Behringer CAT
| Product # | 221405 |
| Brand | Behringer |
| Category | Synthesizer Module |
| Brand Category | Behringer - Modules |
CAT
The 1970s spawned the first truly portable analog synthesizer, and while it was quickly adopted by lots of renowned musical artists including Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, Rick Wakeman, Jean-Michel Jarre, Isao Tomita and Keith Emerson to name a few, it was somewhat temperamental and very expensive. In 1975, a new synth strolled into town. The Cat as it was called was an analog, duophonic, three octave synthesizer that was very similar to the ARP Odyssey. Its keyboard would produce two control voltages that were routed into its two VCOs. An ultra-affordable and even more feature-packed homage to that iconic synthesizer comes in the form of the Behringer CAT. Conjure up the virtually any sound imaginable with incredible finesse and ease. The pure analog signal path is based on authentic VCO, VCF and VCA designs in conjunction with 4 variable and simultaneous oscillator shapes and Duophonic/Paraphonic capabilities. Owning a CAT is like having your own personal time machine, enabling you to freely embrace the past – or shape the future. And the best of all, it doesn’t scratch.
True to the Original
Great care has been taken in engineering the CAT, including the true to the original analog circuitry, legendary VCO, VCF and VCA designs that come together to recreate classic tones that are evocative of classic electronic music. This highly-focused attention to detail is what gives the CAT its ultra-flexible sound shaping capability. It gives you the ability to cover a lot of amazing tones from super-fat bass, tasty leads – and all the way to full on dreamy ambience from the far reaches of your imagination.
Big, Fat Tones
The synthesizer tracks laid down in the 1970s and 80s in progressive rock, wave and synth-pop have become classics and have inspired many other artists. The CAT lets you recreate all that magic – or design some incredible and original sounds that will make you a legend in your own right!
- - Amazing analog synthesizer with dual VCO design allows for insanely fat music creation
- - Authentic reproduction of original "CAT SRM II" circuitry with matched transistors and JFETs
- - Pure analog signal path based on authentic VCO, VCF and VCA designs
- - 4 variable and simultaneous oscillator shapes (Sawtooth, Triangle, modulated Pulse and Sub-Octave Square) for ultimate sounds
- - Duophonic/Paraphonic mode allows both oscillators to be independently controlled
- - Oscillators can be modulated from 6 different sources with 2 modulation depth attenuators
- - Classic filter design (low pass with peak/resonance) with self-resonance capability
- - Filter can be modulated from 6 different sources with 2 modulation depth attenuators
- - Dedicated and fully analog sine/square wave LFO
- - 2 analog Envelope Generators for modulation of VCF and VCA
- - White noise generator dramatically expands waveform generation
- - 16-voice Poly Chain allows combining multiple synthesizers for up to 16 voice polyphony
- - Complete Eurorack solution main module can be transferred to a standard Eurorack case
- - 47 controls give you direct and real-time access to all important parameters
- - Audio input for processing external sound sources for enhanced creativity
- - External control inputs and outputs (High Note CV, Low Note CV, Gate, Filter etc.)
- - Comprehensive USB/MIDI implementation with MIDI channel and Voice Priority selection
| Key attributes | |
|---|---|
| Model | Synthesizer |
| Number of Keys | Buttons |
| Keyboard Type | Waterfall |
| Colour | Black |
| Speakers | No |
| Product Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Depth | 136mm |
| Width | 374mm |
| Height | 93mm |
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer information | MUSIC Tribe Commercial BM Ltd. ROHQ
25th Floor, Ayala Life - FGU Center, 6811 Ayala Avenue 1209 Makati City Philippines legal@musictribe.com |
| Synthesizer Module attributes | |
|---|---|
| Display | No |
| Battery Operated | No |
| Cover | No |
| Pedal | Not Included |
| Built-in Tones | No |
| Stand | Not Included |
| MIDI Interface | USB to Host |
| Product Details | |
|---|---|
| Product Number | 221405 |
| Brand | |
| Category | |
| Brand Category | |
| Relevancy rank in Category Synthesizer Module | |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Dimension | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.6kg |
| Box Depth | 486mm |
| Box Width | 374mm |
| Box Height | 129mm |
| Gross Weight | 2.3kg |
Also, I can only give it top marks. And I must say that I actually took quite a while to finally add it to my shopping cart... I don't even know why... perhaps models like the Model D and Pro One are simply more famous and therefore more profitable. The Cat is probably more of a shadow synth, as many people don't even know about the Octave Cat synth. While I was aware of its existence, I had never actually owned one, which is why I already had the Minimoog and Sequential. Therefore, it's likely that... But this is unfair to the Cat, as it is a very special instrument that can produce some surprising sounds. Of course, the features are fairly standard for a synth of its size. But for such a small synth, it has an incredible number of possible modulation options, and this is also the case with other synths. What other synths often only have 1 or maybe 2. I think the Cat is playing its cards right and following in the footsteps of the ARP Odyssey. Great synth, great sound, what more could you want for a few dollars? Not buying it would actually be a crime haha.