Behringer Poly D

A great sounding instrument with a few quality issues.

Pros:
- The classic MiniMoog sound is all there.
- Solid metal and wood case.
- Nice sounding Juno chorus addition.
- Feels like an actual instrument. The whole structure and the tilting panel make it very accessible to the user.
- Paraphony.
- No patch memory (yes I consider that a feature).

Cons:
- The Oscillator waveform and octave switch caps rotate for quite a few millimeters before the switch actually starts moving beneath that. Feels quite off and unreliable.
- The black keys require a noticeable amount of extra pressure to act the same way the white keys are. Too noticeable when using velocity.
- Velocity response seems to always affect the cutoff frequency in a way that sounds like an extra envelope making playing notes with filter resonance impossible. I managed to deactivate through the app but was still there when played from a daw and had to bring velocity response to 0.
- The power button on the front panel is a really bad move and can easily switch the instrument off accidentally.
- Absence of a 440Hz tone switch for tunning. Thankfully I have my model d to tune poly d too however it'd be so much better to replace the power switch with the A440 and place the power switch somewhere in the back panel.
- The overdrive circuit feels rather useless as it doesn't suit the rest of the instrument sound.
- All in all, it feels like Behringer has little idea about how to design a functional front panel layout from an actual musician's perspective.

Overall I would recommend this to any musician looking for a classic analog instrument feel. I'm quite troubled by the build quality though. It makes it feel quite unreliable. I'm quite uncertain about whether I should return my copy or just relax and enjoy using it.

I needed something that resembled the vintage East German Vermona Sync, and this was the closest option within my budget. After three large music festivals, I can say it generally gets the job done. However, there are several major downsides for me as a live musician.

First, the oscillator tuning is extremely sensitive, making it almost impossible to get right, especially on a noisy stage. While the buttons are large (which is great), even the slightest movement to the right or left drastically changes the sound, making it impractical for serious live play. There is no way of locking the needed tuning setup. Image before the show your synth was in your bag and tune buttons have been touched. It means that before the show on a stage you need to tune it again.

Second, tuning is inconsistent when playing higher notes. The keybed is essentially only in tune within a single octave.

Third, the keys themselves are overly sensitive, increasing the likelihood of missed notes during live performances or even studio practice. This isn’t ideal when you’re playing in front of thousands at a major music festival.

Lastly, the four-note chord option doesn’t function like a normal piano, so keep that in mind. While it’s possible to play chords, the analog board has its limitations.

Overall, the Sync looks fantastic and is built to last. It would be perfect if not for the issues mentioned. However, it’s still a good option for recording a solo album in your bedroom. :)

If you can wait and save, better invest in high-quality Moog, for example.

This is a truly remarkable instrument for the money - looks great, sounds great, is beautifully made and almost perfect in every way except as soon as you send MIDI synch through USB or DIN the unit locks up and plays nothing! MIDI out: fine, MIDI in: broken.

I tried every possible set up/configuration to make this work but finished up returning the synth for a refund!

I am very disappointed as I love this thing and miss it already. Once this problem is fixed, I will re-purchase it asap.

Have to say Thomann's delivery and return service is 2nd to none. Thanks guys.