Behringer has today released photos of the Polyeight prototype, a recreation of the Korg PolySix with two more voices, a display & more.
Back in 2021, Behringer introduced the Polyeight, a clone/replica of the Korg PolySix with 8 voices. It has now been 2 years of quiet around the project. So quiet that I almost forgot about the project.
Today, finally, Behringer released new photos of the Polyeight and a small update. Okay, it’s tiny.
According to Behringer, the Polyeight (PolyEight) is getting ready. What does that mean? Is the development finished, or is the Polyeight ready for beta testing or already in production? Sorry, I don’t have a crystal ball to give you more details
Many who are waiting for these replicas would certainly be happy about more detailed information about the development status. But the Behringer post shows that the project is not forgotten
Article April 2nd, 2021
Behringer has released a number of Synthesizer clones in the past few years. Model D, Pro-1, MS-1, etc., are all based on the original circuit designs of vintage synths. Uli and his team also make synths that differ from the original designs. See the Poly-D, which is a paraphonic Minimoog clone with 4 oscillators.
It is no secret that Behringer is also working on a PolySix replica after their best-selling Monopoly clone. Today they showed the first prototype of their PolySix recreation, which is not a 100% authentic clone.
Behringer Polyeight
Polyeight is based on the original circuits of the Korg PolySix but expanded with 2 voices and some other extra features. This includes a new display on the right that visualize the patches, etc. Certainly, it can store more than 32 of the original. According to Behringer, the architecture is based on a new ARM platform:
What an exciting day – the first Polyeight has come alive:-) While this is still an early prototype, the firmware is all based on our new ARM platform, which will certainly speed up the development and time to market. As you can see, the Polyeight is not a pure clone. We have retained the analog section, but added 2 more voices and especially a much improved user interface with very useful functions. What do you think?
Here also a view of the inside. You can see that the circuits of the digital and analog engine are separate on different PCBs.
The Polyeight certainly looks interesting. Personally, I also find it good that Behringer is taking a different path here with more voices, and more functonalities.
All information will follow in the near future.
More information here: Behringer
I make a comparison with motorcycles so bear with me. For example, Triumph re-produces some of their classic motorbikes BUT with latest safety features and technologies (ABS, ECU-fuel injection, plush suspension etc). A similar path Behringer should be following rather than just blindly copying classic synths – rev them up with digital LFOs, onboard FX. mod matrix etc
I hope Behringer gets away from their “everything triggers me” mindset and be the adult for once to focus on doing QUALITY stuff. The biggest fish Behringer needs to fry is related to their quality issue that has plagued their products for years and has still being NOT addressed as plenty of the comments in their social media points to. Their stuff might sound good but even in production pictures you can see bent pots and misaligned faders (see 2600 production pics).
Behringer should also ALWAYS go beyond doing 1/1 clones. They have the engineer power to add functionality people want to stuff like the Swing and alleviate a LOT of unnecessary bad rep. For the Swing, adding a screen or lights for proper sequencer wouldve been something that went ahead of Arturia offering, no need to go the cheap/trash route of simply undercutting them.
But credit where credit is due… Behringer is listening. They have listened about democratizing eurorack. That stuff is prohibitively expensive for beginners and finally a company is doing something about it. Product like this Poly8 is exactly what they need to do, go and expand on source material. Cloning old designs and make them eurorack compatible (Cat, Wasp, Pro-1, etc) was the right call for Behringer (less things to go wrong, save of production) so people can finally have proper hardware. Also reviving what people want like VCS3 is good too.
They need to step up their game in Public Relations. They have mentioned they save money on not doing marketing (just a few YT videos) but they need to save face to accelerate making the past look as distant as possible. I’m not sure if they apologized for the Cork Sniffer thing and they should donate product for education. We understand that right now demand is at an all time high and output low due to the pandemic but once things get going, Behringer should get more involved with charity.
“credit where credit is due… Behringer is listening”
To who? Who asked for bottom rung products based on shamelessly pilfered designs?
All of us who had to pay big bucks from 2002-2016 for an ever dwindling supply of used versions of the real thing(in various states of functionality), or couldn’t afford them at all. That is who asked for it.
I never dreamed I could have a VP-330. My friend and I used to speculate that something like that could never be made again. He got his in 2005 in working but rough condition for $2000 which was a fair price at the time due to rarity.
Now I have one for 300 bux. Behringer has come a long way in 20 years.
If only Behringer spent as much on R&D as they did on their PR department 😉
They don’t though. Behringer made their name by selling the thing that did the same thing as other makes but for almost nothing. When I was a young musician, the only reason I bought their stuff was that it was cheap and did the job. It was already at the music store. it was 2002, there were no targeted ads or anything, but I needed a mixer and an effects processor to get started. with the 200 dollars to my name, I walked out with a 1202 mixer and a 2024 virtualizer pro.
I still use the virtualizer for all my music production to this day. I lent out the 1202 and never got it back, but a late 90’s Mackie took its place. And besides that, I don’t need R&D from them, I need them to clone the originals faithfully while hopefully adding refinements, which they do. It’s not a case of reinventing the wheel, I don’t want the wheel to be reinvented, just somebody with the ability to make more wheels after the original run of wheels has been exhausted.
For the collectors, yeah they can get butthurt and I understand why, but I’m not a collector, I’m a musician. They are just tools.
Poly eight is one of the behringer clones i like.
Wonder what happened to this “prototype”:
https://imgur.com/4qT3ptF
Don’t support these intellectual property thieves. I hope they get sued into oblivion
I wait for a pro 6 & jupiter 8 clone.
Still patiently waiting for a RSF PolyKobol clone.
“Sorry, I don’t have a crystal ball to give you more details”
well, guess thats called journalism, to figure these details out or to get a straight answer from the manufacturer on that topic. even an “sorry no answers” would be an answer.
reposting pressreleases aint journalism^^
no offense man^^