Donner B1: A 303-style analog synth for $152!

I checked out the brand new Donner B1 Bass Synthesizer: shrsl.com/4gk4q
List price is $168, but it's less with PROMO CODE 'DavidH'
Affiliate link here: shrsl.com/4gk4q
Shop Donner Websites:
UK: shrsl.com/4gk4q
EU: bit.ly/3Po0qhr
AU: bit.ly/37M8cAS
CA: bit.ly/38M4isj

[@ChrisLeeW00]

I love Donner, they really fill a market need. I want to play instruments, but not spend a fortune, and mainly just as a hobby. Casio used to be king of that.

[@auxlen]

Loved all my casios..affordable and fun.

[@Engineeer]

The Behringer TD-3 is a similar product in this price range. It's sometimes on sale for real cheap. I've even seen it for less than $100. The Donner B1 looks more modern and playable, while the TD-3 is closer to the TB-303 in look and feel.

[@ireadysucks3026]

Got a Donner practice pad once. their really just “you get what you pay for”

[@DominicJacksonFilm]

Beringer have been doing this for a while already

[@lescobrandon8045]

Correction, Casios sold in department stores are affordable, my Casio cost $599.00. In honor of full disclosure it's a workstation, not a Casiotone.

[@jonnyreverb]

This thing really wants to do the theme to Stranger Things... It's like watching the "DVD" logo almost hit the corner of the TV over and over.

[@paradox9551]

That theme is just a very basic major chord arpeggio, haha

[@emanuel3617]

Now I know, it's there, but not there ugh 😩

[@kcfreeman3021]

Is this a jazz emu reference 🤣🤣🤣

[@mothbox20]

You killed me with the DVD logo bit! 😅🤣

[@baltimoreluke]

several different synths were used for the Stranger Things theme including the Roland SH-2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/onrVc4Sfop2XsM0

[@anonanon3545]

We are truly in a golden era of affordable synth/electronic music gear. I am all for it!

[@aquamarine99911]

Hah, now my studio is a weird mix of 90s synths and modules bought back in the day, and a new bunch of Behringer (and now Donner) gear.

[@theshuriken]

Big thumbs up for Donner from Kebab to Synthesizer! such a great achievement and journey! 👍

[@redwarf8118]

Donner means Thunder in german

[@deutscherkamerad3675]

@@redwarf8118 die meinen bestimmt Döner haha

[@redwarf8118]

@@deutscherkamerad3675Ja, die amis können ja keine Aussprache.

[@deutscherkamerad3675]

@@redwarf8118 die können nix haha

[@theshuriken]

@@deutscherkamerad3675 Es ist offensichtlich nur ein Witz, Kumpel

[@HolloVVpoint]

Don’t know about any of these instruments, or how I ended up here. However David does such a good job describing the instruments and their uses, managing to make it interesting and educational that I can’t help but watch!

[@TheMisterNebo]

@hollovvpoint same!

[@jebimasta4604]

With you there buddy! Algorithm done good, not a musician, love the content haha

[@highdesertbiker]

Dude! that's exactly what I was thinking haha. the editing is AMAZING

[@AlexsaurusRex]

I'm not a musician and I want one.

[@daya8270]

Yup exactly

[@MrUglyStupid]

I'll never get over how iconic these sounds are, my whole sound design world opened up when I realized how you can use resonance as a tool and it's not just something to give you headaches during mixing sessions. Great vid as always!

[@OttosTheName]

The main difference between filter cutoff and resonance on the 303 vs other synths is that it's severely limited in it's range. It keeps you in the sweet spot. And I gotta say it does that very well. On different synths you just have to learn what range you should keep it in. So you could say the 303 is just more limited and I wish it would have more range on the filter cutoff, it doesn't fully open and it doens't fully close which can be annoying, but it is also very useful that you can use the full range of the knobw in a live performance and know it's always gonna sound good. But plenty other synths have a nice resonance depending on their filter design and it can also be used as an extra oscillator that can be tuned a fifth above the main oscillator for instance. So... pros and cons to both approaches. The 303 does just the one thing, but there's definitely some magic to it. It's like a P-bass that way.

[@MrUglyStupid]

@@OttosTheName So fascinating, and thank you for taking the time to share your insight! I've been a stringed instrument player the majority of my life so I'm still intermediate when it comes to sound design and synthesizers, but man it's all so intriguing and that period of time sparked a lot of innovation and creativity. The synth and retro gear community is pretty awesome honestly

[@nobodynoone2500]

This sounds nothing like a real 303 tho.

[@MrUglyStupid]

No one said it does? Does a snare drum not sound like a snare drum because it isn't "the original real" one?

[@staticriver6842]

this comment made me laugh lol hahah gold

[@dopesoup420]

So far this is the best video. Most people I've seen get these for review don't even know what a 303 clone is....

[@NickRatRadio]

this synth created a ton of garbage non stories up form a day before release till now!

[@nobodynoone2500]

Yeah, thats on purpose. It's a REALLY crappy clone, but kinda decent in its own right imho.

[@YouGuysAreAmazing]

Thanks David! Love the flow of your vids and how you make it all seem intuitively easy. This def makes me want to play around with the synth!

[@EpsteezyFoSheezy]

I had been eagerly awaiting demos of this! Very cool to see so many quality 303 clones on the market at such low prices.

[@SisterRose]

I do wish they'd put in a sub osc though, a lot of good 303 clones/mods tend to have that - it means you can use it as an actual bass Synth while still getting those squelches. I would have put that in over the delay

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

Hmm, that would be helpful!

[@tdzucker]

I would prefer CV in/out, which could turn this into an integral part of any setup, let me patch in my own sub, delay, etc!

[@BendApparatus]

@@tdzucker but wouldn't that be a Behringer TD3?...😏

[@tdzucker]

@@BendApparatus yea but tbh I take pride in the instruments I own, except for Berhinger. I like their products and bought two secondhand, I think they do the job, but I take no pride in ownership

[@BendApparatus]

@@tdzucker understandable. Though I don't particularly hold any pride in material things. And to me they're all faceless corps... I get things based on my affinity for it. If I'm really interested in it... I'll gladly pay a premium for a particular brand... If I'm just mildly interested, I don't mind picking up the cheapest option. You're correct the td3 gets the job done. The tb3 on the other hand is pretty funny... it's like a cartoon version of what people perceive the O.G 303 to be...part of me wonders if this was intentional on Roland's part.

[@rodmorrison47]

I really like this. Whether or not you're after a 303-alike this just looks like a really good, basic analogue monosynth at an excellent price and the two octave keyboard should open it up to those who can't quite get used to the 303 way of working. I think I want one.

[@Kipa12312]

This thing is actually really neat! I love the 303 sound, so seeing these priced so affordably really makes me want to get one to mess around with.

[@TheZombo66]

Guys finally in stock !! purchased it!!! used David's code excellent discount, thank you!!!

[@JoshuaPickenpaugh]

Just ordered one, thanks for the discount code David!

[@kyletek3512]

A solid review David. This sounds nice! For the interface it's kind of like a bridge between the TB-3 and TB-303. I quite like the TB-3 sequencer so it's nice to see the B1 encourage AIRA navigation. Regarding the JSON sequencing - this is fantastic! I'm so glad to see a sequencer move into other formats. I'm sure with some nice scripting you could create some amazing endless ambient sets.

[@PocketOperatorGuy]

That's a nice piece of machinery. It captures most of the acid house nostalgia. It kinda warms a part of my heart hearing this warm machine play. Good video. Very nice and informative review.

[@scootergrant8683]

some of those sounds were very reminiscent of early 2000s game trailers.

[@CmdrMic]

I've had mine for months now and really love it! Sounds awesome. More slick and dope to jam on than my Beringer TD-3. Smaller, better build quality also. I am praying they do a sampler!

[@daneguitarist1]

bro, love the videos that donner actually looks pretty sick! im probably going to pick one of those beasts up

[@bennymills_]

absolutely love donner, got my bass from them for hella cheap and it's great!!! hope to see them go further into synth production

[@skippyzk]

This is awesome! I love the 303. This one sounds super cool.

[@soundinmind]

Looks and sounds cool. Thanks for the walkthru

[@johnimg]

so we have a Kebab in Europe ( Kepap) called Donner , i love it with chilli sausce !

[@guser7137]

Sheesh 🤔

[@NutritionalZero]

This is one donner that won’t give you food poisoning.

[@djvane1619]

Its döner... not donner

[@dominicstocker5144]

Döner

[@RandyReeTV]

Hahaha that's right. Turkish Donner hahaha funny

[@FCASMRASR]

I like it - seems like a great techno add-on for us DJ/Producer types i can see that plugged into my mixer with its effects really adding a extra layer to my style |:) ty for this brilliant review David.

[@dynjarren8355]

Synths are a lot of fun to play around with. But I don’t want to spend alot of money on one. It sounds pretty good! Thanks for demonstrating!

[@cokfenasiadanaliadanali7675]

yea specially when you have a computer with a cpu... not really need to spend on

[@nathanstein589]

@@cokfenasiadanaliadanali7675 That’s not analogue…

[@PeterKudelin]

@@cokfenasiadanaliadanali7675 you don't really get it do ya :)

[@cherrypepsi2815]

@@PeterKudelin go easy on him, he always had to spend so much time spelling his name that he could never focus in class

[@hadamana]

This is the only affialate link I have ever used. Not for any particular reason. Normally I just need to do more research, and by the time I make my decision, I'm already 100 clicks away from whatever video had the link. This video actually answered all of the questions I would have had, and the affiliate link (and DavidH code) were right there, waiting for me! This video was informative and not drawn-out excessively. I appreciate both of those things

[@MrUglyStupid]

It's amazing how just being genuine and concise will almost always be a better sales tactic than all of the fanciest social engineering and marketing techniques

[@hadamana]

@@MrUglyStupid that's truth,Sir

[@brutallyremastered4255]

Great vid-most informative. Really missing a “down home” cup of coffee and or selection of twee and infantile objects on your Synth test desk, though.

[@AdrianGeorges]

Thanks a lot. Did not know this beauty before. Great tutorial with a nice voice.

[@guidedbyechoes]

Good to see another company getting into the affordable synth market.

[@RoxanaKristina]

Which is the other one, pls ? I'm new at this, thanks

[@guidedbyechoes]

@@RoxanaKristina Behringer has a clone as well call the TD-3

[@DopamineOverload]

Surprised you're the first person to feature this! I don't think anyone else has. Nice video, David, as always!

[@erc.erc.erc.]

Picked this up as my first hardware synth after playing with some midi controllers for months. Your video was a huge help in getting familiar with it. I am enjoying experimenting with it, but I will hit a wall soon I feel. I get a little frustrated when building shorter patterns, 4- and 8-steps for example. I think once you go past a step, there’s no way to clear out the rest of the 16 steps without inserting rests. So if I’m on an 8 step sequence and accidentally add a note to 9, whoops now you have a 9 step for the rest of that patterns life. No way to trim as far as I can tell. But no regrets. This is a very fun machine for someone who grew up listening to “techno”. “Everybody needs a 303”

[@piperofsimms]

Well done David ! This is a steal for the bedroom musician. Thank you

[@prokesuk]

Oscar Peterson was very much into synthesizers. In a Keyboard magazine interview, he talked about reading manuals for synths he didn't own. He seemed to just enjoy it.

[@judsonsnell]

A CV output would make this so insanely awesome. Of course, back in the mid-90's when a beat-to-crap TB303 would fetch thousands (the same ones sitting in pawn shops for $25 ten years prior) for under $200 would have been insane. I might get one just to relive the rave daze anyway.

[@CT-ho6si]

303's were a few hundred bucks in the mid 90s, where did you see them for thousands?

[@judsonsnell]

@@CT-ho6si Mid 90's yes. But by the late 90's when every producer wanted to be Josh Wink? Yes, well over $1000 easily.

[@leftmono1016]

@@CT-ho6si - think I got mine around 1998 for £700. Box plus carry case and even had Roland batteries in it. Back in those days you had to work out how to program it by yourself. Loved it.

[@bashful228]

It has MIDI in and out. You could get a two way MIDI2CV converter. Or build your own for $10!

[@Cricket97376]

An og 303 will cost you 3k now mate

[@danzigrulze5211]

When you switched it to square wave, I almost heard the Stranger Things intro for a second. I think that is the one good thing about the show, it introduces a huge new audience to old and current EDM, 80's synth, and New Retro music all across the board. One episode has a segment where they just started playing a Perturbator song that really fit the scene.

[@happygilmore2100]

I thought I heard the same.

[@r3dsnow757]

the stranger things arp synth is literally a stock ableton one if i'm not mistaken.

[@ClicStudio]

@@r3dsnow757 Actually they used an hardware synth and played the arpeggio themselves in, didn’t use an arp but in the end it’s the same result xd

[@xskailer7131]

Just found out it is available again on Donner's website

[@gooeyarcade]

Very interesting product. Great demo 👍

[@TheZombo66]

Updates!! finally folks explaining to Donner about the inconvenience in transit and receiving it on July 8th!!! Thank Goodness!!! cheers!!! 👍😁👍🎹

[@MichaelCoughlanmusic]

Awesome product, awesome video. I am a rock n roller myself but really dug what Devo did to marry rock and synth back with their debut record. As a back line audio tech I used to really enjoy checking the functionality of the synths we'd rent before bookings - Korgs, Roland's, and Moogs. We even had Taurus pedals. I am pleased this tradition is being kept alive with such a value-centric unit like Donner's.

[@DeFiSiYT]

Cool! I've been thinking about a 303 lately... I'm kinda old school and love that Acid House sound! This looks like a very cost-effective option!

[@lolocaust4967]

I love the styling of this synth. It looks gorgeous.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

This is a REALLY impressive bit of kit for the price 👍

[@arnaudtim]

Thanks a lot for that great review, it made it want to play with it right away! It sounds so great it's actually already out of stock here in Europe... Speaking of which, how would you say the B1 and Behringer TD3 compare?

[@spookypen]

I think I'm the only person on the planet who prefers the original sequencer where the pitch and time programming is separated. I can see this appealing to people over the Behringer for that reason.

[@learnoldnewway4411]

I had fun watching and listening this 😌

[@andrwwaugh]

Love the sequencer editor!

[@andrwwaugh]

Love that it's just JSON for sequence data files opens it up for integration with other software editors if someone wanted to. Weird the knobs don't do CC Though it would encourage you to get more hands on with it

[@notanotherguitarchannel]

I like the idea of saving your midi information as text. I once used an Arduino to program midi tunes to play through my keyboard, and it was fun.

[@jaymonnin]

Really excellent review. Gonna think about picking one of these up to play with on planes.

[@DragonGrafx-16]

Acidhead here... 90% of the time I have the accent on MAX lol Though I use 2 TD-3s (I fall into the camp of loving the 303 sequencer which the TD-3 works the same exact way) as well as a TB-3, which is easier to program but doesn't sound as good.

[@The_Other_Dan]

If they come out with a version of the TR-808 I'd be all over it =)

[@PeterKNoone]

My first time seeing one of your videos......and I bought one as an affordable way to once again to attempt to goof around with electronic music. Subscribed.

[@TheyreStillOutThere]

This popped up in my algorithm and I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation style. The mark of a good KZbinr to me is “can I watch them re-tile their bathroom and stay for the whole video?” If the answer is yes, I subscribe. Subscribed.

[@fluffycritter]

I ended up buying one (along with a drum kit which I've been meaning to get from them for a while) and this is a lot of fun! Would you happen to know where to download the manual, though? The download link on the site currently goes directly to the software.

[@dawnr8511]

I'm glad someone gave this synth a proper demo. Looking into buying one, but we are synth saturated right now. Maybe just for fun noodling on a rainy Saturday?

[@robertbrowne7880]

I've been looking at drum and bass synths for weeks. A minute in and I grabbed one from Amazon. For that price, it'll show me what I need and want in the next one.

[@TROGULAR10000]

It's cool, great price, way more interesting than a 303 or other clones. But for 50 dollars more it could have had live record unquantized, reverb, and automation. And it would have been nice if we started on the A under that C, which comes in handy

[@rorz999]

Unquantised has never been part of the 303 workflow/sound, and I'd rather use an external reverb and keep costs down, as opposed to a built-in one which probably wouldn't be very good anyway

[@RyansnevetS]

Nice one Donner! I’ve been enjoying what they’ve been doing!

[@patchbaycowboy]

Really happy to see a 303 style synth with some nice new keys & two octaves. Never got with the original ui.

[@Migh7yb00sh]

Just got mine on order, with current pricing and a discount, $104 shipped. Can’t wait!

[@thepoofster2251]

Just bought this with your discount code. Thanks for saving me 17$ and thanks for letting me know this exists! You kick ass

[@michaels5166]

Thank you so much..I have been seeking a 88 key keyboard for years but didnt want to spend $3000+..This B1 will be in my house soon as well.

[@Spudcore]

Very nice. I particularly like the ratchet function.

[@thekarmafarmer608]

Really nice review of a pretty cracking product. Unbelievable price for what you get, it seems. Thanks for the review.

[@CaidicusProductions]

How did I JUST find out about this channel? You're a fantastic presenter!

[@CaidicusProductions]

Man, what an awesome presentation. I greatly appreciated your video and think you did an awesome job of showing us what this synth can do, as well as how much of a fantastic deal it happens to be. Well done Donner, you've made a heck of a synth for a really quite unbelievably low price.

[@themexicanbob]

I clicked on this thinking "oooh a 303 for $152!" I then realised I already own a TD-3. Still it looks a fun bit of kit.

[@ActionlessLoveless]

i was a bit skeptical at the beginning (considering what td3 is twice cheaper) - but all in all it have few more different features which td3 (or td3mo for that matter) dont have - i'll consider it as an alternative to buying td3mo, thanks for your review

[@automationtraveler]

The sequencer is awesome

[@she3po945]

Super awesome!!! Thank you!!! 🙌

[@perrypelican9476]

Excellent excellent vidéo. Thanks. I didn't know about the details of the 303 history and acid house. Why "house"

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Donner! On the radar!

[@EkimElectro]

I want one. Good review, thanks.

[@joeguitar7164]

Looks like a usable little synt. Would be nice if it was for purchase in the eu/uk stores. To bad it's not available there, can we expect it soon?

[@distractionpool]

Changing parameters by step is neat. Thanks David.

[@LinkiePup]

Genuinely love the weirdly organic sounds of the 303: when I can, I will 100% pick this puppy up.

[@tekis0]

Impressive, especially with the software!

[@ravetilldawn]

This is cool, would be cool if you can show a three month review in some full tracks that you made. Thank you for a great review.

[@vinny8532]

How are the pads for this? Are they similar to NPC pads? They look great. Also - is there a velocity setting or whatever it is called that allows the pressure of the touch applied to correlate with the sound output?

[@BarryWarne]

Looks super fun for minimal $ and that's always a very good thing. Curious about any poly-chain option but there are some other little boxes that could connect to this.

[@SeptunoYT]

That makes some beautiful sounds

[@grav-x1430]

Yeahh, i kinda want one now. i'm already hearing the 80's Synthwave playing in my head..

[@willswitchcraft]

So much more comprehensive than everything else I've watched about the B1.....but can you tell me more about the MIDI out?......does it function as a polyphonic, velocity sensitive MIDI controller......?

[@demonicsweaters]

Actually, the architecture is quite different, but better. You couldn't really 'play' the 303 like a keyboard, but the keys were used for programming sequences. This goes for the Behringer clone as well. Having a playable keyboard on this alone makes it much better IMO. Also, neither the original nor the Behringer have a delay built in.

[@rodmorrison47]

Agreed. Also, while the distortion on the Behringer is a useful addition and does sound pretty good it can be hard to balance the clean and distorted sounds. I prefer to use an old stompbox and compressor for a more balanced transition between clean and distorted. I think a delay or reverb would have been a better option - and this has got it.

[@thekopekemaster]

Man, I think I really want this. Really nice sound, and I can easily get it working with other equipment.

[@sonijam]

Wow! This is awesome!

[@Skamanda]

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this synth, compared to the Behringer TD-3. The TD-3 is even cheaper, and seems a bit more authentic to the 303 experience (albeit with some interesting additions), but I'm too unskilled with it to understand whether or when the Donner or the Behringer shine over the other...

[@davidgoode7416]

Great video, thanks man...

[@tcfween]

I like it. Both the synth and the vid.

[@HelicopterRidesForCommunists]

This is great I love to see it🎉

[@BosleyStarr]

Donner rocks, it'll be cool if they start making other synths.

[@ezianc]

Love your content.

[@ssadams]

I like it for some reason I don't quite know at the moment lol. I might just pick one up. The price is pretty good. Thanks for the video.

[@Jameselcome_303]

Yeh nice , thanks for upload , keen to asses in uk

[@ohdearism]

At first listen - it sounds very convincingly NICE!

[@Chief12314]

I have no clue what 303-sytle or analog mean for synths, but it sounds cool and it was in my recommended for some reason.

[@ntheg]

This is a great video thanks

[@lumpyfishgravy]

JSON is perfect for version control like git or svn. Having it text means you can patch and merge more effectively than a binary blob.

[@GameZedd01]

I feel like this could be an affordable gateway for me to get into music production. What else would I need? A laptop/computer? Any programs to record the tracks and edit in post? Any recommendations?

[@TheBroadcastStudio365]

Interesting video! Thanks!

[@Bella-od4qw]

I love Donner!! I'm a big Donner fan🥰

[@aquamarine99911]

It was so damn cheap a few months ago, I had to pick it up. But knowing nothing about Donner, I assumed it would be a piece of crap, and haven't even bothered to unbox it. But this video really consoles and inspires me. $150 for such a classic, identifiable sound is amazing. Thanks!

[@wesleyeason5031]

My Apologies I forget Excellent Demo. Very informative without the pretentious nature of most other's. Cheers.