Review: Behringer Neutron Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizer 

Thanks! Here are a few general things I’ve been doing: 1) Set tone to 12 o’clock for most stuff, higher for percussion, and usually a *little* overdrive, even for cleaner sounds. That adds a bit of saturation for warmth. 2) The envelopes on the Neutron are some of the fastest I’ve ever used when set to zero. On most synths, you can often set it to zero and it’s fine, but I found I usually had to back off at least a hair to avoid popping. 3) The filter response is nonlinear and has uneven sweet spot locations. For most of the sounds, it took a bit of searching around to find the perfect setting for cutoff and resonance - sometimes a tiny difference separates an okay sound from a great one. 4) The key tracking button on the filter is 100%, but I found I usually got better rresults by patching tracking myself, and set to around 60-80%, to get the best sound across the whole range.

@@insidesynthesis Great tips, thanks! I actually like the envelopes specifically because they're slower than the almost-unusably-fast envelope on another semi-modular unit I often include in patches, the Pittsburgh Modular SV-1. I prefer playing riffs on keys (then potentially looping midi recordings of that later) over straight sequencing right from jump, and envelopes have actually become a make-or-break critical component in a modular synth for me. I think I get more excited about envelopes than even filters lately, just because it seems somewhat uncommon to find a good, highly playable ADSR in the eurorack space. Most envelopes are simple AD or ASR, and too often ADSRs don't seem to accentuate the bands that are optimal for playing keys in their response curves, so their sweet spots are islands that have to be precisely dialed in. But from the looks of things, you've surely spent more time with your Neutron than I have with mine, and from this video I can see you know how to tickle some ivories, so I very much respect your opinion on these matters. Anyway, sorry for the rant. You've inspired me to play around with the ol Neutron some more, thanks again for the tips!

@@insidesynthesis The popping happens on my Minilogue as well. I just increase the attack until it's gone. Thanks for the tips! This is next on my list for my first synthesizers, my first (and currently only) being the Korg Minilogue. Great video btw! Update: I now own the Minilogue, Novation Circuit, Volca Sample + FM + Modular + Mix, Wavestation EX, Casio CZ-101, and Korg Monotron Delay. Still no Neutron yet. I'm either gonna get one that's B-Stock, or buy a Meeblip Anode and a Bastl Kastle.

Yes they are. other guys seem to keep their settings to be TOP SECRETS. i a, a SUBSCRIBERES!

you probably dont care at all but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my password. I love any tips you can give me.

The look is growing on me. My biggest issue is that the contrast between the red and the white type isn't the greatest, and the crossing lines under the patch bay don't help (particularly under certain lighting).

@@insidesynthesis Checkout OverSynth. I am currently umming and ahhing between the model d and the neutron and the look of the neutron was one of the main things putting me off the oversynth skins fix that (hopefully they will post it to me in the UK).

I had one many years ago. It was so heavy.

Believe me...I own Neutron, Model D and the Crave and had money left over for a Deepmind 12d YOU WANT ONE!

@@urbannpa How old and how much use do your synths get. Every day, once a week, a month? How many years have you owned them. I unfortunately discovered not a single Behringer product I have purchased survived more than 3 years.

Klark Teknik/Midas people I used work in Manchester UK 😁

MS-20's filter (it's clone actually) isn't bass compensated. With Neutron you don't loose low freq-s with high resonance... But I've found that it can do clipping (unwanted) if the resonance is over 50%. It can be avoided if you're routing it without the Overdrive but takes patch points and need cables (obviously).

Good tip

6:40 ? But that’s the end of the video.... oh. :-(

@@insidesynthesis I fixed my op 3:16 is the moment I was referring to. No disrespect intended. Another of life's accident. Maybe not so happy. The counter reset to the end??? Proves I enjoyed the entire video at least.

Ah, that makes sense. I figured it was likely the FM bit. I like that sound I found - it’s almost like an electric guitar with an e-bow.

There isn't a way to make it stereo with just the Neutron, but you could run it through an external stereo effect processor, like chorus, delay, or reverb.

You're right about SMT cost reduction and I would also say quality. Component reliability, PCB stability, board population, waveflow doldering, burn-in, testing are all processes which are in a different universe now that a few decades ago. The critical success factor is now design. Brand opposition can be overcome in time. Just ask Toyota and Honda, Samsung and LG. People learn, organisations improve and if they don't they rely on bullshit to maintain their position.

The Neutron uses v/oct

Nope - MIDI/USB can affect some internal settings, but the main synth stuff is done manually.

There's definitely some aliasing from RU-vid's compression, but there are also complex sidebands created from FM that exist in analog or digital. I'm not sure which one you're referring to. But in person-without RU-vid's compression-it sounds very analog FM to me.

sure if there is a midi.. in this mini usb keyboard...

Nope -- the knobs don't transmit any data

@@insidesynthesis are there any hardware which I can use for controlling vsts?

Yes, but I messed it up a bit (I was playing from memory). The first part should have gone for two bars rather than one.

hahaha thats awesome, i knew there some reason it felt nostalgic

No more

Seems like the appearance is the only knock on this synth. It sounds great in every demo I’ve watched so far.

it is :) its different and i love the patchbay... but i still refuse modular ;D dont have the money to start ;D but i think i need one or two modules for adding to the neutron

@@F-Andre you don't have to, you can go with Minibrute 2s, Pittsburgh Microvolt and Liveforms, 0-Coast, anything from Dreadbox etc. ;) they all will be the best friends

The key word there is “ex-wife”.

Indeed!

Yes -- it can use its two oscillators and play two notes at the same time. No triads or real chords. But unlike polyphonic synthesizers, paraphony shares the same single filter and amp.

the same kit Behringer used for this one.

im just wearing gucci pants to feel more expensive when i playing neutron.

Why not? And why not with an Arturia KeyStep, as well? Or with a Korg SQ-1? Or an Arturia MicroBrute? Whatever (really, even... MIDI!). You can also integrate it into your Eurorack modular - or keep it external, if so you wish.

Luca Crisi i was asking more if the sounds of each work together musicaly

I'm probably not getting your point. You can interface the Neutron with pretty much EVERYTHING. And, if your concern was to get 3 simultaneous voices, then yes, you can. You'll have the 2 voices from the Neutron and the one from the MiniBrute 2S - of course, synced via patch cables - or MIDI (if you prefer)

Luca Crisi yes, i understand that it can interface well And i can have all the voices i want, the question is wether the tones and sounds, the actual audio of the instruments work together in a musical/improvisational context, or if the tones just don't go together, and sound off

Sorry, but I still can't get the point. 1V/Oct is a standard. Do we agree on that? Different analog synths/sequencers talk "the same language". And there is still MIDI. Which is another language (which is well understood by both sides). Therefore, YES, tones go together. They can be synced. Or not. Depending on what you actually need in your current patch. Therefore, it depends on YOU, not on the instruments, to make them sound as you want.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder . . . But the overlays on Gearslutz are awesome

if it was white not red it would look pimping...

artao5 I agree!!! Fugly?!? How dare you!! 🤣😂🤣😂

It looks like a hybrid synth from 2003. The design is incredibly ugly

I hate red, and even I don't think the Neutron is fugly at all. It looks like a red Mother-32 or Behringer Model D, who cares, your listeners don't hear colors.

BABY DON'T HURT ME

@@SynthApprentice DONT HURT ME

@@peterbarter9317 NO MORE

He patches at the 5:55 mark.

Totally! But did you use them in the late 90s? They were pretty hit or miss. Their QA wasn't so good. But they improved it by the mid-2000s or so, and have been pretty good since then. Same thing with the synths. Right now, they're hit or miss. I purchased all 12 of their synths (I have a big product guide video coming soon), and 4 of them have significant calibration issues. I've never experienced that with Korg or Yamaha. They need to get their shit together before they start charging for their big boy keyboards (the OBXa and the CS-80).

@@insidesynthesis the one i have is from the early 00 when i bought my fa-101 interface. so dont know how crappy it was in the late 90's. but the bitching never stopped until they released those copy cat synths.

So, how is it? :)

G76 :))