First, a grainy cell phone video with an equally grainy microphone will still make your content better than 99.999% out there and I hope you figure out the issue (it was rats eating my cables without me knowing they took up residence that did it to me once). You continue to explain things in both an approachable and highly useful way Tim. To me, your explanations remind me of catching those key words I know would mean I would like a particular wine back in my restaurant management days. I know, based on your explanation, I will like this synth. You bring so much knowledge to all of us, and I am very happy to see you are doing some "work" for company's like Cherry Audio. Unassuming intelligence in a strange and disjointed world, you actually calm those of us watching your videos down as we think of our next purchase (I agree about your point of there being way too much more to care about than Behringer keeping an esthetic for this synth). Keep up the great work Tim and thanks for all you do for us amateurs!
Many thanks for this interesting initial video about the UB-Xa in the usual quality and wealth of detail in the presentation. I'm already looking forward to the following videos, especially when I think about the Atrophy settings. You are certainly the right person to shed some more light on this. Thank you also for highlighting the difference with the Poly-AT.
Nice overview. Totally agree the display placement, should have been centered. And overall the knobs are good feel, but the data select encoder is a but more wobbly than I'd like when pressed. I have issues that it sometimes will shift 1 value when clicked less than purely vertical. BTW- The aftertouch configuration is under accessed via the VEL/AFT button (Shift 2 in the "Available Preset Recall" section on the far right and you can select Hard, Medium or Soft for the AT curve, as well as the slew rate with the "AfterTouch Fltr" setting. Not the full configuration as the Hydra, but you have some choices for one's AT style.
I'm looking at the Ub-Xa as a possible midi keyboard controller as well as its musical instrument function. Thanks for going over the keyboard functionality, its very helpful. At its price point it seems to be the best bang for buck solution.
Thank you for lovely introduction! Im really happy to see PolyAT working like this. Really perfect design choice. Also I think it is a good thing to not include performace controls and performace LFO into presets, but fully understand the point and it might be a good thing to allow that through FW update and leave that on users.
Always interesting seeing and hearing your new toys Tim. I know your review will be as stellar, in-depth, entertaining as the standards you've set and maintained over the years. Congrats, it sounds mega!!
Love the production credits! 😂❤ Also love the Interstellar quotes. Beautiful. I used to quip, back 30-some-odd years ago when this thing was first announced and teased to the public, that, “I can’t wait to _not_ buy this!” Although this offering doesn’t change my opinion of Behringer as a company, I definitely award them a lot of points here. They obviously really did do their homework on this one and appears not to be the slap-dash also-ran that the vast majority of their offerings are. I won’t be getting one, but I think anybody that does is probably getting a pretty good piece of kit.
“Heavily inspired by certain classic vintage synthesizers from the very early 1980s??” nearly fell off my chair lol…Love the humor you sneak into these videos Tim! Keep up the great work!
Such an awesome synth :) I ordered one last Friday and hope to receive in about a month.. that's what Thomann is indicating anyway. Can't wait to give it a good spin.. it sounds delicious in this video anyway!
Hehe, congrats... I have mine since end second week Dezember, I was under the first get the delivery from Thomann... Was my Christmas Gift to myself, right time for the Fiesta... Very happy with it, cant get my fingers off it.
While I did comment on how I liked the way Tim presented his opinion, I do not 100% agree with the gist of the statement, because: Behringer's attitude towards people and companies in the business actually IS a part of what's wrong with this world.
@@gregmakesmusic8805I think, Tim wanted to avoid the odd B-bashing in the comments and therefore tried to get that matter out of the way right from the start. I guess, therefore he also chose this rather forward approach. Fine by me.
I've heard lots of good things about the UB-Xa and so glad to hear they've done good work with the poly aftertouch. Aftertouch is such a key thing in expressive playing. When I'm building a software synth in VCV Rack or PureData, I always put a slew limiter on aftertouch, as so many keyboards fail to make the aftertouch something you can bring in gradually. At least with a slew limiter, you can force slower onset and release.
Like I need another synth! I'm into sound and control and this one has unique control and sounds great. Your in depth description on aftertouch was excellent, thanks for that.
Thank you for the video! The pressure on polyphonic aftertouch was quite interesting and also the part about the non-saveable performance section! I totally agree about the screen, they placed it on an awkward place. I would have preferred if it would be bigger and in a blue colour. Looking forward to the next video!
Wonderful timing; as recent days have narrowed choice down to UB-Xa. Will companion Deepmind 12 _ bringing OB-X8 tones aboard. THX Tim Shoebridge, looking forward to your follow-on impressions. 🙏🏻
Thanks Tim, very good overview of details which - to my knowledge - were not covered by others. If your studio is too crowded and that is the reason for the current disfunctionality, then please feel free to send over the excess gear, so that you can tidy up. All in your best interest, of course 😉
Tim, I'm so happy to be able to live vicariously through you, Oh man of means. I get the impression that you work very hard to earn your money. Anyway, YOU HAVE to buy the BEHRINGER MS-5 and do a review. LESS expensive than the UB, by far. Back when I had every HARDWARD synth except the CS-80 and the JUP 8, I used to SALIVATE over the SH-5 and SH-7; I never found one....and then I sold them all. I still miss my Andromeda. Mark
It's an excellent sounding synth, I am acquiring a ASN Explorer for the PAT keybed for the teased and hopefully released UBXa module. Great vid once again Tim as usual!
Behringer do a lot of cool things now! I wish they could add more flexibility to Pro-800 too. Modulation amount (from PolyMod) is very modest in the latest firmware. This makes some of my "very wanted effects" impossible to create. I could workaround this with LFO but it's only one for all 8 voices unfortunatelly. I've seen a website where several hardware mods for Pro-800 are described. And there is even a mod for doing this :)
Every time I watch another video of the UB-Xa, I get the uncontrollable urge to shell out cash. I have yearned for this sound ever since Thompson Twins in the early 80s, but space, people, space! Nice video though, and just another reason to want it. Trying my best to hold back the GAS.
Hi Tim great video. For tweaking the AfterTouch response, Vel/Aft menu and then "AT Curve" - just soft medium and hard. The performance LFO settings are manual and you are right to assume the same as in the original. The performance panel settings can be saved within split/double programs - if that's any help to you at all.
Received mine today. I owned a four voice OB-X for about ten years, and missed the immediacy of programming it as well as the great sound. Based on a few hours getting to know it, the Behringer has everything I liked about the OB-X but with the extra features of the later OB-Xa and OB-8. The "atrophy" feature gets it into the "wobbly" territory of the OB-X which was constantly drifting because it used almost entirely discrete components unlike its mostly IC based successors. But with the Behringer, I'm hoping it doesn't just break down all the time like my Oberheim did.
I noticed on their upcoming "JT-16" (Jupiter8 clone using the ubxa form factor) ...the display screen is at the center octave, just a pinch to the right of the center of the entire instrument. I own a Hydra49key, and space is scarse, so I had planned on getting the Desktop UBXa... but I might be tempted to get the keyboard version of the JT-16 one day.
The Behringer haters might as well hang it up. Sure...they have cheap toys foe under $100.00. But they seem to take great pride in their flagship products...something I noticed with my first B synth, the Neutron. Even my $400.00 Pro 800 is a well built and wonderful sounding synth. Be well, Tim!
Helpful comment, thank you. Would you recommend the pro-800 as a first analogue synth? I’ve got a nektar p6 midi controller but the pro800 looks like a nice affordable way into analogue world. Does the pro800 integrate well into daws? Sorry if I’ve used clumsy/inappropriate terms- I’m not too familiar with the technicalities although I’ve played guitar and keyboards for many years. (Currently using logic 🙂) thanks again.
+1 for saying Behringer right and not calling it "Berrindjer" like so many on TH-cam wrongly do x3 Really well done overall in a way to make it an equally first out of the Box impression of what to expect.
Except...if you watch Uli Behringer in any video, he pronounces his own name as "Behrin-jer". Seeing as that's how he pronounces both his own name AND the name of the company he named after himself, I'm going to say that the owner of Behringer knows better how to pronounce his name than you do. Do a TH-cam search for "ULI BEHRINGER - AGRADECIMENTOS" and you'll hear him pronounce it.
Yes, Uli does that intentionally to connect with English-speaking customers. Uli Behringer has German roots, and that's why the name is pronounced the way Tim does.
@@ScottsSynthStuff Yes, because he wants to communicate with an international audience. Still in German it is a soft ending and not pronounced with a J (as in the wine maker). I'm actually struggling myself with using either or, so depending on the context I sometimes pronounce it like Tim, sometimes as ringer (of Notre Dame 😉 )
I go the other way - it's makes me twitch hearing you say it that way in English! 🤣The other way is the "correct" way to pronounce it in English, the hard g is the correct way in German - Uli seems to agree. I'm kinda the same, when I'm in a foreign country I'm happy to have my name pronouced the French/German/US way - all of which are different - makes me feel like I'm fitting in!
Great first impressions. Many thanks. I have my UB-Xa since a month, great synth, great value for money, good construction quality, except for the knobs, thin and too plasticky. Hopefully there will be a third party replacement available for them.
The original knobs on the OBXA probably aren’t much better. Lol. I’ve got one, it’s needs servicing, but they don’t feel premium either. But true, fitting gear with nice feeling hardware adds to the user experience.
Dear Mr. Shoebridge- thanks for this (and your many other) detailed video(s). I enjoy watching your channel for the calm, measured quality you bring to your in-depth analyses and reviews, which are mercifully devoid of the “hyper” or overly flamboyant style of some other reviewers. I am a semi-pro/ semi-amateur (😂) guitar player (I.e. I perform guitar parts in a Pink Floyd tribute band) who has an old Alesis 88 key Quadrasynth; it’s a monster from the 90s, and is great, but I am looking to get either the Hydrasynth Deluxe or the UB-Xa for 21st century conveniences, even though I realize that’s a bit of a contradiction in terms for the “U-Behr-heim”. I am aware of the differences between the two, and more importantly, the important similarities (polyphonic aftertouch). I noticed that you have done reviews on both these synths. Do you have a preference for one over the other e.g. feel, quality of factory presets/ patches, or ease of ability to create “realistic sounding” instruments like pianos and organs from these synths? Any notable/ glaring shortcomings that might make you choose one over the other? I realize this question might be akin to choosing a favorite child, but the reason I ask is because, like you, I do not perform keyboards live, and am primarily looking for a SINGLE “master synth” with great patches, that I could also use as a controller for other modular devices in my studio. I live in the USA, and so am uncertain of ASM vs. Behringer’s after-sale service (if ever needed) and whether that influences your decision in any way. Sorry for the long question/ comment, and thanks in advance. Cheers
Hey. Great to hear you enjoy the channel. The hydrasynth is definitely going to give you the widest range of sounds, you can coax some very nice organ sounds, electric pianos and even choir sounds out of it. The synth engine is very flexible allowing you to build your own wavetables from the factory waveforms provided. Working with digital synths is not for everyone, and I guess the question for you is how important is that warm, analogue, imprecise quality? Because it is that quality that you get from an analogue polysynth like the UBXA. If I was pushed, I think I would go with the hydrasynth for its flexibility, but I do think that pairing it with an all analogue polysynth is an amazing combination.
There are barely reviews online, it’s even courageous to do one with all the hate going on. I think it’s a work of love with lots of input from the community. Thank you for your initial thoughts. If it sounds anything like an ob-xa I’ll take this one, can’t afford a 5k synth and life is too short to save up for one. I mean we even have MPE.
Thank you Tim, Placed a back order for this two months ago. Still not yet arrived, but maybe you can make suggestions in advance when it arrives how to connect this to my System 55 setup.
I have the desktop version. The main push knob is eventually going to break because of how much it gets used for programming. Of course with the desktop the display is less of an issue. I'm sure the cost being so low was part of the display where it is on the keyboard. It was a cost efficient position. I wanted the keyboard version but I have the M8x and PolyBrute12 both have PAT. I also have the Osmose so I didn't expect Behringer to be very skilled at making keyboards with PAT or better than Yamaha and Arturia. Yamaha M8x is rather heavy pressure so you aren't accidentally setting it off. I also discovered that you have to add PAT to most patches yourself as most of the preset do not respond to it. It's not broken it just isn't programmed on most patches.
I didn’t know the atrophy settings were fully customizable. Distinct atrophy presets are enough to make this “vintage” feature better than the dry/wet knob we see on other synths, but full customization takes things to a new level. It’d be even better to have panel control over those settings-but I know that’s impractical!
Definitely some nice feature additions. I wish the OB-X8 would let you switch the vibrato LFO to per voice and allow it as a destination when sending poly AT via midi. As it is right now, the only thing you can effect with poly AT is the filter. Can sort of fake it by taking the same patch and splitting it on both the upper and lower layers, then enabling AT for only the upper layer. Not the same though and still limited.
Nice video - honest opinion - thought I was already subscribed - wasn't so now am. Agree with comment on using musicians - and with the "don't get angry" point - Oberheim/Sequential could have redone this - but decided to go for the bigger and much more expensive OB-X8. If you like the sound then this is a great buy. And for just under a grand you get poly aftertouch - so bit of a bargain.
The info about the aftertouch is very interesting. I keep thinking about eventually getting a Hydrasynth Explorer because I prefer minikeys and that seems to be the only option of poly aftertouch with minikeys. (Well...maybe the Lumi? But I haven't heard anything good about it.) But I think I'd prefer Behringer's implementation of aftertouch. Here's hoping they'll put out a poly aftertouch keybed with minikeys before the Hydrasynth makes it to the top of my purchase list.
Like you Tim, on other keyboards aftertouch "falsely" triggers with my playing. I like the idea you describe that with the UB-XA the aftertouch needs to be more intentional.
I wish they would give you the option to open up the upper frequencies on the open filter more like ob-8x have more presence and sound less muddy in general.
At this price point with polyphonic after touch no one can really complain about a great new synth. I own the OB6 and the OBX8 and for those reasons don’t need another synth but the UBXA is fabulous at its price-point. I bought a Behringer 2600 because they did a great job and the Kong model 2600M misses out the features the keyboard added in their FS 2600 which is the ONLY reason I did not buy Kong - so by omitting features Behringer added, I bought the Behringer - nothing at all to do with price (as the OBX8 and OB6 ownership should indicate). My message to Behringer is to keep challenging the synths for price point. I own a CS80 but I am actually interested in a poly-aftertouch CS80 clone. The Super Gemini is an advancement of the CS80 and it’s an incredible synth beyond the CS80 but it is not a clone but rather a new and more powerful synth but when looking at “clones” in the true sense of the term, the UBXA clone of the Oberheim on the value and sound quality for the price and features, with respect to an original OBX or vintage models, is just unbeatable.
Poly Aftertouch, It seems they've taken notes from ensoniq's key-bed approach. Had many a Ensoniq, (EPS,16+) and the ASR10 does exactly the same...Probably why I have Two.... Best keybed for synth playing.... for me.... Cant wait to try this out...
I’d love to get my hands on one of these, but Behringer just released a teaser photo of their JP-16 and now I want to hear that prior to commiting purchase to the UBX
Thank you very much for playing my Pink Floyd preset. Great video, as always!
The Atrophy parameters are a genius touch! Well done Behringer🫡
Sounds great.👍
Love how you Zimmered it nicely, love the sounds and barbebone as it is the video is classy
I love Tim's videos. Insightful, informative, and most of all, entertaining.
I'm assuming you've simply forgotten "musical".
Just got mine this week. I really don't care if it sounds identical to the Oby, this synth is absolutely beautiful in its own right. I love it.
Had mine since 1/10…such a beautiful unit. Behringer really did a great job with this unit. At $1200 there’s 0 complaints. Best synth for the price.
1200? Wow
Im so happy to read such a comment. So awesome it’s a great sounding synth with no complaints! And yes $1200 is a steal for such a synth reissue!
even the keybed?
@@fortheloveofnoise honestly I’m not a keybed snob. It’s just fine not having any issues at all.
I'd rather get a teo5
Thank you for this - very helpful & informative. Also I loved the snippets you played - very atmospheric and melancholy.
First, a grainy cell phone video with an equally grainy microphone will still make your content better than 99.999% out there and I hope you figure out the issue (it was rats eating my cables without me knowing they took up residence that did it to me once). You continue to explain things in both an approachable and highly useful way Tim. To me, your explanations remind me of catching those key words I know would mean I would like a particular wine back in my restaurant management days. I know, based on your explanation, I will like this synth. You bring so much knowledge to all of us, and I am very happy to see you are doing some "work" for company's like Cherry Audio. Unassuming intelligence in a strange and disjointed world, you actually calm those of us watching your videos down as we think of our next purchase (I agree about your point of there being way too much more to care about than Behringer keeping an esthetic for this synth). Keep up the great work Tim and thanks for all you do for us amateurs!
Many thanks for this interesting initial video about the UB-Xa in the usual quality and wealth of detail in the presentation. I'm already looking forward to the following videos, especially when I think about the Atrophy settings. You are certainly the right person to shed some more light on this. Thank you also for highlighting the difference with the Poly-AT.
Great Overview Tim , UB-Xa sounds great! Loving the Atrophy parameter options! Game changer!
Nice overview. Totally agree the display placement, should have been centered. And overall the knobs are good feel, but the data select encoder is a but more wobbly than I'd like when pressed. I have issues that it sometimes will shift 1 value when clicked less than purely vertical. BTW- The aftertouch configuration is under accessed via the VEL/AFT button (Shift 2 in the "Available Preset Recall" section on the far right and you can select Hard, Medium or Soft for the AT curve, as well as the slew rate with the "AfterTouch Fltr" setting. Not the full configuration as the Hydra, but you have some choices for one's AT style.
Well produced and this seems to be better than what most were expecting ,
Not only do i love your reviews Tim but you're playing is also great.
Thanks Tim. Very informative video. Your insight is always very much appreciated . Definitely interested in this.
I'm looking at the Ub-Xa as a possible midi keyboard controller as well as its musical instrument function. Thanks for going over the keyboard functionality, its very helpful. At its price point it seems to be the best bang for buck solution.
This is by far the best demo of it I’ve seen. Your choice of voicing makes it sound beautiful.
Thank you for lovely introduction!
Im really happy to see PolyAT working like this. Really perfect design choice. Also I think it is a good thing to not include performace controls and performace LFO into presets, but fully understand the point and it might be a good thing to allow that through FW update and leave that on users.
Always interesting seeing and hearing your new toys Tim.
I know your review will be as stellar, in-depth, entertaining as the standards you've set and maintained over the years. Congrats, it sounds mega!!
Brilliant précis as ever, Tim. This one is certainly on my later-base😊 thanks for your efforts👏🏻
Liked this. Thank you. I was hoping for more info on the poly aftertouch and how it compares to other implementations, and you didn't disappoint.
Love the production credits! 😂❤
Also love the Interstellar quotes. Beautiful.
I used to quip, back 30-some-odd years ago when this thing was first announced and teased to the public, that, “I can’t wait to _not_ buy this!” Although this offering doesn’t change my opinion of Behringer as a company, I definitely award them a lot of points here. They obviously really did do their homework on this one and appears not to be the slap-dash also-ran that the vast majority of their offerings are.
I won’t be getting one, but I think anybody that does is probably getting a pretty good piece of kit.
Have been patiently waiting on our man in London's word on this one and am happy to see it passed muster.
Thx 🙏 for review and first impression of a synth which I will love to buy.. one day ❤
Dearest Tim, it was an absolutely lovely video!
Great video. Some beautiful sounds and great insights, brevity be damned. Looking forward to a more expansive tour of this synth.
Just when I had myself convinced I dont need this, you made me need this. You got lovely sounds out of it.
Wow, I'm impressed to see you reviewing Behringer. Turn the other cheek I guess, you have taken the high road. I guess I should too!
I see those machines - I feel happy. Arpeggiated lines like in the end just make me happy, as simple as they may be.
“Heavily inspired by certain classic vintage synthesizers from the very early 1980s??” nearly fell off my chair lol…Love the humor you sneak into these videos Tim! Keep up the great work!
Such an awesome synth :) I ordered one last Friday and hope to receive in about a month.. that's what Thomann is indicating anyway. Can't wait to give it a good spin.. it sounds delicious in this video anyway!
Hehe, congrats... I have mine since end second week Dezember, I was under the first get the delivery from Thomann... Was my Christmas Gift to myself, right time for the Fiesta...
Very happy with it, cant get my fingers off it.
You make a good point about all the issues in the world and choosing to be very angry about a synth.
While I did comment on how I liked the way Tim presented his opinion, I do not 100% agree with the gist of the statement, because:
Behringer's attitude towards people and companies in the business actually IS a part of what's wrong with this world.
@@martattacks Same here! He surely meant nothing bad with it but I also thought it was a little bold to say so.
@@gregmakesmusic8805I think, Tim wanted to avoid the odd B-bashing in the comments and therefore tried to get that matter out of the way right from the start. I guess, therefore he also chose this rather forward approach. Fine by me.
Well, he's just addressing the often petty concerns of social media idiots that frequent comment sections user groups...
Tim - great vid as usual! Love th UBXA
I've heard lots of good things about the UB-Xa and so glad to hear they've done good work with the poly aftertouch. Aftertouch is such a key thing in expressive playing. When I'm building a software synth in VCV Rack or PureData, I always put a slew limiter on aftertouch, as so many keyboards fail to make the aftertouch something you can bring in gradually. At least with a slew limiter, you can force slower onset and release.
Like I need another synth! I'm into sound and control and this one has unique control and sounds great. Your in depth description on aftertouch was excellent, thanks for that.
The zoom sounded fine. Thanks Tim, your videos are always a treat.
Thank you for the video! The pressure on polyphonic aftertouch was quite interesting and also the part about the non-saveable performance section! I totally agree about the screen, they placed it on an awkward place. I would have preferred if it would be bigger and in a blue colour. Looking forward to the next video!
You had me at that first sound. I am a sucker for auto panning. Thanks for the video.
Wonderful timing; as recent days have narrowed choice down to UB-Xa. Will companion Deepmind 12 _ bringing OB-X8 tones aboard. THX Tim Shoebridge, looking forward to your follow-on impressions. 🙏🏻
Thanks Tim, very good overview of details which - to my knowledge - were not covered by others.
If your studio is too crowded and that is the reason for the current disfunctionality, then please feel free to send over the excess gear, so that you can tidy up. All in your best interest, of course 😉
I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for the overview!😊
Tim, I'm so happy to be able to live vicariously through you, Oh man of means. I get the impression that you work very hard to earn your money. Anyway, YOU HAVE to buy the BEHRINGER MS-5 and do a review. LESS expensive than the UB, by far. Back when I had every HARDWARD synth except the CS-80 and the JUP 8, I used to SALIVATE over the SH-5 and SH-7; I never found one....and then I sold them all. I still miss my Andromeda. Mark
It's an excellent sounding synth, I am acquiring a ASN Explorer for the PAT keybed for the teased and hopefully released UBXa module.
Great vid once again Tim as usual!
Can’t wait for more future videos on this, outstanding as ever Tim 🫡
I love my UB-Xa so much
Tim always a pleasure!
Great video. Mine arrives Wednesday. Good to know about the Performance LFO quirks before mine arrives.
Thanks Tim, great presentation
Great video !! Thanks for making this one mines coming in today can’t wait.
4:18 - actually you were correct the first time, it's an LCD. :) Although it's backlit with LEDs, so there is that.
Great demo and impressions Tim!
Great video, excited for the desktop. Heard rumors it will have an OLED screen.
Subscribed! An honest review without the nonsense.
As always a great video Tim👍
sounds gorgeous Tim, great price too, thanks !
Great work Tim and yes there’s plenty of shit going on without arguing over synths! Sounds wonderful btw!
Top notch as always! Thank you so very much for sharing!
I can not agree more with you about something that people can be concerned about! Any way thank for this information video!😊
Behringer do a lot of cool things now!
I wish they could add more flexibility to Pro-800 too. Modulation amount (from PolyMod) is very modest in the latest firmware. This makes some of my "very wanted effects" impossible to create. I could workaround this with LFO but it's only one for all 8 voices unfortunatelly.
I've seen a website where several hardware mods for Pro-800 are described. And there is even a mod for doing this :)
Every time I watch another video of the UB-Xa, I get the uncontrollable urge to shell out cash. I have yearned for this sound ever since Thompson Twins in the early 80s, but space, people, space! Nice video though, and just another reason to want it. Trying my best to hold back the GAS.
Hi Tim great video.
For tweaking the AfterTouch response, Vel/Aft menu and then "AT Curve" - just soft medium and hard.
The performance LFO settings are manual and you are right to assume the same as in the original. The performance panel settings can be saved within split/double programs - if that's any help to you at all.
Received mine today. I owned a four voice OB-X for about ten years, and missed the immediacy of programming it as well as the great sound. Based on a few hours getting to know it, the Behringer has everything I liked about the OB-X but with the extra features of the later OB-Xa and OB-8. The "atrophy" feature gets it into the "wobbly" territory of the OB-X which was constantly drifting because it used almost entirely discrete components unlike its mostly IC based successors. But with the Behringer, I'm hoping it doesn't just break down all the time like my Oberheim did.
Been hoping for an looking forward to videos on this one. 🎉
I noticed on their upcoming "JT-16" (Jupiter8 clone using the ubxa form factor) ...the display screen is at the center octave, just a pinch to the right of the center of the entire instrument. I own a Hydra49key, and space is scarse, so I had planned on getting the Desktop UBXa... but I might be tempted to get the keyboard version of the JT-16 one day.
The Behringer haters might as well hang it up. Sure...they have cheap toys foe under $100.00. But they seem to take great pride in their flagship products...something I noticed with my first B synth, the Neutron. Even my $400.00 Pro 800 is a well built and wonderful sounding synth.
Be well, Tim!
Helpful comment, thank you. Would you recommend the pro-800 as a first analogue synth?
I’ve got a nektar p6 midi controller but the pro800 looks like a nice affordable way into analogue world.
Does the pro800 integrate well into daws?
Sorry if I’ve used clumsy/inappropriate terms- I’m not too familiar with the technicalities although I’ve played guitar and keyboards for many years. (Currently using logic 🙂) thanks again.
@@mhoppy6639 I think it would make a great first synth!
+1 for saying Behringer right and not calling it "Berrindjer" like so many on TH-cam wrongly do x3 Really well done overall in a way to make it an equally first out of the Box impression of what to expect.
I can only agree since I have the same last name 😊 A great first review by Tim, everything summed up perfectly.
Except...if you watch Uli Behringer in any video, he pronounces his own name as "Behrin-jer". Seeing as that's how he pronounces both his own name AND the name of the company he named after himself, I'm going to say that the owner of Behringer knows better how to pronounce his name than you do. Do a TH-cam search for "ULI BEHRINGER - AGRADECIMENTOS" and you'll hear him pronounce it.
Yes, Uli does that intentionally to connect with English-speaking customers. Uli Behringer has German roots, and that's why the name is pronounced the way Tim does.
@@ScottsSynthStuff Yes, because he wants to communicate with an international audience. Still in German it is a soft ending and not pronounced with a J (as in the wine maker). I'm actually struggling myself with using either or, so depending on the context I sometimes pronounce it like Tim, sometimes as ringer (of Notre Dame 😉 )
I go the other way - it's makes me twitch hearing you say it that way in English! 🤣The other way is the "correct" way to pronounce it in English, the hard g is the correct way in German - Uli seems to agree. I'm kinda the same, when I'm in a foreign country I'm happy to have my name pronouced the French/German/US way - all of which are different - makes me feel like I'm fitting in!
Added it to my wish list thanks to this.
Great first impressions. Many thanks. I have my UB-Xa since a month, great synth, great value for money, good construction quality, except for the knobs, thin and too plasticky. Hopefully there will be a third party replacement available for them.
The original knobs on the OBXA probably aren’t much better. Lol. I’ve got one, it’s needs servicing, but they don’t feel premium either. But true, fitting gear with nice feeling hardware adds to the user experience.
Dear Mr. Shoebridge- thanks for this (and your many other) detailed video(s). I enjoy watching your channel for the calm, measured quality you bring to your in-depth analyses and reviews, which are mercifully devoid of the “hyper” or overly flamboyant style of some other reviewers. I am a semi-pro/ semi-amateur (😂) guitar player (I.e. I perform guitar parts in a Pink Floyd tribute band) who has an old Alesis 88 key Quadrasynth; it’s a monster from the 90s, and is great, but I am looking to get either the Hydrasynth Deluxe or the UB-Xa for 21st century conveniences, even though I realize that’s a bit of a contradiction in terms for the “U-Behr-heim”. I am aware of the differences between the two, and more importantly, the important similarities (polyphonic aftertouch). I noticed that you have done reviews on both these synths. Do you have a preference for one over the other e.g. feel, quality of factory presets/ patches, or ease of ability to create “realistic sounding” instruments like pianos and organs from these synths? Any notable/ glaring shortcomings that might make you choose one over the other? I realize this question might be akin to choosing a favorite child, but the reason I ask is because, like you, I do not perform keyboards live, and am primarily looking for a SINGLE “master synth” with great patches, that I could also use as a controller for other modular devices in my studio. I live in the USA, and so am uncertain of ASM vs. Behringer’s after-sale service (if ever needed) and whether that influences your decision in any way. Sorry for the long question/ comment, and thanks in advance. Cheers
Hey. Great to hear you enjoy the channel. The hydrasynth is definitely going to give you the widest range of sounds, you can coax some very nice organ sounds, electric pianos and even choir sounds out of it. The synth engine is very flexible allowing you to build your own wavetables from the factory waveforms provided. Working with digital synths is not for everyone, and I guess the question for you is how important is that warm, analogue, imprecise quality? Because it is that quality that you get from an analogue polysynth like the UBXA. If I was pushed, I think I would go with the hydrasynth for its flexibility, but I do think that pairing it with an all analogue polysynth is an amazing combination.
Sounds nice, mine arrives tomorrow!
Sounds huge! thanks for the video 🤘
awesome! subbed! greetz from switzerland 🇨🇭🇨🇭🇨🇭🔥🔥🔥🎹🎹🎹
Fantastic video TY !! ❤️
There are barely reviews online, it’s even courageous to do one with all the hate going on. I think it’s a work of love with lots of input from the community. Thank you for your initial thoughts. If it sounds anything like an ob-xa I’ll take this one, can’t afford a 5k synth and life is too short to save up for one. I mean we even have MPE.
Was waiting for this 😊 Thanks
Thank you Tim, Placed a back order for this two months ago. Still not yet arrived, but maybe you can make suggestions in advance when it arrives how to connect this to my System 55 setup.
Thank for this first impression. Ich know your Situation. I always rebuildt my Studio 😂
enjoyed the funny intro credits!
I have the desktop version. The main push knob is eventually going to break because of how much it gets used for programming. Of course with the desktop the display is less of an issue. I'm sure the cost being so low was part of the display where it is on the keyboard. It was a cost efficient position. I wanted the keyboard version but I have the M8x and PolyBrute12 both have PAT. I also have the Osmose so I didn't expect Behringer to be very skilled at making keyboards with PAT or better than Yamaha and Arturia. Yamaha M8x is rather heavy pressure so you aren't accidentally setting it off. I also discovered that you have to add PAT to most patches yourself as most of the preset do not respond to it. It's not broken it just isn't programmed on most patches.
Hello Tim, thanks from germany…..
Great man and great video
I didn’t know the atrophy settings were fully customizable. Distinct atrophy presets are enough to make this “vintage” feature better than the dry/wet knob we see on other synths, but full customization takes things to a new level. It’d be even better to have panel control over those settings-but I know that’s impractical!
waiting for mine for a few months hope it is here soon
Definitely some nice feature additions. I wish the OB-X8 would let you switch the vibrato LFO to per voice and allow it as a destination when sending poly AT via midi. As it is right now, the only thing you can effect with poly AT is the filter. Can sort of fake it by taking the same patch and splitting it on both the upper and lower layers, then enabling AT for only the upper layer. Not the same though and still limited.
Nice video - honest opinion - thought I was already subscribed - wasn't so now am. Agree with comment on using musicians - and with the "don't get angry" point - Oberheim/Sequential could have redone this - but decided to go for the bigger and much more expensive OB-X8. If you like the sound then this is a great buy. And for just under a grand you get poly aftertouch - so bit of a bargain.
Thanks for the review!
The info about the aftertouch is very interesting. I keep thinking about eventually getting a Hydrasynth Explorer because I prefer minikeys and that seems to be the only option of poly aftertouch with minikeys. (Well...maybe the Lumi? But I haven't heard anything good about it.) But I think I'd prefer Behringer's implementation of aftertouch. Here's hoping they'll put out a poly aftertouch keybed with minikeys before the Hydrasynth makes it to the top of my purchase list.
Really waiting for this beast to hit the market. Love my Deepmind 12.
I really really am not into Behringer ... but the "Deepmind" is a great synthesizer ... so is the "UB-Xa".
It has technically hit the market, you just can't buy one. 🙃 I've been on backorder since November and will likely be until May or June.
DM6 -12 club! ❤
One Atrophy Profile choice should be “BROKEN”. This would emulate several of my vintage synths!
Like you Tim, on other keyboards aftertouch "falsely" triggers with my playing. I like the idea you describe that with the UB-XA the aftertouch needs to be more intentional.
I was hoping you would do a video on this. Great stuff Tim. Just saw them tease the Jupiter 8 clone, will that be of interest to you as well?
That intro…❤
I wish they would give you the option to open up the upper frequencies on the open filter more like ob-8x have more presence and sound less muddy in general.
At this price point with polyphonic after touch no one can really complain about a great new synth. I own the OB6 and the OBX8 and for those reasons don’t need another synth but the UBXA is fabulous at its price-point. I bought a Behringer 2600 because they did a great job and the Kong model 2600M misses out the features the keyboard added in their FS 2600 which is the ONLY reason I did not buy Kong - so by omitting features Behringer added, I bought the Behringer - nothing at all to do with price (as the OBX8 and OB6 ownership should indicate). My message to Behringer is to keep challenging the synths for price point. I own a CS80 but I am actually interested in a poly-aftertouch CS80 clone. The Super Gemini is an advancement of the CS80 and it’s an incredible synth beyond the CS80 but it is not a clone but rather a new and more powerful synth but when looking at “clones” in the true sense of the term, the UBXA clone of the Oberheim on the value and sound quality for the price and features, with respect to an original OBX or vintage models, is just unbeatable.
Great video
Was going to play a drinking game for every time you say “polyphonic after touch “ 😂
But seriously liking the look of this for the price and sound ❤
PolyAT… the idea they keep selling me. I’m yet to hear an example where it worked though. It’s up there with 3D TV for me.
Poly Aftertouch, It seems they've taken notes from ensoniq's key-bed approach. Had many a Ensoniq, (EPS,16+) and the ASR10 does exactly the same...Probably why I have Two.... Best keybed for synth playing.... for me....
Cant wait to try this out...
Its beautiful
I hope the Module will be finished soon, like many, I have way to many key's, but would love to have a affordable Oberheim synth.
I’d love to get my hands on one of these, but Behringer just released a teaser photo of their JP-16 and now I want to hear that prior to commiting purchase to the UBX
I would just go ahead and grab it. It’ll probably be another 6 years before the JP comes to market judging by the ubxa’s development cycle.