Behringer 2600 semi-modular synthesizer

2600

The 1970s was a time when synthesizers were truly coming into their own as more and more musicians were adopting the instrument and making music that no one had ever heard before. Earlier synthesizers were massive and sophisticated devices that cost thousands of dollars but in 1971, Alan R. Pearlman and Dennis Colin sought to create a more portable version of their massive ARP 2500 modular synth which they could market more towards musicians. Out of this concept came the ARP 2600 semi-modular synthesizer which became an instant hit and was quickly adopted by lots of renowned musicians including Edgar Winter, Pete Townshend, Herbie Hancock and Jean-Michel Jarre to name a few.

An ultra-affordable and even more feature-packed homage to that iconic synthesizer comes in the form of the Behringer 2600. Conjure up the virtually any sound imaginable with incredible finesse and ease. The pure analog signal path is based on the authentic ARP 2600 circuitry from the 70s with matched transistors and JFETs. Owning a 2600 is like having your piece of history enabling you to re-create timeless classics or forge your own musical path.

True to the Original

Great care has been taken in engineering the 2600, including the true-to-the-original analog circuitry, semi-modular architecture and triple VCO designs that come together to recreate classic tones that are evocative of classic electronic music. This highly focused attention to detail is what gives the 2600 its ultra-flexible sound shaping capability. It gives you the ability to cover a lot of amazing tones from super-fat bass, tasty leads – all the way to full on dreamy ambience from the far reaches of your imagination.

Big, Fat Tones

The synthesizer tracks laid down in the 1970s and 80s in progressive rock, wave and synth-pop have become classics and have inspired many other artists. The 2600 lets you recreate all that magic – or design some incredible and original sounds that will make you a legend in your own right!

Ready to Rock

Just like the original, the 2600 is a semi-modular synthesizer which allows you to start making music without having to plug patch cables into different modules. But don’t let that stop you, the 2600 features 83 patch cable ins and outs so you can configure it anyway you want.

Make Waves

The 2600 features 3 VCOs with FM inputs. You can even patch the VCOs’ default waveforms to square, triangle, saw, sine or pulse which allows for an awe-inspiring palette of tonal possibilities. Any of the VCOs can also be switched to operate as a low frequency oscillator while the multi-mode VCF acts as the VCO mixer of the 2600 where VCO’s one, two and three can be blended. Combine that with its integrated resonance control, filter mode switch and the ability to output to other areas of the synth and the 2600 becomes a fantastic and flexible tool for creating a diverse palette of tones that will truly blow away your audience.

The Cherry on Top

To top off the already amazing array of waveforms and mixing capabilities of the 2600, an incredible range of modules and effects are at your disposal including a ring modulator, lag processor, sample and hold, Schmitt trigger, envelope follower, a noise generator with continuously variable color and even a realistic sounding digital spring reverb to add spaciousness and a sense of scale to your music. We’ve even included 2 dedicated LFOs with pulse and sine wave outputs.

Time to Attack

With the integrated ADSR and AR envelope generators of the 2600, you can create some truly dynamic progressions in your songs. Set the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release low to get short and softer sounding notes then slowly slide the faders up; opening up your notes to give your song some tension before that big drop everyone’s been waiting for. If simple ADSR controls are not enough, then you can get even more creative by flipping the Time Factor switch to either x2, x1 or x0.5. This gives you more control over the shape of the envelope so you can have notes that are short and percussive or long and atmospheric.

Shape Your Tone

The VCA section of the 2600 offers even more tone-shaping possibilities alongside the VCF which can then be blended in the Mixer section. Within the VCA section, you can set the initial gain of the circuit and route signals to any of the input jacks and adjust the gain using the sliders. The VCA also features differential inputs for both linear and exponential response which accept control voltage signals via 3.5 mm jacks.

Controls and Connectivity

We just can’t help ourselves – like you, we’re gear heads too. For those who want the numbers the 2600 has 78 faders and buttons, all laid out in a highly intuitive format that puts the joy back into your music creation.

Unleash Your Imagination

When it comes to recreating the classic sounds of a classic era like the 1970s and 80s, with a few modern features, there’s nothing like the Behringer 2600; portable and so very affordable.