AudioPilz is back in the Bad Gear ring, this time squaring up to the infamous Behringer Neutron—a synth that’s as controversial as a dodgy kebab after a night out. With his trademark wit and meme-fuelled savagery, AudioPilz tears into the Neutron’s quirks, colours, and questionable choices, but also gives credit where it’s due. If you’ve ever wondered whether this red box is a punk hero or just another synth scene villain, strap in. This review pulls no punches and leaves no patch cable untangled.
Bad Gear vs. The Red Menace
AudioPilz kicks things off with his signature blend of sarcasm and synth geekery, setting his sights on the Behringer Neutron. This isn’t just another clone job—Neutron stands alone, which, in the world of Behringer, is about as rare as a polite mosh pit. The video wastes no time poking fun at the brand’s notorious reputation and the endless memes that follow it around like a bad smell in a rehearsal room.
But it’s not all cheap shots. AudioPilz acknowledges that the Neutron, despite being a Behringer original, is still surrounded by controversy—whether it’s the business practices or the fact that they had to gobble up a classic British brand just to get it built. The tone is set: expect equal parts roast and respect, with plenty of laughs along the way.
"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools."
© Screenshot/Quote: Audiopilz (YouTube)
Design Choices: Eye-Bleeding and Mind-Bending
Let’s talk looks. The Neutron’s colour scheme is described as hideous, making even crusty old 70s synths look like runway models. AudioPilz doesn’t hold back, comparing the design to something that could scare off even the most hardened Eurorack junkie. It’s a synth that screams for attention—whether you want it or not.
Under the garish exterior lurks a signal flow that’s, frankly, a bit of a head-scratcher. The patch bay is generous, but you’ll need to wrestle with some odd architectural choices if you want to get the most out of it. It’s the kind of setup that’ll have you questioning your life choices at 3am, patch cables everywhere, and no idea what’s actually making that weird noise.
Oscillators, Paraphony, and the Oddities Within
"The tone mod wave is shrouded in mystery and allows you to add obscene and modulatable amounts of overtones."
© Screenshot/Quote: Audiopilz (YouTube)
AudioPilz dives into the guts of the Neutron, spotlighting its Curtis SEM3340 oscillators—chips with proper synth pedigree. You can select or morph waveforms, and there’s a mysterious tone mod wave that’ll add enough overtones to make your speakers sweat. But don’t get too comfy: tuning can be a nightmare, and the oscillator mix knob is, in his words, far from ideal.
There’s a paraphonic mode that, let’s be honest, is probably only loved by the sort of nerd who brings a soldering iron to a first date. The Moffat filter gets a nod for being decent, but it’s not immune to ugly distortion artefacts. Meanwhile, the LFO and envelopes offer plenty of modulation mayhem, though the envelopes can be a bit clicky—perfect if you like your synths sounding like they’ve had one too many at the pub.
Sound Design: From Flatulence Rave to Minimal Mayhem
This is where the Neutron earns its stripes—or at least, its stains. AudioPilz puts the synth through its paces with a series of jams, wringing everything from grown-up techno tones to what he calls ‘modular flatulence’. The Neutron’s midrange punch and complex waveforms make it a surprisingly versatile beast, though gain staging can be as tricky as getting home after last orders.
The envelopes might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they do the job for drums, and the modulation options are deep enough to keep even the most restless knob-twiddler busy. If you want to hear just how gnarly or clean this thing can get, you’ll need to watch the video—some sounds are just too wild to capture in words alone.
Final Verdict: Punk Value or Guilty Pleasure?
Despite its flaws—and there are plenty—AudioPilz admits the Neutron is a bang-for-buck monster. Beginners will love the affordable feature set, while seasoned synth heads might secretly embrace its ‘fart machine’ potential, even if they’d never admit it down the pub. It’s a synth that’s both useful and a bit embarrassing, like that battered old leather jacket you can’t throw away.
Whether you see the Neutron as a punk hero or a guilty pleasure, there’s no denying it offers a lot for the price. Just don’t expect to win any beauty contests—or friends in the synth snob crowd. For the full, unfiltered experience (and some truly questionable sounds), the video is a must-watch.
"Neutron is a reality distorting bang for the buck and useful take on the slightly strained 2010s budget analog tone."
© Screenshot/Quote: Audiopilz (YouTube)
This article is also available in German. Read it here: https://synthmagazin.at/audiopilz-vs-behringer-neutron-rotes-biest-im-haertetest/
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