There’s something rather meta about Behringer’s recent activity. First it announced a ‘new’ MKII version of its RD-8 drum machine - itself an emulation of Roland’s TR-808, of course - and now we have the TD-3-MO, a modded-out edition of the company’s TD-3 bassline synthesizer.
This revision has an even more curious backstory; it’s a second-generation version of the TD-3 (a reboot of Roland’s TB-303 bassline synth) that appears to be based on Robin Whittle’s tricked-out Devil Fish 303. So, you might say that it’s a revised clone that’s also inspired by a previous mod project.
You may recall that Behringer provoked Whittle’s ire in 2020 when it posted a mock-up of a ‘Murdered Out’ TD-3 that appeared to bear similarities to the Devil Fish design. Though the name and colour scheme have changed, the TD-3-MO looks pretty much the same.
What this means in practice is all-new circuitry, a sub-oscillator for extra grunt, additional parameter controls, patching capabilities, a MIDI CC-controllable cutoff filter and more.
Check out the video above for more details on the new features, or head to the Behringer website. The TD-3-MO will be available in silver and yellow priced at $199. It’s said to be shipping now.
