Behringer is no stranger to remaking classic synthesizers and selling them at much cheaper price points. However, this latest release may just take the budget-friendly cake. The company just introduced the UB-1 Micro, previously called the Spirit, a portable analog synth inspired by the Oberheim Matrix line that costs just $49.
Despite the price tag, this thing still manages to sound extremely beefy. It features a pair of digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs) based on the Oberheim Matrix 6 analog chip. The monophonic/duophonic synth boasts two LFOs to control filters and tuning and an arpeggiator with three patterns and a hold function.
It also offers 32 factory presets, which is expandable via the company’s SynthTribe software. The UB-1 Micro includes 16 touch-sensitive keys, six function buttons and an OLED display for editing parameters. There’s a USB-C port, for connecting to smartphones and computers. To that end, it can do USB/MIDI.
This is just the latest teensy recreation by Behringer. The UB-Xa Mini is a take on another Oberheim classic and a portable version of its own full-size UB-Xa synthesizer. The JT Mini recreates an iconic Roland Jupiter synth, while the Phara-o Mini is primarily based on the Korg Volca Keys.
