other companies do that too? hahaha
I just bought similar things (1 to 5 multiples), I payed 10€. 😉
I aggree with fxb. A good patchbay costs from 199 to 300 euros. So, this thing, manufactured in Madrid Spain, isn’t over priced at all. I also see the use of this. Frankly this is something I’ve been looking for. Sold!
You don’t want to get a patch bay to avoid dealing with all of the cables so you get one of these then wire your synths to it with all the cables that requires instead and then a couple cables out of the synth buddy to your interface..
That seems like the problem this is solving but I’m not sure its the right tool for the job, it feels like the patchbay is the right tool for the job actually, the thing you’re trying to avoid using.
The 20 cable jumps might be shorter, but for the average producer with an average amount of space….some folks do have racks of gear sitting on a shelf because people don’t want to move it to the workstation to connect just to bring it back to its place when they’re done, this is probably useful in that scenario.
Are there other use cases I’m missing or is that it?
Maybe an insert selector, but again….I’d rather use a patch bay.
This is very cool for a desk setup. I’ll be picking one up.
Im still horrified by this thing. I realize there are plenty of passive guitar pedals that way overcharge despite being a switch in a box. this thing is maybe 40-50 bucks worth of parts, or less if you’re taking about bulk pricing (which is what manufacturers deal with)
if I for some reason need this functionality, I will spend 30 minutes drilling a project box and throwing 22 jacks in it with a switch, maybe another 30min soldering.
I’d love a switcher that handles both outs and ins. Many synths these days have both. Ie, Norns, Organelle, iPad, Plinky, OP-1, samplers…
I built something identical to this recently for about $50AUD and this rather than switching synths was used in reverse to switch between multiple audio monitors. And this can do exactly the same. Bit pricey at $200USD though
lol, has nobody watched the video closely?
the guy that is advertising this actually has 2 patchbays in the rack.
must be very convinced of his own products, lol
look at the right down corner
hihihi
It’s not replacing a patch, it’s a selector, different practicality. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a studio but usually there’s more than one product
I dont know why you cant see that a patchbay is a selector too. &_&
User case: Have 10 different devices run random sequences and switch between them radomly but rhythmically – there you have it: Dubstep!
Get a desktop mixer instead….they can be amazing….see how levels can be changed or blended rather than one source being on or off. Or go crazy and get 10 mixers as inputs to switch between. Higher priced midi enabled version coming soon. The video is fun. The keyboards continue to play when the switch is turned. Perhaps it’s just an empty box?
I don’t know. A mixer, especially in that price band, isn’t ideal, adds noise and some filtering, and might not be stereo.
Not even sure you need a mixer for this use case, just join the wires together.
LOTS of use cases. for instance if sampling from vinyl and have an MPC, SP1200 and let’s say an SP404 all set up on a desk, you can just switch through to sample to any of the machines you want, then those machines can go out through a traditional mixer.
it’s tough that this really gives the Franklin Audio a run for its money though, i really admire them and hopefully the fact that theirs is a DI with ground lift will help theirs keep an edge and honestly could see having both.
That’s a pretty solid use case for a home studio. As much as I like the idea of a one-to-many switch, I basically do this already with a patchbay & a few samplers.
What this entire comment section has forgotten about is use cases on stage, in broadcasting, in large studios etc. Having a simple switch for complex routes is something businesses would love. Think Heritage might’ve got the identity of this product a little wonky.
agreed. one thing Heritage didn’t mention is if the rotary knob is ‘click-less’, this is something Franklin has confirmed and would be absolutely necessary for live applications. I have the Franklin on the way and might pick one of these up to compare, i know many can’t see a use but i’m target market for more specific streamlined switching like this.
I wished it was switchabel TS/TRS. RIght now, only TS is bad.
Damn…..
Fucked me.
nice idea for some perhaps, but sometimes I like to use 2 or 3 or 10 synths at the same time – I’ll keep using my 12 channel synth submixer with 4 outs.
For the same amount you could get a used Shure Auxpander. I can think of use cases for this, but none of them stand up to the idea that you might be better off replacing one of your synths with a mixer…any mixer.
Behringer please make this and make the price reasonable / fair….
If you want a crappy selector you can find many with RCA for less than $30.
You don’t need to ask to rip off a boutique brand’s idea you probably don’t need.
I’d wish you that one day a big brand will steal your idea but something tells me you’re not the productive type 🙂
I don’t think a rotary switch with a big knob and the word “synth” painted on really counts as idea that can be stolen. Besides, ideas are a dime a dozen, but consistent execution isn’t and that required for excellence.
It doesn’t matter
actually we have a boutique brand here that is selling the oldest idea in the world – lets connect some cables.
your yadda yadda about “big brands stealing ideas from small companies” isnt related at all; thats just the narrative you like to push.
Cant confuse me. 😉
Can’t fault this product. With too few inputs on the soundcard in a mixerless home setup with too many synths/drum machines this is golden.
Pricey for a switch? Probably.
Godsend for the small home studio? Yup!
A high-quality TS jack typically costs around $1, bringing the total to about $22. A 2-pole, 10-position rotary switch can range from $10 to $15, while the PCB usually falls between $7 and $10. A robust metal case with silk printing will set you back $15 to $20. All in all, the Bill of Materials (BOM) comes to approximately $65 to $70. When you factor in shipping of parts, designer fees, labor for assembly, quality assurance and additional overhead the costs quickly add up. Plus as a business about half of your margins will be eaten up by taxes. Good luck running a boutique audio business.
Also packaging materials, the manual, custom selector knob cap, CE and other certifications, warranty-related costs, support…
They must have spent a lot of money on marketing for this, I’m so tired of seeing it I wouldn’t use one if it was given to me.
The only useful sources of information for this kind of news any longer seem to be Sound on Sound, TapeOp, and Waveform. Everything else is just affiliate marketing for lifestyle products.
Grey – Synthtopia doesn’t use ‘affiliate marketing’ on our site. The decisions about what stories we cover are driven by what readers are interested in, not by affiliate marketing, as it is on many sites.
This means that we are leaving a lot of money on the table that we might get through affiliate marketing. But we don’t like how affiliate marketing leads to terrible content.
If you don’t like our content choices, tell us why and what you’d like to see more of. But if you dismiss those choices as ‘affiliate marketing’, you’re talking out your rear.
Also, if you think content decisions for Sound On Sound, TapeOp and Waveform are not informed by who advertises, you might want to learn about the magazine business!
There are plenty of places you can get basic information and facts on new products, some use affiliate marketing, some don’t. That’s well covered up and down the spectrum blasting out of every data orfice on the internet, and I’d actually like to see less of that because it’s the informational equivalent of junk food.
Only Sound on Sound, TapeOp, and Waveform have informed reviews that go beyond factual reporting and provide useful information and insight into the items. You might even see a review where the reviewer says something negative about it, which is a rarity these days.
Also, it’s not really related to Synthtopia, althought I have seen some very catty fights/personal attacks in the comments here, but forums are worse than ever. They are either a) flooded with new users so the signal-to-noise ratio is near zero, or b) so fossilised and up their own bums that they resemble group therapy sessions. So, that’s one less resource.
You seem very tired of it all. Maybe you need a break from the internet
it’s all about balance, mon ami. a walk in the park, a good book, holidays away, one guitar and one amp are remarkably restorative tonics!