What's Wrong With Behringer Synth Clones?

Behringer has become very well known around the world for making affordable clones of classic analogue synthesizers. They come out with many new models every year, and there are thousands of people around the world who eagerly await the next release.

But there seems to also be a great number of people who have an issue with these clones. Indeed, Behringer has received an awful lot of hate for these synthesizer clones. I really have to stop and ask....why? That is what I am looking at in this video.

This whole thing started when I received an email from a very well known company that refurbishes and sells old analogue synths. They made a comment in one of their newsletters that stated something that I thought was painfully obvious. They insinuated that there was nothing as good as the real thing when it came to classic synthesizers. Well, of course! I don't think anybody would deny that. I think anybody who is into vintage synthesizers would definitely agree that nothing beats the real deal!

But as I mention in the video, most of us don't have a spare five thousand dollars laying around, and most of us simply could not afford those old classics even if we wanted to.

Folks may knock the clones and say that they just aren't the original item. Well, no kidding! But judging upon many samples I have heard comparing the clones to the original models, I have to say in most cases they sound pretty darn close! My Behringer Model D may not be a real Minimoog, but it sounds pretty close! Close enough for me.

Music should never be exclusive. And synthesizers should not just be something reserved for the very wealthy. That has always been a grievance with synths since the very beginning. I think these instruments should be accessible to all! If you can't afford the real thing, one of these clones is the next best thing! If people genuinely enjoy using these Behringer synth clones and love collecting them, what is the problem with that? Absolutely nothing, in my opinion.

What do you think? Do you think these Behringer clones are a travesty? Do you think they should be banned? Or do you love using them? Do you own many? Do they sound close enough to the original synth to your ears? Feel free to leave a comment!

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