Behringer’s recent output has mostly been made up of budget clones of vintage synths and drum machines, but this week one of the German manufacturer’s most eagerly anticipated releases has been made available for preorder, and it’s a remake of a very different kind.
The BCR32 isn’t another affordable take on another classic piece of gear from a different manufacturer – instead, it’s an updated reissue of one of Behringer’s own products: the BCR2000.
Released in 2004, BCR2000 was an ultra-affordable MIDI controller that became something of a cult classic among electronic musicians and producers thanks to its combination of excellent value, deep programmability and extensive control. Such was the controller’s popularity that it even made its way into the hands of Daft Punk, who placed two of them front and centre in their pyramid-shaped live setup for the legendary Alive 2007 world tour.
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The BCR2000 found new life a decade on from its release thanks to Zaquencer, a piece of third-party firmware that cleverly repurposed Behringer’s control surface as a standalone MIDI step sequencer.
Developed by Christian Stöcklmeier of ZAQ Audio, Zaquencer gave owners of the controller the opportunity to add a powerful hardware sequencer to their setup without even buying a new piece of gear. It earned a devoted following, even pushing up the prices of BCR2000 on the second-hand market after it was discontinued by Behringer.
Never one to miss a business opportunity, Behringer noticed the enthusiasm of around BCR2000 and embarked on the development of an updated version of the controller: BCR32. This time around, though, the company teamed up with ZAQ Audio to make the unofficial firmware official, revealing that BCR32 would allow the user to switch between controller and sequencer modes without having to modify the device.
That announcement arrived all the way back in 2021, but five years later, it looks like BCR32 is almost here. The controller is now available for pre-order at European retailer Thomann, which says it’s due to ship in “several months”, but Behringer tells us that BCR32 has “not been officially released” and that it’s still preparing for the launch.
Decked out in a sleek and contemporary finish, BCR32 offers a similar control layout and feature set to its predecessor, aside from the new onboard sequencer and some notable enhancements.
You get the same 32 assignable rotary encoders – eight of which function as push encoders – but the top row has been brought down to join the other three, and the LED rings are now colour-coded for extra visual feedback. There are still 20 assignable buttons up top, but 16 of these are now helpfully labelled with sequencer functions. On the right-hand side BCR32 has an OLED display that’s joined by transport, navigation and preset controls.
Switch into Zaquencer mode, and the 32 rotaries become an interface for its 32-step sequencer
Much like the BCR2000, BCR32 delivers plenty of control for such an affordable and compact unit, but as we mentioned, it now doubles as a sophisticated desktop sequencer too. Switch into Zaquencer mode, and the 32 rotaries become an interface for its 32-step sequencer, each capable of dialling in pitch, velocity, mute, note length and more per step.
There are four tracks onboard that can function as mono/poly note tracks or drum tracks, and 12 banks of 16 patterns can be stored on the device, totalling 192. Each track has independent controls for loop start, loop length, clock division, direction and swing, and each can also have two independent MIDI controls, assignable to MIDI CC, program change, after touch or pitch bend.
The connectivity has also been significantly expanded, with footswitch inputs, USB-C and three MIDI connections (one 5-pin MIDI In, one Out and Out/Thru) joined by four CV/gate pairs and sync in/out, all on 3.5mm minijacks. This means that, unlike the BCR2000, BCR32 can sequence and control analogue and modular gear.
The best part, though, is the price: BCR32 is going for $164/£142/€169 over at Thomann. That’s an impressively low price for this much functionality, and we wouldn’t be surprised if BCR32 proves just as popular as its predecessor once it’s launched.
