Behringer Odyssey Coming In February For $499

At an event concurrent with the 2019 NAMM Show, Behringer has officially introduced their Odyssey synthesizer – a modern clone of the ARP Odyssey.

We talked with synthesist Matt Baxley, who gave us a quick intro and demo of the Behringer Odyssey.

The Behringer Odyssey updates the original by including all three versions of the keyboard’s filters, adding a stereo effects processor, adding MIDI connectivity and more.

Pricing and Availability

The Behringer Odyssey is expected to be available in February, priced at US $499.

51 thoughts on “Behringer Odyssey Coming In February For $499”

  1. this one perplexes me somewhat, I get resurrecting machines that haven’t been built in few decades and where there’s a demand but no supply but the Odyssey has been resurrected already by Korg in various sizes and versions. In fact they are trying to get rid of unsold inventory. This comes in at a lower price point but not sure if that will be enough to make it successful but who knows.

    1. Got my Korg Arp Odyssey second hand for €360. But the Behringer seems to offers built-in effects and MIDI CC, both of which are not available on Korg’s version, so this might appeal to some (especially MIDI CC).
      But otherwise yeah, think that was a bad move from Behringer on that one.

      1. Why do you think it offers MIDI CC? Do you believe it offers full parameter control via CC? Don’t you think that would require a complete circuit redesign?

    2. “this one perplexes me somewhat”

      It is simple. Behringer is aiming at removing or purchasing the competition, and reaching as close a monopoly as possible.

      After that they will be able to rise the prices to make up for their current low profit margin.

      I can’t prove this, obviously, but I think future moves from Behringer (like openly trying to steal sales from other companies, then purchasing the very same weakened competitors) will prove me right.

      “Monopoly” is one of the few things all economists, the Left and Right agree are bad ,right?

      But a monopoly is actually openly taught in many business books as a goal business should reach for.

      For example:

      https://www.techinasia.com/3-steps-building-monopoly-peter-thiel

      Those steps sound familiar huh?

      Google “peter thiel zero to one monopoly” and you will see many more uncritical articles gushing about “how to build a monopoly”.

      1. Behringer buying out Korg, or any other company? Quite unlikely. Even if this Odissey were to be a success, Korg would just shrug and say “well, let’s wrap it up, we’ve sold it for a few years at least”. Nor Behringer is going to put Moog’s revenues in danger, because purists’ll keep buying the real thing, anybody else would never spend so much for a synth. Behringer is only partially attacking its competitors, because they’re trying to create new demand for new goods (just like with the MS-101, or they’re original DeepMind). And above all, Behringer is an ant compared to Roland, Korg, Yamaha or whoever else, a not “niche enough” to actually endanger Moog or Dave Smith/Oberheim.

        And above all, this Odissey is cheaper, has every revision in one product and, above all, STANDARD KEYS. Seriously, why on earth should anybody interested in an Odyssey prefer the Korg’s over Behringer’s? One of the things I hated about my MS-20 mini were the mini keys. I don’t demonize them, sometimes they’re necessary and works well (see Reface, MicroKorg ecc), but if you aim for a “vintage” setup, and especially if you play live, they’re not a reliable or bearable option in the long run…

        As you explained, nobody likes a monopoly (except Korg’s… sorry for the pun): Moog had the Mini-like synths monopoly, but then came Arturia’s excellent software, and now we have a cheap and faithful hardware reproduction; the same goes for any other cloned synths already available on the market. Behringer is destroying old monopolies which made us overpay, sometimes, our goods (don’t tell me the Odissey was fair-priced: the MS-20 mini, on the opposite, has always been available for a totally reasonable price, and so on). Both consumers and Behringer gain from that.

        On the same note, for the price they’re asking, shouldn’t the other manufacturers at least focus on delivering better quality to their user base? Korg above all, because a lot of people seems to complain about keybeds and materials of their synths, lately. If you can’t compete on the price, do it on quality, just like the German and Japanese do!

        1. I agree loud and clear! I can’t wait for the odyssey to be released. I have a DeepMind 12 and a Neutron and they freakin rock! go #Behringer

        2. Behringer has already bought Midas, Turbosound, TC Electronic and Klark Technik.
          Giving it a solid footing by name recognition in the pro sound market.
          I’m not sure how vulnerable Korg is. But other synth makers? All it takes is one product which is too much of a capital pig to sink a medium-small company like the original PPG, and Waldorf.

    3. if you look back at the history, both Behringer and Korg announced clones of the Odyssey around the same time but Korg well beat them to it. Sometimes i think Behringer are releasing this just to save face because really this one has been done. At least they should have made the sliders send Midi CC or give it Patch Saves to give it a nudge. Ill certainly take a serious look at it tho, even with a KARP already in the arsenal

      1. Behringer “destroying” Korg? Unlikely…..
        Shortly after Behringer announced their Oddyssey the first time, Korg came out with their version already done. Behringer just did not have enough spies out there, so they where taken aback by that….

  2. To honest this device really makes me considering to sell my Korg Odyssey and buy this instead.

    The only pro about Korg ARP Odyssey over Behringer is the nice case you get with it…

    But the pro over Korg ARP Odyssey from Behringer:
    * Midi in/out
    * Sequencer
    * Effects build-in
    * Light on faders.
    * Cheaper [I can maybe finance a new Behringer Odyssey for the money I get from the used sale of Korg Odyssey]

    Did I miss something? :S

    1. Possibly the sound? You’d have to get two side by side to really compare. Secondly, the reliability and build quality? Behringer doesn’t have a great reputation in this department.

      2. Behringer has always made great mixers (some of them quite on the pricey side) and amplifiers. The only reason they gained a bad reputation, at least in Europe, is because of their cheap guitar pedals, effects and accessories: they were quite bad, often faulty and even worse than the cheapest Boss hardware. Nowadays, though, even those work well enough, and I personally never had any issues with Behringer stuff (I’ve owned at least 5-6 Behringer products). The build quality they can guarantee is the same as any other brand: 90% of synths are made in China, after all.

  3. This will be one of the poorer selling Behringer clones, simply because KORG has already released several versions of the Odyssey as a cooperation between KORG and ARP co-founder David Friend.

    Expect this one to be heavily discounted at some point when they’re on clearance.

    1. if they do go on clearance I will be in….. it is the kind of thing that would be fun to have but I am not looking to run out and get it right now.

    2. I’m not too sure about that. The Korg Odyssey mini is just that, mini. It is sold for significantly more than the Korg MS-20 mini. Neither Korg mini synth has great build quality. The Korg Odyssey module is also mini sized. The limited edition Korg Odyssey FS (full size) was sold for over three times the price of this Behringer Odyssey.

      $499 for a full size Odyssey with full size keys and additonal features is more appealing.

      1. Agreed. I bought the Korg Odyssey early on and enjoyed it very much, but sold it due to the high value it still held vs any residual use I got out of it. Although, I really liked the sound the mini-keys were a knock, and the sound of the iOS app w/4 voices pretty much nailed it.

        I would definitely prefer this Behringer vs the Korg. I really waiting it out for the UB-Xa.

  4. Its less than half of the cost if the Korg (full sized) version and it has built in FX and sexy LED’s on sliders….It definitely will be discounted, when this hits the 400USD mark for a FULL SIZED Odyssey with FX I will probably have to have one!

      1. Actually, their recent MIDAS and TC Electronics derived effects are highly regarded. The effects on their X Air mixers and Deepmind sound great.

      2. Was that supposed to be sarcastic? Berringer own MIDAS who have a very good reputation and have done the effects on this (same as MIDAS desk and X32 etc)

  5. That’s the thing – the Behringer synths are cheap enough, and of similar quality to what Korg is releasing.

    I think people are going to trade their collections of virtual synth clones (ie Arturia’s VCollection) and virtual studios (Korg Gadget) for collections of hardware clones.

    I know I’ve got my eye on the B-Odd.

    1. I think you nailed it re: people trading their virtual synth collections. I have the Arturia collection but am super psyched about having modern full size pieces of hardware to replace softsynths. These Behringer synths are so cheap that they’re within reach of their softsynth counterpart prices… fingers crossed that they sound great!

  7. Awesome!! A review by a knowledgeable user, not just a “synth lead shredder”. Very informative and certainly has me contemplating one!!

  8. For people who cant/don’t want to watch the video -35 effects and a really powerful sequencer (with midi sync), CV gate and trig in and out, XLR – fully metal chassis (higher quality than original?)

  9. Whatever Behringer haters say, at this price i am going to buy an Odyssey with full size keys, effects, sequencer, all 3 types of filters, full metal chassis AND those sexy LEDs on the sliders and i will have fun playing and making music with it. I bought my first Behringer unit, a MX2642 mixer some centuries ago and it still works as new, my Deepmind 12 also works flawlesly despite me not being able to get my hands off it and all the rest of my Behringer stuff never broke down … i am not a Behringer fan, i will never buy the Model D, Neutron, Pro1, RD808 and 909, MS101 but only because they do not fit my mentality and workflow, not because i do not trust Behringer. I love the fact that this will MAYBE drive vintage (old!) synth owners to their senses … some of the prices they ask for secondhand old synths and drum machines are simply out of this world.

  10. It looks like Uli Behringer is now more significant to the world of electronic music than anybody else ever.
    If the Statue of Liberty was holding a synth, then that would be what Uli is to the world.

  13. The other consideration is that the Korg FS version – which I had – had a pretty terrible feeling keybed that was not fitting for a synth that cost almost 2.5k Cdn. I think this will be an out and out improvement over any version of the KARP, even before the addition of FX and the sequencer.

  14. As both a keyboard and a guitar player, what perplexes me is how different both worlds are when it comes to gear. All this “clone” thing is a non issue in the guitar world. Nobody rises a brow if and when a manufacturer comes up with a copy of something, not only the gazillion Fender or Gibson copies around, but also PRS, or pedal clones (Tube Screamers anyone?), or whatever. Now that I think of it, maybe synth manufacturers should consider releasing their synths with cheeks made with different tonewoods…

  15. Memories, patches, whatever, they missed a trick, if the controls are digital, you would have been able to store and recall instantly rather than use paper and pencil….

  16. If the behri doesn’t have full MIDI CC implementation, I’m sticking to my KARP Ody desktop. Does this one really sound that much better? And also importantly, is the pitch as stable as on the KARP? IIRC pitch stability was a huge priority for the original ARP designer when Korg consulted him for blessing..

  17. I’m surprised no-one is really talking about the sound – from the limited demos available this clearly sounds better than the Korg to my ears. Price, build and features are better too.

  18. I found a brand new, full sized kARP Odyssey, with the SQ-1 sequencer, for 800 bucks. Couldn’t be happier with the sound. The build quality is great.
    I’ll bet it will still be working in 30 years. I have serious doubts you’ll be able to say that about the Uli-Odyssey. The difference in price cannot all be cheaper labor. Not unless he is chaining people to an assembly line somewhere.

  19. If you follow the discussions regarding the BARP, it looks like they are going to sell A LOT. Build quality, features, price seems to be a gamechanger for a lot of people. And you get all ARP revisions in one synth. ARP sales are not done yet at all just because Korg is selling out at a discount. Behringer makes a better one…and OMG at that price!!!

  20. Sold my FS Korg to get the Bodyssey. I heard them side by side and this sounds better to my ears. The extra features and, imo, better casing, plus lower priced full size, there was zero reason for me to keep the Korg. I kinda fell bad for the person that bought it actually. I’m also pocketing a bunch of cash and so I’m looking at the Bro-1, because why not? I can buy three other B synths and have change left over from selling the Korg if I wanted to. This is great. Thanks Behringer!

    1. Many of us are eagerly awaiting. But now almost at the end of February and not a hint of availability on any of the major retailer websites. I hope it’s not another Bugera Magician situation, where a product is hyped for nearly 2 years and never makes it to market due to lawsuit or whatever.

  22. I myself am eagerly awaiting the Behringer Odyssey release. I have been on the Sweetwater wait list and am continually watching for release information. I have the D and Neutron plus am restoring a MX9000 mixer. As far as wish list, I would like to see their Euro rack items being released. I have enjoyed the Vermona Perfourmer II videos and would really like to be able to put something close together with their Euro rack instruments. I don’t think Behringer will be able to satisfy all of our wish lists by remaking all the old, and some new, analogue synthesizers but their price point on modules should help us get very close.

  24. I wonder what the control voltage range will be for this. I’d like this a lot if I could use this with my euro without having to attenuate like with a KARP.

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