Uli Behringer addressed the clients and yet-to-be customers asking if they’re ready to buy DeepMind 12 module for $900. And the customers asked him back whether the company was ready to sell it. Well, Behringer answered with a prototype in order not to seem lip-deep. He also said that even though he had a prototype there was no guarantee it would go into production because he needed to be reassured that they would really want it for $900. And of course it went loud into demand for a $300 ($200) price cut. Uli Behringer didn’t take part in that discussion, why would he? He’s got his band of people who were hired to manage client’s reviews summing them up for Uli. And while different segments of the target audience prove it wrong (to sell the module for $900) suggesting $800 would be a way out others just warm Behringer’s heart willing to buy the module for $900 as soon as it comes out.
If we try to guess whether DeepMind 12 is going to be a commercial success we might just stop and admit that it’s hard to tell. This instrument is a professional synthesizer which can be handled, appreciated and used to the fullest only by a musician who has considerable experience working with analog instruments and comprehension is not what he looks for or lacks as well. The price of $1000 would definitely entice even beginners who anyway would think and think again before finally opting for a digital synthesizer with a bigger number of factory presets and a simple interface or would choose Korg Minilogue – it doesn’t matter to them yet that the polyphony is 3 times poorer, the thing is it’s twice cheaper to buy Minilogue.
DeepMind 12 (a keyboard version) has a $1000 price tag! It will surely sell great even beginners will be eager to buy it, many of them don’t have a keyboard at all and some might have but it’s rarely much better than a standard tool kit: 1-2 keyboards, DAW, VST. This audience doesn’t care a lot about the keyboard, they just like the price so much. Actually this very audience might buy a keyboard version of DeepMind 12 because of the minor price difference.
Sound modules are often the instruments aimed at professionals who often don’t have enough space in their studios. The fact that the synth will cost $100 less but won’t feature a keyboard is not going to save them money – it’s going to save some studio space (tricky smart Behringer). $100 or $200 – not a big deal. But if your studio is filled with top instruments then you need to get a cogent reason why you should put a budget module DeepMind 12 near (instead of) your Prophet `08 or Modal 008R. And just think about it - there are so many second hand synthesizers.
So the verdict is: Behringer needs not only to sell DeepMind 12 modules. The company should take it easier in order not to overdo with the original keyboard version. If they are going to tease us putting off any credible announcement every month the client might just cool down and look at these synthesizers as they are – no euphoria. And here it goes, Uli must prepare himself to all the bad stuff which may come up in the mind of an indifferent customer – be sure they’ll forget about the price.