Behringer teases polyphonic AKS Mini inspired by EMS Synthi AKS

Behringer has put the EMS Synthi AKS back in the spotlight with a teaser for the AKS Mini, a forthcoming analog polyphonic synthesizer that the company framed as “AKS MINI EMS AKS REBORN, NOW POLYPHONIC.” The move matters because Behringer is not just borrowing the look. It is borrowing the most recognizable parts of the Synthi experience, then changing the architecture around them.

The company’s own product page identifies the AKS MINI as an “Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer with 3 VCOs Featuring Variable Waveforms.” The teaser also points to a classic VCF, a two-axis joystick, built-in reverb and a 16-step motion sequencer. That is a very different proposition from the original EMS briefcase instrument, which was built around an exploratory, pin-matrix workflow rather than a modern poly synth layout.

That original machine still carries a lot of weight in vintage circles. EMS introduced the Synthi A in 1971 and the Synthi AKS in 1972, both derived from the earlier VCS3 and made more portable. The AKS became the better-known version because it paired the matrix patch field with a 30-note touch-pad keyboard and an included sequencer, turning a small case into a deeply idiosyncratic performance instrument. The look and workflow were part of the appeal: you did not play it like a normal keyboard synth, you routed it like a lab experiment.

The mythology is baked in. The EMS Synthi A is tied to Pink Floyd’s “On the Run” sequence, and Dark Side of the Moon, released in 1973, went on to sell 50 million copies. Brian Eno is also part of the same conversation, which is why any new AKS-style box lands as more than a clone announcement. A museum collection page at the Victoria and Albert Museum shows that EMS hardware has crossed from gear history into design history.

The other side of the story is the hardware reality. The EMS educational handbook warns that the Synthi AKS is an “extremely delicate instrument” and says it should not be thrown around; it also notes that some screws are auto-destructive and cannot be replaced once removed. That fragility is exactly why a lower-cost modern version gets attention. MusicRadar’s listing put the AKS Mini at $99, which would make it a radically cheaper entry into EMS-flavored patching than any original AKS on the used market.

Behringer first announced the AKS Mini in 2022, and this latest teaser suggests the company is still aiming at the same question: how much of the Synthi AKS is the matrix, the joystick and the strange workflow, and how much is the fragile, collectible original shell? The AKS Mini looks built to answer that question with a price tag and a polyphonic twist, even if the cult object it borrows from was never meant to be easy.