Behringer DeepMind 12

the synth’s unison modes that stack
voices in a variety of modes – from
simple doubling to a monumental 12
voice monophonic sandwich. Given
the relatively pitch-stable DCOs, the
Detune parameter plays an important
role in fattening everything up by
shifting the pitch of combined voices
up to 50 cents off centre.
This section is also home to the
parameters that allow DeepMind to
be a little more like its less linear
forebears by applying ‘drift’ to
oscillator tuning (and other
parameters via the separate Param
Drift setting). Drift Rate, provided by
a randomised ramp generator, is also
available to tweak. These three
parameters do help DeepMind escape
its, at times, somewhat clinical sound
engine. It also would have been great
to have had a wider detune range,
especially when combined with the
ability to use one of the envelopes to
control detune amount.
Next, the filter section, which
offers both 24dB and 12dB/octave
button for this is found below the
HPF control which, like the Juno’s, is
a globally applied high-pass filter.
The VCA section consists of one
front-panel slider level, which does
facilitate overloading the VCA if
required. The VCA is hard-wired to
Envelope 1 and gets a depth control
in the edit menu screen shared with
velocity sensitivity and a voice
panning parameter. The latter spreads
voices across the stereo spectrum – a
feature that sounds great when
combined with the unison modes.
The DeepMind has independent,
software-generated, envelopes for
both the VCA and VCF sections, with
flavours. In both guises the filter can
be pushed into self-resonance without
an oscillator signal present and can
therefore be pressed into service as a
pitch-stable third oscillator (with
keyboard tracking fully engaged).
Front panel access is also provided
for Envelope Depth (hard-wired to
Envelope 2) and LFO modulation.
The source for this, velocity control
over envelope depth, and other
modulation settings are accessible via
the VCF Parameter Menu. Here you’ll
also notice that there’s a Bass Boost
feature, which takes its cue from
Roland’s Juno range, and gives the
low-end a bump. The front panel
DEEP EffECTS
Given that Behringer’s holding company own a smorgasbord of music tech companies,
including Klark Teknik and TC Electronic, it’s no surprise that they’ve taken advantage of
this for the effects. The manual names the ‘device inspiration’ for each of the 34 DSP-
derived effects and many are based on classic units from Lexicon, Roland and others.
There are four effect slots that can be placed together in an insert or FX send
configuration. Used as a send, the effects do not interfere with the audio path of the
analogue synth engine. Ten different routings, including some with feedback, allow for
some very creative effect configurations that go much further than most onboard effects.
The quality of effects, and
the scope for editing, is
also high. For example, you
can add a chorus followed
by modulated hall reverb
(inspired by the Lexicon
480L) that also feeds back
into a pitchshifter and
delay which is then routed
into the reverb. Instant
Eno/Lanois ‘shimmer’.
While the effects may
not be quite as good as the
real thing, or some of the
better plug-in emulations,
they are an integral and
welcome part of the
DeepMind sound.
THE ALTERNATIVES
Roland Juno-106
£700 (used)
One of the most
famous DCO-based
polysynths. Limited
in scope and
polyphony, and with
just a noisy (though
great-sounding)
chorus for effects,
the 106 still
manages to be both
engaging and useful.
www.ebay.co.uk
DSI Prophet
Rev2 £1,450
(projected)
The recently
announced follow-up
to the Prophet 08
has two multi-
waveshape DCOs
plus a sub-oscillator
and Curtis-derived
filters per voice.
Could this be where
the DeepMind’s
future competition
will lie?
www.davesmith
instruments.com
Korg Minilogue
£499
Smaller in size,
shape, polyphony
and price. The
Minilogue is a dual
VCO polysynth that
integrates polyphonic
sequencing and an
analogue delay.
www.korg.com
Unison modes stack voices,
from simple doubling to a
monumental 12 voices
Reviews | Behringer DeepMind 12
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FMU316.rev_behringer.indd 74 21/02/2017 10:12