KVR Audio

egbert101 · Post by **egbert101** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 7:10 pm

Going to answer my own question. Here are some recent presets made with firmware 1.4.1

https://youtu.be/OHw0MS0RCAE

Sounds lovely, and now the Pro-800 selling in UK for only £335 with B Stock at only £268! Might finally pull the trigger and buy one.

vitocorleone123 · Post by **vitocorleone123** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 2:46 am

Wish these were played dry.

Every example of this synth I've heard (admittedly, I'm not often seeking them out, but I do check from time to time) sounds like the oscillators are turned up to 11 with a compressed, buzzy sound, and it just doesn't sound very good to me. Surely it can sound better with some additional care taken?

perpetual3 · Post by **perpetual3** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 2:50 am

Sounds fantastic. Amazing value.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 3:56 am

vitocorleone123 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 2:46 am Every example of this synth I've heard (admittedly, I'm not often seeking them out, but I do check from time to time) sounds like the oscillators are turned up to 11 with a compressed, buzzy sound, and it just doesn't sound very good to me. Surely it can sound better with some additional care taken?

That's how the real Prophet-600 sounds. Buzzy and compressed. If anything, the newest Starsky Carr patches sound better to me than a real Prophet-600:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHw0MS0RCAE

vitocorleone123 · Post by **vitocorleone123** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 6:19 am

Uncle E wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 3:56 am
vitocorleone123 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 2:46 am Every example of this synth I've heard (admittedly, I'm not often seeking them out, but I do check from time to time) sounds like the oscillators are turned up to 11 with a compressed, buzzy sound, and it just doesn't sound very good to me. Surely it can sound better with some additional care taken?
That's how the real Prophet-600 sounds. Buzzy and compressed. If anything, the newest Starsky Carr patches sound better to me than a real Prophet-600:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHw0MS0RCAE

Ah. That’s too bad. I’m very much not a fan of Behringer but this synth and the price demands to be checked out. Seems I can just keep walking as the sound isn’t for me. Thanks for the additional insight (no sarcasm - just genuine).

egbert101 · Post by **egbert101** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:26 am

I think perhaps their Pro-16 version is now more likely given the success of the pro 800. It just sounds like an instrument people would actually use! I think I would prefer a keyboard version.

The Black Parade · Post by **The Black Parade** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 4:30 pm

vitocorleone123 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 2:46 am Wish these were played dry.

Every example of this synth I've heard (admittedly, I'm not often seeking them out, but I do check from time to time) sounds like the oscillators are turned up to 11 with a compressed, buzzy sound, and it just doesn't sound very good to me. Surely it can sound better with some additional care taken?

I won't bore you with my moral qualms regarding some of Behringer's business practices. But even I couldn't resist an 8-voice velocity sensitive (!) VCO polysynth with 400 patch slots for $400. I haven't had mine for too long and wasn't particularly impressed with the sound when I first got it. But it's really just the presets which are almost all awful. Once you start programming your own sounds (or buying third-party patch sets,) the Pro 800 starts to come into its own.

Even though I own a 16-voice Sequential REV2 module and used to own a vintage Sequential Pro One, I've never been a huge fan of the "Sequential sound." I know the Prophet 5 is absolutely revered. But it never did that much for me. Even though the build quality was absolutely atrocious with perhaps the worst keyboard of all time, I actually thought the Pro One sounded better than the Prophet 5.

Anyway, now that I have the Pro 800, I'm coming around to that classic Sequential sound. Of course, the Pro 800 isn't a $400 Prophet 5 replacement. But it gets you in the ballpark for one tenth the price of a modern Rev 4 Prophet 5.

I think the Pro 800 is an amazing value. But I would have gladly paid another $200 if Behringer had included a display and four encoder knobs rather than that cumbersome ribbon button interface from the Prophet 600. For god's sake, Behringer is including OLED displays on their $99 "Mini" synths. Would it have killed them to add one to the Pro 800? That's my only real complaint. The sound (and build quality) is pretty great, IMO.

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 6:22 am

It's good to hear your opinion on this

. I keep bouncing to and fro whether to get one, because of that buzzy sawtooth sound. All the demos without fail have shitloads of big sawtoothy sounds and it seems to be the default. I need to get my hands on one before buying, even at this ridiculous price, unfortunately nearest shop is 200km away. No demo has persuaded me, but good to hear these units can be made to get away from that sound - I'd started to think that was all it could do.

Stranger Eyes · Post by **Stranger Eyes** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 4:32 am

I wish my Pro-800 sounded a bit more "vintage." Don't get me wrong. For $400 it sounds amazing. But given its modern components, it sounds a bit too controlled and precise for my tastes. I wish it was naturally more drifty and "wonky" (and didn't need a gimmicky, artificial sounding "vintage knob" for these characteristics as some much more expensive synths do).

But still, compared to most synth plugin emulations, the Pro-800 is on a whole other level of authenticity.

egbert101 · Post by **egbert101** » Sat Dec 09, 2023 10:46 am

Nice presets here but this time with dry first and then effects. You can make far better judgements on the synth based on dry. I am still torn between the Pro-800 and the Take 5. Obviously the price difference makes me lean toward the Pro-800.

https://youtu.be/abLB0zMueW0

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:25 am

Pro-800 sounds better to me in sound examples than the Take 5. The Take 5 has somewhat of a harsh tone to it, which I don't like that much...

dellboy · Post by **dellboy** » Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:14 pm

So what is the general verdict on the Pro-800?

Is it an improvement on the Prophet 600? or more or less the same?

How inferior is it to a Prophet 5, and if so, what makes the Prophet 5 better?

egbert101 · Post by **egbert101** » Sat Dec 09, 2023 1:32 pm

General verdict? Can only give mine, and I would consider it a winner for the money. It is of course lacking effects, is mono (as expected) and doesn't have a keyboard, but if you can live without that, 8 voice polyphony for the money is a bargain.

egbert101 · Post by **egbert101** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:30 am

Seen the price drop now to only £309.00 at Andertons.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/behringer-p ... ular-synth

I mean, it's a brilliant deal but I still just don't need it so doesn't matter how low it goes. But for anyone who does need a desktop poly, this is hard to pass up on.

vitocorleone123 · Post by **vitocorleone123** » Sun Dec 31, 2023 9:34 am

egbert101 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:30 am Seen the price drop now to only £309.00 at Andertons.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/behringer-p ... ular-synth

I mean, it's a brilliant deal but I still just don't need it so doesn't matter how low it goes. But for anyone who does need a desktop poly, this is hard to pass up on.

… unless you don’t like how it sounds compared to other synths (including software).

Behringer pro 800