Behringer released Phara-O Mini, a new $99 Korg Volca Keys analog Synthesizer clone with three oscillators and a Korg Mini-700S-based filter.
Update: new sound demo
Article From December 23, 2024
In 2022, there was a Behringer mini Synthesizer announcement invasion. Numerous mini synthesizers were announced in a few months. However, only a fraction of these announcements have been published so far.
Today, just before Christmas, Behringer released the Phara-O Mini, a new Mini Synthesizer that wasn’t even announced until now. So, it’s a little surprise.
Behringer Phara-O Mini
Phara-O Mini is a new portable analog polyphonic synth with a pure analog signal path. It is another release in the Mini synth series with 27 touch-sensitive keys. The UI has its original design, featuring Egyptian hieroglyphs, but this doesn’t count for the circuit.
If you examine the features, you will quickly see that they are identical to those of the Korg Volca Keys from 2013.
Like the original Volca, it has three separate VCOs with saw or square waveforms and an oscillator range control from 32 to 1. The signal then passes through a lowpass filter based on the 1970s Korg MiniKorg 700S, which has cutoff and resonance controls.
It also hosts the same knob that switches between six play modes: poly (para), unison, octaves, fifths, ring unison, and ring poly.
A multi-mode ring modulator on square waves for metallic sound effects is also part of the analog engine. Like the Volca Keys, it features a built-in delay with time, feedback, and dry/wet controls. The dry/wet control is new on the Behringer clone. Analog or digital is not known here.
On the modulation side, Phara-O Mini has a single ADSR envelope with shared decay/release control to modulate the VCA, pitch, and filter cutoff. In addition, you have a multi-wave sync-able LFO for pitch and filter cutoff modulation.
Paraphonic/Polyphonic
Behringer writes that it is a polyphonic analog Synthesizer. However, it is again a paraphonic synth because the three oscillators run through a single filter and VCA. Plus, it has a single envelope in the signal path.
The synth can be played manually with the touch keys or with the 16-step sequencer, which has built-in motion recording and memory slots.
Further, it has a USB-C port for powering and a classic 5-pin MIDI socket with comprehensive MIDI implementation. According to Behringer, it supports MIDI CC and NRPN. It also has a sync in/out socket for analog gear synchronization.
The battery compartment of the Volca Keys, however, is missing on the Behringer Phara-O Mini
First Impression
It is nice that Behringer continues to develop the mini synthesizers so consistently. What is not so welcome is that they are cloning a synth available on the market.
The Behringer Phara-O Mini Synthesizer is available now from the factory for $99. Depending on the shipping method, it will arrive at retailers in a few weeks or months.
More information here: Behringer
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