Zoë Blade's notebook

100 Series (Behringer)

100 Series tech specs

Behringer 100 Series in custom walnut case
Behringer 100 Series in custom walnut case

The 100 Series is Behringer's clone of Roland's System-100M.

As I haven't properly used the original, I can't compare their sound or stability. However, this clone copies the original layouts quite faithfully, albeit shrunken down to Eurorack format. What the clone lacks in an especially rich or characterful sound, it makes up for with a faithful recreation of the original's convenient design.

It's very economical with real estate, accentuating how the original crams a lot of features into a small space, by shrinking it down to the more popular Eurorack format. In the 16 HP that houses the same two ADSR envelope generators that Doepfer's A-100 manages, it also sneaks in a bonus LFO. The 16 HP that houses the ring mod, sample & hold, and noise generators sneaks in yet another bonus LFO. Voltage controlled LFOs, no less. The 297 module is an amalgamation of two different System-100M modules, even further shrinking everything down. The VCFs and VCAs all have built-in mixers for both audio and CV signals. It's very densely packed with useful features.

I especially recommend the 172 module's phase shifter. Doepfer stopped making the comparable A-125 long ago.

Comparing Beheringer's 100 Series to Doepfer's A-100, I prefer the sound of the A-100, the wider range of its ADSR envelope generators, and find its A-142 voltage controlled decay indespensible for velocity-sensitive drums (although apparently that's just me). However, I like the convenience of the 100 Series, with its emulations and perhaps even occasional slight improvements of Roland's layouts. It's slightly cheaper than the A-100, more densely packed, and with enough familiarity, probably quicker to use. Which is more important is up to you.

Modules

Model Type HP Description
110 Module 16 VCO / VCF / VCA
112 Module 16 Dual VCOs
121 Module 16 Dual VCFs
130 Module 16 Dual VCAs
140 Module 16 Dual ADSR envelope generators / voltage controlled LFO
150 Module 16 Ring mod / white and pink noise / S&H / voltage controlled LFO
172 Module 16 Phase shifter / audio delay / gate delay / LFO
173 Module 16 Four signal gates / six multiples
182 Module 16 Analogue step sequencer
297 Module 16 Dual CV mixers / CV sources / dual portamento (combines 132 & 165)
305 Module 24 Output mixer / tuner / parametric EQ (combines 131 & 174)

Modifications

Downloads

Documentation

Analogue step sequencers: 100 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Behringer) | Sequencer Complement | System-100 | System-100M

Behringer: 100 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Behringer) | K-2 | MS-1 | RD-6 | RX1602 | VC340

Eurorack: 100 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Behringer) | A-100 | Concussor

Modular synthesisers: 100 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Moog) | A-100 | Concussor | Sequencer Complement | System-100M | The evolution of the 900 Series