Behringer today introduced the Phara-O Mini, a knockoff of the Korg Volca Mini, with Egyptian styling and hieroglyphics.
The Phara-O Mini is a paraphonic analog design. Like the Volca Keys, it offers three analog oscillators and a low-pass filter, based on the Korg Mini-700S synthesizer.
It’s the latest in their line of Mini synths, which like the Volcas, pair basic synth engines with a capacitive touch keyboard in a compact package.
Here’s the official intro video:
Features:
- Portable analog polyphonic and programmable synthesizer
- Analog signal path based on VCO, VCF and VCA designs
- 27 touch-sensitive keys
- 3 VCOs with saw or square waveforms
- Low-pass filter based on Mini-700S synthesizer from the 70s
- Multi-mode ring modulator on square waves for metallic sound effects
- 16-step motion sequencer with 10 memory slots and recording of knob movements
- Delay effect
- Extensive play modes featuring poly, unison, octaves, fifths, ring unison and ring poly
- LFO with 3 waveforms and sync for pitch and filter cutoff
- Envelope generator to modulate VCA, pitch and filter cutoff modulation
- USB Type C allows powering via smartphone, power bank or computer
- Sync Input and Output to synchronize with your other synthesizers or drum machines
- MIDI implementation (including NRPN/CC control of all parameters and bulk load/save)
Pricing and Availability:
The Behringer Phara-O Mini is shipping now, priced at $99 USD.
Note: It typically takes a month or two for Behringer gear to be available at its retail partners after it starts shipping.
It’s sounding nothing like the Volca Keys![😛](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f61b.svg)
Good to see them making affordable instruments like this so we don’t have to put up with all the volca elites hoarding their expensive rare gear.
Hahaha, good one.
Fair play, that genuinely amused me.
i fail to see what’s bizarre. i do see bias though. loooooots of bias everywhere.
lol
tfw you want a taste of that teenage engineering weirdness but it’s super off-brand
‘Bizarre’ is the right word to use.
I kinda like that they’ve highlighted the most important knob in each category (cutoff, dcay/release, detune, rate, delay time), but the overall… aesthetics, shall we say… is more than questionable.
I’ll probably grab 4 of these to make a minor 9th chord and then sell them for 20 bucks each
The layout of the controls isn’t bad, but WTF were they smoking when they came up with those graphics?
I don’t understand why a company would intentionally add graphics that detract from the usability of an instrument. This is just making it busy!
Agreed. Keep the layout clear and clean.
Did you say the same thing about the Microfreak with its French wallpaper pattern that has nothing to do with functionality?
False equivalence.
Subjective opinion. If little pictures are that mentally distracting perhaps having a conversation with someone therapeutic would be in order.
How so?
It seems fairly similar, stylistically, to me.
I would love to hear you expand on how this is different.
Because, that’s why.
I like the knob layout. the whimsical graphics remind me more of Arturia’s Microfreak…although I don’t get why they mixed Egyptian clipart and Germanic runes. Will be amused if the graphics turn out to have some kind of inappropriate interpretation..
Couldn’t really tell from the video how it sounds…maybe the music used the synth for some of the sounds but it sounded sampled to me and of course the sound is heavily processed. Missed opportunity, I’m just not going to order something until I hear the raw sound. But if it is a good clone of the Mini 700s I am interested, I’m a fan of Korg’s 70s sound.
I mean, even if the message is actually a universal message of peace and love, I’m sure the Behringer haters will invent some horrific meaning to strengthen their aversion of the brand.
Doe it take batteries? Would be the hardest pass of hard hard passes if it doesn’t.
The music of the official intro video were not created with that synth lol
The Microfreak and Microfreak Stellar had some plants and star drawings respectively so seems this their take at personalizing a synth. Also now everyone wants to have “cool animations” many synths have nowadays, not sure if it was Elektron or TE who started this.
Now I want a churro themed synth. Why? Because.
Hhh, I actually think this is this nicest looking synth they’ve made thus far.
Do I want it? No.
Do I like the look of it. Yes.
I can see how it can be a polarising design. However, for years people have criticised them for having poor design. At least this is original, in looks anyway.
Agree totally with you. Looks great not something that can usually said about Behringer panel design.
I’m trying to look for a clever pun, but maybe there isn’t one. Maybe Volca was an Egyptian god? How do you pronounce Phara-o? Why not write Pharaoh? Could be a pun on paraphonic, but that’s quite a stretch.
Vol?a is a village in Slovenia. Korg only used it as a play the word vocal.
That’s 100% incorrect. Tatsuya, the Volca creator, said Volca is derived from the German word for People, Volk. As is the people’s synthesizer because it is affordable.
Then why not spell it Volka? Germany and Japan are always a little too cozy for my comfort.
The Egyptian Lover has an 808 done in gold with hieroglyphics under the controls. This kind of reminds me of that.
I bet they all take acid during their “brainstorming” sessions to come up with ideas like this.
I bet you they take a look at what the best selling synths at Thomann & Sweetwater and then go straight down the list, figuring out if they can make a knockoff.
It’s pharaphonic. How clever.
Just what I’ve been missing, an ancient Egyptian synthesizer. I find it amusing that the demo music clearly didn’t come from the product. I wanted to hear the synth, not a soundtrack for the graphics! Duh!![😛](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f61b.svg)
Weird to dump a teaser without the sound of the actual device?
I wonder if there’s ever been a synth company that used that kind of Egyptian / cryptic font on their panels before. Probably not because behringer is usually super unique with the machines they make so we can all make noise for less money
Teenage Kidtronics is doing medieval, so it figures Beringoo will take note. Copy a wacky trend and replicate, if only in iconography.
Theatrics aren’t wanted. Just give us solid function and sounds.
The only USP of this one is the graphics
Yep
I’m not sure “Korg Volca Mini’ is a synth box.
An oscillator “based” on anything solid sounds nice but it’s rubbish. “Based on” is wiggle room to say “we tried and failed but never promised it sounded like the real deal”
My Korg MonoSynths will never sound like an MS-20 despite, supposedly, having the same filter.
Won’t be getting any Karplus–Strong (or real acoustic) instruments out of this thing – misleading promo video.
Korg could if they want do the same prices as behringer they are such a big company.
But they simply don’t! Because they don’t care about their customer. Best example Korg Electribe!
Whilst I agree that, currently, the Electribe 2 is priced quite high. I assume that’s due to inflation and the market.
Several years ago they were much cheaper.
Also, the current price isn’t that excessive at all. Basically the price of a couple of Volcas, but with much more functionally.
They couldn’t price it much cheaper because that could then cannibalise the sales of the Volcas. The accounting and marketing departments couldn’t have that!
It may have more to do with treating employees like human beings and paying them a living wage.
Hardly anything that Korg manufacturers is made in Japan anymore.
Outside of the more premium / boutique lines like the ARP 2600 and a few stage pianos, all of it is made in China.
The original line of Electribes were made in Japan, but with the MK2 revamp in 2003 manufacturing moved to China in 2003.
The result of doing that “possibly” led to job losses in their domestic market.
However, they did so to cut costs and save money.
How is the B brand any different?
Most of us own smart phones, where are they manufactured? How are the people who are involved in that manufacturing treated and renumerated?
I’m not in any way condoning the business practices of B, however to just criticise one company is kind of like pissing in the wind.
Donglebob relax because your response to the other commenters point is kind of an apples to oranges comparison or false equivalency- it doesn’t mean because other companies do the same things that it’s correct. A handy logical tool for finding truth is to stay on the topic not to distract or move away from the point. Enjoy!
Uli Behringer exposes the fallacy that intellectual property is a right. It is not. It is an agreement. If you want to keep your ideas out of other people’s hands, then don’t let them out of your mind. Keep it in your head. That’s the only place an idea is safe. Once it is out on the wild, it’s there forever. I’m not really for or against Behringer except for his treatment of employees which is atrocious on a level that would make Dubai blink, and I own Behringer equipment (three rack mixers, that’s it.) If the proponents and defendants of intellectual property won’t get together as a class and create a world wide mechanism for defending their property rights, then they have no defense against a predator like Behringer. It’s just like, if you don’t want a monster like Donald Trump running your country, don’t elect him to office. If you do vote for him, don’t complain. You get what you pay for. Just be sure that the price you are paying is what you intend to pay and you aren’t letting yourself be hornswaggled.
Why are all of my posts held for review?
You have a history of spamming the site, using multiple user names, and making personal attacks. Your posts get flagged for manual moderation, as a result, which creates extra work for us.
Keep your comments on topic and constructive and this won’t be necessary.
The problem arises because “on topic” and “constructive” are so subjective that there is no predicting whether others will get the message clearly or what their response will be. Plus, all you are proposing is self-censorship which has its own bad ramifications. Self-censorship means the terrorists have won. I say cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
gridsleep – People sometimes conflate or confuse comment moderation with censorship. This trivializes what censorship really is.
The First Amendment in the US protects you from censorship – which is when the government limits your freedom of expression.
The First Amendment also protects the rights of publishers to moderate comments, which protects freedom of the press and the publishers’ right to free expression.
You’ve been a Synthtopia reader long enough to know that we encourage readers to share their thoughts about things. This should be obvious on a post like this one, where you’ve got all types of perspectives in the comments, with some praising this synth or praising Behringer, and others with just the opposite viewpoint. But we don’t allow hate speech and personal attacks. These decisions are protected by the First Amendment.
PS: It’s actually the oligarchs that have won.
That is such a load of coal Synthhead. I’ve always been kind and considerate – any of my attacks were always on the topics I’m referencing. and absolutely not personal. I’m quite offended by that accusation. I’ve never name called. I’d like to see you prove where my attacks were personal. I’d like an apology from You.
I’ve never spammed anything at all. That is a straight up lie. I am one person with one isp and address – I just did not know using multiple names was an issue until you said so, and I’ve complied ever since.
I find it funny that I’m being lumped in with this toxic behavior when I’m actually just a person calling that out – you can disagree with me, especially when I call you out, but impugning my character with false accusations is really just unkind and disrespectful on your part synth head – sorry I’m not going to just agree with you that beheringer is the best thing since sliced bread and that they are changing the game by being the synthesizer temu. I disagree and have been invited to share my opinions respectfully so I do. You never said we couldn’t be sarcastic. I’d like to immediately be removed from your unnecessary moderation list. And an apology would be nice.
Wow!
How to go completely overboard.
Just breathe.
Sometimes my comments get flagged for moderation too. Usually because I spell the B company in it’s entirety.
You should know that a lot of comments regarding B can be divisive at best, at worst down right abusive. Probably why any comment with the B word in might get flagged for moderation.
Please, just relax about this.
Thanks donglebob I’m actually totally relaxed over here. But I appreciate your input. I’m okay with a comment here or there getting flagged but now it seems like every single one. Maybe Synthhead should moderate and put a stop to all the first time posters who are so obviously B employees of some kind just provoking reactions. Have any of them ever met Synthhead? I have at knobcon. So I don’t like being accused of being a spammer personal attacker just because I have a strong opinion.
Is this real or just a Christmas joke?
Remembering the fallout from Uli’s last little “joke”, I don’t think he’s in a joking mood these days.
Nice to see usb-c and full size midi
I’m wondering if those hieroglyphs were randomly chosen or is it an in joke? If random, did they accidentally spell out something obscene? If anyone is in a school with a department of antiquities, please show this to a hierologist.
The hieroglyphs are bullshit. Just clip art. They are not words. Ancient Egyptian glyphs can be either alphabetic letters, syllabic, or images used to help specify the word written with these glyphs. They at least had a roughly correct orientation to the characters. You read into the faces of the animate glyphs. The text on this box is decoration.