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Behringer Pro 800


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Some of the stuff you mention are not multi-fx. I made that distinction because it is easy to create single analog effects (a delay unit, a phaser, etc.)... vintage effects boxes are analog... but they usually just do one thing. If you need a selection of effects (esp. in a low cost box), you're probably talking about digital. I was coming at this from the perspective of, if someone is going to not buy a synth because it doesn't have effects, would one effect (say, a delay) be sufficient? Or are they looking for a multitude of effects (in which case you're probably adding digital processing to your analog synth)? But I also realize there is the option of digital effects that could be bypassed for when you want to stay purely analog.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Well, just my opinion but I don't care about adherence to the original spec. I owned a JX-10 and poly 800 among other synths and they truly came alive in the studio with a nice verb or delay on them. Just my opinion. What would the obx-a used on "1984" sound like dry? Not as nice as what was recorded I reckon! FX are a big part of synth sounds. Heck Behringer themselves added fx to their original design for the Deepmind and that synth is not expensive. That's fine, it's a choice they are making and for me it's a mark in the "con" column. I remember when the M1 came out and one reason people loved it was the fx on the board--would you use them over a studio lexicon? No, but the option to turn them off was there.

 

I'd prefer that synth makers would say "let's take something great and add features/improve things now that the tech has moved ahead." Granted, Gibson tried that and it gave us robot tuners and other "improvements" so it depends on what the features are! Built-in audio interfaces, sub-mixing using alternate inputs, more modulation options if feasible etc etc.

 

I guess though that since I only use hardware in a live setting--at home 100% software--that fx aren't quite as important as I typically wouldn't want to have a lot of fx depending on the room. So I'll back down from that statement a bit. I have no wish personally to bring an fx unit out live with me, I like to keep my rig very simple and quick to set up/tear down. Doesn't really matter as far as this synth unless I felt they have changed as a company, so fx or anything else is moot.

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Yeah, at gigs, I typically don't use effects except for, well, special effects. The room is usually live enough, I don't need reverb. And if the room isn't live enough, well, if one thing needs a bit of reverb, then probably everything does. So a master reverb send in the mixer handles that. So I really don't need reverb in each board. I'm usually turning it *off*.

 

The other thing here is, we're talking about a module, not a keyboard. So I'd be running it from some other keyboard, and odds are good I'd be running it from a keyboard that would let me apply effects to the output of the module anyway (like a MODX or PC4).

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Update

 

A little more about the Pro 800 and GliGli:

 

Well for a predicted $600 that's a lot of synth. You get 16 CEM3340 oscillators and 8 CEM3320 low pass filters. Considering the OBXa used the same filter (although it had a 12dB/octave one as well) then this synth should be capable of some great sounds.

 

Prophet 600 has CEM3372 filter/VCA chips, (same as Chroma Polaris, Xpander, and VX600 etc) not CEM3320.

 

Where is the info about PRO800 and CEM3320 filters?

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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Some of the stuff you mention are not multi-fx. I made that distinction because it is easy to create single analog effects (a delay unit, a phaser, etc.)... vintage effects boxes are analog... but they usually just do one thing. If you need a selection of effects (esp. in a low cost box), you're probably talking about digital. I was coming at this from the perspective of, if someone is going to not buy a synth because it doesn't have effects, would one effect (say, a delay) be sufficient? Or are they looking for a multitude of effects (in which case you're probably adding digital processing to your analog synth)? But I also realize there is the option of digital effects that could be bypassed for when you want to stay purely analog.

 

I agree. Built in FX on a synth are highly over rated. My Yamaha Motif ES8 has a great selection of FX that can be saved with each sound and with individual songs. That is important for a workstation. Now, my Alesis ION supposedly has FX. but its a joke. Hardly noticeable. So, I ran one side of the ION's Stereo output through my Roland CE1 Chorus Unit. That fatened the sound to my satisfaction. In addition. I have a rack FX unit that I used for my Vocals through my PA.I also use a bit of Digital Delay on the ION using the rack mount FX. For me, its the best combination.

 

The one short coming of the Poly 800 is its MONO. Really? Now, my Prophet 5 is mono, but I bought that in 1981 and none of the mainstream synths came with FX in the dark ages.

 

Some of the bottom end DSI synths of today have FX that sound cheesy, which is surprising.

Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1.

 

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Behringer continues offering reimagined retro synths.:laugh:

 

I can see why some would prefer to have onboard FX. Less to schlep..

 

I prefer outboard FX either in a rack or pedal. IMO, they provide more control over parameters and a better overall sound. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The one short coming of the Poly 800 is its MONO. Really? Now, my Prophet 5 is mono, but I bought that in 1981 and none of the mainstream synths came with FX in the dark ages.

 

 

Yeah....here is the stereo mod for the P600...gonna get it for mine for sure :)

 

Together with the GliGli mod it eats the DSI stuff for breakfast

 

 

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer

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Yeah....here is the stereo mod for the P600...gonna get it for mine for sure :)

If you mean you intend to get it for your P800, I read that that won't work... it's hard-wired for the 6-voice architecture and would need a redesign to work for 8 voices.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Built in FX on a synth are highly over rated.

 

According to what? Everyone has his own needs and preferences.

 

According to my past experiences.It costs $$$ to put GOOD quality FX on a synth. Behringer goes for low price modules. Adding cheesy FX would up the price, if they are unusable, its a waste of money.

 

Rack based FX offer a lot more variety. I'd be willing to pay good money for a rack based FX unit i can use for ALL my instruments.

 

Ya, everyone has their own needs and preferences. Correct my if I'm wrong, but I believe you said you wouldn't buy that Behringer because it has no FX. So Marino, after all these years, you have no quality rack based FX?

Yamaha Motif ES8, Alesis Ion, Prophet 5 Rev 3.2, 1979 Rhodes Mark 1 Suitcase 73 Piano, Arp Odyssey Md III, Roland R-70 Drum Machine, Digitech Vocalist Live Pro. Roland Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-1.

 

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Correct my if I'm wrong, but I believe you said you wouldn't buy that Behringer because it has no FX.

I never said it; I only said that apparently, it didn't have built-in effects. Since you asked, I would prefer to have them, but it's not a deal breaker.

 

So Marino, after all these years, you have no quality rack based FX?

Of course I have a few and use them. Lexicon, Yamaha, TC. But these days, I prefer to have built-in effects on synths, given that they aren't very low quality, like on my TG77, which has the worst effects in the world. The reason is obvious: when I program a patch, the built-in effects can become a part of the sound design.

Some instruments I know (Kurz 2600, Wavestation, Xenophone, even the Pro 3 maybe) have good enough effects that I would use them in a recording sometimes. When you have spent the time to tailor the effects to your sound, sometimes you don't want to rebuild them from scratch with external, better effects. Even if the built-in effects are a bit less high-quality, you want that character to be retained.

 

Of course, if you only use effects to add a bit of chorus or ambience, this wouldn't be a problem. But even so, I don't want to use the same chorus or delay on all my sounds. So I would have to dedicate a memory slot on the effect unit to a certain synth patch. And on stage, more stuff to carry, and using MIDI program changes to recall the right effects at the right moment, and worrying about levels...

I did all that in the past. And maybe I'm just becoming lazier with age, but when a synth has usable on-board effects, I'm grateful. :)

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Update

 

A little more about the Pro 800 and GliGli:

 

Well for a predicted $600 that's a lot of synth. You get 16 CEM3340 oscillators and 8 CEM3320 low pass filters. Considering the OBXa used the same filter (although it had a 12dB/octave one as well) then this synth should be capable of some great sounds.

 

Prophet 600 has CEM3372 filter/VCA chips, (same as Chroma Polaris, Xpander, and VX600 etc) not CEM3320.

 

Where is the info about PRO800 and CEM3320 filters?

 

No info but Behringer's sister company CoolAudio only have the CEM 3320/3340 listed on their site:

 

https://www.coolaudio.com/prod-coolaudio-semi.php?page=3#

 

In June Behringer announced Cool Audio were going to produce the CEM 3396 synth on a chip but that isn't listed either - https://www.coolaudio.com/prod-coolaudio-semi.php?page=3# It's just supposition on my part but it would be smarter for Behringer to use the 3320 plus their own VCA design rather than wait for Cool Audio to manufacturer the 3372. The synth would still retain that Curtis sound but would probably sound more Prophet 5 Rev3 than Prophet 600 - but I would prefer it that way.

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So, just to clarify, will the Pro 800 have the same features as a GliGli-enhanced Prophet 600 but with 8 voices?

 

All we've got I believe is what's in the tease:

 

We would like to introduce you to the brilliant synth designer GliGli who helped us design the amazing Pro-800. Not only did he add many new functions, GliGli also applied his decade long experience with the original Pro-600 to meticulously fine tune the sound of the Pro-800. Together with GliGli we have taken this beautiful synth to the next level.

 

Since he's already worked this out in the original, my assumption is that it will essentially be the same. But I could be very wrong. Unlike one upscale synth manufacturer whose name begins with an "R" ;) Behringer has been really good at including synth tool editors in pretty much everything they make, so what's there should be easily accessible.

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So, just to clarify, will the Pro 800 have the same features as a GliGli-enhanced Prophet 600 but with 8 voices?

 

Not entirely the same, because the Pro 800 has mono-only output, while the GliGli-modded Prophet 600 had stereo out

As I understand it, the GliGli mod is mono, it was another company's mod that did the stereo.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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  • 3 weeks later...
There's nothing in the GliGli upgrade parameters about VCO panning or spread.

 

That's correct. You need the pan mod to get VCO panning (available as a kit online or as a DIY from the parts list and instructions). With the kit, the panning is set via pots. You can change the pan of the pots at anytime but they're global to all patches. I have Gligli and the pan mod on my Prophet 600 and IMO it's well worth the investment. (I also have the techsmechs Fatar keyboard and Prophet 5 knob caps, both of which I also recommend as the stock keyboard, even when well cared for, is not a great experience.)

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Estimated shipping April 2023, estimated price USD 599.

 

 

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Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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The Prophet-600 has always held a special place for me.  Though my first synth was a Yamaha CS-50, the Prophet-600 was my first programmable polysynth. 

The Pro-800 is quite a temptation. Add a basic reverb/delay pedal for stage; tasty :love:

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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16 minutes ago, allan_evett said:

The Prophet-600 has always held a special place for me.  Though my first synth was a Yamaha CS-50, the Prophet-600 was my first programmable polysynth. 

The Pro-800 is quite a temptation. Add a basic reverb/delay pedal for stage; tasty :love:

You can say that again.  Temptation island awaits.  

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Sounded darn nice to me and it's bold (and welcome) for them to do a demo without audio fx.   

It's pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for as a bread and butter 80s type poly to go with my other keyboards...not sure what power connector it has but unfortunately it looked like a wart based on the thin cable--I'd love to be mistaken!   

By the time it comes out I'll know if I want to stand pat (what's that crazy notion?!) with my Modx poly sounds, with the Hammond SK pro helping out on mono.   After trying a friend's Fantom-0 I really liked the synth sounds even as I gave the nod to the Modx in most other categories (partly because of Purgatory Creek) but I'd be happy with either as the core of my rig (I'd upgrade to the big Fantom though.)

I got on this tabletop kick after watching an OB-6 vs Prophet 6 vs OBX8 vs Summit video, I probably shouldn't have done that...I own the Summit and like it but don't want to bring out three keyboards and so I'm probably going to sell it.   Holy crap did the OBX8 sound fantastic on the patches chosen, but all of them sounded good.

And to go against my sentiments earlier in the thread, I've kind of warmed up to the idea of getting an fx pedal, especially one that has reverb and delay with tap tempo.  It would be kind of nice to have a single knob to dial in fx for particular venues, and since I have a Key Largo (with fx send/return) on a pedalboard anyway....If I always used our band's mixer I'd probably just use those fx but fairly regularly we use house PAs.

 

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Wow!!

 

 I sure miss my Prophet 600. Had one gifted to me new in 1985 and thought the built in MIDI was the coolest thing ever.  Had the first version of Opcode MidiMac on my dad's MacPlus (512E)

 

 

David

Gig Rig:Casio Privia PX-5S | Yamaha MODX+ 6 | MacBook Pro 14" M1| Mainstage

 

 

 

 

 

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