Behringer Neutron Analog Semi-Modular Synthesizer

Behringer skipped the 2018 NAMM Show this year, but is making a major synth announcement anyway, sharing these teaser videos for the Neutron analog synthesizer.

The company has not shared any specifications for the Behringer Neutron synthesizer yet, but here’s what we can gather from the teaser videos and previously released information:

  • The Behringer Neutron is an analog synthesizer with a semi-modular architecture.
  • It offers internal normalization, so it can be used without any patching, but offers a matrix of patch points on its right side, so you can override the internal signal flow.
  • VCF with controls for frequency cutoff, resonance, filter depth and envelope depth.
  • Noise
  • LFO
  • 2 ADSR envelopes
  • Overdrive
  • Delay
  • Sample and hold
  • Slew
  • Attenuators
  • 7×8 patch matrix

Patch Bay

Pricing and Availability

Official specifications and pricing are to be announced.

Image: reddit

69 thoughts on “Behringer Neutron Analog Semi-Modular Synthesizer”

    1. Well the sound choices are not primarily Bass sounds in this video. You also might be a bit biased. I don’t know if you have heard a Deepmind or the Model D but i wouldn’t necessarily agree that Behringer=Thin sound. Even though i am not the biggest fan of the company these new synth experiments by them i find interesting and the fact that this is not a clone somehow eases my guilty conscience a bit 🙂

      1. I dont think the model d sounds thin. the DM is a little to bright (maybe read to modern sounding) so no I dont really link behringer to thin sounding ,just in this case here. But I am exited to hear more about this, and to try one out!

        1. if it’s too bright there is this trick that you put the filter on low pass and you cut a the highs, a friend showed it to me yesterday and i totally think this will change my future productions!

      1. this is why i sold it after i use it a little in my imagination. i just couldn’t get this fat bass you talking about from youtube.

        1. i feel you. I will have to see more videos or wait until i can try one. It hasn’t convinced me yet. It sounds (in the lowest end) very “civilised” and overcontrolled-highpassed. Even though it had the compressor working. And while youtube might not be the best source quality wise in order to judge the stereo imaging of sound it is good enough to hear low end. There are videos that make my sub go “bub bub!”

      1. Boy oh boy I sure wish I was… other manufacturers sending me all their gear for free, what a lovely life that would be. I’d probably never come out of my… Bat Cave.

        (But yeah that’s a pretty cool guess due to the Batt/Bat thing, hadn’t thought of that. My “Nick” is more about the Rabid aspect though… if that helps. Grrrr! Hiss! And liking fruit. Bats like fruit. And are defenders of justice and good design. But secretly tortured within. Also vampires are cool, ne sont-ils pas, mon ami? Nonetheless the vampire aspect I don’t really relate to, I’m definitely more of a harmless fruit bat, other than the minor issue of being foaming at the mouth. Anyway thanks for asking as this will be the last I will ever address the origin story of the Bat.)

    1. The Nord Leads are great synths but they are all virtual analogues, 100% digital. The Behringer here looks like an all analogue synth. It also looks like it will be a paraphonic synth. Let’s see what they have come up with. I am sure we will be getting more updates about it. It does look interesting.

    2. Direct competitie for both Arturia and Dreadbox.

      It’s amazing how many analogue synths are seeing the light these days. Has been quite different not even that long ago.

    1. Why? So far as I’ve gathered, the replicas are side projects; generally picked up by the engineers as a bit of fun, on a more casual basis, hence the amount of scattered possibilities, and slow progress. Things like this and the deepMind are the main development focus, a bit more official.

  13. Yeah Behringer….500.00 USD or less….semi Modular is fine by me…..I have the Deepmind 12 n have had it a year now n it fits so well in with my studio…I’m pretty much all analog now….sold off most of my digital stuff cept for the Waldorf Streichfeff ….n I’m keeping that fat string beast…

    I’ll buy a Neutron!!!

    2. Nice little companion for your Streichfett is that little Rocket synth from Waldorf. Sounds way more better than one would think looking at how small it is. And it’s a joy to use (no matrix(!))

  14. Check out the lfo shape modulating near the end. I’m betting this synth is a lot more flexible and interesting than this teaser would indicate.

  16. I’m impressed. Really curious about that pricetag now.

    CV over delay time like the Erebus would have been nice, and at least a squarewave out for each VCO in addition to the selected wave would be good for various modular uses… but this still looks and sounds pretty sweet to me.

  17. The basics of an analogue synth are so simple that it’s basically not possible to get it wrong at this time (2017-2018). Keep that in mind.

  19. Guys, guys, guys!

    You can continuously vary the waveSHAPE of both oscillators and the LFO, all independently, either through the knob, or using a CV patch point as input. Also both oscillators, for ALL waveforms have independent PWM, again either by knob or CV input. Also audio rate modulation of the VCF via CV input.

    New demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWwI2sa4PU4

    I’m thinking this is gonna be $499 and be the steal of the decade given how flexible the architecture is and how well they chose these patch points.

  21. Hearing criticisms of a sound being to thin, makes me cringe.It seems a snobby arrogant and absurd opinion.I have had synths since I was 15 I am now 50 so 35 years.I will not find a synth that was made with me in mind.They are musical instruments.I have a high spec mixing desk that I eq sounds through and mix through.Who are these people who scoff and sneer at equipment some of us could onlyvdream of.Any company that fetches “accesibility” to the market needs praise.It wasn’t the posh boys (and girls) who started detroit techno, or Chicago acid and house.The artists proud to get their hands on any equipment seem to be the ones who come up with the goods.

    1. There are always those comments about new synths sounding “thin”. They drive me nuts too. “Fat” synths are often high-passed in order to fit into a mix anyway!

      1. In most cases yes you are right. But there are music directions that literally are based on Frequencies that you would filter-High pass in a typical arrangement. Drone, Ambient, Experimental Leftfield Bass music etc. So in the example of Drone you actually have a problem if you have a synth with “restrained” Low end. Of course you can start equalising and compressing but when you are jamming sou sometimes end up with a “rumble” that is some cases can give you inspiration. I would personally prefer if every synth had a basic filter section as found on the Juno. It has a HP filter. So it is up to you if you want or don’t want too much Low end (if there is such thing..:-). Yes they are luxury “problems” nowadays but for some people it is useful

    1. GASP!

      Yeah the 8 16 and 32 lights all go on at once there, and then we do in fact hear just that, one oscillator playing in 3 octaves simultaneously, obesely huge sound at that point.

      So it’s got a sub-osc on each osc, and then an extra subosc for your subosc. Do you like subosc? Cos we put a sub-osc on all your oscs, then we put another subosc inside each your suboscs.

      Is it shipping yet? What about now? How about now? Uli get this in my hands. I must have this.

  25. Hmm .. sounds good to me, as good as any Mother 32 stuff I’ve heard online. I own three Mother 32’s myself that I never use, so I won’t be jumping on this, plus I’m still waiting on the D I preordered last year, so I wouldn’t hold my breath on getting this semi-modular anytime soon, but cool never the less to see.

  27. I’d never buy anything with their name on it, and would never even need to, because there’s no creativity to the company whatsoever, just corner-cutting to reach a bigger market of broke-ass bedroom tweakers.

    1. Aww, you got an issue? Here’s a tissue.

      We all know you got a batch of their Model Ds on order to play with in your mother’s basement.

      Let me know when you’ve written your Grammy award winning album, I’ll keep my eyes out for it.

    2. Broke-ass bedroom tweakers ftw. All sectors of the market need a product to lust after. Do you think that only the wealthy should be allowed to play? If you don’t like this buy a quantum!

  28. Behringer have gone from cheap very basic products to real excitement. I love their teasers, some of which are still awaited but it is all still very fun. They are also learning quite a bit about synth design from their engineering clones and getting feedback from customers. I look for some amazing products from them in the next few years.

  29. Yep, I will be getting one and immediately changing out the front panel with a matte black powdercoated aluminum panel!!!!

  31. When they start delivering the D, which is a clone of a well known vintage synthesizer, then you can get interested/excited with this Neutron.

    1. They have been delivering the Model D as a few people have theirs already. More will have them within the next couple of weeks and I am getting mine end of February. So hey, I am also interested in the Neutron, which will be going into production in April.

  32. Well if nothing else it can’t be any worse than the mother 32 and won’t carry such a price tag that when you realise that you actually do need to buy them in multiples to be any kind of fun, you still get to keep your firstborn and pay the bill.

  33. The form factor is interesting, I see a few produced that way at the mo, modular elements but with the value of an integrated unit. Having the patch points at one end makes things work in terms of tidiness (have a look at some of the spaghetti modulars in the NAMM coverage) but not work in terms of ergonomics- i.e. what patches where as you’ve got no module to help figure out what is where

  34. Uli Behringer himself came on Gearslutz to update us that the Neutron is finished and ready and will be going into production in April. Obviously, he plans to have all of the Model D preorders completed before then as the next batches arrive within the next couple of weeks and continue shipping throughout February and March. I can’t wait for the Neutron!

  35. Uli Behringer himself came on GS to update us that the Neutron is finished and ready and will be going into production in April. Obviously, he plans to have all of the Model D preorders completed before then as the next batches arrive within the next couple of weeks and continue shipping throughout February and March. I can’t wait for the Neutron!

  37. I assume this bit of synth history is common knowledge. But I’m probably wrong! So I’ll share it just so everyone is on the same page.

    E-mu instruments released a synth called the Mo’Phatt. Here it is: http://www.vintagesynth.com/emu/mophatt.php

    This of course sounds like “More Fat”. As in, more analog, more thick sound.

    Behringer hired an employee whose last name was “Moffat”, a fairly common surname. This gentleman is a real hard core synth aficionado and analog engineer. He invented a new form of analog filter. This filter was used as the VCF in the Behringer Neutron, and Uli is calling this the “Moffat” filter. This is all fairly hilarious and fascinating for those of us who have been around a while. But for the rest, I think you should be kept in the loop since this is pretty amazing, interesting, funny and entertaining.

  39. What behringer are doing is gaining entry to the synth market with well built low cost products so id expect a few more like this maybe a drum machine will come out next then probably a workstation groove-box to rival elektron and i reckon modular isn’t out of the question either. The model-D looks sounds good this also looks sounds good and it’s affordable.

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