Uli Behringer was born in 1961 in Baden, Switzerland, and started to play piano at the age of 4. In 1977 when he was 16 Uli had already built his first synthesizer UB-1 and now we have only one picture left. It’s obvious that music and electronics inspired Uli in the childhood that’s why he decided to pursue sound production and piano. In 1982 he moved to Düsseldorf and became a Robert Schumann Conservatory student while attending Sound Engineering at the Fachhochschule. That same year he released his first digital reverb. During his studies Behringer paid attention to the lack of equipment for students and got down to producing it himself. Shortly after that students themselves were asking him to make something for them. He started with focusing on studio audio processors (compressors and etc.) but soon guitar amplifiers, mixers, microphones and many other devices were added to the list. The main advantage of the brand was the invariably low price for the set of quite sufficient number of features and functions.
In 1988 Studio Exciter Type F audio processor came out. Psychoacoustics happened to be a popular subject among professional musicians who were keeping up with audio instruments in the 80s. Signal processing gear manufacturers were a burning money issue for the recording studios back in the day – anyway they didn’t want to reveal their secrets maintaining their power on the market. Uli Behringer was curious enough to find out some of those details major suppliers were hiding – he offered equivalent and alternative solutions allowing the target audience to break out from the elite limitations.
Behringer was founded in 1989 in Willich, Germany. In the beginning the whole making process was happening in Germany and some parts and components were imported from Chine. But in 1990 in order to reduce manufacturing costs Behringer moved from West Germany to China. In 1997 Uli moved to China himself to supervise the production process close to the company’s location.
While playing piano Uli received a nickname “The Ear” which hinted at the undeniable fact that he had an ear for music. Later this “ear” graced the company’s logo while ING inscription referred to Behringer’s academy degree in engineering (Dipl.-Ing in German).
Behringer brand conduced to home studios popularization; “double the features at half the price” motto seems to have worked out well.
In 1991 Behringer released (produced and assembled in Germany) the analog compressor COMBINATOR MDX8000. It’s not easy to find it on the second hand market and if you manage to do that you’ll pay more than it used to cost when it was new.
COMPOSER MDX2000 launched in 1992 appeared to be the most commercially successful compressor the new design of which was developed in China.
In 1996 EURODESK MX8000 came out – it was the time when many mixers sporting 24 channels and 8 busses would cost $5000 while Behringer’s console announced half a price. That same year some new devices were produced: CYBERMIX CM8000 – analog mix automation system as a unit for analog signal control in MIDI tracks composing; EURORACK MX2802/MX2642 – a more serious successor of semi-professional MX8000; ULTRACURVE DSP8000 offering innovation combination of high quality digital signal processor including stereo 31-band equalizer, real time analyzer, delay and peak limiter as well as regulating function with the help of automated room compensation equalizer and Feedback Destroyer circuitry; SUPER-X CX2300 – analog crossover; ULTRAVOICE XM2000S/ECM8000 – first Ultravoice omnidirectional microphones with flat frequency response.
In 1997 the company got back together with its creator. The new era of Chinese production was opened by: SHARK DSP110 the feedback suppression of which quenched frequencies in fractions of a second by narrow band filters; DSP1000-Series – rackmount processor with multi effects, parametrical equalizer and multiband compressor.
In 1998 PRO-MIXER DX1000 was announced – the first DJ mixer by Behringer. There also appeared EURODESK MX9000A mixer (with integrated Meterbridge) and vintage T-Series combining tube sound circuitry withе tested and proven analog processors - Deep Purple and Smashing Pumpkins even took it in tour.
Commercially successful ULTRA-GRAPH PRO GEQ3102 equalizer was released in 1999. That’s when Behringer infiltrated into acoustic system segment. He created a 2-way 300Вт EUROLIVE B300 speaker, TRUTH B2031A monitoring system. Later the brand produced EUROLIVE B1020 – passive acoustic system – and developed the first guitar amplifier BLUE DEVIL GX112.
In 2002 after consolidation of 10 separate manufacturing locations Behringer City was built in Zhongshan of China's Guangdong province. That year was the true Behringer’s manifestation of pioneer products: the first digital mixer console - DIGITAL MIXER DDX3216, the first active mixer - EUROPOWER PMH2000 (6 mono channels, 4 stereo channels, phantom power supply, 3-band equalizer). ULTRA-DRIVE PRO DCX2496 – power station based on the new floating-point processor.
In 2003 Behringer founded a distance learning university MUSIC Group University so that the colleagues could study at home helping their careers to grow. That’s when EUROPOWER EP1500/2500 came out to compliment EUROLIVE series passive speaker. Bass amplifier ULTRABASS BX1200 was awarded Thomann Customer’s “Gear of the Year”.
Behringer produces everything: from HEADPHONES HPX/HPS SERIES to ULTRAPAR UP1000 spotlight. Later Bugera tube amplifier appeared. The company even devised a USB guitar BEHRINGER METALIEN iAXE629 with virtual amplifiers and Native Instruments effects, Kristal sequencer and Audacity editor as well as digital piano series EG-SERIES. In 2009 Midas and Klark Teknik brands joined the Uli’s army while Behringer kept in mind DJs as well making for them a 32-bit 4-channel DDM4000 with fully programmable multi-FX modules, high precision BPM counters, flexible and obedient crossfader comprising sampler with real time pitch control, loop and reverse functions.
In 2010 Behringer changed the logo a little bit turning the ear in a more sketchy picture.
A year later the brand proudly presented X32 digital mixer, acquired the rights on Coolaudio technology and got a few awards for its DJ equipment. At NAMM 2012 Behringer was titled the best (“Best in Show”) among those companies you must pay attention to. That same year Uli took over Turbosound and released commercial hit X32-series.
In 2013 X32 series kept on collecting awards leaving other uncompetitive companies behind in price and selling about 20 000 units during 6 months.
In 2016 the brand went totally euphoric about its own crazy price-quality ratio stretching it once again and almost setting a record puzzling some of us with a thought whether Behringer is going to explode someday… or not. Heroic enthusiasm of the company affected its first synthesizer (well, if not to mention UB-1) DeepMind 12 priced at commercially screaming $999.99. Even $1000 would have been enough to surprise anyone who was waiting for the instrument to appear on the market but Behringer decided to chaff his competitors putting up a 3-digit price tag on the analog instrument with a 12-voice polyphony, 24 oscillators (2 DCOs per voice), 2 LFOs with 7 waveform options, powerful filter, high pass filter, amplifier control and 3 ADSR envelopes. The bright character of the upper notes and solidity (not ponderosity) of the lower ones prove the unit to be balanced just right featuring lively oscillators with a hint of natural detune.
Behringer developers do all they can. Literally.
