Behringer 2600 to ‘compliment’ Novation Summit?

[Dust_NL]

Bought the Novation Summit in 2024. Really thought I ‘needed’ a Moog Subsequent 37 to ‘compliment’ it, but forced myself to focus purely on the Summit to create most parts in one track. Now, I realize myself I sufferd from pure GAS concerning the Moog. The Summit just can do SO many things. Also, thanks to the YT Channels of Starsky Carr and Ricky Tinez I realised I had to learn it first.

Now, in 2025 I think I ‘need’ a Behringer 2600 (ARP 2600 clone) to ‘compliment’ my Summit. I really think it’s a different synth, both in sound as in programming it. I use the Cherry Audio 2600 VST richt now, but miss the hands-on and patching real cables. But that sound… just amazing.

Any opinions on this? Any experiences with both?

[Constructed Identity]

I have a Grey Meanie 2600 but I don’t know what it complements other than digital if you don’t have an analog. It is a fun way to get into patching cables, no comparison between doing that on a computer screen and in real life. After buying it I almost never touch u-he ACE or Bazille…. I still wonder how the filters compare to Korg’s version but I like the form factor.

[kritikon]

If a Moog didn't complement your Summit, I doubt a B2600 will either - Arps are in similar sonic territory to Moogs imo. TBH the 2600 is one of the few synths I regret buying, as I almost never use it. It was definitely a GAS purchase, not fulfilling any actual need or sound that I wanted. Not quite sure why, because it's capable of making very interesting sounds. I suspect it's the modular aspect, which never really grabbed me. I have a few semimodular synths and get along with those fine but just have a block on the 2600 - despite that I love the look of it. Also at its base sound, I don't find it particularly characterful, the filters are pretty vanilla and dull. But I also never liked Moog filters much, so it follows that Arps won't impress me either. It might just be my own bias, but I see the 2600 as more of a weird specialFX synth...for making odd wibbles and bleeps rather than actually playing melodies/riffs, even though I know it can.

It makes sense to get something with different character to your Summit. For similar price maybe a Korg Minilogue XD, which has completely different filters and tends more to aggressive and raucous character? Or a Behringer Monopoly? Those have quite soft and safe filters at base (actually quite boring if I'm honest), but are capable of much weirder and beefier aggro sounds when you play around with all the oscillators and sync/cross mod. Not the type of sound you're likely to make on the Summit. Possibly even some kind of Arturia Brute? Their ladder filter is boring but the SteinerParker ones have more juice, and again, you can get different character sounds than Summit. I got a Minibrute 2S thing recently and it is way better than I expected, it actually surprised me how much better it is than I thought it would be. Extremely fun to use and capable of a lot of grunt. Definitely not a Mr Nice synth (in the best possible way).

If modular's your thing, then go for a 2600. It also looks the bees knees when it's lit up. Personally, I wasted my money on it, and I hate saying that about synths. I'll get into it some day, but I'll really have to make myself do it. It just doesn't attract me into it. It doesn't help that from scratch it's bloody awkward to get it to play anything - just the nature of modular, I guess. I at least like to be able to fire up a synth, press a key and be able to play a note from the outset. First time I switched on the 2600 it must have taken me an hour before I got a musical sound from it . It might turn out to be your perfect synth, but from my perspective, I don't recommend it. Yet it's possibly the best looking synth I have. .

[kritikon]

A second thought is some kind of Dreadbox synth. They have beautiful filters, very characterful. I don't much like their format, which is why I haven't got one yet, but any time I've heard them I loved them. Might complement a Summit well?

[Dust_NL]

It is a fun way to get into patching cables, no comparison between doing that on a computer screen and in real life. After buying it I almost never touch u-he ACE or Bazille….

This is exactly why I’m thinking of buying the HW version. After buying my Summit, I noticed that I really enjoy the hands-on experience. It inspires me so much that I’m using my SW synths (eg. Diva, Pigments) a lot less than before.

[Dust_NL]

If a Moog didn't complement your Summit, I doubt a B2600 will either -

Thanks for your very detailed answer
Unfortunately, it’s very late over here and I have to get up early tomorrow and am away all day. Your reply deserves a good answer. I’ll get back to it asap, ok?

[mztk]

2600

feel the same way about it. kinda superfluous, hyped up by reputation, but looks great, black&orange version. living in a DIY 8U cabinet, neo-vintage look. i can stack stuff on it. big. (B could definitely do a Korg PS 3xxx in this format, it would look the part.)
GAS guilt trip.
every time it makes a cool sound, it's gone within minutes, or it's left like that for the rest of the day. makes you yearn for preset memories (must dig out that Proteus 2000 i got cheap) modular isn't really my thing apparently. (must remember to get some more/longer patch cables)

good for generating samples for Eat Static sounds.
got the Kobol as well, for less money, and it's more direct - really like their 80hp format - , albeit more limited too. have to see how the two together works out.

[mztk]

B2600

but i think we must persevere
and watch lots of Marinelli videos


i got mine pretty much as a separate standalone twiddle-station, and have a Kobol and K-2 to rack up with. i realise now that i experience Initial Underwhelm with these neo-analogues - think you could with the OGs if you expect too much from them tbh - (do recall a mate who had the OG black&orange being a bit meh about it, with the original recently-released Nord1 sitting next to it).
if you want full-on modular madness, go eurorack ( and $$$$'s)