Behringer has released Radar, a new contact and pickup microphone module for Eurorack and a clone of the Mutable Instruments Things Ears.
The Eurorack adventure usually begins with an oscillator. It can have classic waveforms or consist of sample content if you use a sampler as a sound source. You can also go more unusual and use a microphone right in your modular rack.
Modules like Tom Whitwell’s Music Thing Mikrophonie or the Mutable Instruments Things Ears showed this kind of generator for the first time. Now Behringer tackles the topic with the new Radar module.
Behringer Radar
Radar is a new 6HP contact and pickup microphone module for Eurorack. Okay not new, as it’s a clone/replica of the Mutable Instruments Things Ears. A module built on the idea of the Modular Thing Mikrophonie but with more features.
Behringer’s version follows the same idea. Generating pulses and following envelopes by scratching and tapping on the microphone right in your rack.
Like the Things Ears, the Radar offers an input made for connecting external microphones, electro-acoustic instruments (guitars…) or line-level signals. It includes an amplifier with up to 50dB of gain for a wide range of signal sources.
Then, you get an output socket, an envelope follower, and a gate out. It’s nice that Behringer has brought the jumpers on the back for adjusting the attack and release times and the gate to the front. Here, you can set the gate sensitivity from high, medium, to low, and the envelope from slow, medium to fast.
Finally, there are also three indicator LEDs to monitor the input clipping, envelope follower level, and the gate detector activity.
First Impression
The Things Ears is a beautiful module for making experimental noises. But also to extract interesting gate and envelope signals to use them elsewhere. Of the three, Behringer Radar has the most striking look and offers more features for the price.
With the Radar, you will then have a third variant of this open-source module. After Later Audio also has a clone with Auris on the market but without the front panel goodies.
Behringer Radar is available now for pre-order for 79€/$79
More information here: Behringer
Available for pre-order at my partner
How much is Behringer paying you, Tom? It’s one thing to shill this immoral company, but to positively compare them to a small company that actually serves its customers is a new low for you. You should be ashamed of yourself. Or is that something we need to pay you to do?
I’m sorry you have to be so emotional here. If you follow Behringer’s posts on their FB page, you know that Behringer doesn’t give a penny to written media. So why should they pay me money. It has nothing to do with morals in this module release. For one thing, Mutable Instruments is open-source, on the other hand, there are many clones of this module available from other companies like After Later Audio that even sell at Thomann. So they also produce in not small quantities.
These are two companies that sell clones. I have however moral problems when Behringer copies products that are still on the market, especially from small developers. Xaoc Devices, Make Noise etc to name a few. Unlike this ones, the Things Ear is open-source and can be cloned by other companies even Behringer. In this case, Behringer has further developed the module by packing the hidden rear features on the front panel. No revolution but better so just cloning.
I find it exciting to see that you have never commented here on the site, but act directly as if I were a criminal. If you care so much about small businesses, then comment on the small business posts, share the articles, etc. This is payment that readers can do and doesn’t cost you anything. AND it supports the small business. Your comment is of no use to anyone.
I would like to point out that synth anatomy researched about the make noise math clone and behringer claimed that he was lying and then they released the abacus a few years later! Synth anatomy got nothing for publishing an impartial view point! Also I own a behringer system 55 and i can not afford a real one for around $50,000 (these are no longer in production)and higher and I thought that Uli behringer giving synthesiser’s to the poor was a lot better than other cause’s. If you believe that I don’t have money than you are a fool I have over $350000 in the bank!
How have you got $350000 in the bank but complain about not being able to afford things. Also, who asked about your bank balance in the first place?
I complain because my father left me a large inheritance and he was a surgeon. He was on call 24 hours a day to serve I suppose people like you. I guess you just don’t know a bargain when you see it! Dreams can come true when Uli behringer is selling everything at a fraction of the cost! Moreover, I nearly forgot the part about mentioning part of my bank balance was because I am a rich snob from the upper class I don’t care if I offended you!
A $350K retirement fund will generate about $14K/year of income. I certainly hope you like gruel.
It was clear that I mentioned part of my inheritance the rest is all over the place in assets and a portfolio! If you are implying gruel the actual term is lard!
The Maths clone first appeared on a computer office screen in an old Behringer video. Mistake? Teaser? Who knows but it was obviously the Maths layout in a different CG rendering. People were immediately pointing it out. That was like 3? 4? 5? years ago.
No! behringer said in a statement that this was speculation and that it was not true. The company then did a backflip and released the abacus. It was not a teaser! Also synth anatomy released the information to the public the speculation was just a small group in a forum just here say!
I don’t care what narrative you’ve built up! Behringer has PR, Synth Anatomy is operating on the same information we all have. The Maths clone DID appear in “A Glimpse into Music Tribe Industrial Design” on July 12, 2019 at the 2:20 mark. This was before Behringer released any eurorack modules but that doesn’t mean they weren’t exploring their options with a clone. It was a rendering, the final design layout is different so it was obviously not set in stone. Let it go dude. People make clones. Kinda like how Make Noise has cloned Buchla stuff.
Don’t give me a condescending tone I have much more experience than you in the idea of intellectual property and what is copyrighted and ethical. I am sure you got a low score when you entered college/university and that you were not recognised for any merit or studied for your intelligence!