72 thoughts on “Behringer TD-3-MO – Their Devil Fish TB-303 Knockoff – Now Available”

1. Maybe it’s a “Knockoff” as it were, but damn that is slick

   They just keep kicking arse

   1. Its a fantastic knockoff , we need more knockoffs like this..

2. Where is it available, I can’t find it anywhere online?

   1. https://www.thomannmusic.com/behringer_td_3_mo_sr.htm

3. Music tech blogs are enabling this copycat behavior by promoting Behringer’s appropriated products. Behringer offered the Devil Fish designer $15,000 in return for the right to use the Devil Fish name and design in perpetuity. When he declined their offer, they released it anyway.

   1. “Music tech blogs are enabling this copycat behavior by promoting Behringer’s appropriated products. ”

      frodo – Thanks for the feedback.

      The main purpose of a synth news site is to cover information that’s newsworthy to synthesists – not to just cover the companies, gear or platforms that you like.

      Behringer synths are popular, disruptive and controversial, which makes them very newsworthy.

      That fact that we get roasted by both readers accusing us of anti-Behringer bias and readers accusing us of being ‘Behringer shills’ confirms that our coverage achieves some measure of appropriate balance.

      1. It’s a sensible clickbait/impression maximizing strategy: promote Behringer with lots of posts (infuriating the anti-Behringer crowd), but use insulting “knockoff” terminology (to irritate the pro-Behringer crowd.) Set it up as pro vs. anti-Behringer and you have a guaranteed comment war on every Behringer post!

         Well played, Synthtopia.

         1. Peak Liberal Fence Sitting.

      2. Disruptive? When? I recommend https://www.sansbullshitsans.com/ for that.

         1. Any company that goes from making no synths to being the top synth maker in Europe in 5 years is disruptive.

   2. That’s on Whittle. They offered him a deal and he completely overplayed his hand. He probably could’ve negotiated a better deal but he was asking for ridiculous terms like royalties for every unit sold and wanting them to be sold for double the price of the standard TD-3. Meanwhile he charges a ridiculous premium to modify an already existing product.

      1. It’s not okay for a massive corporation to say, “Take this offer or we’ll release your design as our own without compensation.”

         Your justification boils down to money. From an ethical perspective, Music Tribe is in the wrong. Nothing gives them the right to take other people’s work and pass it off as their own design.

         1. Hold on, is Behringer selling a service to mod original Roland TB303 or building a new device with similar features?

            Because if they are not selling a mod, then it wont take those Roland TB303 customers away from Whittle and that makes your comment caerless..

            1. and hey are they using the “Devil Fish” name? really that name is why Behringer even bothered approaching him because lets face it the circuit is not anything spectacularly original

         2. Robert Whittle charges $1000 to mod TB 303’s which already cost 4 times that much or more on the used market. It’s not like he pays Roland royalties for every unit he decides to modify and resell with his brand on it. He takes an existing product that only a handful of people can get their hands on and adds a handful of parts to it. It’s not an all original idea and there’s plenty of other similar modification layouts with similar functionality. So I don’t feel bad for the guy who thought he should be paid royalties for a product that isn’t even his original design.

      2. It is actually sold for double the price of the normal TD-3.

         1. The Td-3 is between $109 to $149 depending what colour and what store you buy it from. If this new one is $199 like the article says then it’s less than double the price.

      3. To say that is on Whittle is a grade B.S. As an artist. creator, designer etc I would never agree to anything in perpetuity and neither would you. It would be a one off 15K payment regardless of how the circuitry was used or enabled in other product lines and regardless of how many units Behringer sell, but by all means convince/explain to me how a one of 15k payment some how compensates for a license to use something in perpetuity (literally for ever and ever and ever legally).

         1. “convince/explain to me how a one of 15k payment some how compensates for a license to use something in perpetuity”

            That’s literally as much as it was worth to anyone to pay on the free market, so that’s what it was worth.

         2. Well you missed the part where I said he probably could’ve negotiated better terms than the $15k payment. Instead he wanted 10% royalties for every single unit sold. That is ridiculous. To try and claim royalties for a product that itself is based on another licensed product is absurd. Robin showed very poor negotiating skills and Behringer wasn’t about to fall for it.

         3. Behringer wanted to use the name “devilfish” which is the ONLY thing he had any legal right to, he does not “legally own” the simple mods that he added to the 303, the most complex is the sub oscillator and I’ve shown 12 year old how to make the same circuit in less than 20 minutes on a breadboard.

            American’s and their strange belief in “intellectual property”

      4. Following Behringer’s example you don’t buy this. You just go to a store and steal it.

         Admin: Personal attack deleted.

         Keep comments on topic and constructive.

   3. I think there’s some truth in that. Than again I love to shit on Behringer every change I get. 🙂

      Just the other day these assholes used Photoshop on a stock image of Colin Benders and pretended he was using their new module. Than they claim they didn’t knew it was him in the photo.
      This company is nothing but total trash. Be smart and don’t support them.

   4. This is totally true – shameful move by Behringer.

4. The guy trying to sell his Devil Fish 303 for £2500 on Reverb will be a bit miffed…https://reverb.com/uk/item/13393522-devil-fish-roland-tb-303

   1. Vintage synths are valuable because they’re great instruments AND they’re rare collector’s items.

      Knockoffs give us a cheap alternative but do nothing to damage the value of originals. They might even do the opposite – have you seen Minimoog prices skyrocket in the last few years? Even the reissues are going for $7-8k!

      1. This is an interesting take. I like the idea of separating “people who want an affordable and playable instrument” from “people who want a rare collectable instrument.”

         The same thing happens in the guitar world and it has worked out pretty well. Rare collectables still command high prices (and are snapped up by rock stars or wealthy enthusiasts) in spite of a wide range of clones at varying price points and quality levels. Guitarists may dream of a rare collectable but they’re usually very happy to have a less expensive clone that is extremely playable and sounds great.

         And as you note it can actually expand the market for high-end instruments as more musicians gain additional experience and learn to appreciate a particular instrument design as well as subtle variations across editions and instruments. And people who have played clones are more likely to be interested in the original instrument the clone is based on.

5. One day Behringer will accidentally copy one of their copies. They will then accidentally sue themselves into oblivion, or open a hoe into space/time that will kill us all.

   1. this.

   2. and you copied this comment from other article. not so accurate but you made it again more accessible to everyone

   3. I think NIN wrote a song about this…

6. I never thought I would have the pleasure to play one of these things 🙂 Thanks a lot Behringer!

7. Outlandishly awesome….sounds really awesome….Behringer is kicking butt and forget the names…just too many…

   Please Behringer…..any news on the Behringer VCS3?

   I have a Blue Meanie on back order ……

   I’m patient…

   1. I haven’t been ‘wowed’ by Behringer’s knockoffs so far, because they’ve mostly been cheap copies of old synths that are pretty limited.

      I’d buy a good VCS3 knockoff in a heartbeat, though, since it’s a pretty powerful synth design, the original is made of unobtanium, and it was used by many of my ‘synth heroes’.

8. did you notice most of the pro behringer are user with simple names you never encounter before and they comment like yelp reviewers?

   1. Did you notice that you wrote pretty much the same comment in another Behringer thread? You really must think you have a great point.

      1. if you use google advance search nothing with “gadi” shows the “same comment” like you suggested,

         with “mike mos” you will get 4 full pages, 99% of them you defend behringer. complaining to synthhead about the use of the word knockoff, saying synthtopia are biased, saying the sequential pro-3 is a knockoff of minimoog and so on…

         let’s face it, this is what you do here and you play the blame game since you are the one that repeat himself. it’s scary how you use the same exact arguments over and over again.

   2. Yes I have a simple name ….William….Bill….eloquent…n may I say I’ve commented on mucho reviews here….as far as things are concerned here…. buying and owning music equipment is like anything else….buy what you want….I live in America….land of free speech and choice!

      1. thank you for pointing this out “bill”, you made me throw up a little bit in my mouth.

      2. Free speech and choice? America? Hahaha. Good one.

   3. No I haven’t.

      5/5 would buy Behringer again.

9. I appreciate the various B-word coverage here, not because I like B-word, quite the contrary. It’s just useful to know what is out there and available. It is news worthy, as synthead mentioned.

   I would like to understand more about the legality of borrowing/stealing the design work and branding of others, profiting off of it, and not negotiating with the original creators.

10. So the usual “don’t buy Behringer” is now “don’t buy Behringer, because there’ll be an improved version in a year or two”?

    1. Well Roland did that stunt too with their Roland R-8 and Juno Alpha…and Kawai with their K1 series.

       1. I’m holding out for the TD-3-MO-X0, in which they clone the pattern editing features of the x0xb0x.

    2. yes, that’s what i was thinking: behringer could have released this devilfish mod version in the first place, but they first released the “unaltered” copy of the original, so that people would buy that first, and then few years later release this improved version, so they can sell it a second time to their customers: brilliant marketing strategy IMO ^_^

       1. I’m seeing their 303 knockoffs show up for under $100 on Reverb now, which is insane. I’ve been tempted to pick one up, but now I think I’ll wait until the Murdered Out version gets cheap.

11. I think the original moddesigner will have a strong case if he takes this to court! How stupid can Uli be? He steamrolled Whittle and thinks he can get away with it! This blatant ripoff and designtheft could cost Behringer millions in court! I hope it will…

12. Oh wow so cool they must have figured some legal way to screw the devil fish guy out of his designs like they do every other designer! Good for them!

13. loving these knockoffs

14. From what I understand, Behringer are not actually copying, component by component, circuit traces by circuit traces, the “knock-offs” they are coming out with — even if the patents on the originals have completely expired. Instead, they are re-engineering the original designs to avoid running afoul of a design that is still under copyright protection. (Remember, a copyright protects the specific combination of circuits and components used in those designs, not the sound those circuits make.) Instead, it is my understanding that they are engineering their own, more efficient original circuits or re-engineering older designs with cost and efficiency in mind using modern components with updated specs and additional functionality that cost less to manufacture; in other words, the original++ packaged in a familiar-looking case.

    Uli, would you care to step in here and correct me where I am wrong? I would really appreciate that.

    1. Appreciate your input here Jeffrey.

    2. You are wrong Behringer mostly copies most circuits, which unfortunately is not illegal.But when you ripoff a persons modifications and tries to buy the right to them without succeeding and then releases them as your own you have commited several illegalities. Which can cost Uli dearly.
       But maybe they actually struck a deal?

       1. “which unfortunately is not illegal”

          You mean which fortunately is not illegal, because otherwise nobody would be allowed to recreate their own version of filters, oscillators, Tubescreamer or Klon circuits, and nobody would be allowed to build their own. No Xoxbox, no TTSH, no Acidlab, no Black Corporation, no Erica Synth and much much more.

       2. “But when you ripoff a persons modifications and tries to buy the right to them without succeeding and then releases them as your own you have commited several illegalities. Which can cost Uli dearly.”

          No – Behringer could drive a hard bargain because the Devil Fish guy had created nothing original enough that it could be patented. The mods were well-known.

          He did own the trademark for ‘Devil Fish’, and Behringer offered to pay him 15k for that. He wanted more, and it was not worth it to Behringer to pay for the name, so they made a knockoff and just called it ‘modded out’ instead.

          Making ‘knockoffs’ is not illegal in any way – it’s really the craft of changing the design enough that you won’t get sued and that you can manufacture the copy cheaply. Behringer are the kings of this in the music world, and that’s what people love/hate about them.

          1. Actually if a company contacts another company and tries to get or rather buy permission to use certain techniques, fails to make a deal and yet releases products based on the other companies designs and ideas. It is considered bad faith and is punishable in court.

             1. Those mods were already a thing before Robin started doing his Devilfish version so Behringer has every right to make a version with those modifications. Behringer was offering him money to use the Devilfish name and he wanted royalties equal to a book publishing deal. A ridiculous counter offer that Behringer had every right to deny.

    3. Yeah sure, let me just finish counting that pile of money and I will get back to you.

15. Well it might be a knockoff but since roland refuse to make analogue machines which can make sounds like the 303 consumers have no other option. No way in hell normal people can afford to pay 2000 euro on the original so Behringer are helping the common man regardless of their tactics.

    1. This ^

       Roland re-releases their original TB-303? (ie ANALOG…not this digital rubbish)? Problem pretty much solved. Plus then Whittle gets a TON more business suddenly when all these new users want a Devil Fish. Its win-win. But NOOOOO Roland continues to plant thier head in the sand. Theyve had their chance its been 40 years

16. i am so tired of seeing people cry about behringer in these comments. no one cares. behringer are doing something incredible by democratizing actual dawless music production for anyone with a couple hundred dollars and you smug nerds are upset because you aren’t the only ones who can afford good synths anymore. what behringer does is hurting absolutely no one. and it actually is helping people who would not have been able to have the opportunity to own analog gear in the past. if i was able to get a minimoog or deepmind when i was 16 or 18, i can’t even imagine how much inspiration i would have had back then or where i would be now. all of a sudden all of these cool guy anti establishment rage against the machine losers are simping for flippers who sell outdated gear for thousands of dollars on reverb and getting mad at an entrepreneur for making the act of creating art accessible for millions of people across the world

    please shut up already

    1. you are wrong, they are degrading the synth market for nostalgia and cheap satisfactions instead of looking forward to new technologies and ideas. they push aside allot of small manufacture who use to make new and exciting instrument that now prefer to only sell the very expansive ones or they don’t manufacture anything at all. they don’t have any respect to others manufactures and no ethics, if it was about making cheap stuff so the masses can make music with hardware they could give credit to the original creators and contribute to this market, instead they are harassing everybody, from manufactures to reviewers, people on forums, abuse loop holes and exploit others ideas. they created fake product just to attack a journalist and used the same argument you just did calling him and all other who prefer brands who give love and dedication to their products “cork sniffers”. many respected reviewer are no longer willing to review them and not only because they are afraid to get sued.

       if you believe they are here to help anyone like they say (and not only looking to make money and try to take control on the market) you may believe in anything. you really need to close your eyes to all this evil
       or take the other side just to feel spacial like you suggested others do.

       “villains who twirl their mustache are easy to spot. those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camouflaged”

       capt. jean-luc picard. star trek tng.

17. Curious that Devilfish are not commenting on this controversy, the latest updates are all about his theory about Vitamin D and covid. Let’s not go there, synthtopians!

    Hopefully the news stories ultimately helps devilfish and other modders. I imagine plenty of people with unmodded 303’s and more expensive clones will be noticing it all and thinking “maybe I should get mine done”.

18. Does not sound like an authentic 303, still.

19. Just a thought: the people ranting about Behringer are the ones who give Behringer the most exposure by boosting the interaction.

    1. i think they are counting on that

20. So many people poop on Behringer for their copying antique instruments. I don’t recall that being the case when Rebirth or any other clones came to market. Roland refused to reproduce the TB 303 for decades and even killed off Rebirth, which was awesome, but that doesn’t seem to bother people so much. I don’t own any Behringer synths but I have no problem with what they’re doing since they’re offering gear that was made several decades ago to customers that have always wanted one and they’re doing it for extraordinary reasonable prices. Sure there’s the Moog issue, which is no bueno, but these other pieces are great. As others pointed out the guy with the Devil Fish mod was playing like he just won the lottery and he played badly. People copy good ideas, why wouldn’t they.

    If you don’t like what behringer is doing, vote with your wallet, but for everyone else enjoy it while it lasts. Can’t believe they’re going to do a PPG Wave.

21. I’m buying two of the Devilfish TD-3 units just to piss off all the Behringer Karens on this site.

    1. Admin: Personal attack deleted.

       Keep comments on topic and constructive.

22. i was already strongly considering one of these, but now its certain

    but my main issue with gear is space/mobility/sprawl etc… so it has to be an organic growth

23. As an acid house fan since 88 and a producer of acid since 93 there is very little on the devil fish that I actually like the sound of.It is hyped bullshit.Good on its production BUT not at all excited by this..It sounds like crap dx 100 paches when it is at its craziest.Good to see it is out there but to be honest what ” devil fish’s tracks where made that all the fuss is about.

24. IMO it’s very lame to copy the DF. The DF is a result of limitations in the 303’s design. You cannot add many active components w/o taxing the power supply. This is why the DF only has three active components, and some of the controls are very limited. It still has the full DS-1 distortion rip from the TD-3 but they still added the lame fixed diode clipping ‘muffler’, which was itself a very limited passive overdrive implementation. The soft attack could have been replaced w/ a real attack control. The sub osc is just a flip flop so it’s sqr.. sqr is the least usable waveshape against the 303 osc, they could have added a few components and shaped to tri at best, saw 2nd best before sqr.