The Behringer synth brigade marches on, as the brand drops a prototype of its long-awaited 1979 Oberheim OB-X replica, the 8-voice UB-X.

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The German brand, which has racked up an extensive list of new gear releases replicating legendary synths, drum machines and controllers in recent years, posted a photo of the prototype to Facebook today, writing “The UB-X has landed.” It’s the first time we’ve seen a photo of the physical product.

First announced in April 2022, the synth takes on Tom Oberheim’s legendary OB-X, which was released in 1979 and has been used by everyone from Queen to Herbie Hancock.

The more recent OB-X8, released in May 2022, has been arguably one of the most sought-after new synths. MusicTech named it Product Of The Year for 2022. So, no pressure for Behringer then.

The UB-X aims to emulate many aspects of the OB-X, such as the synth’s distinctive black and grey design, buttons and knobs. It’s the sound, however, considering the rich nature of the original’s, which matters most.

After announcing the UB-X in 2022, Behringer wrote: “The OB-X is quite different from other synths, as it uses predominantly discrete circuitry, which makes the design and manufacturing more challenging.”

The challenging circuitry does then perhaps reflect the estimated cost of the synth – $1,199, says Behringer. While this is slightly steeper than many other Behringer replicas. Of course, compared to the cost of the now rare OB-X, which feature at around £20,000 on Reverb, this is still a steal. We’re holding out for a demo soon, however, to justify the cost.

This isn’t the only Oberheim replica that Behringer has been working on. The brand has also replicated the classic Oberheim OB-Xa analogue polyphonic synth with its – you guessed it – UB-Xa. In May 2022, it released a demo video of this. No release date has been confirmed but it’s estimated to set customers back by $1,500.

A release date for the Behringer UB-X has not yet been revealed. For all the latest news on Behringer, head to behringer.com.

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