Behringer has unveiled the next instrument in its Producer series of compact semi-modular desktop synths; joining the Crave, Edge and Spice in this line-up is Grind, a hybrid synth that packs a considerable amount of sonic firepower into a lightweight and affordable package.
Grind's hybrid architecture pairs a comprehensive selection of digital oscillators with a 24dB analogue ladder filter. Among the 24 oscillator types we have virtual analogue, wavetable, additive, waveshaping, Karplus-Strong and FM synthesis, along with Yamaha DX7 and Roland TR-303 emulations.
Like Behringer's Brains module, 15 of Grind's synth engines were originally developed by boutique synth company Mutable Instruments for the widely beloved but now-discontinued Plaits module; Mutable Instruments founder Émilie Gillet made the code for the company's modules open-source before closing down the company in 2022.
Grind is equipped with an arpeggiator and 32-step sequencer which can record and store up to eight banks of 64 patterns. The envelope and LFO on offer are fairly basic; we've got a standard ADS envelope and single analogue LFO with triangle and square waveforms, but Grind's 34-point patchbay gives you more opportunity for modulation and allows you to hook the instrument up with other bits of gear or integrate it into your Eurorack set-up.
Though it's monophonic, Grind can be poly-chained with additional Behringer synths to create a polyphonic synth of up to 16 voices controllable from a single MIDI controller. On the connectivity front, Grind offers MIDI In, Out and Thru, MIDI USB and two 3.5mm audio outputs.
While the other synths in Behringer's Producer series take 'inspiration' from Moog's Mother family of semi-modular, Eurorack-compatible synthesizers, Grind looks more like a semi-modular take on the Arturia MicroFreak, a hybrid synth that also pairs a selection of digital oscillators (including the Plaits engines) with analogue filters.
Priced at an impressive $199, Grind is available now.
