The Behringer Keyboards 'n' Stuff Thread #3

[Arpangel]

I’ve given up on that VCS3 too, I don’t know how they can suddenly hype things up so much, and then just drop them.

[tea for two]

The Hydrasynth is also a massively more capable synth in terms of both sound creation and performance control. I'm very pleased with it indeed, and no longer have any plans to buy the DS80 if it ever appears.

This is it for me at least. Checked out Cherry Audio GX80 when it was announced on SoS News page also have some CS80v on my old Arturia Analog Factory. I've probably used Vangelis style sounds just a handful of times.
There's so many amazing sound design libraries out there inspire me make my music pieces sound a whole heap better.

[ajay_m]

While I entirely sympathise with the concerns over Behringer's business practices, I do wonder whether any of you making music on a Windows computer has ever read the book "Hard Drive" which documents Microsoft's early history. Their behaviour makes Uli look like a saint in comparison.
It is certainly a problem in terms of feeling comfortable about giving money to companies who behave badly, but it's the same dilemma we face when we look at Eric Gill's work and then read about his own personal life. This of course was why someone decided to take a chisel to the statue on the BBC building, but is this the answer?.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I don’t know how they can suddenly hype things up so much, and then just drop them.

I doubt they're dropped forever. I imaging they've just been substantially delayed because of all the issues in China with Covid staff isolations /lockdowns, and the poor availability of audio chips generally, plus halted production of Behringer's own custom ICs which are critical components in many of their musical products.

[sonics]

I gave up the wait and bought a Hydrasynth Deluxe... I also find it just as pleasurable and inspiring to play as I did the original CS80 — more so, in fact.

I can image it's very inspiring, but surely the physical keyboard is vastly different in feel? If ASM don't have any plans for a proper weighted keyboard they have probably lost my money to an Osmose (perhaps sometime in 2024!) and software. I have a feeling that if Behringer ever release a product it won't have a good keyboard on it.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I can image it's very inspiring, but surely the physical keyboard is vastly different in feel?

Yes, of course.

The original CS80 had very long wooden fully weighted keys, and the factory setup required quite heavy pressures for full modulation of the Afterthought and velocity response.

Not being a classically trained pianist, I found it a challenge, but those who are really like it and I can see why.

The Hydrasynth Deluxe is a typical light-weight synth action keybed with user adjustable afterthought and velocity pressures and response curves. I find it delightfully playable and I can certainly play faster runs on it than I ever could on the CS80.

If ASM don't have any plans for a proper weighted keyboard they have probably lost my money...

Fair enough. I think they will probably pick up more who prefer the lighter keyboard, though.

I have a feeling that if Behringer ever release a product it won't have a good keyboard on it.

AFAIK the DS80 was planned to have a light synth-action keybed.

[BJG145]

The original CS80 had very long wooden fully weighted keys, and the factory setup required quite heavy pressures for full modulation of the Afterthought and velocity response.

It was an afterthought? Blimey. I wonder how much it would have been if they'd planned for it.

[Hugh Robjohns]

sorry.. spermtickler did it again.

[ajay_m]

Weighted keyboards though really reflect their piano heritage. If you do want to use polyphonic aftertouch effectively I do feel a synth style keyboard makes more sense. This is also true for b3 organ playing where using the back of your hand to do a glissando on a weighted keyboard can be a somewhat painful affair.

[sonics]

Yes the CS-80 action is heavy, but always suited me nicely. A joy to play.
Nothing yet (that I've been able to play) has come that close to replicating it, hence why I'd like to try an Osmose. It still won't have the lovely control panel, though! If someone would put those features into a keyboard, the synth engine really doesn't matter. It seems that companies fail to understand that these days. Generic bad-feeling plastic keyboards don't make for an inspiring instrument.

[sonics]

Weighted keyboards though really reflect their piano heritage. If you do want to use polyphonic aftertouch effectively I do feel a synth style keyboard makes more sense.

I disagree about that. The CS-80 got it right. Nice weighted touch, and great sense of "digging in" for the effects.

This is also true for b3 organ playing where using the back of your hand to do a glissando on a weighted keyboard can be a somewhat painful affair.

I do hope you've not actually tried that!

[DGL.]

I have a feeling that if Behringer ever release a product it won't have a good keyboard on it.

AFAIK the DS80 was planned to have a light synth-action keybed.

The VC340 here has a semi-weighted action I believe, there are weights under each key (under a plastic cover) and I would expect the DS-80 to have the same. Looking at demo videos of the Ub-Xa might tell you what you need to know as that has the same keybed as I understand, it certinaly has polyphonic after-touch as will all their 61 key flagships I am led to believe. Certainly a different feel to my unweighted SH-201 but similar to my Motif XS7.

[tea for two]

Yes the CS-80 action is heavy, but always suited me nicely. A joy to play.
Nothing yet (that I've been able to play) has come that close to replicating it, ...won't have the lovely control panel, though!

Fiddling abooot with dials sliders on a 24inch touchscreen just doesn't cut it when messing on a GX-80, CS80v.
I have fantasised flying all over a real CS80 Vangelis style.
Yet here's the thing I've never noodled on a single vintage Synth. So I can use whichever emulation without feeling oh I can't get as much joy from it coz it isn't the real thing.

[Arpangel]

The original CS80 had very long wooden fully weighted keys, and the factory setup required quite heavy pressures for full modulation of the Afterthought and velocity response.

It was an afterthought? Blimey. I wonder how much it would have been if they'd planned for it.

I’m having that off Hugh, wonderful!
I’m in a music shop, I can just imagine it "has it got full verbosity and and afterthought"

[t-sun]

https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_sol ... semble.htm

Solina is available for pre-order, £291/329 €/$299.

I assume it's back-ordered to hell.

[rACed2]

Slightly OT but has anyone here every come across a circuit diagram for the BCF2000?

[Arpangel]

https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_sol ... semble.htm

I assume it's back-ordered to hell.

Wasn’t that a single by Bon Jovi?

This "back ordering" now they’ve found a way of relieving you of your money without actually having anything tangible to sell you, this is a major step forward, we’re going to reach a point where unless you’ve got an "account" with a company, with money in it, you won’t be able to buy anything from them, I’m fed up with the whole music retailing scene, I’m OK with my charity shop and classified finds, I’ll stick to those.

[Hugh Robjohns]

There's no way I'd pay up front for something not in stock. A modest deposit to have it ordered, sure, but not the full wack... and I simply wouldn't trade with any company that asked me to pay up front. That's not the way the business works.

[t-sun]

Sweetwater doesn't charge you until they ship the device, similar to Amazon. Which is great for US buyers, but they're the only one I know of that does it that way.

In other news, Behringer says the first of their sub $100 mini-synths is in production: JT-4000 at $69.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behring ... production

Not the one I was looking forward to (definitely looking forward to the Pro VS) but a good sign nonetheless.

[DGL.]

Sweetwater doesn't charge you until they ship the device, similar to Amazon. Which is great for US buyers, but they're the only one I know of that does it that way.

In other news, Behringer says the first of their sub $100 mini-synths is in production: JT-4000 at $69.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behring ... production

Not the one I was looking forward to (definitely looking forward to the Pro VS) but a good sign nonetheless.

The VS and it's companion eurorack module are supposedly also in production.

[N i g e l]

Slightly OT but has anyone here every come across a circuit diagram for the BCF2000?

nope but there are informative internal pictures online.
If your having PSU issues these have been discussed previously here - mainly that the PSU is a switch mode working from rectified mains - only for the brave !

[Arpangel]

There's no way I'd pay up front for something not in stock. A modest deposit to have it ordered, sure, but not the full wack... and I simply wouldn't trade with any company that asked me to pay up front. That's not the way the business works.

Absolutely. But there seem to be a few high profile dealers out there doing just this, are they desperate for money?

[Hugh Robjohns]

Even less reason to pay up front...

[BJG145]

Some time ago we introduced the ENIGMA concept synthesizer, inspired by the Buchla Easel. We have now built the first prototype and are about to fire it up and develop the firmware. Just to manage expectation, this will take time as it is a very complex synth with full c/c and patch memory. We hope that you’re as excited as we are.