Behringer CAT Paraphonic Analog Synthesizer - Dual VCO Eurorack Module Synth with 4 Mixable Waveforms, External Sequencer Support, and 16-Voice Poly Chain for Professional Synthesiser Setup

As an ex owner of an original Cat synth this is pretty much a spot on copy

I have an old CATsrm by Octave which alas no longer works. Finding someone to fix it is a problem and a what cost? So I waited to see if the Behringer clone droped to below £200 and decided to get one if it did. Hurray for Amazon I got mine for £189! Testing it out I found that it was a great purchase and being familiar with the layout I soon had lots of fun re-creating lost sounds. I would say that it doesn't sound exactly like my old CATsrm but it is close, perhaps not quite as 'dirty' sounding. The ADSR attack is not quite up to scratch, perhaps because of the small controls (the slider distance isn't very far) so a sharp attack slightly above minimum isn't easy if not impossible. That said I still got some great percussive sounds. On my original synth the 'pitch-bend' was always a problem (not being a wheel) so luckily I can do that via MIDI on the Behringer. The controls are fairly solid and I found them spaced out well for such a small unit so there wasn't any problem fiddling about, even with the sliders (except for the ADSR attack as mentioned). If you are looking for an analogue synth with a pedigree and don't have much cash then get this one. The only downside is that its made in China (but what isn't?) and they are cahoots with the Russians!

I use this along with my Behringer wasp for home recording, all controlled by an Arturia keyboard and sequencer. The range of sounds available from the CAT is only limited by imagination and getting used to what all the various controls can do, some great sounds are there with a little experimentation, external effects also help, chorus and delay really thicken the sound.

I loved this synth. As a newbie to the world of synths, I did struggle to get to grips with it's signal flow initially. But it didn't take too long. I was even able to create a patch that with the filter half closed sounded a bit like a wood flute, but with the filter open sounded like something from Bladerunner... just stunning. Sadly my unit developed a fault within the first couple of weeks and I had to return it (for some reason Amazon wouldn't exchange it, and would only allow a return/refund). But it's going straight back on my shopping list, I will get another one, I loved it!