You can improve the envelope snappiness by setting the VCA to the AR with a long release, so that way you get the full effect of the filter without it losing volume.
Impossible not to become a Patron for your channel: best synth videos EVER. It´s kinda my particular form of meditation nowadays: I hear your voice and I immediately feel better
I had the kitten back in the day ! A single oscillator version ! Blending the individual waveforms simultaneously used to get a wide variety of tones that were different to other synths that had only one selectable waveform . Thanks for the demo it was great to hear the octave electronics sound again !
“feels really solid, which is what we’d expect from behringer”.... this is not a quote i would have imagined would ever come from anyone back when they were just a mackie clone... but i guess they’ve changed their ways?
Thet actually came out with an aural exciter as their first device. Way before Mackie was founded. After that of course they colned just about anything. The thing I mostly modified where the surface mounted connectors. Just solder a little cable brigde from the print to the chassis mounted connector and they would become way more reliable.
Just got my first Behringer synthesizer last month -- the Neutron. Coming from being used to the Korg Minilogue, Wavestation EX, Volca FM + Modular + Sample, Novation Circuit, and Arturia Minilab mkii, the build quality is fantastic, and I would even say better than my Minilogue. The body has a higher % of metal and it feels a lot sturdier.
19:17 This keyboard issue is really ruining this synth for me. Makes it impossible to play anything remotely fast because you have to fully let off the previous key before the next will trigger. I sent a tech support ticket to Behringer because that's a glitch, not a mode. You can at least get around it in mono mode by using CV instead of midi, but poly mode requires midi, so... hoping they get a firmware update out soon.
Oh that’s good to her - thanks. I ended up picking up a K2 instead but honestly now i need (or want) one more mono synth to round things out, and for what I’m looking for the CAT seems to fit the bill.@@gnarlysoundscapes7210
Been waiting for this video since the Wasp overview! What a quirky little synth, I can see why Behringer took the time to recreate it. Your point about the envelopes is appreciated; I could never get along with the envelopes on my Neutron. The Deepmind has some fantastic eg, so hearing this is a persistent issue is a little disappointing, but it's also nice to know I'm not alone. Great video as always! Looking forward to the full overview.
Great & nice short demo ! That remake sounds very good and send you directly to the 70's - Love the design so futuristic for the epoch ! That little beast can have a plethora of capabilities despite appearances (dig that synth baby !) I'm definitively ready for the BIG test...with an Octave Cat SRM original to compare both synthz .... nierk nierk (evil laugh)
Yeah, the wobbly feet. My Neutron has the same issue, although it's not much of an issue, really. But somewhere in the foot mounting department of Behringer there's a table that needs adjusting.
@DIV1NITAL you've moved the goalpost in a rather disingenuous manner there. "Good music" is highly subjective, and I dont see why it cant feature an arp or be ambience.
I think I mentioned to you before, a mate of mine bought one of these in 1982. First synth I ever touched. I wonder if he still has it. In the shop he said to the assistant he might also want to look at what he pronounced as a "Moog Roog", completely destroying the presumed reason they called it the Rogue! :-)
Man, once you took the synthesizer out and I saw how small it was, I was thinking "how cute!" Looks very fun and adorable, just like a cat. How fitting. I say it's small because I've gotten very used to my Neutron which is pretty wide for a compact eurorack-format semi-modular synthesizer
the CAT , MODEL D and WASP are small and the PRO 1 ,NEUTRON and K2 are larger so in a rack they fit quite well together one small and one large next to each other
Thanks for the video! Behringer is (re)making a lot of good synths since quite a while now! The envelopes don't sound very snappy in my opinion and the 'glitches' in the oscillator sync you showed also seem strange to me. Apart from that it's a great sounding synthesizer! Good thing Behringer builds all these synths in desktop version to keep them compact and prices low. Looking forward to the Solina clone!
It would be great to see some external audio being patched through this synth. It really has a lot of heft to the sound. Another great introduction. Thanks!
At least ,you got the clumsy UK plug in the end ,Hurrah! I got the that one too(G4M) ,but i want the euro plug......and after that i got an even uglier adapter to set on that one ,it is so big, it almost makes the socket "bend" in the outlet......Fantastic reviews you are doing, like them A LOT!
Back in the 80's I had an Octave The Cat but it was really unstable and never held tune, so I got rid of it. I have missed it's crazy mod and X-mod capabilities so this clone is definitely on my list of future acquisitions. Too bad the initial attack resolution isn't quite subtle enough but no synth can be everything and maybe firmware updates could fix that down the road. But as you said for the price it's a very minor sacrifice compared to an extremely rare and expensive original, if you can even find one that's stable. A synth like this is a great starter mono synth and I believe like a lot of other Behringers, it's duophonic. Great to see Behringer bringing back these lost gems like The Cat and The Wasp.
As someone who owns a model D and loves it, i think i have figured out behringer's current business model. A synth patent expires, Behringer: WE CAN MAKE IT EURORACK NOW!!!! YAY The global community: THIS IS AMAZING The original manufacturer: Stop copying our stuff. This analysis is based off of when the model D came into manufacturing. The original minimoog was made 1970, some of the patents used were issued in 1976, the max life of a patent is 37 years, causing the expiration of some of the original moog patents to occur in 2013, around the time when rumors of the model d started. Same thing with the cat, original manufacture was 1975, some of the patents used date back to 1980, 1980+37=2017, add 3 years for R+D takes us to today. again, this is coming from someone who loves these devices and is writing this with a model d sitting next to him with plans on buying a pro-1
Yup. If the patent is expired, the people want it, and the original company isn't taking advantage of the opportunity to market a reissue, Behringer may as well clone away. Otherwise all those great vintage synth designs just get lost to history. ...I'm not sure how Behringer managed to get away with the K2 though, since Korg did start making the MS-20 again...
Cool video, thanks! I’m considering buying the Cat but was wondering whether you encountered any retrigger issue like with other Behringer clones. Does it allow to switch from Legato to retrigger in the first place? Furthermore, does it allow to switch note priority from first to last, highest to lowest etc.? Couldn’t find any info online, and reviews by the magazines are still rare. Thx
I owned two Octave Cats and an Octave Kitten during the early 1980s. So far, the Behringer version sounds very similar to the Octave version. I'm anxious to buy one of these here in the U.S. Are there any stores that are selling/shipping?
Hello. Please help. I’m newish to analog synths and I’m really confused and if anyone could help that would be so amazing! I don’t have any synth key boards. Just a basic Akai mini 2 midi controller. I see this has a USB port. How does this? Can some one explain how I would get audio to the synth? I’m assuming getting the audio out would be just a 1/4 out to the interface. But how do you get audio to it? Thank you for reading and helping to anyone who does
If it’s a midi controller it doesn’t make any sounds and sounds don’t go into it. It is used to play other synths (but overwhelmingly softsynths on computer or tablet). The keys play the notes and the knobs control the various parameters and knobs on the software. You can set all this up in the computer. You’ll need some synth apps... some are standalone and some are only used within a DAW like Cubase or Logic. There are free DAWs (and lite versions etc) and free softsynths like TAL NOISEMAKER.
Does Thoman have to supply UK plugs when you know...the UK have left/are leaving the EU? If i was Thoman i would have supplied you an actual brick for a power brick just for that!
Did you get any patch cables? I know the manual is not present but you did not mention if there where any patch cables supplied..? As an owner of the neutron, where as it contains both the physical manual and 6x patch cables, i'm quite shocked that none of them where present in my brand new Cat... :/ Could someone please confirm if this is how it supposed to be delivered?? Thanks!! Cheers!
I can’t remember tbh I did with some and not with others. I can recall being shocked the Pro1 didn’t have any, but just can’t remember with the cat sorry.
No Eurorack power cable?! How am I supposed to connect to the existing power bus in my rack? Not even a single PATCH CABLE?!?! So what about rerouting?
I madly want to own one of these, but I am afraid about the mido sync, I used to own a Beringerh ms 101, AND the midi sync wasnt really good, that Is the reason I sold it out and bought a Korg.monologue, in my country this costs 420 usd
Some are 18vdc. If you plug the RD-8 power supply into a TD3, you'll have a solder melting moment... Maybe. It's possible they have a voltage rectifier, so it's only the minimum voltage we need to worry about. i.e. Don't plug the TD3 psu into an RD-8. Of course, this is conjecture. I'm not sacrificing my kit to test it. Behringer need to tell us.
Been looking for something for bass, with interesting sound design capabilities, and CV outs to modulate my minilogue XD ...this seems like a strong contender!
Nice run through mate. First synth I ever touched and a distinctive sound. A pity the envelope doesn't self-loop like on the Clef B30 Microsynth because its a great thing to have it start playing notes then shorten the release until it creates its own gritty tone. Not playable from the keyboard but a unique effect.
Can someone tell me if there is a way to change note priority on this? I have one but you cannot play another note if you are holding a note down. You must completely let off the last key pressed. This makes it impossible to do hammer ons or play fast leads, etc. I do not see any options to change note priority using the synthtool app.
No there isn’t . It’s not a note priority issue it’s a glitch. I’ve contacted Behringer. I thought it was odd while recording this but obviously didn’t have time to investigate fully. You can actually be holding the highest key while the synth plays the lowest!
@@synthartist69 Isn't that how the original Cat was though? I have no idea all I know is that every time I find something "wrong" with my gear -- it becomes a "feature."
Agree, I was surprised to see a 15 minute demo without a sequence or some form of musical context. Now all the Behringer detractors have their knives out, and who can blame them with so few mellifluous moments in the video. No offense.
Can’t say yet. I’m a big fan of the Pro-One but was put off the module by the envelopes and this appears to have the same digital envelopes. I’ll have to play a bit more to give it a thorough testing I think.
@@StarskyCarr not worth it for me, shipping charges then import duties would be throwing money away for the sake of instant gratification... Strange that this company get there before Thomann....
Behringer is sure getting alot of mileage out of those CEM 3340 oscillators. They are the reason I'm probably not buying a Cat. I already have two Neutrons and plan on getting the UBXa when it's out. The Pro 1, MS-1, Crave, Neutron, and Cat all have the 3340 chip. I like different tones from my synths and I don't see a reason to get any of the other ones over the Neutron, even a 3rd Neutron for more modular features. I mean the Neutron does more than any of those other ones and if I want a 24db filter I can just run them into my Model D. If they used a different osc in the Cat I'd buy one in a second and was planning on it till I saw it had 3340s. I also own the Behringer Odyssey and am a fan of it, I definitely would have got the cat with a similar layout but different tone than something I have already. I haven't watched all of your video yet, maybe the sound here will change my mind.
gretings from the continent, we have that problem with musicstore cologne, they often sell synths with UK plugs for less than they ask for ones with euro plugs - and they are based in Cologne lol Seriously where is the problem? adaptors can be had for a quid/euro... I consider this to be a first world problem.
couchcamper just had to send a model d back to music store cologne as it was not working on arrival. At least they managed to send it with a uk adaptor, even if synth was not working. Still waiting for refund then can re order. Be careful with music store cologne I tried to get the problem with synth sorted with behringer first, they asked for the serial number then told me the synth was originally sent from them not to music store cologne but to Thomann, meaning music store cologne git it from thomann, and they were the original owners even though it had never been unboxed before they sold it to me. What this means is that music store cologne hold the guarantee and as such I could not register with behringer gear for the extra year they supply upon registration.
@@kentaccordionist strange things happening in the industry xD I was aware that Thomann is the number one customer of Behringer, but that musicstore gets their Behringer stuff via Thomann was new to me. far out! maybe you should order the next Model D from Thomann to make things less confusing... and get a travel adaptor^^
My guess is that the envelope generator is digital. They're much easier to insert in a schematic but can have such flaws (not obligatory! :) ). Model D and Neutron (probably K-1 and Pro-1 too) has analog envelopes - the difference is real! One complaint is the price! For not Crave's price range... WTF? It must be analog! If Behringer is following own marketing line then it would be very logical!
The envelopes are analog on all their recent reissues. It would be very conscpicuous if Behringer had used microcontrollers in their supposedly analog synths, and I'm sure we'd all have heard the ensuing outcry. My guess is that the problem lies with the sliding potentiometers. Perhaps they have a different taper from the originals, or maybe they are simply of lower quality. Potentiometers are among the most expensive components used in analog electronics, so it makes sense that Behringer would try to save some money there.
@@mortenjohansen6607 I can't find Crave's or Octave CAT's schematics! BTW, Model D has schematics, easy to find. Not a conspiracy fact though :)) Look, the problem of this steppy values is the same on Crave... But! Their potentiometers looks the same as in Model D. You don't need other type of pot to control a digital env. These steps has a definite digital nature! Just listen the part where Starsky tries different values to make a kind of "hats". There are not only the 1st step but it goes the same further. Any analog pot wouldn't give you this defect. If you'll find a very close look on PCB of Crave or CAT then it will be pretty easy to confirm that there are digital envelopes or digital pots (near analog pots). Yes, you can control a digital pot by an analog pot :). But it's weird and is actual only if you want to make a preset block.
@@mortenjohansen6607 The Pro-1 clone has digital envelopes instead of analog like the original Pro-1, which it didn't respond to gate input correctly until a firmware update.
The Odyssey sounds amazing to me. This one seems a little meh, except for the filter, but I am not really after duplicating the Chemical Brothers sound.
Watch Dave Spiers' review of the original and then draw your own conclusions..personally, I would say No, the Cat has its own character and is not an Odyssey rip off.
Interesting... I didn’t realise this was considered a rip off of an oddy until reading this. But it did strike me as having similarities as I might have mentioned (mouth runs away with me with the first look vids so never quite sure what I said and what only got as far as being a thought!!). I’d say although it has similarities it’s definitely different. Perhaps I should look into that further ... perhaps a short demo side by side?
@@StarskyCarr that would be awesome, Starsky... Problem is, this is a rare synth...as mentioned, Dave Spiers has one but I don't know where he lives..top guy, though...I actually tried one out as a young spotty teenager in Chase Musicians on Oldham Street in Manchester round about 1982...couldn't steer it properly, made an horrendous noise, the poor staff couldn't wait to get rid of me, lol.
I know I dont need another synth i know....😱 somehow I don't like the sounds it produces but I want to play with the unique controls and possibilities... Can we make a "make cat 🐱" sounds competition? Purring miau ( for food, open door, ...) 😜
curious how you connected that Korg MIDI controller seeing as how I can't see any cables connecting and only USB MIDI is it done with bluetooth or sumthin..? I couldn't see that much latency just curious..?
I dont see/hear the appeal to this synth. Seems like the sounds can be created on basically any synth with 2 VCOs, filters, etc... IDK maybe im all synth'd out. But can someone or Starsky let me know if it's my ears or are all of these synths by various companies getting to the point of sounding the same with only the features being slightly different or placed in different sections of the actual synth. It's all the same minus an adsr or and lfo, etc.
There’s not going to be a great deal of difference, other than as you say some features. This one has discreet VCO’S but all the ones with CEM chips are going to sound the same. People like the Moog ladder filter, others prefer the Wasp, which doesn’t resonate but doesn’t lose low end. I got a Behringer model D when they came out and instead of buying a neutron for the West Coast FM/wave shaping, I stuck it in a skiff case and started on the eurorack journey. I personally wouldn’t recommend a rack full of monosynths with similar architecture unless you just have a lot of money you hate looking at. If you look at the synth pioneers, they tended to have quite small setups initially and excelled because they explored the depth in quite a small number of instruments. I like variety in architecture, sound and interface. Purchases of the year so far are a Jen SX1000 for less than a volca bass, and a Roland JX8P for the price of a Neutron.
MP MI Any good synth can be sort of ‘dug into’. They start off sounding very similar, but the deeper you go, the more differences you can hear. Even a small box like this one has a world of sound hidden within.
@@tiadiad I suppose so. But all these videos pretty much show the same initial start. That doesn't really help my ears. Lol. If you gotta dive so deep to get these different sounds than it seems to just make sense to get a couple of diverse mono synths with enough options to make any sound and a very nice poly synth. ( and maybe a nice hybrid synth). Other than that, these synth companies are really milking the gear heads.
I just hope that they have made it more stable and a lot more reliable than the original, we used to get them in for repair all the time when they were new, and I couldn’t rely on mine gig to gig, let alone rehearsal to gig!. 😆😆😆
Yeah I've got a original and it seems to have a mind of its own, every time I turn it on, I'm like right what are you going to throw at me this time, well its not mine actually, belongs to a friend who brought me it to repair about 2 years ago on his way visiting my end, he's just not got round to picking it up, I'll be honest, I don't really like it, can't put my finger on it, it's trying to be a Odyssey put just doesn't cut it for me
I admit, I want to buy this because it’s called a cat has a picture of a cat on it, and it’s also a really nice looking thing....but...mono synths with no presets just have no appeal to me...really hoping Behringer keep going with their plans for some proper polysynths.
@@SPAZZOID100 maybe not to you but for a business to stay in business what is necessary is determined by the customer. Otherwise they spend their money elsewhere, if that keeps happening sooner or later that's the end of the business...
I also love watching all the guitar and pedal vids on RUclips. It’s nice to wander into unknown territory every once in a while:) Here is a nice, basic video for you to feast on: ruclips.net/video/dU3YIv2SlUE/видео.html
@@StarskyCarr hey, I didn't make any comments about your being Scouse (based on what I hear in your accent unless I'm vastly mistaken!), so no need to whinge too much! ;) Haha. Keep up your good work!
Along with the Wasp, this is the most underrated of Behringer's desktop bunch. The CAT is a beast with its interacting modulation options.
yeah... love them both... great little synths.
You can improve the envelope snappiness by setting the VCA to the AR with a long release, so that way you get the full effect of the filter without it losing volume.
Impossible not to become a Patron for your channel: best synth videos EVER. It´s kinda my particular form of meditation nowadays: I hear your voice and I immediately feel better
Thanks ever so much. Lovely to hear.
cohaagenup
Have you tried John Butler?
I had the kitten back in the day ! A single oscillator version ! Blending the individual waveforms simultaneously used to get a wide variety of tones that were different to other synths that had only one selectable waveform . Thanks for the demo it was great to hear the octave electronics sound again !
I used the Cat on a record and tour back in the nineties. I love that synth. It really moves air and hangs with a loud rock band.
Your "how to program any synth" is WELL worth the patron subscription!!!
I should get you on the sales team!
@@StarskyCarr I'm in 😎
Someone will be claiming those filter sweeps
lol... Chem Bros.
Lol
“feels really solid, which is what we’d expect from behringer”.... this is not a quote i would have imagined would ever come from anyone back when they were just a mackie clone... but i guess they’ve changed their ways?
Yeah absolutely. Time will tell, but everything feels really well built.
Thet actually came out with an aural exciter as their first device. Way before Mackie was founded. After that of course they colned just about anything. The thing I mostly modified where the surface mounted connectors. Just solder a little cable brigde from the print to the chassis mounted connector and they would become way more reliable.
Just got my first Behringer synthesizer last month -- the Neutron. Coming from being used to the Korg Minilogue, Wavestation EX, Volca FM + Modular + Sample, Novation Circuit, and Arturia Minilab mkii, the build quality is fantastic, and I would even say better than my Minilogue. The body has a higher % of metal and it feels a lot sturdier.
Mikeureko amazing. so behringer is essentially the Kia of pro audio then. quite a turn around!
Dunno about synths but I've gigged Behringer mixers for a while and they've been good.
Starsky Carr & Nick Batt.. best synth reviewers on You Tube
My first port of call for any new synth review
Cheers guys!
Would be great to see them both together. Some Friday night fun to be had!!!!
Loopop is my personal favorite, but those two are greats as well.
Absolutely agree!! Both are fantastic.
... all these people watching cat videos.
🐈 🐈 🐈
Well that's let the Cat out of the b....ox
Nice lil demo . Best one on you tube so far . Look forward to an in depth review soon👍🏻
A few more weeks and mine will come 😍 I love the look and sound of this.
I definitely don't need it, but might still buy it because it looks awesome. Thanks a bunch for the review!
19:17 This keyboard issue is really ruining this synth for me. Makes it impossible to play anything remotely fast because you have to fully let off the previous key before the next will trigger. I sent a tech support ticket to Behringer because that's a glitch, not a mode.
You can at least get around it in mono mode by using CV instead of midi, but poly mode requires midi, so... hoping they get a firmware update out soon.
m.facebook.com/behringer/posts/cat-and-pro-1-firmware-updateswere-happy-to-announce-that-we-have-uploaded-new-f/10158681095423914/
Did they ever fix this issue in subsequent updates?
@@PaulHofreiter Yeah they updated the firmware and it works now.
Oh that’s good to her - thanks. I ended up picking up a K2 instead but honestly now i need (or want) one more mono synth to round things out, and for what I’m looking for the CAT seems to fit the bill.@@gnarlysoundscapes7210
This one caught me the atención, I have the VC-340 and TD-3 👍🏻 and I’m very happy with them. Good job
Been waiting for this video since the Wasp overview! What a quirky little synth, I can see why Behringer took the time to recreate it.
Your point about the envelopes is appreciated; I could never get along with the envelopes on my Neutron. The Deepmind has some fantastic eg, so hearing this is a persistent issue is a little disappointing, but it's also nice to know I'm not alone.
Great video as always! Looking forward to the full overview.
Great & nice short demo !
That remake sounds very good and send you directly to the 70's - Love the design so futuristic for the epoch !
That little beast can have a plethora of capabilities despite appearances (dig that synth baby !)
I'm definitively ready for the BIG test...with an Octave Cat SRM original to compare both synthz .... nierk nierk (evil laugh)
Yeah, the wobbly feet. My Neutron has the same issue, although it's not much of an issue, really. But somewhere in the foot mounting department of Behringer there's a table that needs adjusting.
Thanks for the review Starsky. Always a pleasure to watch.
I’m underwhelmed with the monosynth flood lately from Behringer.
Why?
@DIV1NITAL you've moved the goalpost in a rather disingenuous manner there. "Good music" is highly subjective, and I dont see why it cant feature an arp or be ambience.
@DIV1NITAL yeah like those videos where they swamp it in shimmer reverb trying to make an impression , aah sign of the times not behringer fault
I think I mentioned to you before, a mate of mine bought one of these in 1982. First synth I ever touched. I wonder if he still has it. In the shop he said to the assistant he might also want to look at what he pronounced as a "Moog Roog", completely destroying the presumed reason they called it the Rogue! :-)
Man. Just when I was trying to decide between getting the k-2 and the pro-1.
Good review - the right mix of just playing and running through things in the more predictable way.
Man, once you took the synthesizer out and I saw how small it was, I was thinking "how cute!" Looks very fun and adorable, just like a cat. How fitting.
I say it's small because I've gotten very used to my Neutron which is pretty wide for a compact eurorack-format semi-modular synthesizer
the CAT , MODEL D and WASP are small and the PRO 1 ,NEUTRON and K2 are larger so in a rack they fit quite well together one small and one large next to each other
Yeeeeahhh !! Starsky's back with a new synth. Hope your doing well . 👍🏾👍🏾
All fine here, hope you’re managing to keep safe too 😀
thx for this Carr do we know if the original CAT does the same with the envelopes ?
this thing could make a great quadrophonic synth having pulse width and dual sub oscillators
great video as always !
Thanks for the video! Behringer is (re)making a lot of good synths since quite a while now! The envelopes don't sound very snappy in my opinion and the 'glitches' in the oscillator sync you showed also seem strange to me. Apart from that it's a great sounding synthesizer! Good thing Behringer builds all these synths in desktop version to keep them compact and prices low. Looking forward to the Solina clone!
What I really want to see is the VCX3 ! It seems to have got forgotten !
It would be great to see some external audio being patched through this synth. It really has a lot of heft to the sound. Another great introduction. Thanks!
Nice one.. I'll make sure I add it to the walkthrough.
At least ,you got the clumsy UK plug in the end ,Hurrah! I got the that one too(G4M) ,but i want the euro plug......and after that i got an even uglier adapter to set on that one ,it is so big, it almost makes the socket "bend" in the outlet......Fantastic reviews you are doing, like them A LOT!
Back in the 80's I had an Octave The Cat but it was really unstable and never held tune, so I got rid of it. I have missed it's crazy mod and X-mod capabilities so this clone is definitely on my list of future acquisitions. Too bad the initial attack resolution isn't quite subtle enough but no synth can be everything and maybe firmware updates could fix that down the road. But as you said for the price it's a very minor sacrifice compared to an extremely rare and expensive original, if you can even find one that's stable. A synth like this is a great starter mono synth and I believe like a lot of other Behringers, it's duophonic. Great to see Behringer bringing back these lost gems like The Cat and The Wasp.
As someone who owns a model D and loves it, i think i have figured out behringer's current business model.
A synth patent expires,
Behringer: WE CAN MAKE IT EURORACK NOW!!!! YAY
The global community: THIS IS AMAZING
The original manufacturer: Stop copying our stuff.
This analysis is based off of when the model D came into manufacturing. The original minimoog was made 1970, some of the patents used were issued in 1976, the max life of a patent is 37 years, causing the expiration of some of the original moog patents to occur in 2013, around the time when rumors of the model d started.
Same thing with the cat, original manufacture was 1975, some of the patents used date back to 1980, 1980+37=2017, add 3 years for R+D takes us to today. again, this is coming from someone who loves these devices and is writing this with a model d sitting next to him with plans on buying a pro-1
Yup. If the patent is expired, the people want it, and the original company isn't taking advantage of the opportunity to market a reissue, Behringer may as well clone away. Otherwise all those great vintage synth designs just get lost to history.
...I'm not sure how Behringer managed to get away with the K2 though, since Korg did start making the MS-20 again...
@@gnarlysoundscapes7210 it doesnt matter if the original company starts making it, once the patent is up, its up and free for anyone to use.
Damn, never even heard of this one. Great stuff - and you finally got your UK plug!! They really are listening. Great stuff.
can you check if the looping adsr can do audio rate modulation? great videos man!
Cool video, thanks! I’m considering buying the Cat but was wondering whether you encountered any retrigger issue like with other Behringer clones. Does it allow to switch from Legato to retrigger in the first place? Furthermore, does it allow to switch note priority from first to last, highest to lowest etc.? Couldn’t find any info online, and reviews by the magazines are still rare. Thx
Thanks - no retriever issues I’ve found so far! But you can’t change from low note priority (yet). Hopefully this change with an update to the app.
Starsky Carr ok thx, yes hopefully they change that
I owned two Octave Cats and an Octave Kitten during the early 1980s. So far, the Behringer version sounds very similar to the Octave version. I'm anxious to buy one of these here in the U.S. Are there any stores that are selling/shipping?
@Mister Scoops I got mine from Sweetwater this past Saturday, 05/16/2020!
Truly, it is the era of the *Brute mini-semi-modular synths.
What is the clicking @14:50 ? Is there a way to control the filter with the Keyboard Velocity, eg how hard I hit how open the filter is?
Hello. Please help. I’m newish to analog synths and I’m really confused and if anyone could help that would be so amazing! I don’t have any synth key boards. Just a basic Akai mini 2 midi controller. I see this has a USB port. How does this? Can some one explain how I would get audio to the synth? I’m assuming getting the audio out would be just a 1/4 out to the interface. But how do you get audio to it? Thank you for reading and helping to anyone who does
If it’s a midi controller it doesn’t make any sounds and sounds don’t go into it. It is used to play other synths (but overwhelmingly softsynths on computer or tablet). The keys play the notes and the knobs control the various parameters and knobs on the software. You can set all this up in the computer. You’ll need some synth apps... some are standalone and some are only used within a DAW like Cubase or Logic. There are free DAWs (and lite versions etc) and free softsynths like TAL NOISEMAKER.
wonder who will be the first to desolder the small sliders and put longer range sliders on it for proper control in a bigger housing :)
STOP IT!! Can't a guy walk down the street anymore without being offered an authentic recreation of a classic analog synthesizer??
@chief tp No, they haven't.
chief tp - huh?? past... 20 years?? maybe the last 5 if youre talking about behringer korg and roland
We come a long way since the only new analog offering is a DSI Mopho or something by Studio Electronics that cost 2 grand
this was a great introduction. I thought I wouldn't like the Cat - now I know better ;- )
5:49 It already sounds awesome. Can't wait till US preorders start shipping.
The intro/outro track is just a Tr09 with a single line from the CAT plus a touch of reverb. Sounds huge and can rip a hole through your brain!!
hey Carr how about reviewing the mfb synth pro the budget moog one?
Does Thoman have to supply UK plugs when you know...the UK have left/are leaving the EU? If i was Thoman i would have supplied you an actual brick for a power brick just for that!
Did you get any patch cables? I know the manual is not present but you did not mention if there where any patch cables supplied..? As an owner of the neutron, where as it contains both the physical manual and 6x patch cables, i'm quite shocked that none of them where present in my brand new Cat... :/ Could someone please confirm if this is how it supposed to be delivered?? Thanks!!
Cheers!
I can’t remember tbh I did with some and not with others. I can recall being shocked the Pro1 didn’t have any, but just can’t remember with the cat sorry.
@@StarskyCarr okay.. thanks anyways!
Anyone have some thoughts about the utility of this synth for someone that already owns the Crave and the Edge?
@ starsky carr is the glide working ok on your Cat? Mine is very glitchy...Raised a case with Music Tribe..
I’ll give it a test what’s yours doing!
@@StarskyCarr Here ruclips.net/video/J-PPnEi00sE/видео.html
If you had to keep only one. Which would you keep. Cat or Wasp and why?
Too hard!! Cat is more flexible, WASP is more yellow.. and mellow. WASP for the sound.CAT for the bite.
Looks like the cats 🐈 outta the box
“I’m just feeling the knobs.” That’s what I said. /rimshot
No Eurorack power cable?! How am I supposed to connect to the existing power bus in my rack?
Not even a single PATCH CABLE?!?! So what about rerouting?
I madly want to own one of these, but I am afraid about the mido sync, I used to own a Beringerh ms 101, AND the midi sync wasnt really good, that Is the reason I sold it out and bought a Korg.monologue, in my country this costs 420 usd
Excellent looking forward to this one! The filter chip should be a clone of the classic SSM 2044s.
Some are 18vdc. If you plug the RD-8 power supply into a TD3, you'll have a solder melting moment... Maybe. It's possible they have a voltage rectifier, so it's only the minimum voltage we need to worry about. i.e. Don't plug the TD3 psu into an RD-8. Of course, this is conjecture. I'm not sacrificing my kit to test it. Behringer need to tell us.
Taut Tech / Minus Managed Music - I write with silver paint marker which module it goes to. No stressing since doing that.
Been looking for something for bass, with interesting sound design capabilities, and CV outs to modulate my minilogue XD ...this seems like a strong contender!
Think neutron is more up your alley then
much better contenders out there for bass than a cat
I'm using the Behringer Pro 1 mostly for basslines lately, its great. Very powerful sound.
Mine arrived yesterday.
I recommend making the distinction in your patreon vid between East coast & West coast synths as they are not the same at all.
Starsky Carr, could you make a close look PCB photograph of Crave? Or CAT if you're going to open it.
Lol I'd like that too... Synth guts are sexy.
I can never resist taking my synths apart and admiring their circuitry.
Actually to check which ICs are making the envelopes.
Nice run through mate. First synth I ever touched and a distinctive sound. A pity the envelope doesn't self-loop like on the Clef B30 Microsynth because its a great thing to have it start playing notes then shorten the release until it creates its own gritty tone. Not playable from the keyboard but a unique effect.
Awesome little thing
Can someone tell me if there is a way to change note priority on this? I have one but you cannot play another note if you are holding a note down. You must completely let off the last key pressed. This makes it impossible to do hammer ons or play fast leads, etc. I do not see any options to change note priority using the synthtool app.
No there isn’t . It’s not a note priority issue it’s a glitch. I’ve contacted Behringer. I thought it was odd while recording this but obviously didn’t have time to investigate fully. You can actually be holding the highest key while the synth plays the lowest!
@@StarskyCarr UGH!!!!
@@synthartist69 Isn't that how the original Cat was though? I have no idea all I know is that every time I find something "wrong" with my gear -- it becomes a "feature."
I hope someone demo's the cat with a sequencer.
I’ll see what I can do!
Agree, I was surprised to see a 15 minute demo without a sequence or some form of musical context. Now all the Behringer detractors have their knives out, and who can blame them with so few mellifluous moments in the video. No offense.
It’s a first look. Not a demo. That’s on its way.
Great job! How do you feel it compares to Pro One module? Thnks!
Can’t say yet. I’m a big fan of the Pro-One but was put off the module by the envelopes and this appears to have the same digital envelopes. I’ll have to play a bit more to give it a thorough testing I think.
@@StarskyCarr Can it compare in fatness to the Model D?
Agree about the mains plug...really annoys me.
How did you get your hands on one so quick? Been waiting for weeks with Thomann
There was a shop on eBay selling for £349 but went direct to their www for £299
Just cancelled my Thomann pre order!
@@StarskyCarr thanks, Mr. Starsky! Just going to check with Captain Dobey😎👍
@@StarskyCarr not worth it for me, shipping charges then import duties would be throwing money away for the sake of instant gratification... Strange that this company get there before Thomann....
An Ambient Cyborg I think maybe Thomann got a small batch and I was too far down the list. The estimated delivery time shifted a couple of weeks ago.
Amazing
Behringer is sure getting alot of mileage out of those CEM 3340 oscillators. They are the reason I'm probably not buying a Cat. I already have two Neutrons and plan on getting the UBXa when it's out. The Pro 1, MS-1, Crave, Neutron, and Cat all have the 3340 chip. I like different tones from my synths and I don't see a reason to get any of the other ones over the Neutron, even a 3rd Neutron for more modular features. I mean the Neutron does more than any of those other ones and if I want a 24db filter I can just run them into my Model D. If they used a different osc in the Cat I'd buy one in a second and was planning on it till I saw it had 3340s. I also own the Behringer Odyssey and am a fan of it, I definitely would have got the cat with a similar layout but different tone than something I have already. I haven't watched all of your video yet, maybe the sound here will change my mind.
House Band: The Xenos the osc does not matter. They all use different FILTERS.
I also have the same problem with Thomann, it’s not good.
gretings from the continent, we have that problem with musicstore cologne, they often sell synths with UK plugs for less than they ask for ones with euro plugs - and they are based in Cologne lol
Seriously where is the problem? adaptors can be had for a quid/euro... I consider this to be a first world problem.
couchcamper just had to send a model d back to music store cologne as it was not working on arrival. At least they managed to send it with a uk adaptor, even if synth was not working. Still waiting for refund then can re order.
Be careful with music store cologne I tried to get the problem with synth sorted with behringer first, they asked for the serial number then told me the synth was originally sent from them not to music store cologne but to Thomann, meaning music store cologne git it from thomann, and they were the original owners even though it had never been unboxed before they sold it to me.
What this means is that music store cologne hold the guarantee and as such I could not register with behringer gear for the extra year they supply upon registration.
@@kentaccordionist strange things happening in the industry xD I was aware that Thomann is the number one customer of Behringer, but that musicstore gets their Behringer stuff via Thomann was new to me. far out!
maybe you should order the next Model D from Thomann to make things less confusing... and get a travel adaptor^^
Já está à venda?
😂😂
My guess is that the envelope generator is digital. They're much easier to insert in a schematic but can have such flaws (not obligatory! :) ).
Model D and Neutron (probably K-1 and Pro-1 too) has analog envelopes - the difference is real!
One complaint is the price! For not Crave's price range... WTF? It must be analog! If Behringer is following own marketing line then it would be very logical!
The envelopes are analog on all their recent reissues. It would be very conscpicuous if Behringer had used microcontrollers in their supposedly analog synths, and I'm sure we'd all have heard the ensuing outcry.
My guess is that the problem lies with the sliding potentiometers. Perhaps they have a different taper from the originals, or maybe they are simply of lower quality. Potentiometers are among the most expensive components used in analog electronics, so it makes sense that Behringer would try to save some money there.
@@mortenjohansen6607 I can't find Crave's or Octave CAT's schematics! BTW, Model D has schematics, easy to find.
Not a conspiracy fact though :))
Look, the problem of this steppy values is the same on Crave... But! Their potentiometers looks the same as in Model D.
You don't need other type of pot to control a digital env.
These steps has a definite digital nature! Just listen the part where Starsky tries different values to make a kind of "hats". There are not only the 1st step but it goes the same further. Any analog pot wouldn't give you this defect.
If you'll find a very close look on PCB of Crave or CAT then it will be pretty easy to confirm that there are digital envelopes or digital pots (near analog pots). Yes, you can control a digital pot by an analog pot :). But it's weird and is actual only if you want to make a preset block.
pro-1 envelopes are digital and most definitely more of their clones are having digital envelopes too
@@mortenjohansen6607 The Pro-1 clone has digital envelopes instead of analog like the original Pro-1, which it didn't respond to gate input correctly until a firmware update.
@@danielroberts2364 Makes sense, you can't update analog circuits with firmware can you ??
woohoooo cats
sounds like my vic 20
Great review man but you may want to give a little warning before you crank the resonance to 11 (around 14:50) 🤣. My ears are still ringing 😟
Please tell me you’re the Starsky of Midas Touch
The schema is called Low Note Priority :]
Haha .. yeah I got that when editing it. Too much going on in my head for me to process everything in time when recording a first look!
@@StarskyCarr right on man! Thanks for all you do :]
Bit out with the price for an original. There's one on Feebay for $3,899.😳😳😳
Crickey... about 18 months ago I wouldn’t go over £700 on an eBay auction!
I'd take this over an Odyssey if it weren't for that bender.
The Odyssey sounds amazing to me. This one seems a little meh, except for the filter, but I am not really after duplicating the Chemical Brothers sound.
Feelin the knobs 😏
If I have the odyssey do I need this? is it really a rip off the Arp?
Watch Dave Spiers' review of the original and then draw your own conclusions..personally, I would say No, the Cat has its own character and is not an Odyssey rip off.
Interesting... I didn’t realise this was considered a rip off of an oddy until reading this. But it did strike me as having similarities as I might have mentioned (mouth runs away with me with the first look vids so never quite sure what I said and what only got as far as being a thought!!).
I’d say although it has similarities it’s definitely different. Perhaps I should look into that further ... perhaps a short demo side by side?
@@StarskyCarr that would be awesome, Starsky... Problem is, this is a rare synth...as mentioned, Dave Spiers has one but I don't know where he lives..top guy, though...I actually tried one out as a young spotty teenager in Chase Musicians on Oldham Street in Manchester round about 1982...couldn't steer it properly, made an horrendous noise, the poor staff couldn't wait to get rid of me, lol.
An Ambient Cyborg I’ll put a shout out on some forums to see if there’s any generous folks close by.
@@StarskyCarr good luck....would love to hear a head to head..
It's a cool thing! I'd like such beauty, yes neighbors in the ears! Psychedelic and hardcore! They're already hang from my sounds!
pweety fonkee innit !!
rad 👋🏻🥥👄🥥🤚🏻
I know I dont need another synth i know....😱 somehow I don't like the sounds it produces but I want to play with the unique controls and possibilities...
Can we make a "make cat 🐱" sounds competition? Purring miau ( for food, open door, ...) 😜
abag2007 🐈 🐈 🐈
curious how you connected that Korg MIDI controller seeing as how I can't see any cables connecting and only USB MIDI is it done with bluetooth or sumthin..? I couldn't see that much latency just curious..?
fiddlestickz muzik the microkey air is Bluetooth, I’m guessing it’s usb midi to a computer then Bluetooth to the keyboard maybe.
Yeah... Bluetooth to the DAW, with the synth using USB MIDI.
I dont see/hear the appeal to this synth. Seems like the sounds can be created on basically any synth with 2 VCOs, filters, etc... IDK maybe im all synth'd out. But can someone or Starsky let me know if it's my ears or are all of these synths by various companies getting to the point of sounding the same with only the features being slightly different or placed in different sections of the actual synth. It's all the same minus an adsr or and lfo, etc.
There’s not going to be a great deal of difference, other than as you say some features. This one has discreet VCO’S but all the ones with CEM chips are going to sound the same. People like the Moog ladder filter, others prefer the Wasp, which doesn’t resonate but doesn’t lose low end. I got a Behringer model D when they came out and instead of buying a neutron for the West Coast FM/wave shaping, I stuck it in a skiff case and started on the eurorack journey.
I personally wouldn’t recommend a rack full of monosynths with similar architecture unless you just have a lot of money you hate looking at. If you look at the synth pioneers, they tended to have quite small setups initially and excelled because they explored the depth in quite a small number of instruments.
I like variety in architecture, sound and interface. Purchases of the year so far are a Jen SX1000 for less than a volca bass, and a Roland JX8P for the price of a Neutron.
99% of monosynths sound very similar to each other.
@DIV1NITAL ? Not sure if this was a real question or if you're sarcastically agreeing with me. Lol. I'm going for the latter.
MP MI
Any good synth can be sort of ‘dug into’. They start off sounding very similar, but the deeper you go, the more differences you can hear. Even a small box like this one has a world of sound hidden within.
@@tiadiad I suppose so. But all these videos pretty much show the same initial start. That doesn't really help my ears. Lol. If you gotta dive so deep to get these different sounds than it seems to just make sense to get a couple of diverse mono synths with enough options to make any sound and a very nice poly synth. ( and maybe a nice hybrid synth). Other than that, these synth companies are really milking the gear heads.
I have
Uuuuulllliiiii where’s the ub-xaaaaaaaaa
Dau AND the RD-9
How did the Cat get so fat?
I just hope that they have made it more stable and a lot more reliable than the original, we used to get them in for repair all the time when they were new, and I couldn’t rely on mine gig to gig, let alone rehearsal to gig!. 😆😆😆
Yeah I've got a original and it seems to have a mind of its own, every time I turn it on, I'm like right what are you going to throw at me this time, well its not mine actually, belongs to a friend who brought me it to repair about 2 years ago on his way visiting my end, he's just not got round to picking it up, I'll be honest, I don't really like it, can't put my finger on it, it's trying to be a Odyssey put just doesn't cut it for me
comes with a charger ! so it can be used with no power supply lol
It is a charger… just doesn’t charge this 😂
@@StarskyCarr so it doesn’t charge it powers 🙄😂
@@anywherenearzero it powers this… but I’m certain it’ll charge something else 🤷♂️😮😀😂
is it my imagination but this sounds almost like a system 100
In what way is this more convenient for me to buy instead of let’s say a train, which I could also afford?
I admit, I want to buy this because it’s called a cat has a picture of a cat on it, and it’s also a really nice looking thing....but...mono synths with no presets just have no appeal to me...really hoping Behringer keep going with their plans for some proper polysynths.
Memories are not necessary.
@@SPAZZOID100 maybe not to you but for a business to stay in business what is necessary is determined by the customer. Otherwise they spend their money elsewhere, if that keeps happening sooner or later that's the end of the business...
I'm a guitar player. I just watched this whole thing and didn't understand a word. Cool. :)
For me it's like that when I watch guitar videos.
I also love watching all the guitar and pedal vids on RUclips. It’s nice to wander into unknown territory every once in a while:) Here is a nice, basic video for you to feast on:
ruclips.net/video/dU3YIv2SlUE/видео.html
You're English. Whinging comes with the nationality. ;)
Steady on old chap.. I might star whinging about the comments as well 😀
@@StarskyCarr hey, I didn't make any comments about your being Scouse (based on what I hear in your accent unless I'm vastly mistaken!), so no need to whinge too much! ;) Haha.
Keep up your good work!
beware of the nasty Chemical Brothers !!!
Still waiting for you to patch all your B units together so's we can hear your BAT with the rest of the clone orchestra.
Miau