Behringer UB-Xa Mini: Oberheim Sound in Your Pocket

Noise Harmony
Oct 20
3 min read

Behringer just dropped another entry in its growing Mini synth lineup, and this one’s bringing classic Oberheim vibes at a price that’s hard to ignore. The UB Xa Mini takes the sound engine from its flagship UB Xa polysynth and shrinks it down to something you can toss in a bag. You’re getting three analog oscillators, a dual slope filter, and a motion sequencer. Not bad for pocket change.

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The UB Xa Mini follows the same formula as Behringer’s other compact offerings. It’s got 27 keys, a fully analog signal path, and enough sound shaping tools to keep things interesting. At its core are three VCOs delivering classic saw and square waveforms, based on the architecture of the full size UB Xa, which itself is inspired by the legendary Oberheim OB Xa.

Here’s where things get technical for a second. Behringer markets it as a polyphonic synth, but in reality, it’s closer to paraphonic. There are three oscillators you can control separately, yet they all run through one filter and VCA. That means you can play three notes at once, but they’ll share the same envelope and filter — so it doesn’t behave quite like a true poly. For true polyphony, you’d need three filters and three VCAs—something that’s probably not happening at this price point.

That said, paraphonic doesn’t mean limited. The UB Xa Mini packs multiple voice modes including poly, unison, octave, 5th, and ring modulation options. There’s pulse width modulation on the square waves and a ring modulator for metallic textures. The filter section offers switchable 12dB or 24dB slopes with classic cutoff and resonance controls, what Behringer’s calling a “dual filter.”

Modulation comes from a single ADSR envelope handling both filter and amplitude duties, plus an LFO with three waveforms that can modulate oscillator frequency, PWM, and filter cutoff. It’s simple, but it covers the essentials. And like the other Mini synths, you get a 16 step sequencer with motion recording, 10 memory slots for storing patterns with real time knob automation.

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Connectivity is simple: there’s USB-C for both power and data, standard 5-pin MIDI input, headphone or line output, and sync in/out for linking with drum machines or modular setups. It runs entirely on USB power.

This release comes just days after Behringer launched the CZ 1 Mini, a digital throwback to the Casio CZ series. The UB Xa Mini continues the trend of making classic synth architectures accessible. Whether that’s democratizing synthesis or flooding the market with affordable gear is up for debate, but either way, it’s giving bedroom producers and live performers more options.

The big question is whether three paraphonic voices are enough for your workflow. If you’re after fat unison leads, bass lines, or simple chord stabs, this will do the job. Complex polyphonic arrangements might push against its limitations, but at this size and price, that’s expected. The motion sequencer adds some creative depth, especially if you’re into building evolving patterns with parameter automation.

If you’re looking for analog oscillators and classic filter character in a portable format, this is worth considering.

Behringer’s Mini series keeps expanding, and it’s clear they’re targeting producers who want hands on synthesis without the space requirements or budget of full size hardware. The UB Xa Mini won’t replace a 16 voice polysynth, but that’s not what it’s trying to do. It’s about getting Oberheim inspired textures into a setup where space and budget actually matter.