Behringer UB-Xa “Will Blow You Away” (Sneak Preview)

Behringer today shared a video sneak preview of their upcoming Oberheim OB-Xa knockoff, the UB-Xa.

Company head Uli Behringer announced their plans for the UB-Xa in 2018, but said at the time that the engineers were going to work on it in their free time, so progress was expected to go relatively slow.

The original Oberheim OB-Xa was available with 4, 6 or 8 voices. It features 2 oscillators per voice, with a switchable 12dB/oct or 24dB/oct filter.

Details are to come on the Behringer UB-Xa, but expect it to update the original’s design with MIDI support, at a minimum. Behringer says “We promise that this synth will blow you away and exceed all your expectations.”

Here’s another official video demo, by beta tester “Synth King”:

via Cade

128 thoughts on “Behringer UB-Xa “Will Blow You Away” (Sneak Preview)”

  1. What would blow people away is if Behringer:

    A) Apologized for harassing journalists and suing bloggers and internet forum members; and

    B) Committed to treating journalists, bloggers and internet forum members professionally going forward.

    But this will never happen.

    1. This would convert me into a customer as I’m a firm believer in forgiveness when someone owns up to their mistakes or bad behavior, but I’ll never touch one of their products until that happens. I know they’re not shedding any tears over losing me as a customer, but neither am I shedding any tears over owning zero of their product.

      1. I’d love it if they would turn around too, and I’ll campaign for journalist freedom and internet freedom.

        That said, I bought a Neutron and a BCR2000, they’re great, but it doesn’t mean I endorse anything about Behringer. I don’t think I’m a hypocrite, I just bought them and use them.

      2. While I share that value at a personal level, I would bet a years worth of your salary that the majority of companies you buy products from in your life would fail your set of criteria. Living successfully in a capitalist environment necessitates one to be a hypocrite, even if unintentionally. And I would be a second years worth that you have at least three companies you feel are great (maybe Apple?) that are bigger assholes than Behringer.

      3. Same here. I try to exert some values into my shopping decisions, and Behringer is just too sleazy corporation as it stands right now.

    2. What if certain people would not take themselves so insanely important and accept the achievements of others instead of always nagging?

      3. i prefer to support whoever try to better themself and others,
        i’m not into support whoever try to exploit a market and shows no morals.

        i have zero interest in their offering anyway, it’s all very boring and serves superficial urge for having exotics instrument from a past i don’t care about to begin with.
        my nostalgia is saved for the music but i guess you can’t “sell” that.

        it’s helpful to remind this on every article for whoever new to this but it’s not that important to me, i just don’t buy it and until the next article don’t care about it much.

        1. Behringer is making much better products than they used to and they better other by allowing them to use pretty good clones of instruments that used to only be available for the happy few. So by your own logic, you should support Behringer. But then again, logic doesn’t really seem to be your thing.

          1. you neglect the part i said “i’m not into support whoever try to exploit a market and shows no morals”

            I’m actually very into logic. i google advanced search your user name and guess what i found:

            you have 34 comment’s at synthtopia under this username (not including here)
            on 31 of them you defending behringer aggressively like you do here.
            on one of them you defend coolaudio, behringer sister company,
            on another tc electronic june-60
            on some not related like deckards dream mk2 and and make noise tape microsound you complain about the term knockoff without much of connection and again defend the name of behringer

            you trying to bash korg opsix on two separate articles, you do the same on the korg arp-2600 and ms-20 mini article.

            so i say that logically, save it “mike mos”, as you prove to be the biggest funboy or maybe even behringer employee, we will probably not agree.

            5. Ok so you don’t want to have anything to do with Behringer Products? Off you go then. Stop hanging around on message boards for their products

              2. “Rhend”, i see you have two other comments below.
                on one you tell me “give us all a rest”
                on the second you tell other user “bye bye” if he is “not interested”
                seems you are the one who can’t stop commenting about things you don’t agree with.

                speaking of which, what’s your “usual” user name? according to google advance search this is your first comment ever as Rhend (third if you count the other two)
                is your first comments ever here is to tell me (and others) to shot it about behringer?

              1. no, but i proved he is biased so the discussion can’t be productive.
                it’s just the same arguments again and again.

                and you Paul D, i see you it’s your first comment too, are you maybe also mike mos?

          1. Interesting that you – as someone that constantly advocates for Behringer’s greatness – argues that their only achievements are their two original synth designs.

            1. What if the Deepmind isn’t so original after all? According to some sources the Deepmind started as a Juno clone – fair enough. But the effects section (arguably one of the DM’s strongest areas) was developed NOT specifically for the DM, but rather taken from Behringer’s own line of digital mixing desks. And those effects are in turn …let’s say… “heavily insprired” by companies like Tech21, Roland and Yamaha.

      5. That was better said than even I was going to state! Bravo Sir! People today get so butt hurt by things that have NOTHING to do with them! Either buy from them or don’t! We don’t need to know how they made people cry! If they put out a fantastic synth at a fantastic price, they can make me cry for a week! However I will finally have one of the synths of my dreams!

  2. I really like the case profile – a sleek rectangle instead of the massive wedge shape of the original Oberheims. I’m not wild about the modulation levers and the way that the company chose to retain the mod / bend / transpose buttons in front of them (just like the original design). There’s too much opportunity to hit the wrong thing at the wrong time.

  3. Looks interesting.

    I hope that ‘MIDI support’ is not the stripped down implementation that they’ve put on their analog synths to date, that would be a crime.

    If they implement fully MIDI control via USB, along with an editor/librarian, i will hold my nose and buy my first Behringer synth.

    1. Those were analogue monosynths with no patch storage, this is an analogue poly with patch storage – you should be able to address every parameter on the UB-Xa.

      1. Umm…I actually AM the janitor at Behringer and I’ve gotta listen to those hideous saw waves all day long whilst cleaning the crumbs out of their keyboard trays. Then they’re like “Get me another Fanta, janitor man!” and I’m like “Uh, do they even still make that? And also that’s not my job”

            1. google advance search shows “Rhend” have only 3 massages, all of them are here trying to shut others negative opinion on behringer.

              i guess when you say “we” you mean “me”
              the only “we” is we all understand you are commenting under multiple names.

  9. Resisting to buy any behringer clone so far was rather easy.

    This and the monopoly are rly good tho concept wise. Clean rebuilts with some upgrades and a form factor fit for 2021.
    No clunky put together additional features like on the bodyssey and polyd.
    (Glad they stopped using that slow to work with mother 32 sequencer.)

    Not sure if i can resist further …

  10. Behringer will be blowing something all right….blowing the chance to deliver something not totally derivative of other people’s hard work. I can live with tributes (similar circuits with new features), but I hate seeing companies steal other companies’ aesthetics and product names.

    1. For good or for bad, this happens all the time in our world. How many guitar manufacturers make a “Les Paul” or a “Stratocaster?” And it’s not just in the music industry. When you go to the grocery store, do you always buy name brand food products? You never buy generic versions of a name brand company’s food product? Do you chide companies who make a version of the Oreo because it’s not made by Nabisco?

      2. i google advance search synthtopia with the term “nabisco” and found it’s the 6th time you used the exact same arguments, like you have them written somewhere
        https://www.google.com/search?as_q= Nabisco&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=https://www.synthtopia.com&as_occt=any&safe=images&as_filetype=&tbs=

        1. Gadi, you are making me laugh! You keep stalking people and calling them out on what they have posted… That’s fantastically entertaining to me. I only say “stalking” because Ican’t think of a better word… You are adding a lot of fun to this discussion. Thanks!

              1. Because your “Oreo” argument was stupid the first 5 times you made it, and it’s still stupid.

                Oreos were knockoffs of Hydrox cookies, so you’ve got things bass-ackwards and don’t even realize it.

                1. LOL. You obviously don’t understand the brand name vs generic foods argument. Let me guess, you don’t always buy name brand food items. Anyone who purchases generic food items and then complains about Behringer is a hypocrite.

                  1. LOL – you obviously don’t understand that Nabisco had no IP for Oreos that others could copy, because Oreos were knockoffs of Hydrox cookies.

                    So there are multiple layers of dumb to your argument.

                    Also – you’re so focused on promoting Behringer’s knockoffs that you ignored the fact that nowhere in this discussion have I criticized their knockoffs.

                    What I took issue with here is what gadi pointed out – “TimS” only seems to exist to post pro-Behringer propaganda.

                    When it comes to Behringer, I take issue with their sleazy business practices – using company resources to attack journalists, using their lawyers to keep music sites from discussing their products, suing forum members to stifle critical discussion of their business practices, etc.

                    1. You’re totally missing the point of the name brand food items vs generic food items argument. The point has nothing to do with with the fact that the Oreo itself was/is a knockoff as you state. The point is that creating a version of another company’s product happens all the time in our world across many industries. If there is no patent, or as soon as an item comes off patent, it’s fair game for others. If someone buys generic food items and then complains about Behringer then they are a hypocrite.

                      I don’t exist to push pro-Behringer propaganda. I own two Behringer synth products, the Model D and the Neutron. I have had them for years and use them often. They sound great and have given me zero problems. They’re going to have to pry the Neutron from my cold, dead hands. It’s a great piece of gear. What I object to is people implying that those who purchase Behringer products are supporting immoral scumbags. Behringer employees work hard to bring this gear to the masses, to many people with pockets that are less deep. These employees make a living and have families to support and are not evil immoral scumbags. Contrary to what you may think, it’s not easy to make an iteration of a 40-50 year old long out of production synthesizer. Can you afford a CS-80? Will a new CS-80 made by Yamaha ever be available for sale? Behringer engineers have been working for a long time to recreate the CS-80 sections to be as authentic to the original as possible. This is not just easily copying what another company did decades ago (and no longer does). It’s difficult to do. A lot of synth enthusiasts would love to have a CS-80. So, Behringer trying to bring a more affordable, reliable iteration of the CS-80 to the synth world is immoral?

                      For good or for bad, companies going after people who smear their name and products happens all the time in our world. It’s certainly not unique to Behringer. I don’t agree with everything that Behringer has done, but I’m not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to some of their synth iterations that I would like to own. For those who disagree, then don’t buy their products.

              2. why you don’t respond on your multiple use of “user names” on behringer articles?
                exposed and moderated by synthtopia admin.

                there is also a comment here resemble your style from a user named “Geez” about stratocaster, i advance googled search and it’s his first comment ever on synthtopia,
                is that also you?

                  1. LOL. My “personal attack” comment was innocuous. I wrote that we get it, he doesn’t like Behringer. As for the arguments, he’s got the ad hominem arguments down pat but not the ones that actually address the issues.

                    1. your “ad hominem arguments down pat” defense try will not work. i’m not using your behavior to say whats behringer doing is good or bad, i’m talking directly about you.

                      you using mulitple user name and have clear agenda with the same exact arguments you wright again and again.

                      “the original are too expensive and unreliable for collectors only”
                      “neutron/model d are perfect and reliable”
                      “it’s like pharmacy drugs, oreos and les paul”
                      “you are all hypocrites”
                      “knockoff knockoff knockoff”

                      do you try to brainwash us?

                      are you even aware you do that?

                3. Wow I tried that google search… very insightful. Try TimS + Behringer on synthtopia …. pages and pages of comments on behringer articles. 100% positive comments and many defensive reactions to other’s criticisms.

                  1. LOL. Again with the ad hominem arguments. I own two Behringer synths, a Model D and a Neutron. I’m tired of people implicitly slamming people who buy Behringer synths.

                    1. so you don’t know what ad hominem means
                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem
                      there is no diversion attempt to counter your opinions about behringer by talking about your attributes.
                      the complaints about you are directly about your behavior. and you again try to change the subject,
                      so i will ask you for the fifth time,
                      no matter what your opinions are, why do you use multiple user names to create the false display your opinions have support by others?

                    2. Please give it a rest. I used one other name a few times long ago and immediately stopped and haven’t done it since after being called out by the site moderator. Your constant online hunting and derision of myself and others is a series of ad hominem attacks and is not responding to the actual arguments being put forth regarding Behringer. We understand that you don’t like Behringer. That is your opinion, and you certainly have a right to your opinion. However, please don’t continue to deride those whose opinion regarding Behringer differs from your opinion. Have a great Fourth of July weekend.

  13. It does sound like the original, as much as one can tell over internet compressed audio… But… why would this be an option when there is Arturia’s excellent OB-Xa emulation (which NAILs it!) and G-Force’s spectacular OB-E? Both of those instruments give me ALL the Oberheim I could possibly want, and then some.

    1. Dear Bob, the feel of having an instrument with knobs you can grab and feel vs sitting with a computer mouse and clicking around on a computer screen is not the same, sorry.

      1. Neither of those synths come anywhere close to an OB-Xa. The Legend and RePro.arw two of the very best modelled synths and neither of those can completely replace their respective synths. The Arturia “emulations” are some of the worst, they’re awful. Bob hasn’t used an analogue synth.

        1. It doesn’t matter how close the emulation is, if all you want to do is create sounds like those presented in this promotional video. They can be easily achieved by multitudes of instruments, analog or digital. Even a DX7 can do it.

        3. “Bob hasn’t used an analogue synth” … what BS from Mr Marsh. I don’t know how you think you can say that… you are COMPLETELY wrong and TOTALLY off base. I cut my teeth on Moog Modular III series, Buchla 200’s (beginning in 70’s) and was using Oberheim synths since the earliest SEMs. I’ve used analog synths longer than most of the people on this forum have been alive. And I product managed synths for Yamaha for half a decade, from the TX816 to the SY99. I’ve programmed analog and digital synths for major artists and manufacturers. I stand by the quality of the Arturia emulations and especially the GForce OB-E. If Mr Marsh doesn’t like these, fine, that’s his opinion. But to say I’ve never used an analog synth… pure bull

      2. I have multiple controllers with all the knobs and wheels and XY pad that I would ever need for real time control. I grew up with Modular Moog IIIPs and Buchla 200’s so I surely know the value of hands on control! The sound of the Arturia and GForce OB products are SO close to the originals, and I can say that honestly as I was around in very much in the business when Oberheim first delivered their SEMs (hah, even had a black satin Oberheim tour jacket!

  14. “imitation is the most sincere form of flattery”, “great composers don’t, borrow they steal”, I understand the arguments for anti-behringer, but these synths have been around for upwards of 40 years… do people get this angry about a cheap electric guitar that’s shaped like a stratocaster?

    1. not angry but i will call it for what it is, a wast of money on a cheap ugly guitar. the kind your uncle who don’t know shit about guitars have, and he don’t use it because he never learn how to play.

      1. Your played-out cheap guitar argument would’ve made sense in the 90s. Maybe you should inform yourself a bit. And if this is ugly, than so is Dave Smith’s OB6.

        1. if you want to compare a ripoff guitar to behringer synths you have to choose the cheapest and the ugliest. the ob6 looks great, partly because it’s not trying to be something it’s not.

          but i don’t care about original guitars and synths anyway so feel free to continue your interesting discussion about “cheap guitar argument” with someone else.

    2. Try and find out by asking this question on the Official Fender Master-Builders forums… (no, sincerely, please don’t do that! You might get booed out of the building.)
      😉

  15. The synth sounds very good. I like that it is not so bulky as the original also. Aside from that, It’s good to see Clemens Wenners. I’ve been following his work on YouTube for a while. His voice is amazing! His work. is exceptional. Very few musicians are as talented as he is.

  17. Saving up for gear by a company that really cares might take longer but the satisfaction is so much better when you know your money didn’t go to a parasite such as Behringer.

  18. Politics and synthesizers aside, sounds kind of boring in the modern age. If someone cloned Super Mario Bros, how many would care and how many would buy a Moog Matriarch instead. The only appeal is the cost but no one likes to be honest about that. There’s some nostalgia but that would disappear quickly if it cost as much as a Moog Matriarch.

        1. Somehow I don’t think the cloning of Super Mario Brothers is a good analogy. What sounds “Boring” to you might sound incredible to others, have you considered that? If you’re not interested, then simple case of bye bye

  19. Ok so besides everything else, it seem that Behringer engineers, if such exist, don’t get payed for overtime. I mean, share the wealth Behringer, it’s the least you can do!

  21. Yuck you can hear the click of the envelopes what a barf sound.

    Also Behringer ethics and persona are awful in every possible negative way. Want horrible mojo and energy? Use Behringer!

  24. Sound great, good Job Behringer and thanks for keeping up the vintage spirit!

    I would never spend 8.000€ on a original Oberheim Ob-Xa, which most likely gonna have tunning issues and require lots of time on maintain 🙂

  25. I do like the Oberheim sound, but the insanity over it, less so. The OB-X is a very simple design to begin with, so its quite easy to replicate elsewhere. The modern extensions like Synapse Audio’s Obsession or discoDSP’s OBXd offer enhancements that bring out the fuller potential, to my ear. If that route’s not for you, okay, I understand liking real knobs.

    If you’re going to revisit the hardware design, minimal effects and a more ergonomic pitch-bend section are needed. (Buttons ABOVE the paddles, please.) Likewise, gradual-amount knobs, as opposed to on/off/half options. We haven’t seen the full specs, so its too early to debate, but Uli is a budget-synth maker. I don’t expect a game changer, from the company’s record. It might also turn out to be a winner and earn a slot between the OB-6, software versions, an Oberheim Two-Voice and the looming recreation of the OB from Tom and Dave Smith.

    I have all the hardware I need, so I say screw that, buy Synplant! 😀

  27. If you’re young and don’t have money. Buy this stuff, it’s all amazing for the price point. If you have the ability to afford quality and a product from respectable company go sequential or any of the other great companies. But I can’t really deny, my musical life would’ve been different had I had these things to play with when I was young instead of cracked software from the early 2000’s.

  28. I would love to see Behringer create a super synth, considering their extensive synth knowledge and manpower to produce so many replicas so far.

  29. Well I guess we’re back to “knockoff” then?

    Calling it a “clone” instead of a “knockoff” would add less fuel to the Behringer flame wars, since “clone” has fewer negative connotations.

    1. The term ‘knockoff’ is appropriate for gear that’s designed to be a cheap, unofficial copy of well-known original.

      “Clone” suggests that a copy is identical to the original. There are companies, for example, that make copies of well-known synth components that are essentially 1-to-1 replacements for the originals (Dinsync). That’s not what Behringer is doing.

      Our goal with using terms like ‘knockoff’, ‘clone’ or ‘reissue’ is not to avoid controversy or to avoid offending readers, but to be accurate.

      1. No one has made an OB-Xa in decades. Most people can’t afford or don’t want to pay $6,000+ dollars for a decades old original with potential reliability concerns and very expensive repair costs if something goes wrong. The Behringer version is a cost effective, reliable alternative that does not copy the exact look and features of the original. So, I don’t think that knockoff is the correct designation. Iteration would be a more accurate description.

        1. “alternative that does not copy the exact look and features of the original”

          You’ve just defined the term ‘knockoff’ without realizing it.

          A copy that doesn’t make any changes is called a ‘counterfeit’. Manufacturers of knockoffs make little tweaks – like calling their synth a “Monopoly”, instead of “Mono/Poly” – so their copy looks like an original without getting them sued.

          1. LOL. How can you make a knockoff of something that no one manufacturers? Who is manufacturing an OB-Xa? When was the last time an OB-Xa left the factory and went to a music store/consumer?

        2. TimS – it’s bizarre that you do nothing on this site except promote the Behringer knockoffs, but you admit elsewhere on this article that you only own their Deepmind12 and Neutron synths.

          So when you say things like “The Behringer version is a cost effective, reliable alternative”, you’re basing your opinion not on any real experience with it, or any long-term experience with any of Behringer’s knockoffs, but just on your glowing opinion of the company. That’s really weird behavior.

          Also – you never respond to people pointing out to you the obvious – that when you buy Behringer gear, your money goes to producing hate attacks against journalists, frivolous lawsuits against Dave Smith and Gearslutz members and suing synth news sites.

          All of those things are things that no other synth company does.

          1. I don’t own a Deepmind 12 and a Neutron. I own a Model D and a Neutron and have had them for years. I can only speak from personal experience. My two Behringer synths are used often, sound great, and have given me zero problems. Regardless of what you and others may think of Behringer, the Neutron is a great synth. I also own a number of other synths, including a DSI Mopho keyboard, a Korg Z1, an Alesis Ion, a Korg MS-20 mini and others as well.

            Regarding Behringer being nothing but a bunch of immoral scumbags who don’t deserve anyone’s money, see my post above to someone else with similar sentiments.

            I am not a Behringer fanboy who named his son Uli out of admiration and has a Behringer logo tattoo on my arm. I am someone who has some great sounding, affordable and reliable Behringer synths. As mentioned, the Neutron is fantastic. And I can’t afford and wouldn’t pay $4,000 – $6,000+ anyway even if I had the money lying around for an original vintage Minimoog (without MIDI and potential reliability concerns). The Model D is a great sounding, affordable, reliable alternative to a vintage Minimoog (with more features than the original). Regarding the Deepmind, even though I don’t own a Deepmind 12, frankly, from what I’ve heard of it, I think it sounds better and more interesting (AKA less boring) than much of the far more expensive Sequential stuff.

            If you hate Behringer, then don’t buy their products. It’s as simple as that.

  32. You guys get so outta shape about Behringer, not realising most companies do the same things … behringer are doing very cool things in the synth world these days .. and yes may be cloning synths that as has been said many time before have mostly been well out of the reach of most of us.. personally I support their work..

    1. why all berhinger articls full with new users with simple names like paul d,
      defends behringer and don’t answer?…

  33. Please, make a desktop module of this. I have too many keyboards and not enough space for another one. This would go so well in the rack next to the Pro-1 and the K-2. We need more polyphonic synths!

  34. Behringer! Please just give us a price range so we can start saving, or scoff, either way, please!!!!????

    Waiting all my life for an oberhiem- i’m happy to be able to get any kind of hardware that sounds like it.

    I can’t afford old or new. I’m a deep programmer of synths, so I can’t wait to REALLY hear that filter (I always, can’t help it, try to hit the Tom Sawyer Sweep with every Oberhiem software I find… some fail, some do not. WIll this?)

  35. No problem at all with Behringer taking a stand relative to defamatory media. This is a great service. I have a Deep Mind 12, and find it to be intelligently designed with novel sounds available as well as some good bread and butter stuff. Great price point. Rebuilding classics, great service, we need them. Go Uli and team go.

  36. I am a supporter of Behringer in so far as their products. Their politics and behaviour towards journalists has no effect on my life nor my opinions. Nor do they serve any purpose for me. Perhaps that is shallow but I challenge you to find me any large corporation who are not as bad or worse.

    The reason I support Behringer is purely mercenary. I own a “moog” and an “ARP 2600” both in full working order. I did not have to sell my house to buy them. They are putting classics like this into the hands of so many people who could never hope to own them before. Do they sound the same as the originals? Get me a time machine and I will go back 40 years to find out. But I will say they sound good. And for the price, they sound amazing.

    I also have a Deepmind 12. At its pricepoint, nothing comes close. Its a brilliant synth that I feel I have barely scratched the surface of its capabilities.

    By all means, have your principles. Miss out so you can hold your head up high. Pay an extortionate amount that you can scarcely afford for other gear as long as you can claim the moral high ground. I prefer my money in my bank.

    Lets make a deal. You be outraged for both of us. I will have the good cheap synths.

    Oh, and by the way, this “knockoff” sounds amazing to me.

    Laura
    x

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