55 thoughts on “Behringer Model D vs Vintage Minimoog (1972)”

  3. Hmmm? $299 plus tax and shipping versus thousands of dollars for an original, decades old Minimoog.

    Hmmm? A brand new product with a warranty versus a decades old synth that will cost you dearly if something goes wrong with it.

    Hmmm? More connectivity than the decades old synth, including MIDI.

    Hmmm? Sounds way better than “It’s close enough.”

    For the financial mortals among us, this falls firmly in the no-brainer category. Heck, even if I had money to burn, I would prefer the Behringer Model D.

    1. Nope. Universal healthcare is a reasonable position and some form of it is implemented in most countries. Only the USA and some very backward nations don’t have it. Nobody should get broke and die, because he can’t afford a treatment or has a preexisting condition.

  7. Every single authoritative review said they sounded exactly the same, its just a few people have an agenda and want to spread mis-information (or people. that really ‘wanted’ the Moog to sound better). I think this demo sums it up…..

      1. People who want a synth that sounds that good for very little money? I got the Neutron and it sounds excellent; put next to my Eurorack stuff it fits right in. If I was a noob to synthesis it’s be a no brainer. Asit is an considering the Model D just to add some extra bits to my modular without breaking the bank.

        Obviously, each to their own though. If you don’t like him, don’t buy one 🙂

      2. A plus point for Moog is that the company is owned by its workers. “On Tuesday, June 9th, Mike Adams, Moog Music Inc. President/CEO, stopped production in the factory at 4pm and gathered the employees for an impromptu meeting. Adams began by saying, “I called you all here to let you know I sold the company.” After a brief silence, he continued, “The good news is I sold it to all of you.”

        Adams’ decision is in line with the vision of Dr. Moog, who wanted the company to not only be a place that took care of its employees and their families, but also rewarded their hard work by sharing in the company’s financial success. Dr. Ileana Grams-Moog, Dr. Moog’s widow agrees. “Bob and I consulted an expert in worker-owned businesses in 2001, but weren’t able to make employee ownership at Moog a reality. Bob would be thrilled that Mike Adams realized this shared dream 14 years later.”

        Companies that are employee owned are known as ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Over time, employees are granted shares in the company at no cost to them. There are about 7,000 companies in the U.S. that are ESOPs out of 30 Million companies. Due to employee involvement, ESOPs generally have a superior track record compared to other companies. An ESOP is 25% more likely to stay in business. ESOPs have 25% higher job growth over the last 10 years compared to the non-ESOP. Employees at ESOPs have retirement accounts that are 2.5 times greater than their non-ESOP counterparts.”

        https://audioxpress.com/news/Moog-Music-Is-Now-a-Company-Owned-by-Its-Employees

    2. At least with this demo we can hear that the oscillators sound the same. I did hear a few examples where the attack was different, but I couldn’t say if that was just a matter of tweaking something.

      As a side point, if I had more of a budget for synths, I’d prefer to support the companies that do the innovating. Does Behringer at least pay Moog, et al. something for using their designs?

      1. Things like that are protected by design patents, and they expire after 20 years so that innovators can’t just sit on a perpetual monopoly. Moog is doing just fine, because (like many other companies before them) they have (mostly) moved from innovating to producing Veblen goods – products that can fetch a high price because they have become a classic brand. Consider buying one of their nice entry-level synths like the Minitaur, as opposed to the more upmarket models that are designed to be seen as much as heard. Many companies segment their markets into affordable and premium tiers, and often the affordable segment is where the interesting engineering is happening.

    3. The boog sounds great, but you are correct – I once had both a DSI Evolver desktop and an ARP 2600 – I could make them sound identical with very basic patches when I needed to, but they were obviously two completely different sounding instruments.

  12. the patent expired. behringer can use it freely. as is normal in a culture where sharing the wealth of human knowledge is more important than 0.01 percent, formed by anyone else but the true creators and innovators, hoard all the money and impede development.

  13. As much as I’d love to own the model D, I’ve settled with the Boog. It is the best $300 I’ve spent on gear. I have a sub37, and Moog is a top notch company. I feel bad for selling out, but it’s only $300 and sounds the exact same, so….. Sorry, Moog!

  14. 1) In the sampler/effect -plugins realm it’s plenty of companies that make money literally copying the original hardware. Since ages.

    2) In the modular realm the same: how many companies are copying Moog?

    3) The patent is expired, so it’s legal.

    4) Behringer seems to have a very questionable outsourcing to China, exploitation of workers, low revenue redistribution, etc. just like the 99% of your beloved companies. (Apple, Roland, Moog, etc.) This is the globalisation, baby. Then if you feel ethical, you should just stop to buy instead of trow shit on Behringer in favor of some other preferred XYZ company.

    5) There is no a single bad synthesizer in the world that doesn’t worth, just your taste, in case.

    6) Dear vintage and/or Moog collector, your investment on the original expensive model is anyway safe. The only thing is that maybe you should stop to think that you can make huge money on this. The whole vintage/ebay/Reverb concept is toxic for the music.

    Then welcome Model D and bravo Mr. Behringer.

    1. Uhh. I have to call out your comments about “outsourcing, exploitation and “low revenue redistribution” in the music industry. Moog is a private employee-owned company with less than 100 employees. While they outsource the manufacture and assembly of PC boards, their engineering team, assembly team, case and mechanical team, QA staff, graphic designers and marketing staff are all based in the United States.

      The notion that Mr. Behringer is somehow worthy of praise for setting up a massive Chinese factory complex and a series of offshore holding companies to make cheap versions of famous instruments by Roland, Sequential, Moog and others is absurd.

      1. Almost all electronic parts are made in Asia. Moog make their instruments with parts they import from Asia. They also re-manufacture some parts that have gone end-of-life but for the most part they come from Asia. They do however assemble their parts in the USA. But this is nothing new. Even Apple do this. As for the rest of what you said I’m sure you have plenty of cheap asian appliances in your home and life that you are wilfully excluding from your argument just now.

        1. I said, “But Moog is an employee-owned company that makes as much stuff as possible in the USA” and your defense of Behringer’s business practice is, “Most electronic parts are made in Asia and your toaster is from China.”

          That makes no sense.

    2. So did the original Moog. That is why the original (and the BMD) have the A-440 source and headphones out. If you were gigging with a MiniMoog, you had to retune on stage. Behringer copied the circuitry, flaws and all.

  21. I think a lot of people are missing the point. This debate should not be about the sound, but about the machine itself. If Behringer can sell something like that for 300 quids, one has to wonder about the inside components and the overall build quality and longevity of the product. The “look how closely it sounds” is just smoke and mirrors!

    Some Minimoogs released in 1970 are still around and, aside a bit of recapping and various maintenance, still sound absolutely fantastic. Will any Boog be still around and working in 50 years time? Doubt it. But more worrying, will any Boog bought today still be working fine in 5 year’s time? Knowing Behringer’s past and having owned a few pieces of gear from them over the years, I pretty much doubt it too! Look at the tuning issues that just arose. I bet this is only the beginning.

    Long story short, the Behringer vs Moog (or anyone else) debate really should be a Bic pen vs Cartridge pen type of debate.

    1. I’m sure the Behringer will survive any Minimoog, because of todays electronic component quality, the automated soldering and processing quality and the overall smaller production tolerances.

      A lot of the gear I owned in the past tagged as “proudly handmade in the USA” showed sooner or later loose connections on the circuit board. Of course this is no surprise! Just imagine the quality difference between hand soldering and machined soldering 😀

    2. You’re argument relies heavily on there having been zero progress made in the worlds of electronic and mechanical engineering over the last 40 years. And that simply isn’t true.

  22. It sounds great! But one thing that isn’t going to happen is what occurs when anyone walks into my studio….”Wow! You’ve got a Minimoog”

    2. For this reason I gave a warm welcome to the Boog, the Minimoog is became a f*****g status symbol.
      This has nothing to do with music.
      The friends or clients should say: let’s make good music, I like your skills, I like your productions.
      Ok the cost of the vintage, there are so few pieces out there.
      But a reissue (no new engineering, no extra cost apart assembling) with a cost that almost match the vintage, today, even if you employ local people and use nice wood, is too much, totally out of market.
      Behringer just did, downward, what Moog should have done.
      Period.

  23. It’s a bit like comparing a Bentley to a Volkswagen – Sure, they will move „exactly the same“ – from A to B. And the places you go don’t become better when going there in a Bentley, either. But the experience you’ll have getting there will be so much better, and that’s what you’re paying the extra for. With synthesizers, it isn’t only about the sound that comes out, but about the time you spend making them. The Moog will feel better, and it will make you feel better. It’s a beautiful piece of art and music history, a synth for enthusiasts that will be the centerpiece of our setup and make your buddies jealous. For some of us, that’s well worth the premium pricetag. So by all means, enjoy driving your VW – but stop telling yourself it feels just the same as a Bentley, because it doesn’t.

    1. Obviously this is subjective as well. Some people like Volkswagen and dislike Bentley. Personally I like modern looking instruments, it inspires me more than those old wooden cases from the 70s.. In fact, give me the VST if it sounds the same, saves me some space in the studio :). Like I said, subjective.

    2. Maybe stop telling yourself there’s some kind of imbued magic or mojo in what is essentially a bunch of electronic components, metal and wood

      1. Well to me, there is a lot of magic and mojo in them. I enjoy old record players, tape machines, televisions, radios, synthesizers… Sure, they are all just a bunch of electronic components, but they make me happy and my life more enjoyable.

    3. of course I will enjoy a ride in an absolutely very well planned, built and engineered vehicle…but as well i do have absolutely gorgeous memories of rides in shitty cars we could afford at a certain time. quality of built doesn’t equal quality of experience.

  24. This test says nothing interesting. First filters are mostly open, which is helping Behringer a lot. Most synths sound always same with filters wide open. Next, youtube compression. I have a lot movies with my synths and youtube compression make sound more flat. Always. And no effects added. Synth sounding uninteresting mostly, except my P5 🙂 Last one. Model D from 1972 should sound more vintage. Oscillators should be little detuned and drifted, and why they aren’t is really strange. I really don’t believe in any vs comparison if I’ll check that in music context and my sounds from Minimoog. I own reissue of Model D and I can bet that it is better sound that Behringer, when I’ll check that myself 🙂 Also both synths on this test don’t have any bass.

  25. I don’t understand why some people are so passionate about the (very subtle) differences between the Behringer and the original Moog. The fact is that the Behringer is a very legit instrument that is very expressive and can do anything that the original can do (except for the cachet that owning a legit Moog brings).

    I own a Behringer Model D and can verify that the thing is a blast to play. 100% satisfied.

    I see the same debate on the keyboard forums regarding Hammond organs and the “clonewheels” that emulate the Hammond. People have identified some subtle (and not so subtle) differences between the two. I own a Yamaha Motif XF- the organ sounds are repeatedly cited as the weak point in the Motif because they are sampled instead of modeled. Critics point out legit sonic differences between the two. However, last night at a gig, when I called up one of the Motif organ patches, people thought it was great.

    It’s all about the music. When you play the instrument, are you able to express what you are trying to get across? Or are you concentrating on the perceived flaws of the instrument?

  26. Honestly, they may sound exactly the same, but this video is a poor example. There are differences in filter attacks notiable in a the second example. Several other glaring problems are very little variety in sounds to compare, a tendency to not let the sound develop before letting the key go, plus virtually no envelop dynamics. Having said that, what little was demonstrated did sound similar. But they were sounds that would sound the same between may analogs programmed to sound the same.

    I have plenty of excellent Behringer gear, but also being a Many Moog Owner, I will pass on this. I am excited about the UBX (sp?). I loved the OB-8, and look forward to similar sounds!

  27. in the end it doesn’t fuckin matter…if you’ve used or played an original mini or the replica on a record is of no relevance if the record is shit. make a good record with it, that’s what matters.

  28. Other than playing Lucky Man for a bunch of old coots, there is only so much you can do with a Moog as a synth per se. Using it to process other signals is where it becomes interesting.

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