When I first read the news of the Model D synthesizer, I jumped to the first question everyone asks, how much? Moog had quietly pulled the plug on the Minimoog Voyager and was helping dealers unload their current inventory before news of their next big thing, which turned out to be their own reissue of the Model D, complete with an LFO and something else the original did not have, MIDI.
Like many people my reaction to the Behringer Model D was “Why”? Little did we all know that this miniature version would be so incredibly popular, sound so good or come to be priced so inexpensive. Used Minimoog Model D were selling for around $3000 in 2016, so news of an inexpensive clone was welcome, but plastered with a thick coat of skepticism and sacrilege, all wrapped up in one big bundle of disbelief.
FAST FORWARD EIGHT YEARS TO 2025
I recently purchased my fourth Behringer Model D. The first three have come and gone, so it seemed like a good time to revisit this little giant to see, and more importantly, hear what it’s capable of.
IT’S THE PRICE
On the day I ordered this latest Model D the price was $215 with free shipping. Back in 1979 when I first got a Minimoog Model D my account got dinged for $1000 (dealer cost, floor plan pricing). I did not have a car, I was riding a motorcycle to work (or taking the bus), but I had a Moog in my little 8-track Tascam, recording studio.
$215. . . . .it’s a ridiculous low price, right? How can it be any good? How can it be that cheap?
There are two ways to view this phenomenal little jewel box of creative power - a total piece of junk treading on the good name of Dr. Moog’s legacy, or as an amazing example of what modern design, engineering and manufacturing are capable of?
Looking at the original Minimoog today, at 28 pounds, the extensive wood walnut cabinet seems heavy and awkward, the keybed seems like it’s missing an octave (at least), and the whole kit is fragile and expensive. More than ever a new Moog branded Minimoog commands ultimate physical respect, or you’ll pay dearly with your wallet (if you can actually find a service center that can repair your precious piece of history).
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| Genuine MOOG Model D Synthesizer |
BEHRINGER CHANGED EVERYTHING - In ways you were not expecting
The Behringer Model D was the opening salvo in a full-frontal, direct assault, on the modern synthesizer landscape (along with everything purists hold sacred). Engineers in the UK, Germany and China came together and collaborated to create the “D” for the rest of us. What they produced is a true, scaled down model of the iconic Minimoog control panel, complete with miniatures of the unique control knobs and switches. Seeing one of these little synthesizers sitting on my test bench still inspires me to want to play with it, maybe more than ever because this tiny version can go places the original can’t. It’s little, it’s lightweight and it sounds surprisingly good.
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| Oscillator section on Behringer Model D |
The oscillators on the little Behringer Model D are more stable and stay in tune better than my original Moog. The audio output on the Behringer is unbalanced (like the original) but it seems to be quieter and have less background noise than my original Model D.
MIDI - It is almost hard to imagine a time when there was NO MIDI, but this modern innovation did not begin to invade our studios and grace our instruments until 1983. The Behringer Model D not only embraces MIDI, it requires you to provide a midi source to drive its 5-pin DIN connector input, this MIDI source can be from a DAW, sequencer or a keyboard.
ANOTHER OSCILLATOR, LFO - If you wanted to modulate things on the original Minimoog you had to trade-in your third oscillator — along with all its sonic-girth — and send that signal to the filter or output amplifier to make your waveforms wiggle around, sonically-speaking. Behringer trod very lightly on the original feature set and thankfully included a separate LFO to shake things up, so you no longer need to sacrifice majestic bass for a little craziness in your waves.
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| MOOG Filter section |
FILTER TONE AND REDUCED FEATURES - Part of the original Moog allure was the sound of their patented 24-dB/octave, ladder filter. From its beginning, Dr. Moog had envisioned his Model D as a musical instrument rather than a lab tool, so he chopped and whittled the controls to the minimum needed. By modern synthesizer standards the controls Dr. Moog endowed the Model D with were the bare necessities, but looking in retrospect, they were just right. The “D” brought a reduced feature set compared to a modern ADSR-setup but this streamlining helped the performer dial in his sound quickly with limited clutter and fewer knobs to twiddle and set wrong. The reduced feature set was always a design priority because this instrument had no programmability, no memory of any kind, instead relying on the performer to know the controls and dial them in quickly.
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| Behringer Model D Filter and Envelope Generators |
Behringer did not dare tamper with any of these features, this is sacred ground for synth junkies, so they innovated in the one place they could get away with it, size. Very wisely Behringer engineers steered clear of adding extra stages to the envelope generators or adding other options. They focused intensely on the sound of the filter section and made sure their miniature Model D had the same big colorful-character, snap and punch of the original.
EURORACK
The model D was the first desktop instrument Behringer created and I thought it looked like a good design, then I opened the box and found a ribbon cable and a couple of 1/8” patch cables. I wondered what these items were for but soon came to know, the little model D was a Eurorack synthesizer in disguise. The front panel along with almost all the electronics can be removed from the skif case and installed into a Eurorack chassis, though it takes up 70-HP and you lose the nice little midi channel switches on the rear. If you convert to Eurorack mounting you’ll need to use midi to set the channel the synth receives note information on - personally I think this is a royal pain. Frankly I’ve never understood the need to put these little synths into different housings but I guess if you’re rich you can afford to pull this little gem out of the desktop enclosure and assemble your Eurorack BIG RIG. By the way, the Behringer Model D requires 1,000 mA at 12 volts so you will need a strong Eurorack power supply if you decide to mount this synth into your modular case.
RACK MOUNT OPTION
It took a while but Behringer finally released steel rack mounting ears for the 70-HP Model D. I bought a set for $10, they are easy to install, no need to remove the wood sides and no need for any replacement screws. You simply remove screws from the side and attach the rack ears over the wood sides. This means you can return to stock quick and easy if needed.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Analog
- Oscillators: Three audio, plus one-LFO
- USB 2.0: Type B
- High Audio Output: 1/4” TS, unbalanced, max output = 0 dBu
- Low Audio Output: 1/4” TS, unbalanced, 30 dB below High Output
- Headphone Output: Impedance = 8Ω, 1/8” TRS, unbalanced, max output -3.5 dB
- Power: 12-volts DC, 1,000 mA
- Dimensions: 3.5” x 14.7” x 5.4”
- Weight: 3.7 pounds
LIKES
- Bargain Price
- Small and Lightweight
- Great Sound
- Miniature Version of Iconic Synth Model
- Polychain allows playing multiple instruments polyphonically
DISLIKES
- Loses Hardware Midi Channel Selection if Eurorack Mounted
EPILOGUE
The Behringer Model D is better than ever, it’s even cheaper than it was when it first came out. I’ve read about some people complaining the switches are wobbly or the pots are wiggly - not on mine. The switches are not what I’d call heavy duty but it’s less than $250 brand new (not $4999 for a new one, current price of Moog version on Vintage King). If you’re disturbed by the sound being too clean, do what Jan Hammer did when he came to my music store in 1980 to put on a Moog clinic, play it through a tube guitar amp and crank up the distortion.
Overall the Behringer Model D is an incredible instrument and a great introduction to analog if you’re new to the genre. For old folks who just like playing with synthesizers this little “D” is great fun and lets you experience Dr. Moogs brilliance without the pains of price, weight and physical size. I remember the quirks of the original Model D and I’m totally ok with this modern version. It’s a winner!
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
© by Mark King, it is NOT ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author.
Go forth and create something beautiful. . . . .
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| Original Minimoog control panel |
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| Behringer Model D control panel |
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| The Big Wood Beast |
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| The Miniature Marvel from Behringer, taking synthesizers to bold new places ;-) |
