Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by the Swiss engineer Uli Behringer on 25 January 1989 in Willich, Germany. Behringer produces equipment including synthesizers, mixers, audio interfaces and amplifiers. Behringer is owned by Music Tribe (formerly Music Group), a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer.[1]
History
Foundation and early development
Uli Behringer was born on 14 April 1961 in Baden, Switzerland. His father was a church organist and nuclear physicist; his mother a pianist and interpreter; his uncle a professor of composition at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich; and his aunt a classical singer and pianist. At the age of four, Uli Behringer started to learn piano.[2] When Behringer was five years old, his father acquired the organ from a church being demolished. He then helped his father integrate the organ with over 1000 pipes into the family home. At the age of 16, he built his first synthesizer, the UB1.[3]
Marketing, manufacturing, and acquisitions
While Behringer products were manufactured in Willich, Germany, many of the individual components were imported from mainland China. In 1990, to lower production costs, Behringer shifted production from West Germany to mainland China. Initially, subcontractors were engaged to produce the equipment. By 1997 Uli Behringer had relocated to Hong Kong to better supervise manufacturing quality.[4]
CoolAudio acquisition
In May 2000, Behringer acquired the rights to the entire CoolAudio technology from Intersil Corporation, a US-based semi-conductor manufacturer specializing in integrated circuits for audio applications. The acquisition included an intellectual property portfolio and licensees such as Alpine and Rowe, among others.[5]
Music Tribe City
In 2018, Music Tribe opened its own factory, Music Tribe City, in Zhongshan, Guangdong, China. The factory handles the production and distribution for Music Tribe's 12 brands, including Behringer products.
CoolAudio acquisition
In May 2000, Behringer acquired the rights to the entire CoolAudio technology from Intersil Corporation, a US-based semi-conductor manufacturer specializing in integrated circuits for audio applications. The acquisition included an intellectual property portfolio and licensees such as Alpine and Rowe, among others.[5]
Music Tribe City
In 2018, Music Tribe opened its own factory, Music Tribe City, in Zhongshan, Guangdong, China. The factory handles the production and distribution for Music Tribe's 12 brands, including Behringer products.[6]
Products
Behringer makes products for audio engineering, producing, audio playback, effect processors, and electronic instruments. Additionally, Behringer digital mixers are compatible with third-party remote mixing platforms, including cloud-based control systems.[7]
Effect units
Outside of their sub-company TC Electronic, Behringer has released guitar pedals based on famous circuits. Their main pedals are designed to be similar in design to BOSS. In 2019, JHS Pedals made a YouTube video comparing the basic pedal range to their inspirations.[8] The video reportedly caused Uli Behringer to lose sleep as he was confused on "why a pedal company would tell you to buy other people's stuff".[9] In more recent dates, Behringer has been taking a similar approach to the company Warm Audio with recreating vintage pedals to be as visually close to their original, such as with the Chorus Symphony (clone of a BOSS CE-1), the Centaur Overdrive (
Controversies
Legal developments
FCC dispute
In February 2006, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Behringer $1M.[73] The FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability claiming that 50 products had not been tested for conducted and radiated emissions limits as required by US law,[74] and noted that it continued to sell the products for a year after being notified.[73] Behringer's position was that, since the units had passed stringent European CE standards, they would also comply with FCC verification requirements.[73] According to Behringer, it had overlooked the differences in testing standards and procedures under FCC and European requirements.
See also
- List of microphone manufacturers
- List of studio monitor manufacturers
- Synthesizer clone
External links
References
- Music rebrands its tribe retrieved 9 September 2021^
- Interview: Uli Behringer, seine Erfolgsgeschichte AMAZONA.de, 2009-11-15, retrieved 2019-10-04^
- Interview & Reisereport: Uli Behringer 2019 in China AMAZONA.de, 2019-05-08, retrieved 2019-10-04