They can, and they do; but often it’s just that the cost is prohibitive, so usually the result is a simple cease-and-desist order. You’ll notice that the B word doesn’t produce these knock-offs for long: i.e. typically, each gets a pretty short run. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, as they say. And yes, it’s dirty pool, any way you slice it.
Cheers!
Regarding the rip-off aesthetics: I can’t tell whether it’s bad that they stick so closely to the original… or is it good that they at least acknowledge their source clearly? I think if something I designed was out of patent and being cloned, I would appreciate the hat-tip, even if I wasn’t getting paid…
it sounds awesome!!!
Dave Smith doesn’t own the company that made the prophet 600, that company is decades gone. The rights to the design long since gone free.
indeed.
Still makes you wonder why Behringer just don’t make & champion their own brand new designs though, rather than copying - right down to the level of text / font choices - revered old designs, thereby gaining the prestige & kudos associated with that old company’s instruments, for free. It won’t ever not leave a sour taste in my mouth. YMMV.
As someone with a Prophet 6 and having played many 600s: they share a lot of the same basic architecture but the 600 has a very dark sound, almost to the point of being lofi which is the opposite of the Prophet 6. Add to that the capability differences, I would say they’re not really comparable in practice. Not as much of a difference as something like these two versus a Roland, but still.
& I also think the 600 is gaining popularity now that Juno 106 prices are getting crazy.
It wouldn’t need to be brand new (clean-sheet / start from scratch) design, few ever do that anyways. But a little more freedom and originality from the people doing the physical control layout look and color, and most definitely those coming up with names would completely eliminate the problem in my book.
The “Pro-800” name would be prime example to me, along with a redo of the front panel, which I assume they are doing anyways, this is a prototype.
Well I’m not sure I agree with that : isn’t that exactly what proper synthesizer manufacturers do ? Come up with their own synths from scratch. It’s what Moog, & Sequential do… come up with their own thing. So have Korg & Arturia over the last few years.
I’m not talking about reinventing the wheel : Moog synths almost always have their classic ladder filter etc… But it’s still a big jump from using ‘classic’ architecture to just doing what is a flagrant rip-off of someone else’s instrument.
Behringer have done it themselves : though theoretically a bit 'Juno-esque@ ( it’s not at all really ) at least they just created the Deepmind as its own thing - they didn’t try & badge it & make it look like a Juno…
I love it that they are following the old designs with these new clones - my Pro-1 is awesome and while I love my Deepmind-12 as well, it would be even cooler if it had Juno colors in the panel. No-one cried when Creamware did Minimax, Pro-12 etc that also followed classic designs. Not sure why they cry now when Behringer does these high quality analog clones…
cool, thanks for the insight. yeah I’ve not played a Prophet 6 (I favored the OB6) or 600 (favored the 106), I’m just going on what I’ve read from other synthesists whose opinion I value, as well as my opinion from having heard them. obviously any two synths are different so I believe your viewpoint is totally valid. and I can certainly see the “darker” comment.
still, I think it’s also valid to view this as B’s way of getting into the Prophet market a bit/steal some of the Prophet 6 sales. many will choose a $600 synth over an $2200 one, even if the latter has more features and does indeed sound different. and of course, many will also choose the $600 option with 8 voices versus $1800 for a vintage GliGli modded one with 6 voices.
btw, hope they’re compensating GliGli enough to make up for the loss in sales…? 
Maybe that’s because Creamware just took a shot at 3 synths, not errr ALL the synths like Uli B is doing ? it’s getting tiresome. Please just make some new products rather than cashing -in on the notion that people think they’re buying something they’re not : Iif you want a SCI synth, buy an SCI synth. If you want a Moog, buy a Moog. A Behringer will never be a Moog - it’ll always be a Behringer.
Maybe ultimately that’s the problem : Perhaps Uli would’ve been better creating a whole new brand - “xxxxx” ( By Behringer). That way the synths could’ve had their own identitly. It’s just lame as hell ripping everyone else’s style off with these cheap-ass knock-offs. Again - that’s purely IMHO - YMMV 
They are releasing stuff that people want but have been unobtainable to most for a long time. I think they are doing huge service to synth fans by releasing all these synths at these prices…
fair enough - we’ll agree to disagree.
My final word on it however is that ultimately Uli may not be helping out smaller, independent manufacturers who might have come out with innovative new stuff, because he’s distorted the market & put everyone else out of business. But only time will tell.
but as he just said:
that’s what always ends it for me. I’d rather have one nice original synth than five B knock-offs. it’s interesting to watch it all develop though.
exactly this.
I was excited about this until I noticed the membrane buttons. Maybe the original had membrane buttons, but oh god why didn’t they go for some other kind…it’s hard to get over that.
I agree but remember this is a proto, and subject to change, and note the recent releases from Behringer don’t use that interface. We’ll see as the months go by what they do. with their “Pro-800”. They’ve even changed product names from this point going forward with other products.
Some of the discussion up thread would be on-topic in another thread.
Is this true about the short runs? I can’t recall a clone synth getting pulled from Thomann, it looks like all of them since the model D are still up there. Maybe their speakers/pedals/mics etc haven’t had long runs, I haven’t kept track (since a lot of that gear is not great imo)
There are already several threads for “the Behringer”discussion. This thread is for the Behringer Pro 800.
Because it’s cheap, probably the cheapest option, which epitomises…