First little session with Behringer DeepMind 12 Analog Synth in my Studio.

The sounds are great, the editing is straightforward if you have a modicum of trad synth skills and the manual (downloadable from Behringer – you only get the Quick Start guide in the box) is remarkably user friendly. The presets are impressive but for my uses are ‘of interest only’ but the modular section is amazing – being able to modulate everything with everything else is suprisingly flexible. You can almost have two patches either end of the Modulation wheel, which can be very useful in the Live situation. 

 Patch changing is pretty good although I use a Roland digital piano as the controller – normally just to send patch change info – its display has less to do and is therefore that bit clearer The unison modes are great if you love big synth leads – detuning 12 oscillators for a solo will ensure your guitarist is inaudible for the rest of his/her days! 

With the creation of DEEPMIND 12, the ultimate true analog, 12-voice polyphonic synthesizer is finally a reality. DEEPMIND 12 allows you to conjure up virtually any sound you can imagine with unparalleled finesse and ease. Thanks to its 4 FX engines, dual analog OSCs and LFOs per voice, 3 ADSR Generators, 8-Channel Modulation Matrix and onboard 32-Step Control Sequencer, the DEEPMIND 12 gives you complete control over your soundscape. Plus, DEEPMIND 12 features comprehensive remote control via iPad*/PC/Mac and selected Android* Apps over USB, MIDI or built-in Wifi ? for a custom-tailored workflow that lets your creative spirit soar to new heights.

Pure Analog Signal Path

A modern reincarnation of a beloved analog classic (with true bypass studio-grade FX), all of DEEPMIND 12’s sounds are purely analog ? all the way from OSC 1, which generates sawtooth and square/pulse waveforms with user-definable pulse width modulation (PWM), and OSC 2, which generates square/pulse waveforms with tone modulation. The combination of square/pulse waves on OSC 1 and tone modulation on OSC 2 gives the DEEPMIND 12 a boldly unique and fresh character not found in competing products.

Glorious 12-Note Polyphony

Playing chords and building textural soundscapes requires the ability to generate multiple notes or sounds simultaneously. While early analog synthesizers were either monophonic (only 1 note at a time), or somewhat limited in the number of sounds they could produce at the same time, the DEEPMIND 12 boosts your creativity with 12-note polyphony. Each voice has 2 oscillators, with OSC 1 generating sawtooth and square/pulse waveforms with pulse width modulation, and OSC 2 generates square/pulse waveforms with a unique tone modulation. With 24 oscillators at your disposal, a tremendous range of options becomes available including the following oscillator modes: Unison 12, 6, 4, 3, 2 Mono; Mono -2; Mono 4; Mono 6; Poly; Poly 6, and Poly 8. The addition of oscillator sync, oscillator drift and parameter drift allow the recreation of the much sought after warmth and movement found in vintage analog synthesizers, with greatly improved reliability and stability.

Individual voices also have 2 LFOs (Low-Frequency Oscillators) with a range that extends into the audio rate. Each LFO features adjustable slew-rate, modulation delay, key sync, assignable clock sync (internal or external MIDI), envelope auto-triggering, as well as Delay and Fade in. The 7 available waveform shapes are; Sine; Triangle; Square; Ramp Up; Ramp Down; Sample and Hold, and Sample and Glide for an amazing array of tonal options. The DEEPMIND 12 also offers a highly unusual Phase Link option for the polyphonic LFOs, allowing them to operate in Unison (Mono), or link with an adjustable phase shift between voices. Additionally, the LFOs can track key pitch via the modulation matrix, enabling cross mod type effects. 

8-Channel Modulation Matrix

Want to modulate the reverb tail or compressor with the mod wheel? How about driving the MIDAS Multiband Distortion effect with an LFO or aftertouch? With 19 modulation sources and more than 130 destinations, DEEPMIND 12 provides a multitude of modulation options. And the “press & hold” shortcuts make selection of those sources and destinations quick and easy.

The FX Racks

The Deepmind 12 includes 4 simultaneous FX engines with over 33 world-class TC ELECTRONIC, MIDAS and KLARK TEKNIK algorithms ? including Reverb, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Delay, Multiband Distortion, and many more. Custom-designed and physically modeled after some of the most iconic and sought-after processors, DEEPMIND 12?s FX were essentially ?rebuilt? in the digital domain ? and put right at your fingertips. All effects run inside the low-latency environment of the DEEPMIND 12, ensuring flawless performance and flexible routing.