It took a while, but it seems that the time Behringer spent developing its UB-Xa synth was worth it, because it’s now “officially the best-selling synthesizer”.
The company appears to be basing its claim on sales stats from German mega-retailer Thomann, which currently has the UB-Xa at the top of its synth chart.
Celebrating the milestone on Facebook, Behringer said: “It is the world's first and only analogue synthesizer with 16 voices, polyphonic aftertouch, and eight atrophy modes, all for a revolutionary price.
“Our product development team has spent six years working on delivering this legendary and revolutionary analogue synth.
“Thank you for all your patience and we hope it was worth the wait.”
Further down the thread - and in response to a post praising Tom Oberheim, designer to the OB-Xa synth that the UB-Xa takes inspiration from - Behringer posited that “certainly he designed a fantastic product. However our UB-Xa is no copy but took inspiration from the original synth and brought it to a complete new level.”
Interestingly, the company also added that “we discussed the UB-Xa with Tom Oberheim and got his consent.”
Apropos of nothing, Behringer also took aim at those who question its policy of emulating synth classics from the past. “How many other products such as VSTs take inspiration from legacy products?” it asked. “Why is it OK for others but not for us?”
In a separate post, Behringer highlighted what it views as the high quality of the UB-Xa’s proprietary polyphonic aftertouch keybed, which was entirely designed in house.
“It undergoes a highly automated and precise calibration test to ensure uniform sensitivity across every key,” says Behringer. “Each key is meticulously tested and calibrated to the highest precision.
The UB-Xa is available now priced at $1,199/£1,129. Find out more on the Behringer website.
UPDATE 24/05: Tom Oberheim has now responded to Behringer's claim that he gave the brand consent to develop the UB-Xa, stating that there was "no collaboration between us and no discussions of their plans for synths or anything else".
