Argh this is tempting... Im already having two vintage stringers (String Melody II and SK30), but this piece really have "something" especially when layering strings with voice and bit of vibrato. Really huge respect to Behringer for resurrecting completly "obsolete" 40+years old technology and doing it 100% right.
@DestroyER82 I thought I made this comment at first as I have both those stringers as well (Yamaha SK30 and Logan String Melody II) and I am also tempted. Actually I am more than tempted. I'll have to get it as I love the sound of the string synths of that era and the vocoder is still one of the best out there. Everything you said is exactly my sentiments too
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio I find Logan to be probably the best sounding stringer of em all. Even its limited in timbres, sound is amazingly warm and pleasant. Also fully polyphonic attack/release helps the performance. But still.. that VC340 got "something"... ;-) Also to mention, Logan is pretty imposible to use for performances outside studio. God... that thing is heavy... :) Still tempted.
@@DestroyER82 you have great taste in string synths. The VC340 really does have "something" about it's sound and what it can do. I agree with you. The Logan could well be the best sounding stringer especially when you add a phaser and delay/reverb to it's sound. The Yamaha SK30 can sound awesome without external effects though. For me if I add the VC340 to my string synth stand then it would really complete my vintage string synth sound.
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio I use EHX small stone for some recordings and always lot of long reverb (sometimes shimmer). SK30 is monumental piece of gear and always sounds good (but gotta be carefull with mixing all the sections since its pretty warm sounding and can become really messy :) ). Well... VC340, then Korg Delta (or Trident if lucky), RS 505 (I have tested RS09, its fine, but you really want 505), ARP Quadra and maybe Eminent Solina. ;-) That might be fine for start. :D
@@DestroyER82 I just got the EHX Small Stone too for phasing on the String Melody II and I already have aa Lexicon MPX100 reverb that I am going to hook up with it. I've used the Lexicon reverb that's built into the Soundcraft Signature mixer on it and it sounds great with the Small Stone so I'm looking forward to hooking up the MPX100 to it. I missed out on a Trident MKII a few months ago. It wasn't meant to be it seems. I'm getting short of space so I have to be picky about which ones to go for. I rarely ever use all the sections of the Yamaha SK30 all together. Split keyboard on it and either mono synth on left hand and organ/poly synth and or strings can really sound great IMO. I've wanted the VP330 for ages but I'll grab a VC340 instead no problem. It's much better than the VC03 thing that Roland came out with as a boutique.
I have had my VP330 mk2 a few years now, and listening to this demo I can't decide if I would have chosen this over the original had it been available. Thanks for the demo. I think Behringer nailed it with this one, all but one octave!
Thanks, yes I really was upset owning a 10 times expensive VP-330 and was afraid that the price will fall. The clone is almost indistinguishable from the original.
The usual placebo effect of thinking there is a detectable difference, is only because we have seen which he is playing, but they are both near as makes NO difference.
Very nice video. This confirms what I had already believed: the VC340 is almost identical to the VP-330. The most glaring difference is the stupid shortened keyboard, and I'd also say the ensemble effect on the VP-330 is just a little sweeter. In a blind test I wouldn't hear any difference until you turn on the ensemble, and the Roland definitely gets the nod there. In practical use I don't think the slight difference in the ensemble is significant. The majestic Roland ensemble is also just a bit more murky, so it might even be a little easier to shoehorn the Behringer into a modern mix.
I have never tried the original Roland, but I love my Vc340. It sounds really good, the keys are ok and it seems well built. Clones always left me feeling disappointed, until now. I am going to try more Behringer stuff after this.
To my ear the Behringer sounds noticeably thinner, and seems to lack the magic / soul of the original. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned this in the comments - is it just me? I'll be purchasing the Behringer anyway since I of course can't afford the original, but I was wondering if you or anyone else hears this too. Thank you for your fantastic video!
Sort of apples and oranges in the slightest sence (very close with small tonal differences) But one area that the difference seems wider is in the lower notes. Do you feel the VC can growl when played low in a similar way to the Roland ? BTW because of your RS09 vid I ended up buying one and I absolutely love it, but as you know it doesn't go that low so I'm on the look out for another stringer to compliment it :)
Pretty much they did a good job of replicating the sound, it just has less "air" about, kind of like the poly d to the model d, but for the price range, its pretty dang good.
As a long-time Roland collector and player, I was apprehensive about a made-in-china Behringer clone but they really did an great job on this one. The build quality is excellent and the knobs, buttons, and keys are all solid and smooth. The sound is also outstanding and very close to the original. If I could change anything I'd have used a simulated rosewood veneer on the end panels instead of the cheap, spray-painted basswood (?) but that's an easy DIY project. I wish Behringer would use the same form-factor and attention to detail for some of their other knock-offs, er.... reproductions. I'd be all over the Solina clone if it came in a metal case with wood ends and 36 full-size keys like the VC340.
I think cosmetics are important, I think Moog are the only ones really doin' what ya think, like for example their Minimoog reissue, I think it's got the same wood paneling the original Minimoog from the late 60's had, I'm more of a guitar guy, but I love synths as well, so I'd probably get the VC-340 as is, cause I wouldn't really care what paneling it had..
@@dinorocker8647 Yeah, I love the Moog stuff but it's way to expensive for my little home studio. I've never been interested in virtual instruments or plugins etc. For me, the look and feel of the instrument is almost as important as the sound.The VC340 does a great job at capturing that element of the instrument.
You are absolutely right. Soundwise they are very close, but the cheap wood, also in other synths like UB-Xa and Pro-16 you can see in pictures - same as in DM12 a annoys me also.
Sounds like a Solina String Ensemble type stringer. Funnily enough the mellotron was the closest you could get to a “real” string sound for a long time
Thanks for comparing these. The VC340 is pretty close for the low price. I am enjoying my VC340 and am glad I didn't spend the money for a vintage VP330. Hopefully I'll have a demo up for the VC340 of my own soon. :)
Sean Christopher Evoking Emotion with Synthesizers thanks for your feedback. Enjoy your VC340. Really nailed the sound of the original. I still will love my old VP
The vc sounds great. It just partly did not work from time to time, so i sold it. I was looking for another one, visited a friend who owns one since he played mine. One fader was so noisy, it s ridiculous… i’m glad i did not buy one again. I lost trust.
@@vintagesynths I'll take a string synth over a Mellotron any day, personally I think the mellotron doesn't do anything for me (even though it is iconic), but even Tony Banks said the damn thing was tempermental when it came to temperature.
@@dinorocker8647 I still don't get the digital emulations of the Melotron. Isn't that just a lo-fi ROMpler with a audible loop point? Give me a genuine string machine over a Melotron any day!
@@fjfrancois That might might might be my next synth. Shocked that it doesnt sound harsh/tinny and retains the same basic character. Adds a new flavor that I dont already have. With some effects it can transform into something really beautiful.
Very nice comparison, thanks! What makes the VP-330 sound better is the 4-octave keyboard. You can properly play it without constantly running out of keys. Removing one octave is such a weird design decision in the VC340. It should then rather be a module instead.
How does the number of keys effect the quality of sound? You know you can control the Behringer with a midi controller, right? Your logic thus dictates that the Behringer played with a 5 octave midi controller sound better than the Roland and its 4 octaves. Your argument is absolutely faulty. If Behringer made it a module it would hinder the convenience of being able to use the vocoder.
I have to add that I have the VC340 and I really like the sound. It does nail that. That's why the VC340 would've deserved the 4-octave Deepmind 12 keyboard and case. We could have played nice splits etc. directly on it. Or if that wasn't viable business-wise then a module.
Thanks for the comparison, I also really enjoyed watching your RS-09 demo (I love the sound of the RS) , how does the Behringer compare to the sound of the RS ? If they sound similar I might buy the Behringer instead of hunting down a nice condition RS :)
Damond Robinson thanks, the Behringer I sold, the VP is similar. The RS has Organ and the VP choir. Strings are quite similar. Maybe I prefer those of the RS. Sometime I make a comparison video of VP and RS.
The VC340 sounds very close to the VP330 to me. My only slight gripe is the less keys but that is minor really. I actually wanted a VP330 as I am into the different string synths of 40+ years ago as the quality build of those machines are amazing. Who knows? With the VC340 being released maybe the secondhand price of the Roland VP330 will go down? Like you it would be great to have both
@@MusicFed the B vocoder is terrible. the resolution is bad. you can not understand the words. B-A-D bad. no comparison to the Roland that specialized in vocoders and made several models of vocoder. B's little trick does not work for vocoder. maybe if they took it seriously, but they don't.
I'll take a 4 octave over a 3 octave everytime! Berhinger always gives a 3 octave keyboard which is a misrepresentation. I'll take the Roland everytime! Besides it's very easy to design these sounds to begin with!
The job they did on this is unbelievable, thanks for the comparison with your rare beast!
Argh this is tempting... Im already having two vintage stringers (String Melody II and SK30), but this piece really have "something" especially when layering strings with voice and bit of vibrato. Really huge respect to Behringer for resurrecting completly "obsolete" 40+years old technology and doing it 100% right.
@DestroyER82 I thought I made this comment at first as I have both those stringers as well (Yamaha SK30 and Logan String Melody II) and I am also tempted. Actually I am more than tempted. I'll have to get it as I love the sound of the string synths of that era and the vocoder is still one of the best out there. Everything you said is exactly my sentiments too
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio I find Logan to be probably the best sounding stringer of em all. Even its limited in timbres, sound is amazingly warm and pleasant. Also fully polyphonic attack/release helps the performance. But still.. that VC340 got "something"... ;-) Also to mention, Logan is pretty imposible to use for performances outside studio. God... that thing is heavy... :) Still tempted.
@@DestroyER82 you have great taste in string synths. The VC340 really does have "something" about it's sound and what it can do. I agree with you. The Logan could well be the best sounding stringer especially when you add a phaser and delay/reverb to it's sound. The Yamaha SK30 can sound awesome without external effects though. For me if I add the VC340 to my string synth stand then it would really complete my vintage string synth sound.
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio I use EHX small stone for some recordings and always lot of long reverb (sometimes shimmer). SK30 is monumental piece of gear and always sounds good (but gotta be carefull with mixing all the sections since its pretty warm sounding and can become really messy :) ). Well... VC340, then Korg Delta (or Trident if lucky), RS 505 (I have tested RS09, its fine, but you really want 505), ARP Quadra and maybe Eminent Solina. ;-) That might be fine for start. :D
@@DestroyER82 I just got the EHX Small Stone too for phasing on the String Melody II and I already have aa Lexicon MPX100 reverb that I am going to hook up with it. I've used the Lexicon reverb that's built into the Soundcraft Signature mixer on it and it sounds great with the Small Stone so I'm looking forward to hooking up the MPX100 to it.
I missed out on a Trident MKII a few months ago. It wasn't meant to be it seems. I'm getting short of space so I have to be picky about which ones to go for. I rarely ever use all the sections of the Yamaha SK30 all together. Split keyboard on it and either mono synth on left hand and organ/poly synth and or strings can really sound great IMO.
I've wanted the VP330 for ages but I'll grab a VC340 instead no problem. It's much better than the VC03 thing that Roland came out with as a boutique.
I have had my VP330 mk2 a few years now, and listening to this demo I can't decide if I would have chosen this over the original had it been available.
Thanks for the demo. I think Behringer nailed it with this one, all but one octave!
Thanks, yes I really was upset owning a 10 times expensive VP-330 and was afraid that the price will fall. The clone is almost indistinguishable from the original.
@@vintagesynthsdon t be. If i ever have the room and money i m buying Roland.
The usual placebo effect of thinking there is a detectable difference, is only because we have seen which he is playing, but they are both near as makes NO difference.
yes everything gets just a little bit cheaper but you would not know and you def do not care
Very nice video. This confirms what I had already believed: the VC340 is almost identical to the VP-330. The most glaring difference is the stupid shortened keyboard, and I'd also say the ensemble effect on the VP-330 is just a little sweeter. In a blind test I wouldn't hear any difference until you turn on the ensemble, and the Roland definitely gets the nod there.
In practical use I don't think the slight difference in the ensemble is significant. The majestic Roland ensemble is also just a bit more murky, so it might even be a little easier to shoehorn the Behringer into a modern mix.
Thanks very much. Exactly also my impression!
^ 😎👌🏼
This is the most compelling Behringer synth for me.. so far in the video its comparable in sound quality and the build looks good
I love the VP340, together with DFAM or TR8S and Subsequent37 a great package.
I have never tried the original Roland, but I love my Vc340. It sounds really good, the keys are ok and it seems well built. Clones always left me feeling disappointed, until now. I am going to try more Behringer stuff after this.
That's exactly how I felt after buying a Deepmind
Awesome job Dude, thank you very much
Great demo and comparison!
Eric Keinrath thank you
Roland vocoder does seem to be a bit fuller in sound. A little more bass and substance so to speak. But I have the VC340 myself and I love it!!
To my ear the Behringer sounds noticeably thinner, and seems to lack the magic / soul of the original. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned this in the comments - is it just me?
I'll be purchasing the Behringer anyway since I of course can't afford the original, but I was wondering if you or anyone else hears this too.
Thank you for your fantastic video!
Exactly what I thought.
Nowhere near as good as the original.
The VC340 is so good ! love it
Indeed!
I don't know how any of you can't hear the difference. It's mild in tone but its definitely there.
I tried really hard to blind test hear a diffrence, but no .
Fantastic demo/test :-)
Sounds great. I will definitely have a Behringer someday.
Wow impressive
Thanks
Sort of apples and oranges in the slightest sence (very close with small tonal differences) But one area that the difference seems wider is in the lower notes. Do you feel the VC can growl when played low in a similar way to the Roland ? BTW because of your RS09 vid I ended up buying one and I absolutely love it, but as you know it doesn't go that low so I'm on the look out for another stringer to compliment it :)
Pretty much they did a good job of replicating the sound, it just has less "air" about, kind of like the poly d to the model d, but for the price range, its pretty dang good.
As a long-time Roland collector and player, I was apprehensive about a made-in-china Behringer clone but they really did an great job on this one. The build quality is excellent and the knobs, buttons, and keys are all solid and smooth. The sound is also outstanding and very close to the original. If I could change anything I'd have used a simulated rosewood veneer on the end panels instead of the cheap, spray-painted basswood (?) but that's an easy DIY project.
I wish Behringer would use the same form-factor and attention to detail for some of their other knock-offs, er.... reproductions. I'd be all over the Solina clone if it came in a metal case with wood ends and 36 full-size keys like the VC340.
I think cosmetics are important, I think Moog are the only ones really doin' what ya think, like for example their Minimoog reissue, I think it's got the same wood paneling the original Minimoog from the late 60's had, I'm more of a guitar guy, but I love synths as well, so I'd probably get the VC-340 as is, cause I wouldn't really care what paneling it had..
@@dinorocker8647 Yeah, I love the Moog stuff but it's way to expensive for my little home studio. I've never been interested in virtual instruments or plugins etc. For me, the look and feel of the instrument is almost as important as the sound.The VC340 does a great job at capturing that element of the instrument.
@@lo-firobotboy7112 Well I think the Minimoog Model D costs about as much as the VC-340 does.
You are absolutely right. Soundwise they are very close, but the cheap wood, also in other synths like UB-Xa and Pro-16 you can see in pictures - same as in DM12 a annoys me also.
Awesome ! So it turns stereo when ensemble is on right ?
Sounds like a Solina String Ensemble type stringer. Funnily enough the mellotron was the closest you could get to a “real” string sound for a long time
Great demo video.
Thanks for comparing these. The VC340 is pretty close for the low price. I am enjoying my VC340 and am glad I didn't spend the money for a vintage VP330. Hopefully I'll have a demo up for the VC340 of my own soon. :)
Sean Christopher Evoking Emotion with Synthesizers thanks for your feedback. Enjoy your VC340. Really nailed the sound of the original. I still will love my old VP
@@vintagesynths can you remove the inbuilt keyboard on the VC-340 at all?
The vc sounds great. It just partly did not work from time to time, so i sold it. I was looking for another one, visited a friend who owns one since he played mine. One fader was so noisy, it s ridiculous… i’m glad i did not buy one again. I lost trust.
In some pop rock/progressive rock song that got released in 1979, the Roland VP-330 was heard.
Tony banks used it during Duke and abacab tours instead a mellotron
@@vintagesynths I'll take a string synth over a Mellotron any day, personally I think the mellotron doesn't do anything for me (even though it is iconic), but even Tony Banks said the damn thing was tempermental when it came to temperature.
@@dinorocker8647 I still don't get the digital emulations of the Melotron. Isn't that just a lo-fi ROMpler with a audible loop point? Give me a genuine string machine over a Melotron any day!
@@lo-firobotboy7112 Yeah, kinda my point.
@@dinorocker8647 Yes, that's why I was agreeing with you. (Not everything on youtube is an argument.)
Listened for a minute and didnt hear any difference. Amazing
George Jennings Behringer nail it 😊
@@fjfrancois That might might might be my next synth. Shocked that it doesnt sound harsh/tinny and retains the same basic character. Adds a new flavor that I dont already have. With some effects it can transform into something really beautiful.
George Jennings 😊
Very nice comparison, thanks! What makes the VP-330 sound better is the 4-octave keyboard. You can properly play it without constantly running out of keys. Removing one octave is such a weird design decision in the VC340. It should then rather be a module instead.
Janne-setä thanks
How does the number of keys effect the quality of sound? You know you can control the Behringer with a midi controller, right? Your logic thus dictates that the Behringer played with a 5 octave midi controller sound better than the Roland and its 4 octaves. Your argument is absolutely faulty.
If Behringer made it a module it would hinder the convenience of being able to use the vocoder.
100% agree. should've just made a module and saved everyone money
I have to add that I have the VC340 and I really like the sound. It does nail that. That's why the VC340 would've deserved the 4-octave Deepmind 12 keyboard and case. We could have played nice splits etc. directly on it. Or if that wasn't viable business-wise then a module.
@@janne-seta Exactly
The vp330 sounds a fair bit better at points ..mmmmm.
I have quite a bit of behringer stuff, so I'm not a hater
But only 10% of the price.....
All playing, no talk... ohhh wait
Thanks for the comparison, I also really enjoyed watching your RS-09 demo (I love the sound of the RS) , how does the Behringer compare to the sound of the RS ? If they sound similar I might buy the Behringer instead of hunting down a nice condition RS :)
Damond Robinson thanks, the Behringer I sold, the VP is similar. The RS has Organ and the VP choir. Strings are quite similar. Maybe I prefer those of the RS. Sometime I make a comparison video of VP and RS.
@@vintagesynths Thanks so much :)
This is as close as we will every get to a new VP330. Buy 1 and don't look back
Damn right it sounds amazing :-)
Roland is slightly thicker
think it might just be volume
The VC340 sounds very close to the VP330 to me. My only slight gripe is the less keys but that is minor really. I actually wanted a VP330 as I am into the different string synths of 40+ years ago as the quality build of those machines are amazing. Who knows? With the VC340 being released maybe the secondhand price of the Roland VP330 will go down? Like you it would be great to have both
It is not quite as warm, smooth, and full. the copy products tend to lack what I will call a 3d depth.
In a mix you won’t notice any difference
VC340 or Waldorf STVC?
Uli Behringer ist Schweizer. Warum den Namen mit deutschem Akzent englisch aussprechen?
BEHRINGERよ、クローンを作るなら鍵盤数含め、本物と限りなく同じにしろ。
The Behringer sounds really good (that is, they both do). I just wish they weren't such douche bags. :(
sounds nothing like the original. Has none of the grit presence and vibe of it.
I can tell the switch every time. It is night and day to me. I can appreciate B making their copy products, but they are not 1 to 1 replicas.
More night and dusk. Objectively, the differences are small.
Objectively, it is not night and day.
honestly doubt you can
Night and day? I have owned an original VP330 mk2 (like the one here) and they sound extremely similar.
@@MusicFed the B vocoder is terrible. the resolution is bad. you can not understand the words. B-A-D bad. no comparison to the Roland that specialized in vocoders and made several models of vocoder. B's little trick does not work for vocoder. maybe if they took it seriously, but they don't.
No comparison. You will not get the same sounds out of the cheap knock-off.
I'll take a 4 octave over a 3 octave everytime! Berhinger always gives a 3 octave keyboard which is a misrepresentation. I'll take the Roland everytime! Besides it's very easy to design these sounds to begin with!