Introducing UB-Xa

[Dr Mike Metlay]

17 hours ago, CrossRhodes said:

 

Why do you write "B**heringer"? Is it like a "He who must not be named" thing, or are you afraid of prosecution from Uli?

Little of both. I would rather not have that name as an easily searchable string in anything I write online. I'm probably being overly paranoid, but then again, you don't want to be haunted if you can help it....

 

mike

[Radagast]

4 hours ago, ChazKeys said:

Just ordered one from Andertons. Probably won't get it until February/March but the introductory price is lower than I expected. 

 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/behringer-ub-xa

 

 

 

 

Their price comes to $1,142.72.

[Radagast]

3 hours ago, TomKittel said:

Even a Matrix 1000 played through a good FX unit sounds more autheNtic to my ears. 

 

Really? Did you just play one to check?  And if the Behringer was also put  through a “good FX unit”, would it also sound as authentic?  I am willing to bet I can tell the difference between the DCOs on the Matrix 1000, and the VCOs on the UB-XA if both are played dry.

[Radagast]

The Groove Synthesis 3rd wave is basically a clone of the PPG 2.3 with several added features. And now they’ve announced that it will include all the waveforms from the Prophet VS.  Any hate here for ripping off two companies in one instrument?

[ElmerJFudd]

8 hours ago, Radagast said:

The Groove Synthesis 3rd wave is basically a clone of the PPG 2.3 with several added features. And now they’ve announced that it will include all the waveforms from the Prophet VS.  Any hate here for ripping off two companies in one instrument?

No. 

[ElmerJFudd]

UB-Xa will now be sold for $ 1,199, bringing it to even more people - under Behringer’s own pricing requesting customers donate the balance to https://playingforchange.org/support-pfcf/

 

Behringer will double each donation up to an additional $1,000,000 through to December 1st 2024.

[sunspot]

Well the price drop is something I didn't see coming and got my attention.

 

I'll put it this way - my OB-X8 will never leave my studio for any reason I can ever think of.  I'm not a professional touring keyboard player and it is way too heavy, and much more importantly...$$$.  But...if the build quality on this thing is decent and the keybed doesn't feel and play like sh*t and the sound is 80% as good as the Obie and I want to do some gigs again with an analog synth...

 

...at $1,200 bux...maybe???

[TommyBoy]

11 hours ago, Radagast said:

The Groove Synthesis 3rd wave is basically a clone of the PPG 2.3 with several added features. And now they’ve announced that it will include all the waveforms from the Prophet VS.  Any hate here for ripping off two companies in one instrument?

Aren't they all the same folks?

[ElmerJFudd]

25 minutes ago, TommyBoy said:

Aren't they all the same folks?

Groove Synthesis, Waldorf and Sequential?  No definitely not. 

[TommyBoy]

11 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Groove Synthesis, Waldorf and Sequential?  No definitely not. 

I understand about Waldorf, but I had thought there was some cohesion amongst the Sequential folks and Groove. They split off of Prophet and Dave Smith gave his blessing to build it and applauded them for undertaking the project.  I'm definitely not well versed in the subject, just was fascinated by the 3rd Wave machine since the PPG dominated my youth.

[Artomas]

I've already got the Prophet VS waves in my Wavestate, which is ok because Dave Smith worked on the original Wavestation... which was by Korg, so that can justify the VS waves in the Kronos, too. And the Groove (3rd Wave) guy also worked for Dave,  so he can use the VS waves too... but did either of them order the waldorf salad?! Just kidding. I'm not gonna buy a Crave, Edge or Swing, but reenacting an analog 80s synth, but with more voices, and a polyAT keyboard, and selling it for under $1200... I don't see any issues with that. If, after over 5 years in development, someone finally opens one up, and if it looks remarkably similar to the voice circuits in an OB-X8, then I'll change my tune, about that.

 

I'm not rushing out to buy one. I'd rather have an UDO Super Gemini. The UB-Xa is a third of its price. That's the part that's tripping me out. Once these actually ship to people, we'll know more.

 

For polyphonic aftertouch, there have been more options lately. I think Native Instruments also announced a polyAT controller keyboard. So did Korg, and everyone knows the Hydrasynth, and Iridium and Quantum 2. Osmose has a polyAT mode. The 88 key Yamaha Montage has it. Once the UB-Xa is out, that will represent 5 different key manufacturers - Medeli, Fatar, Yamaha, Behringer, and Expressive E (I listed them last because those are the most different from regular keys, and also they're OEM, AFAIK).

[CyberGene]

https://www.thomann.de/intl/behringer_ub_xa.htm
 

Wow, €1299 at Thomann. Really tempting. I’m currently selling my Take 5 for the same money. The UB-Xa is definitely the more interesting synth. 

[ChazKeys]

Its even less at Andertons - £899. I don’t know why - maybe it’s a Super Partner thing. They have given me a delivery date of 20th Jan.

 

 A 16 voice bitimbral analogue poly with 5 octaves and poly AT at that price is too good to pass. If it sounds as good as the Pro 800 i’ll be fairly happy and should be a useful controller too.

 

 

 

[RABid]

I've never seen that output configuration before. Left - Mono - Right. I wonder why they went this way rather than just having left default to mono if nothing is plugged into right?

[stoken6]

52 minutes ago, RABid said:

I've never seen that output configuration before. Left - Mono - Right. I wonder why they went this way rather than just having left default to mono if nothing is plugged into right?

It potentially gives you the option of simultaneous stereo and mono feeds, I guess? Not sure why you would ever want that. Unless the mono out is low-pass-filtered for a subwoofer?😁

 

Cheers, Mike.

[DroptopBroham]

At this price, I'm going to give it spin if the YT reviews sound solid. 1500 was a bridge too far for something with limited versatility like this.

[Jim Alfredson]

6 hours ago, RABid said:

I've never seen that output configuration before. Left - Mono - Right. I wonder why they went this way rather than just having left default to mono if nothing is plugged into right?

 

It’s on the original OB series and the OB-X8.

[ChazKeys]

I have no illusions about the UB-Xa and I have not heard any sounds on the previous demos that have made me go wow!  But given the basic building blocks of 3340 oscillators and 3320 filters which i have been using for 40 years I reckon I can coax my kind of sounds out of this box. Not really bothered about how close it is to the  original. I owned a P5 Rev 3 for 30 years but when the P6 came out it was so much better, warmer, fatter and of course it had  modern features. Then they released the Vintage knob and it just got better. Wierdly the old prof was 3340 but its what components/software support that chip that can make a difference.

 

The Neutron 3340 oscillators are  rich and capable of some excellent raw sounds - especially Sync.  This seems to be the case with monos but the poly synths never seem to capture that raw single oscillator sound - the P6 does but IIRC thats based on the old SSM chips. OTOH I didnt get the same buzz from the Pro1 oscillators. I have heard some good YT demos of the Pro800. 

 

Whether a synth does it for you is such a personal thing. I have to play/program a keyboard sometimes for weeks (years?) before it clicks.

 

So I expect I'll get most mileage out of UBx by layering up to 4 osc and maybe using 12 and 24dB/Oct filters for each layer. If I cant create interesting pads and leads etc well its time to hang up my boots! OTOH maybe its a lemon?

[David Emm]

1 hour ago, ChazKeys said:

I have no illusions about the UB-Xa and I have not heard any sounds on the previous demos that have made me go wow!  But given the basic building blocks of 3340 oscillators and 3320 filters which i have been using for 40 years I reckon I can coax my kind of sounds out of this box. Not really bothered about how close it is to the  original.

...

So I expect I'll get most mileage out of UBx by layering up to 4 osc and maybe using 12 and 24dB/Oct filters for each layer. If I cant create interesting pads and leads etc well its time to hang up my boots! OTOH maybe its a lemon?

 

Sensibly put. That's probably the most pragmatic comment I've read so far. You might get one made on a Wednesday that has all the screws nice n' tight. I have issues with B, but I naturally draw a line at telling anyone that they *shouldn't* buy a given item. I try to remember that virtually no one ever has a rig composed of just one company's gear. The keyboard world is a honking big buffet. Some people are DP-&-clonewheelers, some are 95% Eurorack and some use Mainstage with a 12-slot modular to one side for effects & sequences. Alex Pasterson of The Orb has several Bs in his studio. If they're working for him, everyone else can STFU, including me. 🤨

[GovernorSilver]

Price lowered as part of a charity campaign

 

https://playingforchange.org/support-pfcf/

 

Quote

 

Behringer and Playing for Change Foundation have teamed up, and with your help, will bring positive change directly to people around the globe through music.

 

Behringer just released their flagship synthesizer UB-Xa, continuing their vision to make music affordable for everybody. It is worth over $5,000 and planned to be sold for only $ 1,499. No easy feat but still not far enough.

 

UB-Xa will now be sold for $ 1,199, bringing it to even more people.

 

Here's where you can change the story:

If you can afford to pay more, you can donate what would be Behringer’s profit. Any amount makes a difference. Behringer will double each donation up to an additional $1,000,000 through to December 1st 2024.

Your donation will create lasting change in real people’s lives through the power of music.

 

 

[SteinwayB]

I pre-ordered mine from Sweetwater.  I am convinced this will have me playing as beautifully as Lyle (or not)!

[Sunlight2]

Interestingly Andertons in the UK had this on pre-order for £899 last week - it's now £999

[felis]

I wasn't too interested in it before, but this video caught my attention:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFE-tinEUgo

 

[Jim Alfredson]

The always entertaining Alex Ball released a video on the original OB-X today. THIS is the Oberheim sound. I still don't hear it with the UB-Xa.
 

 

[ChazKeys]

Completely different circuits. OBX used CA3086 for the oscillators (same as the SEM) and discrete components for the filter etc. I wouldn’t expect it have the same sound as a synth using Curtis chips. 

[jazzpiano88]

4 hours ago, felis said:

I wasn't too interested in it before, but this video caught my attention:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFE-tinEUgo

 

 

Pretty sweet sounding to my ears.   I would be interested in an UB-Expander to go along.

 

 

[timwat]

For those interested, the Steve excerpt above is from an hour-long Star Licks tutorial video that he did a minute ago:

 

 

[Jim Alfredson]

13 hours ago, ChazKeys said:

Completely different circuits. OBX used CA3086 for the oscillators (same as the SEM) and discrete components for the filter etc. I wouldn’t expect it have the same sound as a synth using Curtis chips. 

And yet the OB-Xa and OB8 still sound more similar to the OB-X than the UB-Xa to my ears. And the OB-X8 nails all three. 

[mobi]

 

Sounds kinda similar, at least for me, in this test, maybe the UBXA sounds a little brighter, also some patches seems voice panning was set different

[Jim Alfredson]

That's definitely a better comparison than the others I've seen. The biggest reveal is at 6:00 minutes though. Listen to the filter sweep of the OB-Xa and then the same on the UB-Xa. 12:37 is another spot where you can hear the filter difference.

 

It also sounds like software envelopes on the UB-Xa whereas the envelopes on the OB-Xa are CEM 3310 analog EG chips and thus not even close to perfect. 

But that video is way more promising than the others. Good job.