Prolific and somewhat controversial manufacturer of music electronics, including mixers, effects units and synthesizers. Founded by Swiss engineer Uli Behringer, the company began in Germany around 1990, originally manufacturing studio equipment. Behringer entered the synth market in 2016, and has been noted primarily for its clones of classic synths from the 1970s and early 1980s, although it has also produced some original designs.
In 2016, Behringer introduced its first synth, a clone of the Minimoog Model D called the Behringer Model D. Behringer claims that the circuitry is modeled on the Minimoog, but the Behringer D adds capabilities such as MIDI with MIDI Overflow (so that several Model D's can be chained to form a polyphonic capability), patch point jacks for semi-modular operation, and the ability to mount the synth in a Eurorack case. Subsequent clones include the ARP 2600 and Odyssey, the Roland System 100M, the Korg Mono/Poly, and the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The clones often include close copies of the panel and control designs of the originals, and Behringer has been heavily criticized in some quarters for what is seen as appropriation of intellectual property. Behringer counters by pointing out that most of the applicable patents for the circuits they copy have long since expired, and that they have prevailed in most of the copyright and trademark lawsuits filed against them. It is also true that Behringer's clones, which are generally priced far below the cost of the originals, have provided access to (clones of) classic synth to musicians who otherwise could not have afforded, or obtained access to, these classic models, plus the Behringer clones are built from currently available parts and so are easier to service. In any event, the product lineup also includes some original designs, such as the DeepMind 12, which has been praised by users.
Behringer had also drawn criticism for its extensive use of Chinese manufacturing; the company has gone as far as to build its own town in China for its manufacturing operations. Behringer's response is this allows them to keep costs down and make their equipment affordable to more musicians. As reported by Fact Magazine in 2017, the company filed a libel lawsuit against Dave Smith Instruments and a group of Gearslutz users, over criticism of a cable tester. A court in San Francisco found that the lawsuit was a "SLAPP" action, intended to mute public criticism of the company, and found in favor of the defendants.