Roland SH-101 vs Behringer MS-101 + exclusive downloads
Added 2019-06-11 10:18:28 +0000 UTCHi!
The hype for vintage synths always surprises me until I get my hands on one and try it... The SH-101 is a simple, single oscillator synth, and yet actually playing one is an experience I highly recommend. The interface is very clear, easy to understand and definitely knob per function. Well, slider per function anyway...
So, obviously when Behringer came out with the MS-101, I was interested in checking out if they sound the same.
The short answer is, they're very close. I put the oscillators under the scope and despite the fact that they look different, they sound the same to me.
When it comes to the filter though, the difference becomes a little more interesting, though still very subtle (or not, depending on your point of view). The SH filter drops a lot of bass out almost immediately, and spikes up a warbly resonance. The MS's resonance is slightly less pronounced, more stable, but the filter maintains more bass.
The SH-101 was borrowed from my friend Isak - an SH fan who builds his own synths and fixes/modifies, among other, SH-101s - and I also brought him along to do a blind test and jam a bit - which I included in this video.
I dialed in settings to the point where I couldn't tell the difference between the two, and then put Isak to the test - he got 20 out of 21 tries right, which is quite amazing.
I've added the test as a high quality download attached to this post, as well as an audio file of the jams both Isak and I had some fun with, making this classic do what it does best.
Which do you prefer? Can you hear the difference?
All my best,
Ziv (listening to slight variations in resonance on youtube as "Loopop")
