Here’s how Behringer’s new clone of the legendary Oberheim OB-Xa sounds

The brand showed off the latest work by their Manchester-based sister company Midas.

Behringer have shared a new video showing off their latest work on a synth inspired by the Oberheim OB-Xa, explaining why it’s still in development, demonstrating its new Double Mode and sweeping the filter as part of a sound demo.

The synth is being developed in Manchester by the team at Behringer’s sister brand Midas, who were also responsible for the excellent Deepmind polysynth.

Originally released in 1980, the OB-Xa is a two-oscillator analogue polysynth with a huge, fat sound. It’s the synth behind Prince’s ‘1999’ but perhaps even better known as the sound of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’. Textbook 80s tackle, sure, but with a thick, meaty sound that still works well.

In a cheeky nod to company founder Uli Behringer’s initials, Behringer’s version is named the UB-Xa.

The UB-Xa is expected to arrive at some point later this year. Scroll down check out an earlier version of the UB-Xa and some demos of the original Oberheim synth.