Behringer ARP Odyssey clone for $500

rhythm ranch · Post by **rhythm ranch** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 4:44 pm

Are we entering a new (old) world of affordable analog synths?
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/12/b ... yssey-say/

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 4:57 pm

And they can call it the Octave Cat!

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:33 pm

I think several have already proved that cheap throwaway synths are indeed possible and will sell, I say make something that won't fall apart, doesn't have minikeys, doesn't have 80s patch memory limitations, doesn't have a stupid UI, and looks forward instead of backwards?I will listen.

Until then, I've got a room full of old synths I paid far less than $500 for that don't say Behringer on them and I can wait for something interesting to come out.

I just bought a Pro 2 not long ago that to me, stands essentially alone in terms of what I personally expect in a modern synth.

analogika · Post by **analogika** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 5:40 am

I think it is slightly beside the point to talk only about "what we expect from <gear> in the 21st century".

A lot of gear, we don't buy primarily for its features; we buy it primarily for how it sounds.

Your Pro 2 may meet your expectations of what a synth should do, but it does not sound like a minimoog, or an Odyssey. (It also cost a HELLUVA lot more than $500.)

The point of a re-issued MS-20, or a re-issued Odyssey, is that nothing else on the planet sounds like those two pieces of kit.
And an MS-20 was north of $2000 before the re-issue was released.
I've been lusting after an Odyssey for a good many years now, but there was no way I was going to afford myself one at the $4000+ they go for hereabouts.

How many of that roomful of old synths you got are worth WAY more than $500 at today's prices?

What intrigues me most about this product tease is that Korg officially announced that they had hired David Friend and are releasing an Arp Odyssey in "early 2015"?and now Behringer kicks them in the balls.

This will be a very interesting shoot-out, and I'm hoping that it doesn't kill Korg's calculations and thwart plans for future products they might be planning.

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 9:57 am

I could also argue that a Minimoog Voyager doesn't sound like a Minimoog, a MS20 mini is inferior to the original, and neither Korg nor Behringer will make an Odyssey that sounds like an Arp Odyssey. Roland tries to recycle some crap that resembles their formerly rejected toys of the 80s but still tries to stuff it with 80s limitations... That is ok, however to what end do we need a dozen cheap imitations that don't come close and when do we start innovating again. I am glad the Pro 2 is not an emulation of a Minimoog, Odyssey, MS20, or Pro 1..,for that matter. There are plenty of great innovations that have happened since 1973, I would rather see some of those employed. For some reason I thought the whole point of playing synthesizers was to come up with new sounds, not to focus on the old ones. You would think the synth community is made up of guitar players, fixated on the tired designs of the last several decades and uninterested in the slightest step forward.

For the record, every vintage synth I've got is worth over $500...and they have the apparenly blasphemous quality of playing several notes at a time and full size keyboards that not many want to shoot for in favor of cheap toys.

analogika · Post by **analogika** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 4:26 pm

I see nothing wrong with loving classic-sounding gear.

I'm all for discovering newness and stuff, but classic gear is classic for a reason, and its desirability is not JUST due to hype.

And taking an MS20 design, building something that sounds identical (except slightly noisier) and selling it at 1/4 the price of the vintage machine is like building a Chinese Neumann clone: No skin off anybody's back, and it makes stuff accessible to a whole range of people who wouldn't be able to afford it at vintage prices otherwise.

The new MS20 IS an MS20, btw. It sounds uniformly more like a vintage MS20 than vintage MS20s sound like each other. It's just slightly noisier, apparently. It's smaller keys are perfectly fine for what MS20s are used as 95% of the time.

There is no reason not to expect a Korg Odyssey to sound exactly like the original - they do need to make it 100% size, though.
For the record, I'm rather more skeptical of Behringer 's track record in this regard.

Scodiddly · Post by **Scodiddly** » Thu Dec 25, 2014 11:16 am

I would guess that the Behringer version, if it happens, will have a significant digital portion and then maybe analog filters.

GooberNumber9 · Post by **GooberNumber9** » Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:12 am

I doubt I'll be able to stomach the Behringer thing at all, but I'll have to give the Korg a shot. Not that I've really been a fan of anything Korg since I sold off my M1, but just in case.

There are some new ideas going on out there in synths - Dave Smith is definitely keeping it fresh, the new Moog stuff sounds great and has modern features (although can be pretty pricey), and the Nord Lead line is still offering crazy amounts of synthesis power with great sound quality.

apropos of nothing · Post by **apropos of nothing** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:45 am

My neighbor loaned me an MS-20 a few years ago, before the re-issue. I got so into it, I couldn't even play it the last month it was in my possession, because it was like, this is going to go away, and I'm never going to be able to afford another, and I can't even bring myself to experiment with all the loveliness it offers, because I'll learn about it, and then not be able to afford to make those noises.

Yeah, love my mini-MS-20, and awesome accessories that would have been impossible when it was a current machine...
http://hackmeopen.com/Vectr/

The Real MC · Post by **The Real MC** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:49 pm

You get what you pay for. Behringer has a history of poor product reliability and support. Retailers have stopped stocking them and will no longer take used Behringer gear on consignment. Used Behringer gear are nearly worthless on the trading sites. Repair shops have dropped authorized service of Behringer due to problems getting reimbursed for services and defective replacement parts.

Who in their right mind would pay $500 for a synth that has little used market value with a diminishing pool of techs who will repair them?

analogika · Post by **analogika** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:52 pm

However, Behringer have been making waves recently in terms of component quality and quality control since their purchase of Midas.

Things change, even Behringer.

The Real MC · Post by **The Real MC** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:26 pm

Ive been burned too many times, I'm not an easy sell. I wouldn't care if Behringer had acquired Neve.

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Behringer ARP Odyssey clone for $500

Behringer ARP Odyssey clone for $500

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