Built like a tank. Great sounds!

I was on the list for years on this one. When my agent Kyle Malone called me to seal the deal I choked. Told him to let it go and put me back on the list. Quite some time went by and I saw all the youtube videos and I was SICK!!! When the call finally did come my dreams were answered. It is now a love affair. When I heard of a desktop model...put me on the list. Love both!!

Great synth that has tons of features and fairly simple user interface. Great customer service from Evan as always!

Although a clone of the OB-Xa it has a character its own. I'm a fan of this remade synthesizer that has opened a few possibilities. A happy camper in the analog world.

I remember walking into a music store in the early 80's and seeing a couple synths on display. I distinctly remember an Oberheim being one of them and from recollection, it being $... maybe even more. I knew from MTV basically what it was and the sounds it made. I WANTED to play it, but not being a keyboard player at the time and not having that kind of cashola, I just kept walking... Maybe 5 years later I purchased an Akai AX80 for around and it served me well. Underated synth BTW.

This Behringer UB-Xa synth, as far as I can tell is a much better synth than the AX80 ever was and is a STEAL! Behringer hit out of the park with this for the Oberheim thing. The keybed feels quality, unlike unlike another $ controller I have. I did the firmware update. Stock sounds are good at showing what this can do. Personally, I would prefer that it had a LOT more bass and piano type stock sounds built in and ready to roll though. This looks, feels and sounds like a quality built synth that is not only as good as anything that produced legendary songs in the 80's, but most likely, technically is even better... for the same price as what I paid for an AX80, a mediocre synth at best, even forty years ago...!

I specifically got this to compliment the music I record at home and wanted something that does what this does. I seriously considered going the VST route, but I'd have to buy a new computer to run the software and then do the menu diving and mouse clicking to adjust parameters and buy an upgraded midi keyboard controller to boot. I decided to go the hardware route and adjust the actual knobs on the actual synth that has an actual keyboard. The UB-Xa is fantastic and I have no regrets! I have it running stereo into a Boss Dimension D pedal into a UA Audio Starlight delay set to dotted eigth notes into an audio interface in my DAW. Sounds fantastic! This is an unreal value.

Amazing analog 80's sounds! A few comments....it needed a firmware update when I got it to fix the extreme aftertouch sensitivity and the key bed feels a little light for having semi-weighted keys. It has its share of useful presets, but with a little work you can get just about any sound imaginable out of this thing other than an acoustic piano. The arpeggiator and sequencer are very easy to use and both sound top notch. No built in effects, I'm assuming to match the original Oberheim OB-Xa. The split mode and layer modes are great, it will actually allow you to run two separate sequences at once in split mode. You can also save a sequence to every preset, which is incredible. My only real complaint (and the reason for only 4.5 stars) is the awful display panel which is unreadable unless you are standing directly over it. That being said it's an insane value for the money, and is currently my favorite synth!

I've owned a number of analog polysynths over the years. All of them have come up short in one way or another (at least for my purposes). This, by far, is the best value I've ever found and does not come up short in any serious way (I have a few minor nitpicks). The build quality is solid and impressive. It's a tank! The knobs are firm and smooth with no wobble. The keyboard is unweighted but very responsive and has a good feel. The control layout is intuitive and easy to use. It might seem a bit basic at a casual glance, but the real magic happens when you hit Shift and take advantage of the Mod Matrix and secondary functions. In almost every instance where I thought it was lacking a feature I wanted I found the solution, or a suitable workaround through the matrix and secondary functions. The instrument sounds great. It has excellent oscillators, filter, and a low noise floor. I do have some minor nitpicks. A dedicated volume control for each oscillator would be welcome. You can select 2 pole or 4 pole lowpass response for the filter. It would be nice if there were band and high pass settings. There are no onboard effects. That is easily solved, but it would be nice to have a built in reverb at the very least. I'm not crazy about the display. The red LEDs are readable, but a crisp, black and white OLED would be a huge improvement. I was disappointed not to see sub-oscillators, but that's an easy workaround. You create two programs, one being the "sub" and layer them. With 16 voices, layered sounds aren't a problem. The simple way is, of course setting Osc 1 and Osc 2 a few octaves apart. Layering works if you want some detuning. The learning curve is not deep. I was able to start working on it straight out of the box without looking at the manual. I'm now exploring the deeper functions and there is a learning curve involved in that. I'm a very happy camper! For the form factor, features, and solid feel. This instrument is right in the Goldilocks spot for me.

Had my UBXa over a year and the only complaint I have is the terrible red screen, which is unreadable at some angles. If you are standing above, looking down at the synth, the display isn't bad, but it is unreadable trying to view it while seated at any angle. I can't believe none of the prototype testers brought up the red display to Behringer before they started mass producing them, either that or Behringer ignored the complaints and made it anyway, kinda like they did with the Space FX, which was a failure in many ways.

If you can delay your purchase until Behringer starts shipping units with a better, WHITE display, I highly advise waiting. Otherwise; I would get the desktop unit that you can rack mount directly at eye level. Just be aware that the mod-DOWN lever does not exist on lots of midi controller keyboards, so you can't access that function on the desktop unit without a 2-way mod lever. Simple controllers like Keystep can not trigger the mod-lever down.

Having had and enjoyed the DeepMind 12 for several years, I thought I'd give this thing a try. What a great choice! Uli and his team knocked this one out of the park. The new firmware added tons of useful features, the poly aftertouch keyboard is amazing, and those juicy oscillators are lovely. This is truly a wonderful addition to the mothership! I haven't even worried about adding effects. This thing sounds amazing as is. As always, a big shout out to Delvin the crew! You guys rock

My son received one of these fine beasts from Sweetwater in June - he loved the keybed/key "feel", the 16-voice polyphony, the 61-keys, the easy to use arpeggiator and built-in step sequencer, and some of the sounds the first hour of playing it. And BTW, one of the only glaring shortcomings of this instrument is that you'll have to hook it up to an external delay/reverb or chorus box. However, it took about three weeks and several hours of play for him to truly fall in love with the UBXa. As a listener, I can tell you that the melodies this machine produces are . . . Extraordinary! My son is a classically trained pianist studying at university and tucks has his UBXa on a stand in the closet of his school dorm - where he plays it daily. We'd read some of the reviews and comments on the internet regarding the UBXa and the people who were playing it for a couple of days, deciding they didn't like it, and then either returned it or sold it. Our advice is: Keep it, play it, experiment with it, and as you become familiar with it, you will discover that buying the UBXa was a great decision. If you sell it before fully learning its secrets, nuances, and capabilities - you'll never know what you missed. So, especially at the price these stellar sound machines are selling for, grabbing one of these workhorse synths ASAP is a no-brained decision. Go for it!

All factory patches are done at the transpose setting of 0. Transpose is not saved with the patch. Setting transpose to -1 will bring out lush sounds of virtually all patches. The transpose is set just to the left of the lowest key on the performance section. Also, and this shouldn't need to be said, turn the master volume up on weak or thin sounding patches. Never mind the comparisons to the OB synth. Do the above and you will be rewarded with wonderful warm, rich sounding analog sounds in their own rights.

This thing is heavy, it's large, it's pretty and it sounds great. The shipping/packaging was done well by sweetwater. I would have preferred a box within a box(like the deepmind 12) but it arrived well. I would have preferred a 164 page manual(like the deepmind 12) but I did crack the code on the condensed 34 page quick start guide. I know the synth's workings quite well after a month. I did not have the patience to wait for the desktop model so I bought this. I have a vintage synth from 1990 I will use as a controller for this and other synths I have, but the keys are "ok". For the price, do it. Basically it's like having my Oberheim matrix 1000 fully editable, but with 16 voices instead of 6. The arp. and sequencer are great perks as well, come in handy to edit sounds. I think I'll run the midi out of the ubxa and my kawai into a midi merger so I can use either as a controller. I like it so much I still want the D model, when available, for even more flexibility. Grab one! It's great!

5 stars totally. Never mind the comparisons with the OB. This thing sounds amazing. Every touch is rewarded with a nice solid tone. I'm a Moog kinda guy but this is a whole new area of synthesis for me and I'm thrilled! True the presets aren't great but take your time going through them. Each has the potential for being magical with a few minor tweaks. Buy it...buy it...buy it. You'll be very satisfied. I am.

I got this 3 days ago (Sweetwater), been fiddling. FANTASTIC!!! Just perfect, once in time (so far), and if into the original synth (or ANYTHING else truly vintage 80's analog for this price, a must! [I waited so long, gave up, bought a couple other hardware synths, and then this; and still don't regret, at all.

That said, in fair review-ness, echoing thoughts of others, while still giving 5 stars:

1) Agree w/ others, the presets are awful. Maybe these were approximations of the original(?) but they are thin and bad patches of mostly acoustic instruments that, even then, are just terrible. But they can be tweaked as starting points--it's just amazing that, with a floor-show demo model, any company would want THESE to be the 1st thing some buyer hears, given the phat depth & range available here. It doesn't make sense, and if you DO try one in person, ignore these and fear not.

2) Unless you are versed in the original, this is NOT easy, user-friendly / intuitive "knob" synthing. I'm hand-on extremely quick & fluent w/ say, an SH-101. This is NOT that. The original had its own way of laying out knobs, and this is different. Also, though no real "menu diving," the "shift" functions are extensive and almost ubiquitous. There is a learning curve unlike any hardware synths I have or have known. To be fair, most shift functions are deeper dives to be ignored at first, but man are not. This needs the manual.

All THAT said, no problem IMO with no "full" manual--it's easily downloaded, double-side printed. No problem with the keyboard--it's not super high-end, but just fine, feels fine, esp. at this price point. Same with the knobs and buttons. At the price, spend some $ on a case (and be normally careful) if gigging/touring.

My main gripe (personal) is that this is not instead an OB-8 clone (sigh), but that is not the synth's or manufacturer's fault. What THIS is... is stupendous, and 5-star recommended.

I have been a harsh critic of Behringer for taking so long to get these out to the US. Shockingly, Sweetwater FINALLY got a big batch of UB-Xas 2 days ago after an interminably long wait. I got mine today (free overnight shipping! THANKS Sweetwater!), and two words: MIND BLOWN! I am loving twiddling all those knobs! I have never had such direct (and fun!) access to editing a synth before (except on my JX-10 when I got the editor)! Totally awesome! Was it worth the wait? YES! Things preventing me from giving it a 5 star rating: the display is killing my neck being on the right instead of centered; I wish the display had a brightness setting in addition to the contrast; and I am not digging the push-to-select button (can it not just automatically load a patch when turning the knob?). That is definitely going to be the first part to wear out. Behringer claim that it is not a worry, that their parts have been stress-tested, but we will see about that. I basically like the keybed action, and I am getting used to it already, but rather than having a graduated slope to them, the black keys have a noticeable notch at the beginning of the slope. And I wish they would post a video on accessing the miscellaneous functions. I can get in, but I cannot figure how to get out, and in the process, I keep getting asked to save a patch. Very confusing, and I could not find clarification in the manual. Behringer responded to my post on Facebook tonight that a big update is coming to the firmware. So we will see what changes are made there. But the sound is amazing, especially when hitting the Unison button -- huuuuuuuuuge! Other than that, I am really loving the sound and looks of this 16-note polyphonic beast, all at a non-Oberheim price.

I've never owned an Oberheim and I have always wanted one. This is as close as you can get to the real deal.

PROS: 16 note polyphony, tanky build, smaller than an actual Oberheim so definitely gig friendly. Nails that sound. Way more parameters to adjust than I initially thought. Menu diving will unlock some serious firepower! The saw waves are PHAAAAAATTT!

CONS: Preset sounds are bad, many have "pops" that are easily fixed by slight attack or release adjustments. This keyboard need a serious "how to" manual as figuring out how to do things such as assign aftertouch to a voice are not intuitive. I'm planing on making some "how to" YouTube content once I figure out "how to". Hoping ti see this added to the SynthTribe phone ap soon.

Great job Behringer. Ive had my Poly D for nearly 3 years and very happy with it. Planning on feeling the same with this.

Thank you to Sweetwater and Stephen for helping me get this keyboard. It is my first polyphonic analogue synthesizer. I've been waiting many years to get this. I have many monophonic synths (Sh-101, Pro-1) but nothing monophonic.

First things first, If you are new to analogue synths, you will be underwhelmed with the preset sounds. Most are horrible. They do show ability. How Behringer could spend 6 years creating this and not come up with a better set of presets baffles the mind.

Secondly, there is only a quick start guide. No user manual with all the internal details. HORRIBLE! There is so much to gain in the menu diving that you either explore on your own, or find videos on Youtube. All those years in development and Behringer couldn't give better literature?

Lastly, this is the real deal. It is an incredible instrument with so much to offer. I am so glad it is part of my arsenal. I just wish Behringer put more effort into customer support. All in all I am very happy and will gladly purchase the next Behringer clone, hopefully the DS-80.

I've had this synth for a few weeks now. I'm a fan of the Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis. This synth will get you to that zone.

The best thing about this synth is that all of the dials and buttons are available for you to tweak right as you are playing. Want to change the attack? Turn one of the ADSR dials. Want to switch from sawtooth to triangle on OSC2? Hit a button. The filters can do some cool things. I've just started playing with them. Once you tweak a patch to your liking, save it. The quick-recall pad is very handy. I wish more synths had that. For me, computer screens and menus detract from the music-making experience. I'm no Luddite, I just find that it's too easy to get lost in computer-land and forget about playing. This synth invites you twiddle and modify the patches and make everything sound the way you like it. I end up using the hell out of the "Hold" button.

The polyphonic aftertouch is useful. The keys are like regular, but then you can press them down a few mm more with some pressure. The more you press, the more effect is added (LFO speed or filter pitch or whatever). Yes, it is per individual key. It feels a little cheezy, but it works well.

I agree with pretty much all of the previous comments

arrived at noon yesterday
First impressions:
THIS IS THE REAL DEAL
very close to a real OBXa. Some patches are 90% of it, which isclose. some are 100%, which is amazing. Behringer have knocked this one out of the park. This is hands down the best thing they've ever put out. (up to now it was the deepmind 6/12)
Anyone into cool vintage synths? This is the thing to get. The four solid years they put in with 15 of their best engineers working on this exclusively...well you can tell they realllly wanted this to be the best thing they ever put out. It is.
People have to get past the Behringer name, and look at this as a boutique labor of love. Which it is. Re-create one of the most powerful synths ever created (not feature-wise but sound-wise), and get it as close to the original as possible. An original OBXa will fill the room and give you chills as you listen to the oscillators rub barely out of tune against each other and create some sinister sounding stuff. Very hard to do if not impossible on any digital synth, or virtual computer software. With a little bit of tweaking and patience, these kind of moments are readily at your fingertips.

Pros:
The sound- It is for all intents an OBXa. (in a fashion that the Behr Model D was definitely NOT a minimoog)
Build- metal, solid, heavy at about 27 pounds. Wooden end cheeks.
Potential-limitless. I've barely scratched the surface and fell deep in a hole exploring a half dozen patches. Running arpeggiators, sequencers, tweaking the sound. It has a ton of sweet spots.
price: this was supposed to come out at $. It would still be worth every penny.

Cons:
Bank A presets- Gawdawful and thin, this bank would convince me this is another hyped piece unworthy of cash.
Keybed- A little flimsy. To be expected at $
Build- (yes I know it's already up there) the knobs are plastic, and feel like one snapping clear off is a real possibility. This should only be transported in a very sturdy gig bag or flight case. It is worth it to save any heartache.

Final Verdict- Anyone who has a knowledge of analog synthesis will bond with this synth quickly. It is like it has a personality of its own in it: easier said about a cool guitar, more difficult to find in a 'sterile' synth. I've played real OBXa, OB8 and Oberheim expanders. If you are looking for a HUGE polyphonic sound reminiscent of some of the best 80's rock, prog or Berlin school sounds, look no further, it has arrived.

I always dreamed of owning this synth. And now I can't believe I have it. I have yet to turn it off and it's been a couple days. Great layout, clean sound. I can easily add whatever effects and of course it sounds buttery smooth. I can only hope their version of the CS-80 is this good. Kudos to the design team. Fantastic job. You are the only reason I can have one of these fabulous machines.

It's a dream come true. The synth I've been wanting for 30 years, and now have.

Some have said it doesn't sound right, and those people are simply wrong. The sound is absolutely there. You don't run out of voices, and that's so nice. I dunno what else there is to say about the sound, it's accurate. Some synths have a "vintage" knob to adjust in some tuning irregularity, this has a whole feature that's absurdly deep for making it sound old. Overkill, even. But it's there, if you want that.

It's solidly built, metal shaft pots would have been nice, but you don't throw these around anyway, so not an issue. I dunno why anyone would be critical of the keybed, it's extremely nice. No, it doesn't feel like a piano, and there's no reason it should, since it's a synth. The keys are solid and move smoothly. They're not just good for the price, they're really nice in their own right. I've never played better. It's a matter of taste past a certain level of quality, and these keys pass that bar. Poly aftertouch takes a little getting used to, but even not being used to it, your sounds just come across as that much more organic.

It's an OB-XA with some conveniences added, it doesn't have the depth of programmability that modern synths have, and honestly that's a good thing. Let modern synths be modern. It's good to have some limitations to have to work inside of. You get that sound, with enough voices that you won't run out, and a little extra sauce with the poly aftertouch and atrophy controls.

My only semi actual complaint is that the paddles aren't actually any more ergonomic for me to use than the usual pitch and mod wheel setup. I have a very heavy preference for a pitch stick that moves side to side.

It's a fine synthesizer.

I just got this synth and have spent only a day with it so far but let me say that this thing sounds incredible especially at the price point. There are going to be a ton of synth head purists and oberhiem fan boys bashing on this thing but honestly it embodies the OBx vibe super well and like I said, at the price point it's hard to beat. It's not an Oberhiem but it'll do it great. My only gripe is the keys and controls feel a little cheap. Not terribly cheap but not like OBX8 controls and keys. But that's something that's sacrificed to pay this little for a synth like this. If you want OBX sounds but can't afford the cost then get this beauty. If you can swing $ for an OBX8 and feel good about it, definitely go that route.