The E-mu SP-1200, designed by Dave Rossum and released in 1987, is one of the most consequential drum machines ever made. Its 8-voice hybrid design — 12-bit sampling through an analog SSM2044 filter — gave producers like Pete Rock, Cypress Hill and Daft Punk the gritty, low-sample-rate sound that defined golden-age hip-hop. In 2021, Rossum himself released a faithful reissue at $3,999, in limited production — a price that put it firmly in “collector” territory.
Behringer’s approach is the opposite bet. On 29 October, the company announced the SP1200X: a close visual replica — same slider-and-pad layout, same numeric keypad — but with a larger full-color display, stereo ins/outs, eight independent outs, full 5-pin MIDI, and both USB-C host and computer ports. The posted announcement, via Behringer’s own social channels:
“You asked. We listened. And we may have gone a little crazy. Meet the Behringer SP1200X — our tribute to the legendary E-mu SP-1200. We’re still developing this beauty, but we’re pushing hard to get it into your hands soon. The crazy part? We’re aiming for just $200. And yes, we’re making it open source.”
Important caveat: this is a tease, not a shipping product
Behringer’s own language is “we’re still developing” and “we’re aiming for” — not a confirmed price or release date. Synth Anatomy, which has tracked the leak since last summer, notes plainly that availability and final price are still TBA. Treat $200 as a target the company has publicly committed to in principle, not a number on a spec sheet yet.
Part of a pattern
This follows a summer of Behringer hybrid-sampler teasers and sits alongside the company’s own SP1200X reveal this week alongside other open-firmware hardware moves across the industry — Akai opening MPC Sample to community firmware, M-VAVE’s FM-1 ecosystem, and Behringer’s own Ignite sequencer, all released under open or source-available terms within the same stretch of October. Open firmware on affordable hybrid hardware is turning into a genuine strategy, not a one-off.