Behringer puts its best-selling semi-modular analog Synthesizer Neutron on steroids and reveals Proton, a further development with dual VCF, sub-oscillators, and more.
Good news: the first batch of the Behringer Proton is now available for 399€.
Update From July 18, 2024
Two years after the announcement, the time has come. The long-awaited big brother of the Neutron Synthesizer is ready. Behringer has released the Proton Synthesizer, a new semi-modular Synthesizer with an original design.
At Behringer, published means ready from the Chinese factory. Depending on the retailer’s delivery selection, it may take weeks or months to arrive in the shops. But you can already pre-order for $399.99 and 399.99€ (Thomann). That way, you can be one of the first to get it. I am sure this will be a best seller.
Feature Highlights
- analog semi-modular paraphonic Synthesizer
- dual oscillators with five morphing waveforms, sync, PWM, and individual sub-oscillators
- noise generator
- two self-oscillating, multimode Mofat VCFs in parallel or series configuration and linkable CVs
- four envelopes (two ASR with reverse/inverse/loop/bounce and two analog ADSR)
- multimode wave folder
- two flexible 5-waveform LFOs with MIDI clock sync, key sync, phase, and depth controls
- external audio input with level control and soft clipping circuit
- utility functions: attenuverters, multiples, signal/CV mixer and summer for creative patching
- patch bay with 64 patch points for advanced modular connection
- 68 controls give you direct and real-time access to all important parameters
- standalone and Eurorack mountable synth
- MIDI channel and voice priority selection implementation
Behringer Proton is available now for pre-order for $399,99/399,99€.
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Article From March 1, 2022
In the last few days, Behringer has announced many new Synthesizer products. All instruments are heavily inspired by the past, but there are also new, fresh ideas. Behold the Neutron, one of the best affordable semi-modular synthesizers out there. A full review is available here.
Behringer has promised that this is just the beginning of a wave of new products. Today they show the Proton, a massive further development of the Neutron. This time they cloned themselves.
This time we cloned ourselves… With the Neutron, we designed one of the most beautiful and inspiring synthesizers. Even after 4 years, it still is one of the most successful synthesizers in the market.
Two years ago we then thought about designing an even more powerful and complex semi-modular synthesizers that would perfectly complement the Neutron. The inspiration came from Proton, which is a tiny particle that is found in the nucleus of an atom. Everything that you can touch, hold or feel is made of atoms like our new super synth.Years of hard work and 11 revisions later, we’re finally launching the Proton, the most powerful and complex semi-modular synth ever designed. It’s like having several synthesizers in one casing – a highly innovative concept never seen before.
Behringer Proton
The Proton offers everything we love about the Neutron semi-modular Synthesizer but even deeper and more complex. Not in red but in blue. Matches the day of today’s new Synthesizer release.
Proton is a semi-modular Synthesizer with a pure analog signal path (VCO, VCF and VCA designs). It features two oscillators with five different waveforms with smooth waveform blending from tone mod, pulse, sawtooth, triangle to sine. There is also oscillator sync, pulse width modulation, a sub-oscillator for each oscillator and a noise generator. Like the Neutron, it is a paraphonic synth allowing you to control both oscillators independently.
Then, you get not a single but two self-oscillating, multi-mode filters (Moffatt design?) with parallel and serial configurations. This brings a lot of filtering options. For additional rich harmonic content, Proton also hosts a multi-mode wave folder with symmetry and fold controls.
Modulation side, you get two ASR envelopes with reverse/inverse/loop/bounce options to control VCAs and wave folder. Plus, you get two classic analog ADSR envelopes for modulating the VCFs for example. Besides these, it comes with 2 flexible LFOs, each with 5 waveforms, MIDI clock sync, key sync, phase and depth controls. All this is operable with 68 controls on the user interface.
Semi-Modular Architecture
The Proton is semi-modular, so you have a fixed signal flow and the option to break this by patching cables in the patch bay. And that’s where every semi-modular synths gets most exciting. Behringer added 64 patch points to the patch matrix giving you tons of options to design the wildest patches. The synth also comes with super handy utility functions like attenuverters, multiples, signal/CV mixer and summer. A great addition.
The back of the Proton is very similar to that of the Neutron. You get a mono output, a headphone socket, MIDI switch matrix, a MIDI input, USB connection an a power supply input. Yes, there is also an external audio input that allows you to route to external signal to the filters. The input also has a level control a soft clipping circuit for processing external sound sources.
Proton comes as a big module in a case making it also Eurorack compatible. According to Behringer, it offers a comprehensive MIDI implementation with MIDI channel and voice priority selection.
A very welcomed, massive further development of the best-selling Neutron. The latter is one of my favorite semi-modular synths and my Behringer favorite so far. I’m very curious how the Proton will sound.
Behringer Proton will be available for pre-order for $399 USD/399€.
More information will follow here: Behringer
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Oh yes! This is my perfect excuse to enter the semimodular world!
Can’t wait to hear it!
This is very exciting, the doubling up of filters, LFOs and the extra envelopes are most welcome. Seems like this could work as a duophonic synth with full articulation if done correctly.
I was about to buy a Neutron, but still hesitating… The overdrive was cool on the Neutron
If you find a Neutron cheap like 200€ second-hand, you are doing nothing wrong. It’s a great semi-modular synth. Proton will have more features but there is no info when it will be available. And if this year, we don’t know in which quantities.
I had a Neutron a couple of years ago but sold it once my eurorack synth became larger. Though i do miss it for its immediacy and boomy bass sounds. The Proton upgrades are exactly what the Neutron needed. This thing is going to sound beastly with all of its parts moving! Wave blending, folding, subs, dual filters. The Neutron LFO went into audio rates. Will the looping envelopes go that fast? Does it still have an extra VCA? …Either way, this is a really powerful synth voice!
This ‘looks’ to be an awesome synth, but that panel… The Neutron panel is so unpopular that there are a multitude of replacements available. I myself replaced mine with an Audio Parasites black panel. This Proton panel is no exception. Both remind me of the late 90’s early 00’s Ensoniq / E-mu aesthetic, and that’s not a look I would be trying to replicate.
Plain Blue or Plain Red and everything would have been fine!
The protons panel is rly well structured and nicely readable otherwise!
Background graphics are unnecessary but at least less distracting then the wierd patterns on the neutron.
Sadly every other eurorack module suffers from annoying graphics or unreadable fonts too(facepalm at make noise).
Over 2 years later and still waiting…