Behringer Model D. My never ending quest of having fun

[EscapeRocks]

Local store had an open box Behringer Model D in perfect condition. I checked everything

 

Price was $200

 

It now sits on my easily adaptable modular keyboard stand.

I"m controlling it for the YC61.

 

This thing is wonderful. It"s fat. Tuning the 3 oscillators brings me way back. At first I thought the small knobs might bother me, but they do not. Very easy to use.

 

It is very solidly built. Metal chassis. Knobs are solid.

 

After I familiarize myself, I"ll be experimenting running some sound from my MODX or YC thru it to see what kind of enhancements I come up with

 

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

[ksoper]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You'll patch on the fly and LIKE IT. Sheesh. Kids today.

[GRollins]

We don't need no steenking presets!

 

If Wakeman, to this day, insists that he would marry a Moog Model D if he could, that should tell you that knobs aren't a bad thing. He points at his multiple Ds and says, "There are my presets." At the price of the Behringer D, you can afford multiple "presets," yourself.

 

I've got two of the things and love them to pieces. Ya want presets? Buy a Voyager...but it'll cost a boodle more. You can buy butt-loads of the Behringer Ds for the cost of one Voyager. Your choice. I've got both--a Voyager keyboard & an RME, in addition to the two Behringer units (and a bunch of Euro thingies, sort of a roll your own approach to building a custom synth). They're all great. More fun than the law allows.

 

Now, if I only had time to play...

 

Grey

[TomKittel]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You could check out the Roland SE02 if you need presets. More advantages of the SE02 are it's sequencer and digital delay.

[AnotherScott]

sits on my easily adaptable modular keyboard stand.

Looks great! How did you rig that up?

[EscapeRocks]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You'll patch on the fly and LIKE IT. Sheesh. Kids today.

 

 

This

 

My first foray into playing live way, way back in the day, used board that all had to be manually programmed during a gig..... no big deal to me

[EscapeRocks]

 

I've got two of the things and love them to pieces. Ya want presets? Buy a Voyager...but it'll cost a boodle more. You can buy butt-loads of the Behringer Ds for the cost of one Voyager. Your choice. I've got both--a Voyager keyboard & an RME, in addition to the two Behringer units (and a bunch of Euro thingies, sort of a roll your own approach to building a custom synth). They're all great. More fun than the law allows.

 

Now, if I only had time to play...

 

Grey

 

Yeah, my "problem" now is this kick started my investigating the modular/Eurorack world. I've been pouring thru pages and pages of eurorack compatible modules, cases, rack/rack frames, power supplies, etc... I've veen figured out a way to easily mount a 2x 140HP eurorak case on my Gibraltar stand. Ugh :D

[EscapeRocks]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You could check out the Roland SE02 if you need presets. More advantages of the SE02 are it's sequencer and digital delay.

 

Yes that is a good alternative for people who want the presets. I checked it out a while back and the knobs were even smaller than the Model D to the point it was a no go for me.

[Marzzz]

Need preset memory though.

My Minimoog has preset memory, in my brain!

[Mighty Motif Max]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You'll patch on the fly and LIKE IT. Sheesh. Kids today.

We don't need no steenking presets!

 

If Wakeman, to this day, insists that he would marry a Moog Model D if he could, that should tell you that knobs aren't a bad thing. He points at his multiple Ds and says, "There are my presets." At the price of the Behringer D, you can afford multiple "presets," yourself.

...

 

Grey

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You could check out the Roland SE02 if you need presets. More advantages of the SE02 are it's sequencer and digital delay.

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You'll patch on the fly and LIKE IT. Sheesh. Kids today.

 

 

This

 

My first foray into playing live way, way back in the day, used board that all had to be manually programmed during a gig..... no big deal to me

Need preset memory though.

My Minimoog has preset memory, in my brain!

 

Okay, okay. I've never had a synth without preset memory of some kind; too young for that evidently. The question would be, would my audiences be content for wait for me to program something on the fly these days if it isn't a big stadium concert or something? I honestly don't know the answer to that.

 

I'm not adverse to writing down or memorizing settings and programming them on the fly - I had to do that a few times with my YS200 that had issues with user patch memory not working properly but I needed a sound or two. I'm just curious how audiences react to that in a smaller setting these days, where another musician might not be playing while I'm setting up (like when I'm MD). Again, I actually don't know so I'd be happy to hear that they're fine with it.

[TomKittel]

Fun! I always think it'd be interesting to have a little analog module for synth bass patches. Need preset memory though.

 

You could check out the Roland SE02 if you need presets. More advantages of the SE02 are it's sequencer and digital delay.

 

Yes that is a good alternative for people who want the presets. I checked it out a while back and the knobs were even smaller than the Model D to the point it was a no go for me.

 

Need preset memory too. Too many times I coincidentally found a sweet spot of a SE02 sound and after I forgot to save it I wasn't able to recall that particular sweet spot. But I would prefer a Moog Model D over a programmable Voyager anytime... ;-)

[EscapeRocks]

It was very odd, the joy I felt, when I first fired up the Behringer Mdel D last night and started playing with the Oscilator tunings.

[Ken Beaumont]

I have contemplated getting one myself. At the price point its a no brainer. Though I most likely use it purely in my studio. I would create some fat bass patches and then sample them for use live.

[Docbop]

This popped up this morning on Larry Goldings FB page a very Cool, Goldings vibe, Mini synth video.

 

Click link to see Goldings video on FB

[ElmerJFudd]

It does sound quite good, right, Dave? I was impressed by the little box too. But it"s not the 'one' I"m waiting for. Have my eye on a Pro800 or maybe the UliBx-a. We shall see.

[RABid]

...

Okay, okay. I've never had a synth without preset memory of some kind; too young for that evidently. The question would be, would my audiences be content for wait for me to program something on the fly these days if it isn't a big stadium concert or something? I honestly don't know the answer to that.

 

I'm not adverse to writing down or memorizing settings and programming them on the fly - I had to do that a few times with my YS200 that had issues with user patch memory not working properly but I needed a sound or two. I'm just curious how audiences react to that in a smaller setting these days, where another musician might not be playing while I'm setting up (like when I'm MD). Again, I actually don't know so I'd be happy to hear that they're fine with it.

 

No, the audience will not make allowances, giving you time to dial in sounds between songs. Neither will the other musicians in the band. I managed it for years back when the MiniMoog Model D was new. I kept a set of headphones plugged into my Moog. As soon as I finished a solo I would start dialing in the next sound, and you normally do this WHILE playing other parts on other keyboards. It is a lost art. At one point early on I had an EP, organ, string machine and 2 synths. Nothing was programmable. This was around 1980 and live on stage was hectic and exciting. Soon afterwards I bought my first digital delay which also was not programmable. I had settings memorized for songs that needed exact timing for the echo. Then one day in the early 1980's I spent $9000 and switched to a completely programmable setup. Rhodes Chroma, MemoryMoog, Moog Source, and Sequential Drum Trax. I was in heaven, and broke.

[RABid]

By the way, I bought the Roland SE-02 because it had patch memory, then some time later sold my 2 Voyagers.

[ProfD]

The question would be, would my audiences be content for wait for me to program something on the fly these days...

First, it depends on the type of music one plays and whether or not this instrument fits in that context.

 

Otherwise, with a little bit of time and practice, getting playable sounds from a 3 VCO, 1 VCF, 1 LFO synth on the fly wouldn't take very long at all.

[EscapeRocks]

It does sound quite good, right, Dave? I was impressed by the little box too. But it"s not the 'one' I"m waiting for. Have my eye on a Pro800 or maybe the UliBx-a. We shall see.

 

I have my eye on the Pro800 as well. The Prophet600 was my very first Sequential synth and first foray into MIDI. I also really like the Pro One idea.

[GRollins]

The question would be, would my audiences be content for wait for me to program something on the fly these days if it isn't a big stadium concert or something? I honestly don't know the answer to that.

 

You're looking at this all wrong. Your audience needs to see you working for them--to give them the sound they want to hear. If you're trying to be all stealthy about it, yeah, that's going to look dumb. You need to make sure they witness every tweak and twist of the knobs. Go look up Keith Emerson's quotes on the subject. He even did unnecessary and totally fake things, just as part of of his showmanship. Go forth and do likewise. Have your front(wo)man do some patter whilst you're doing your thing about how you're applying the whichness of the whatfor to the fratzenjammer. Make a thing of playing a test note, then giving a knob one, final tweak (even if it's unnecessary) before giving the rest of the band a nod to show that The Genius Of The Keys is ready to give the house the ride of their lives.

 

Man, it's all in your attitude!

 

If you're apologetic and cringey about it, yeah, it's going to go over like a lead balloon. If you're standing tall and proud, they'll go along. Don't hide it, BRAG about it! Look all Mad Scientist while you're adjusting your oscillators. Hell, put on a tinfoil hat or something for the adjusting!

 

It comes back to something I've said many times: People don't say, "I'm going to hear" a band, they say, "I'm going to SEE" a band. Dammit, give them something to SEE! It's not all jumping and leaping on stage. It's more than that. There are a thousand subtleties that make up a live performance. This is one of them. Own the moment. No apologies. This is live music, people, not a recording, and you're going to get to see me make your music!

 

(On a practical note , there's no real reason why it should take more than a few seconds to set a Model D, anyway. You might need to draw it out some to make the most of the moment--maybe more than one test note...)

 

Grey

[GRollins]

 

I've got two of the things and love them to pieces. Ya want presets? Buy a Voyager...but it'll cost a boodle more. You can buy butt-loads of the Behringer Ds for the cost of one Voyager. Your choice. I've got both--a Voyager keyboard & an RME, in addition to the two Behringer units (and a bunch of Euro thingies, sort of a roll your own approach to building a custom synth). They're all great. More fun than the law allows.

 

Now, if I only had time to play...

 

Grey

 

Yeah, my "problem" now is this kick started my investigating the modular/Eurorack world. I've been pouring thru pages and pages of eurorack compatible modules, cases, rack/rack frames, power supplies, etc... I've veen figured out a way to easily mount a 2x 140HP eurorak case on my Gibraltar stand. Ugh :D

 

Okay, this is how I approached it, chronologically:

1) Stark raving terror--everyone kept saying "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!" and I listened. "money pit" "expensive" "unmanageable" "no presets" "knobs are too small" Blah, blah, blah, woof, woof, woof. Right? Heard all that? Yeah, me too.

2) I fell into my concept of deep oscillators. Made me unpopular but, hell, I'm used to that.

3) I hit a moment where I wanted to grab control of the signal in my Voyager in a place where there was no place. "You can't get there from here." At the moment, I can't remember what I wanted to do, but the signal path, though flexible, was not flexible enough to let me do what I wanted to do. Pissed me off, it did.

4) Realization that if I had my oscillators/LFOs/VCAs/etc. as separate blocks, I could do anything I wanted, given enough patch cords.

5) Reevaluation of the whole Euro thing...okay...maybe...all right, yeah, the knobs are still small, but...what if?

6) The discovery of the Winter Modular Eloquencer sequencer. What the everlivin' flagnog? You mean a sequencer can do THAT???

7) Started buying modules.

 

--So...yeah, dammit, the knobs are still small. No denying that.

--"Money pit?" "Expensive?" Yes, it costs money to buy things, but I went in with a plan and my Euro-rig has been stable for quite some time (I've only bought one module in, like, the last eight or ten months); I'm not buying endlessly, although I can see that someone with a different worldview might get hooked.

--"No presets?" Mostly true, but not entirely. Some units, like the Eloquencer, have memory. At this time, most don't, so yeah, you're going to twist knobs. I don't see that as a bad thing. Others do. I'm right. They're wrong. So there!

--"Unmanageable?" Cords don't offend me. They do others. The very flexibility that makes Euro attractive to me means that you're creating a signal path. Those signals have to get from point A to point B somehow. Get wires in pretty colors...it helps you keep track of what's happening.

 

My main complaint is that percussion in the Euro world mostly leans towards very fake-sounding noises. I wanted things that sounded like real drums, etc. That took some module hunting, but I got that solved. At this point I'm happy with my percussion section. Those who think '80s drum machines sounded good are going to be content from the get-go.

 

I did make one mistake. I wanted a phase shifter. Got a Doepfer. Don't buy the Doepfer if you want more than a gentle swoosh, it won't do more than gentle. It's not bad, it's just not what I hear in my head. Other than that, my stuff's making me pretty happy.

 

Note that I use all my doo-dads alongside my "regular" synths, e.g. Voyagers, Yamahas, Korgs, etc. I use an Allen & Heath mixer to make everybody play nice. Works great. I'm a happy camper.

 

Grey

[RABid]

Small knobs on the Behringers or the little Rolands have never bothered me. Probably because I am used to them on my Eurorack modular.

[David Emm]

> You're looking at this all wrong. Your audience needs to see you working for them--to give them the sound they want to hear. If you're trying to be all stealthy about it, yeah, that's going to look dumb. You need to make sure they witness every tweak and twist of the knobs. Go look up Keith Emerson's quotes on the subject. He even did unnecessary and totally fake things, just as part of of his showmanship. Go forth and do likewise. Have your front(wo)man do some patter whilst you're doing your thing about how you're applying the whichness of the whatfor to the fratzenjammer. Make a thing of playing a test note, then giving a knob one, final tweak (even if it's unnecessary) before giving the rest of the band a nod to show that The Genius Of The Keys is ready to give the house the ride of their lives.

Man, it's all in your attitude!

If you're apologetic and cringey about it, yeah, it's going to go over like a lead balloon. If you're standing tall and proud, they'll go along. Don't hide it, BRAG about it! Look all Mad Scientist while you're adjusting your oscillators. Hell, put on a tinfoil hat or something for the adjusting!

 

This, to the Nth degree. I once did a solo set where I had to feed an 01Wfd the next disk at a few points, so I played unsightly but recognizable things on kazoo or duck call as it churned along. You have to blow like a maniac to keep a duck call on pitch, but it can be done. Half the crowd liked what I played and the other half were glad when I stopped and got back to the synth. It was win-win.

[GRollins]

It's all in your attitude. You're the one who has to sell the performance. Have fun with it. If you are legitimately, truly enjoying yourself (not acting), the audience will have fun, too.

 

Grey