Behringer BX1 – The Speculation is Over

23 Jan by Rob Puricelli | 4,7 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 3 Minutes

Behringer BX1  ·  Source: Gearnews

Behringer BX1  ·  Source: Gearnews

Behringer BX1  ·  Source: Gearnews

Behringer BX1  ·  Source: Gearnews

Behringer BX1  ·  Source: Gearnews

Behringer BX1  ·  Source: Gearnews

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Ever since Behringer bought Tears For Fears’ old Yamaha DX1, anticipation of a Behringer recreation has been rife. Today at NAMM 2025, that speculation was ended. Introducing the Behringer BX1.

I guess good things come to those who wait. When Uli Behringer outbid me (and a bunch of others) on a bunch of old Tears For Fears gear, the rumour mill went into action immediately. Just before Christmas, Behringer released their LM Drum, another recreation of a TFF acquisition.

The Behringer BX1 Prototype

And now this morning at NAMM 2025, a Behringer BX1 appeared in the wild for the very first time! Very quickly, the original Yamaha DX1 was the flagship DX synth. Originating from the DX prototype, the CSDX, it emerged late in 1983, some months after the seismic launch of the DX7.

Sporting two DX7 sound engines but enhancing them with a Performance mode, polyphonic aftertouch, a fully-weighted wooden keybed, a hugely expanded user interface with detailed LEDs and a Brazilian Rosewood veneered cabinet, the DX1 was the Rolls Royce of digital synths.

As the guardian of a Yamaha DX1, the Behringer BX1 is of great interest to me for many reasons. It shouldn’t be a difficult synth to replicate, but how have they gone about it? Well, we have guys on the ground (thanks Xavier!) who brought us the pictures you see here, so let’s take a look and try to figure out what we can see.

Let’s Take a Look

First up, it’s a 61-key affair, unlike the DX1’s 73. One would assume it’s the same keybed as the UB-Xa, giving us polyphonic aftertouch. This is essential to the DX1 experience, so this has to be the case. It also looks like they’ve emulated the user interface incredibly close to the original. From the buttons to the LED displays and the Job List, this looks incredibly close.

However, there are some differences, most notably the addition of an FX section, an analogue multi-mode filter that seems to be CS-80-inspired and an SD card slot in place of the twin memory cartridge slots on the DX1. We can also assume that it has the dual engines, giving us 32-note polyphony at a minimum because there’s an A/B slider, as well as the Dual, Single and Split selectors.

Connectivity

Around the back, the familiarity continues. There are balanced XLR and unbalanced quarter-inch jack A/B/P outputs. A and B were for each engine, and P was A and B combined. The DX1 was not stereo, so we assume this isn’t either. 4x foot pedal controller ports, a breath controller input and three MIDI ports continue the similarity, but there is the welcome addition of a USB port.

Another interesting addition is a DAC selection button. The DX1, surprisingly (and often incorrectly reported), used the same BA9221 12bit DACs as the DX7, companded to somewhere between 14 and 15bit. The reason the DX1 sounded cleaner was that Yamaha tested every BA9221 chip by hand, and the quietest ones were sent to the DX1 and DX5 production lines.

So it seems the Behringer BX1 gives you the option of a 12bit DAC and presumable a cleaner 16bit version as found on the Mk.II DX7’s. Of course, this is speculation on my part as we are yet to receive full specs from Behringer.

More Information

Price and availability are yet to be announced, as this is a prototype, but given Behringer’s penchant for showing new gear and then taking a few years to reach production, we might have to wait a while. While we do, as a DX1 owner, I’d like to take this opportunity to throw my hat in the ring for a beta-testing role!

Watch this space for more news as we get it! Be sure to follow Behringer’s social media channel as that is where they do most of the marketing.

• Behringer Website
• More from Behringer
• My DX1 Story

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