MATRIXSYNTH: Uli Behringer on Next Steps - New Affordable Clones of Classic Vintage Synths & More


Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Uli Behringer on Next Steps - New Affordable Clones of Classic Vintage Synths & More


This one in via Soviet Space Child.  Further below you will find a post from Uli Behringer on what he plans next.  It is pretty much in line with what he said in his recent interview posted here on the 23rd. Note he mentions bringing old classics back along with new creations. An interesting side note, is it appears Music Group IP, which Behringer falls under, made logo and trademark grabs for Oberheim. Via dluther:

"The Oberheim logo and trademarks seem to have been filed by Music Group after Gibson turned it over to Wells Fargo, and it expired:

USPTO Assignments on the Web

Then Music Group IP made a claim on it on Dec 8 of last year (awaiting examination

Trademark Status & Document Retrieval

And Gibson must have caught wind of what's going on and is now trying to retrieve it on behalf of Bank of America as a "Security Interest:"

USPTO Assignments on the Web

It's interesting to note they filed these trademarks under the Music Group IP Inc. name instead of some shell organization. Given the specificity of the Oberheim marks reserved, I'd venture their next big synth will be an 'homage' to the OB-Xa, and possibly an OSCar. Given their treatment of the Juno-106, it might be something special..."

And here is what Uli Behringer had to say regarding what's coming:

"Hello everyone, please allow me to chime in.

Since the introduction of our first synth, the DeepMind12, it has now become the best selling synthesizer at the world's largest retailers Thomann and Sweetwater. Our team is so excited that we have decided to go "all in".

What does that mean?

We have since hired 20 incredibly talented engineers and synth experts, and we're hiring many more. In fact we're looking for passionate software and hardware engineers for our Innovation Center in Manchester, UK. Please feel free to drop me a note and CV if you're interested...

Our dream is to cover every musical and technological angle, which includes analog and digital synths, samplers, romplers, drum machines - you name it.

We have also taken on the challenge to see if we can make a really cool analog synth for US$ 49 retail. That's not easy, but we'll give it a try! We like to make analog synths available especially for kids so they can learn to play an electronic instrument.

We'll be reviving both legacy synths based on authentic designs and original components but we're also heavily investing in research in the areas of cutting-edge granular and waveform synthesis, etc. in order to innovate and create something completely new.

Many people have asked us to revive synth jewels from the past and make them affordable so everyone can own one. This very much resonates with me because when I was a kid, I spent hours in stores playing and admiring those synths - however I couldn't afford them which was tremendously frustrating.

Frankly, I never understood why someone would charge you US$ 4,000 for a MiniMoog, when the components just cost around US $200.

We at Midas and Behringer believe in bringing these instruments back and making them affordable so everyone can play and enjoy them.

In order to introduce young people to the world of synthesizers, we have also hired lots of university fresh grads for our engineering departments - great guys that have discovered and now love building synths.
I can honestly say that this the best vibe we have ever had in our company and I am tremendously proud of these guys who put incredible effort and time in designing those synths.

As always we love to hear from you, learn what your thoughts are and what you want us to make. Building great things for customers is what we love and the purpose why we exist.

Thank you for all the fantastic support!

Uli"

Update: New OSCar and ARP 2600 on Behringer's Radar - this explains the OSCar logo above.

10 comments:

  1. Great, more crap! Why dont you 1. stop looking backwards and start looking forwards, cloning every thing everyone else has actually created is boring and shady. 2. stop trying to make a product for 49.00, your employees deserve a living wage.

    ReplyDelete
  2. To the person posting as Ryan, either get a new handle or email me before commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Given the specificity of the Oberheim marks reserved, I'd venture their next big synth will be an 'homage' to the OB-Xa, and possibly an OSCar. "

    What's the OSCar got to do with the Oberheim IP..? I can't quite see the logic in that statement...
    Mind you, I'd rather *anyone* have the Oberheim IP than Gibson...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would love to see him release a copy of the Minimoog for $400, (since he said the parts are $200, and he pays next to nothing for labor in China). Then I can:
    1. Buy one
    2. Make some popcorn and watch the Apple vs. Samsung style lawsuit unfold.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Uli, why don't you do the right thing and acquire that logo and then GIVE it to Tom Oberheim while he is still alive??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. <3 Best Comment !! <3

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Came on Uli:
      do the best thing: acquire the logo and give it back to Tom while he is still alive,
      like Yamaha did with Dave.

      https://www.davesmithinstruments.com/2015/01/sequential-back/

      Delete
  6. The cynical comments on this post are depressing. I'm looking forward to whatever cool new stuff comes out. Don't listen to the haters Uli!

    ReplyDelete
  7. An Oberheim clone is interesting for another reason, Music Group also owns a company called cool audio. Cool audio makes chips that run everything in your gear. They also re-issue chips that are way past patent protection. If you are going to do a oberheim clones you will also need to get CEM chips and rumor has it that cool audio are doing a few of them soon.

    ReplyDelete

To reduce spam, comments for posts older than one week are not displayed until approved, usually same day. Do not insult people. For items for sale, do not ask if it is still available. Check the auction link and search for the item. Auctions are from various sellers and expire over time. Posts remain for the pics and historical purposes. This site is meant to be a daily snapshot of some of what was out there in the world of synths.

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