BEHRINGER 'Neutron' - Analog Semi-Modular Synthesizer

yeah the drive needs to be used subtly, however it's noisy with or without it. the delay is almost unusable due to noise as well. but even with no drive or delay i still get a significant amount of hiss and hum.

Have you updated the firmware? Seems to be a lot of updates for it, nice to see they are supporting it.

http://downloads.music-group.com/software/ReleaseNotes/Behringer Neutron Firmware v2.0.2 Public Release Notes.pdf

A few months in and I have to say that I am very happy with this. 

It has taught me the basics of patching and I have created some really weird sounds from it.

Also after various youtube tutorials I have created a number of "krell" generative patches that can also be manipulated externally.  The firmwate update lets you patch (via the assign node) the CV for the oscillators as well as control via keyboard slide.  You can also tune the oscillators via an app which is handy.

For the cost its an absolute steal.

Any other Neutron fans here?

I like mine, started digging it a lot more when I got a bunch of eurorack to combine it with though. It would have been nice if they would've implemented the ability to bypass the tuning knobs while keeping the tuning the oscs are set to. I put some chickenhead knobs on the tuning pots to make the fine tuning a bit easier (you can tap and nudge them a bit easier than regular knobs imho) but when I'm stoned or just really deep into a session occasionally I'll still grab a tuning knob thinking I'm gong for the shape or even filter.

The 2nd osc on mine is quite a few cents sharp compared to the first but doesn't bother me too much and can be reduced when taking into consideration which octaves its gonna cover. Took the time to calibrate the delay last week as it seemed to be getting a lot noisier (could've been my imagination though) and it's back to where I want it now.

Got some really cool sounds rearranging the lfo shapes in the app and then stepping through those. 

To me the oscs and filter sound great, envs are pretty snappy, usually I'll bypass the drive circuit but it's certainly not without its charm. Really like how they included things such as a mult and 2 attenuators. Tried using the invert the other day but couldn't figure out where the output was? I think I checked the manual but still didn't get it.             

they price dropped these everywhere recently so you can get a new one for damn cheap. 210 new

  On 10/3/2019 at 4:20 AM, nerver said:

they price dropped these everywhere recently so you can get a new one for damn cheap. 210 new

in us-land? eu-land still @298€

  On 9/11/2019 at 9:21 PM, user said:

To me the oscs and filter sound great, envs are pretty snappy, usually I'll bypass the drive circuit but it's certainly not without its charm. Really like how they included things such as a mult and 2 attenuators. Tried using the invert the other day but couldn't figure out where the output was? I think I checked the manual but still didn't get it.             

The attenuators are great, I managed to create something that sounded like a kick drum thunderstorm the other day.  No idea how but it was ace.  I now have a note pad next to the Neutron at all times plus probably 60+ photos on my phone now of settings.

I also use the attached patch sheet when i've settled on some settings.

The Invert output is 4th down on the far right of the patch bay.

  On 6/12/2019 at 2:05 PM, BCM said:

yeah the drive needs to be used subtly, however it's noisy with or without it. the delay is almost unusable due to noise as well. but even with no drive or delay i still get a significant amount of hiss and hum.

I had a similar experience with the Volca Keys especially with the delay on. In the end I just thought 'oh its analogue I guess its suppose to be noisy'.

Never see em on Gumtree which is a good thing as users must be overall quite content with them. 

£260 on Amazon now and a few on Gumtree so I guess I was wrong lol. Still love the colour scheme and it looks pretty versatile. Only downside is no sequencer.

  On 10/3/2019 at 5:13 PM, TheBro said:

I had a similar experience with the Volca Keys especially with the delay on. In the end I just thought 'oh its analogue I guess its suppose to be noisy'.

The solution for the volca is to take a soldering iron to it and bypass the delay circuit. This is not hard (I managed it).

Apparently some chip that’s in there for another reason happens to have a delay function bolted onto it. Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s where the Neutron gets its delay from as well.

The delay was one of my favourite things about the volca keys lol

Maybe I should get a neutron

  On 6/12/2019 at 2:05 PM, BCM said:

yeah the drive needs to be used subtly, however it's noisy with or without it. the delay is almost unusable due to noise as well. but even with no drive or delay i still get a significant amount of hiss and hum.

Just out of curiosity, do you have anything connected to the USB port when you use it?

nope... but i've kind of just got used to the noise now. fuck it, i'm not that bothered and it's still a lovely synthesizer.

it's also probably my setup generally. no DI boxes or pre-amps for the synths, my mixer is getting a bit old and scratchy, my soundcard isn't exactly high-end. so it's probably all of that stuff causing a lot of the hiss and hum. i guess i need some monster cables.

I just overdubbed the self-noise from an old Radio Shack microcassette recorder through a flanger over most of a track last night so that's where I stand on noise.  If anything it's almost too easy to make technically flawless recordings these days.

Hum I'm not a fan of, though.

  On 10/3/2019 at 1:21 PM, Soloman Tump said:

 

The attenuators are great, I managed to create something that sounded like a kick drum thunderstorm the other day.  No idea how but it was ace.  I now have a note pad next to the Neutron at all times plus probably 60+ photos on my phone now of settings.

I also use the attached patch sheet when i've settled on some settings.

The Invert output is 4th down on the far right of the patch bay.

 

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Cheers, don't get how I managed to miss that, it's right there. 

Had a lot of fun last night dialing in some housey/aciddy bassline stuff and it really made me appreciate how essential getting the exact settings on the fillter env right to get them to the way they sound on records I like.

Might put that patchsheet under the photocopier although knowing myself I'll probably end up with a bunch in a drawer never to be referenced again. Trying to remind myself to always push record and maybe add a couple notes to the recording, although the last 3 weeks I've completely broken with this and have just been trying things out, not recording anything and thinking "I'll remember this was a cool thing to do somehow" 

  On 9/11/2019 at 9:21 PM, user said:

I like mine, started digging it a lot more when I got a bunch of eurorack to combine it with though

What did you get? Taking the plunge and building modular system around mine. I ordered a RackBrute and trying to decide what 1-2 modules I want to start off with, and then see what I feel like I need to build from there. Totally new to hardware modular, so having a real hard time deciding what I want to add, although looking to add essential/most useful modules I can immediately make the most of.

This is me fishing for suggestions.

  On 10/15/2019 at 7:48 PM, brap23 said:

essential/most useful modules

A few of my utility/generator picks:

Pamela's New Workout: a very solid clock utility but goes way beyond that, with LFOs, euclidean sequencing, loopable random generators, etc. Pairs nicely with a quantiser (I use 2hp Tune) so you can use the random generators as melody generators. 

Mutable Instruments Marbles: generative gate and note sequencing but with tons of modes and options to play with, and can be run at audio rate to get a super digital oscillator. Plus you can load custom scales into it, which can get microtonal, if that's what you're into. 

And Maths of course.. just watch the video

For sound shaping, rather than a utility, I love Mutable Instruments Warps with the Parasites firmware. Lots of different options from waveshapers, vocoders to very nice delays (one of which has an open feedback path). 

Also I just thought of an interesting first pair, if you can afford it: Pamela's New Workout and Make Noise Erbe Verb. Using PNW's 8 outs to control the verb's parameters can get some very interesting effects, including really swishy drum sounds and pitch shifting. 

Great, thanks, that's super helpful. I had already ordered PNW, it's actually one of the modules that ended up selling me on going modular. Will probably pick up Maths too.

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I am facing the sinking inevitability that eurorack is next for me

  On 10/16/2019 at 10:12 AM, Soloman Tump said:

I am facing the sinking inevitability that eurorack is next for me

It's not inevitable, you can always get hooked on more frugal options like live coding.. or opiates.

  On 10/15/2019 at 7:48 PM, brap23 said:

 

What did you get? Taking the plunge and building modular system around mine. I ordered a RackBrute and trying to decide what 1-2 modules I want to start off with, and then see what I feel like I need to build from there. Totally new to hardware modular, so having a real hard time deciding what I want to add, although looking to add essential/most useful modules I can immediately make the most of.

This is me fishing for suggestions.

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It's been a while (started in feb I think) but if memory serves I got a plaits, tides, shades and a mult. Bear in mind I already owned an a4 and a keystep for sequencing/envelopes/lfo's etc. After that I got the maths, just like to echo how good it is. There's so much it can do and then there's the 2 attenuverters on ch 2/3 which you can never have enough of which also generate functions on some of the outputs in a way.

I would also recommend a (micro) O&C if you can build one or someone local is selling them. Got one a few months ago and just bought a second one, so versatile and I'm learning so much from using it. I wanted to get a PNW but ended up with a temps utile instead. I'm happy with that for the moment. 

Even though it does tend to slightly spiral out of control I would recommend getting into eurorack to anyone. I've never had so much fun with synths as the last 8 months or so and I've learned a lot. Using eurorack has also improved my "regular" synthesis skills. Maybe I'm still in the euphoric new love phase though and I'll be just as cynical and bored as usual in another 8 months.       

The good thing about not buying every module I k kw I want right away is I will have a chance to really learn the modules I get before adding anything. But O&C has been mentioned elsewhere a number of times, definitely want to check out. Thanks!

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So glad I went with PNW as first module, great module to pair with a Neutron. Neutron + PNW + Squid Salmple and 5 minutes after mounting everything banging out some basic, noisy techno. Instantly playable. Going to be hard to not immediately move on to the above suggestions!