For a month or so Behringer has been teasing the DeepMind 12 and although we are getting quite used to watching blurred out video clips of upcoming machines, the DeepMind 12 may well be worth waiting for. Behringer has been teasing this little beast for quite some time now – already back in 2014 there were rumors of an ARP clone from Behringer – later materialized via KORG instead. And from a pure machine perspective it feels refreshing that Behringer is not following in the revival of vintage machines track, but rather focuses on building something new and genuinely inspiring.
According to Behringer’s latest video, the analog DeepMind 12 is a 12-voice polyphonic synthesizer. Company founder Uli Behringer has elaborated on the instrument in a statement posted on Facebook, saying that it’s the first synth to feature built-in Wi-Fi, allowing wireless control via tablet.
“With approx. 4,000 components, the DeepMind12 is one of the most complex synthesizers that has ever been built,” Behringer claims. “Due to its discrete design structure, it has vastly more components than you will likely find in any of the current synthesizers on the market.”
Behringer says that the DeepMind 12 will also come with four effects engines, each of which comes loaded with 30 “world-class” effects algorithms. DeepMind 12 will be available in both keyboard and rack-mount versions.
Peter Grandl at Amazona.de had a visit to the the MIDAS HQ and in the video below Peter talks to two of the designers – Pete and Rob, about the features and background to the project. The original concept was based around the Juno 106, but quickly evolved into something way more featured. More details can be found in the video, including the fact that CV/Gate control is available via a dedicated pedal input – CV can be used as a mod source, or note value, Gate to drive the sequencer/arpeggiator.
It will in any case be interesting to get our hands on this machine and try it out when it do actually hit the market. Although we know that Behringer do have some history in the field of synthesizers, it is not in this arena that the company has made its money in recent years (if ever..?). Uli Behringer, the company’s founder, was committed to music and technology from a very early age, and had constructed a synthesizer (the UB-1) by the age of 16. But nothing in today´s product portfolio comes even close to a synth, rather they do everything else but synths.
In the early days, Behringer focused on studio audio processors such as noise reduction systems and compressors, but the product line soon included guitar amps, PA amplifiers and loudspeakers, mixing boards, stompboxes, recording interfaces, microphones, digital pianos, guitars, lighting equipment, etc. The appeal of Behringer’s products was the package of performance and low price.