After announcing the release of products based on the PPG Wave, Roland Jupiter-8 and LinnDrum this month, Behringer has turned to the modern era for its inspiration, releasing a mini-synth that has a remarkably similar set of features to the Korg Volca Keys. And for reasons we can't quite discern, the synth is also themed around ancient Egypt.
Phara-O Mini is an analogue synth with three oscillators, each equipped with saw and square waveforms. It's paraphonic, meaning that multiple notes can be played simultaneously, but its voices share envelopes and filters and can't be shaped independently.
Like the Volca Keys, the synth's oscillators run through a 12dB/oct analogue filter based on the MiniKorg 700S, a quirky analogue monosynth from the '70s. A single ADSR envelope is joined by a single LFO equipped with three waveforms and adjustable rate, that can be used to modulate the pitch and filter cutoff.
Phara-O Mini also features a multi-mode ring modulator that can be applied to its square waves to create unusual metallic tones, and there's a basic delay effect onboard too. The synth's six play modes include poly, unison, octaves, fifths, ring unison and ring poly.
Below the main panel, you'll find a 27-key touch-sensitive keyboard similar to the one found on other instruments in Behringer's Mini range. This can be used to program its 16-step sequencer, which can be used to record parameter changes as well as melodic sequences, and can store up to 10 patterns. In the connectivity department, you've got USB-C, MIDI in, sync in/out and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Behringer's decision to theme its latest synth around ancient Egypt has us scratching our head. On first glance, we were expecting that the synth might be microtonal - giving players the opportunity to experiment with non-Western scales and tonalities - but aside from the graphics and branding, nothing about the instrument bears any relation to Egypt or Egyptian music.
What's more, it seems as if Behringer wasn't only drawing on the Volca Keys for inspiration when designing the Phara-O: its distinctive lettering and gold/black colour scheme bears a noticeable resemblance to Make Noise products, specifically the 0-Coast synth. It's a real mish-mash of influences, to say the least.
Phara-O Mini is priced at $99 and available now. Watch Behringer's bizarre and potentially AI-generated product video below, or head over to the company's website to find out more.
