Behringer Proton

[DrGonzo]

In analogue audio equipment, gain staging is everything. It really makes a HUGE difference. Also some of the components can make a difference in sound with small tweaks yet still have the "same" topology.

This! This is extremely true and often completely overlooked. I often find that analog overload/clipping of the signal before it goes to the filter is pure heaven.

[discogsaddict]

No, they are voiced differently.. for instace, the volume the oscillators are hitting the filter is at a much more reasonable level compared to the Neutron. The way the filter saturates is also very different and much less unwieldly.

In analogue audio equipment, gain staging is everything. It really makes a HUGE difference. Also some of the components can make a difference in sound with small tweaks yet still have the "same" topology. This was hinted at by some people in the know.

But even if you don't believe that.. just listen to the audio examples. Pull up any Neutron examples and then listen to all the available Proton examples. You should be able to simply hear that they are indeed sounding quite different.

This is what I was curious about. I know about analog and own some. Just don't have experience with the Neutron and haven't really had chance to hear any raw sound demos of either.
So neutron is really hot into the filters? Can osc volume be reduced?

I own a Pro one which is hot. Saw waves shape off after half way. Also seen the same demonstrated with the B MS20

So what you're saying basically it's like comparing B pro one to B pro 800. One is hot and the other has headroom. Both sound very different

[egbert101]

Sad thing is, it's the same price as the Pro-800 which has presets. It is still at a bargain price though, and again, if it were polyphonic and had presets, I would have been more interested. Maybe there will be a future Neutrino or Quark which will finally be something original but with features you'd come to expect.

[discogsaddict]

I'd imagine presets would be tricky if its a synth intended to be patched with cables.
Some kind of double size 6u rack poly version would be really nice though for sure

[kritikon]

Hmmm...I quite liked the driven Neutron character - kinda MS20-ish but far less squealy and tortured. I still like what Proton offers, but if it's less driven, then I might have to get both, was originally going for only one or the other. Certainly I concur with BManic - drive into filters is what really makes a synth stand above others IMO - it's what makes me so moist about the PWM synths (and the OSCar style filters in Mantis).

Oh well - I guess a bit of both red and blue in a rack might look pretty

[bmanic]

No, they are voiced differently.. for instace, the volume the oscillators are hitting the filter is at a much more reasonable level compared to the Neutron. The way the filter saturates is also very different and much less unwieldly.

In analogue audio equipment, gain staging is everything. It really makes a HUGE difference. Also some of the components can make a difference in sound with small tweaks yet still have the "same" topology. This was hinted at by some people in the know.

But even if you don't believe that.. just listen to the audio examples. Pull up any Neutron examples and then listen to all the available Proton examples. You should be able to simply hear that they are indeed sounding quite different.

This is what I was curious about. I know about analog and own some. Just don't have experience with the Neutron and haven't really had chance to hear any raw sound demos of either.
So neutron is really hot into the filters? Can osc volume be reduced?

I own a Pro one which is hot. Saw waves shape off after half way. Also seen the same demonstrated with the B MS20

So what you're saying basically it's like comparing B pro one to B pro 800. One is hot and the other has headroom. Both sound very different

Here is a post I made back in 2018 with a simple 11 minute jam with Neutron.

viewtopic.php?p=7250100#p7250100

..and another post from 2019 with a 38 minute raw Neutron craziness demo.

viewtopic.php?p=7497738#p7497738

Tons of links to other peoples examples in that thread too.

and here is a demo of gain staging into the filter by routing the osc through an attenuator.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UllAoF ... sp=sharing

[Nug Wrangler]

[kritikon]

I saw that vid the other day, and it did show quite the difference between Neutron and Proton, despite their similar origin. I think it confirmed that I need to get both. I dunno why I held back on getting Neutron for so long, as everything I've heard from the filter excites me. Proton doesn't seem to sound quite as in-yer-face and characterful but still very capable with some interesting points of difference to a lot of other equivalents out there. The wavefolder will definitely get used, but sounds like it needed to be a bit more extreme. Proton strikes me as polite as opposed to preferred rudeness.

Both of those will sit perfectly in the 3-tier Behringer stand I got alongside the K2...although I think I might have to get the K2 mk2 instead. My K2 seems to have an extremely quiet output that I suspect is a fault. Way too quiet even with filter res abuse and maxed output - I should have to turn it down doing that but it needs max gain on the mixer to even be heard. And PWM + FM on MS20 needs my attention, it's not like I need to make up an excuse to get one. Red, blue & black will look nice together in a stand

[bmanic]

.. and I think I have to get the Proton. The only thing worrying me are all the reports of build quality issues with the Proton. I got really lucky with my Neutron as it hasn't had many issues at all. Some people have got multiple returns of new units with all of them being broken in some way.

Sigh. I really wish Behringer would slightly bump up the quality control and components and instead charge a bit more instead. These original designs of them are really great!

[Thuen88]

Looks great:)