Donner Essential B1 Synthesizer

I really love this B1 , it's my first synth and I'm very new, but love just playing it like a bass keyboard, along with music.I also love making great sounds with it so far! My only complaints are that it took appx a week from New Jersey To North west Ohio, and that it is not "blue tooth capable. I'm hoping to buy a midi cable, and hook it too my old keyboard. Overall a very great buy, and fun instrument.-----Matt Huff ---Fremont Oh

For the price, its a great toy. Still not happy that Donner didnt help fix my keyboard sustain due to me purchasing it from walmart. I was in a bind and needed a keyboard to play a gig so i purchased a Roland that was three times more expensive than the Donner. It has alot more features, but i still love the feel of my ole donner keyboard that recorded 3 albums. I sure do miss it. I am still learning how to use this synth, but it seems to be a neat gadget at a fair price too.

Love the superior sequencing features great for live jam/improv use it as a controller for my Behringer TD3 and TD3 mo.

Great gear!

Fun and simple. Easy to work with and sounds good. Patterns (128) can be edited and an easy-to-use sequencer makes playing very easy. Seems sturdy and requires no knowledge of synthesizers. Limited sounds but great value for the money. Bonus: comes with a wall wart power source or you can use batteries for portability.

I ordered Donner B1 from the seller in Japan. I would report the trouble required update asap while firmware update - Donner control app window unable to resize on macOS Sonoma.

Fun little synth and an excellent price as a bonus.

This was purchased for use by my digital sound students in the creation of their music. We have had fun exploring the possibilities with this synth. It feels solidly built and produces a wide range of tones. You won’t be disappointed with this.

Best budget 303 clone by far! It may not be a lookalike but it sounds better than its main competitor, the firmware update addresses all of the earlier review criticisms. Well worth the money, probably one of the best value synths ever made in my opinion. Love it!

This little synth is perfect. It's simple and provides a lot of bang for the buck. It may be designed for a beginner but an experienced layer can find many uses for it.

Yeah the synthesizer is cool it's actually great for the price. I used to discount code from Donner from a previous purchase so I got it for under a hundred bucks. This is my second purchase from Donner and I have not had any problems at all with them and packaging is very good/durable. I will be using them again after the new year

I love it, easy to program and easy to find the sweet spot. I think the weak part is the distortion but if dont use much gain do the job. 2ish got a blend knob dirt\clean. Hear it in action Listen to Donner B1 Jam B by Dark O.C.T. on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/qBPmx

Donner's onto something with this little box. Not only can it do classic 303 sounds, but the distortion and delay allow it to be a versatile machine that needs very little treatment after recording. Through interactions on GearSpace, users have also found that the developers are more than happy to listen to our suggestions and implement them in easy firmware updates. Plus throw in that the price is impossibly low and the shipping speed is always very high, and they've created a dedicated Donner fan in me. Great job on creating a fantastic instrument from a dependable and exciting company. #MIYAVI

INSTANT CLASSIC! Great support, i cant believe how quickly all of the feedback ive seen has been addressed in firmware updates. Sounds great, and unlike other 303-likes on the market, actually has not only a usable sequencer, one you will want to use on other monophonic gear. Not only serious gear, but i can see this as a great gift for younger synth heads too at this price point.

Its a sweet little synth. Super good value. Even my 3 year old loves to have a good time with it. Some people say it is a clone, but it is really a reimagining. I has some nice features and with the latest firmware the live mode is a nice addition.

I have one. It plays well with others, it’s fun to play around with and for the price, why would you NOT have one!

A solid lil bass synth for sure. Things to know - it seems, unless I'm wrong, that this is fixed to midi channel one, so heads up. I also can't find midi cc values for the B1 anywhere on the Web. It will always start a sequence when you start your main sequence from the brain (I'm forgetting the technical term right now) so buyer beware if that bothers you. The knobs make for some cool sound capabilities. Really, this thing will serve me best as a midi filter and I don't see much other use.

Very cool product - could use a more detailed manual tho

It's a lot of fun to noodle around. The whole fun of 'newness' kind of wore off surprisingly quick. You know what would help? A LOT of documentation, instructions, ideas, suggestions, etc. At least easily available, if not with the machine itself. I know it's out there, somewhere. But, I am going to spend a lot more time (and money) with an environment that is easy-to-use when looking.

easy purchase… arrived in less than a week. after some play time, the B1 turns out to be a decent 303 clone and is already standing up well to my MAM MB33 and Behringer TD-3. would pay extra for more LED or better printing of functions, as black on charcoal in a dark studio is tedious at best without overhead light. even so, it’s a capable little clone.

Fun little synth. Can’t beat the price.

For the price it is great! Construction feels solid enough, and it sounds very nice. There are a few small issues which stopped me giving 5 stars which are related to it being a TB-303 clone, which I will go into below, but I will preface this by saying that it delivers its own nice take on the acid sound. 1. The slide implementation is not by default set to legato playing, it can be set by holding the lower F# on keyboard whilst turning on power though, but it should really be automatically on, it does remember the setting though, so after setting it isn’t an issue. 2. The square wave does not have the exact hollow sound of the 303, this could probably be modded though. 3. No tap write or realtime record, and no ability to record slides or accents in realtime, the TB-303 does not have some of these features but a lot of other clones do. Other things I’d like to see/fixed. Longer patterns upto 64 steps. Occasionally a note will not play correctly, seems like a bug. Sometimes when pressing the keys when a pattern is playing it will transpose, other times it will clear a note, seems like a bug. There are probably a few other things I’m forgetting, but I’ll finish by saying I have a lot of 303 synths, including TB-303’s, TT-303’s, TB-03, x0xb0x, T8, and the Donner B1 is still useful to me, it brings its own flavour of acid, in particular the filter decay goes nice and short for very choppy acid lines, the resonance also sounds very nice. I think with a few more firmware tweaks it will be even better, for reference I am on the late version as of August 2023 which I think is 1.03. For the price it is an absolute bargain.

The ease of use on this synthesizer is fantastic. I love being able to modulate the oscillators and presets without any hassle. It's definitely made my music making process much smoother.

I've been using this synthesizer for a while now and it never fails to inspire me. The little semi modular synths have a really cool vibe and it's been a potent treatment for my psyche. Highly recommended.

This synthesizer has exceeded my expectations in terms of sound quality. The fast tracking really improves the overall experience. I can't imagine using any other synth now.

Really cool synth! It’s too bad it doesn’t have a built in speaker and battery so it can be a mobile unit also, but maybe not enough people use it that way to be worth it. It would also be cool if you could choose between instruments on it, like you can on garage band for example but plugging it into my MacBook allows basically that. All in all happy.

I took a chance. This device is topshelf. Surprise!

Excellent experience. Unit came in timely manner and sounds great. Much happier with this than the TD-3. Only improvement for future models would be more legible button text and if possible closer to the button it partials to. Great Job though!

The versatility of this synthesizer is incredible. I can use it with my mixer and it works like a charm. It's also great for manipulating songs and adding unique effects. A must-have for any musician.

It works like described

I was amazed by the options this synthesizer offers for the price. It's truly amazing. I've been having a blast experimenting with different sounds and creating unique compositions.

It's fun to play with. Cool bass synth.

So let me start out by saying that this WILL get you the classic 303 sound. Purists might not appreciate the way the slide works with accents but 95% of the rest of the world will never know the difference. The ability to play it as a synth is a godsend, and the sequencer is good (but not great.) The distortion is lovely and while some reviewers on YT have shrugged at the delay, it has a lo-fi quality that I *really* appreciate. Unlimited feedback would be better, but it gets the job done and has a good character. My issue with the sequencer isn't ease of use--it is the easiest 303 clone I've programmed since the FR-777 back in the early aughts. My issue is that you can't set pattern lengths--and I believe this is something that could be fixed with a firmware update. I have some ideas that require 3/4 or 6/8 time signatures, and I can only accomodate that with the B1 by creating a phrase and sampling it to my Digitakt. This isn't ideal. So for those songs I use my TD-3 MO. The pattern length thing is literally the only thing keeping this from a 5* review. I really really like this piece of kit!

I really like the sound, build quality, ease of use! I'm pleasantly surprised!

Cheap, reliable, analog acid. Really fun to play with, the on the fly ability to trigger gate etc with button presses while it’s actively playing is a great feature. If you’re looking to dip your toes into acidic waters this might just be what you need to get going without a big financial commitment.

Great product very fun to use and high quality!

I've been using this synthesizer mainly for home use and it's been fantastic. The sound quality is top-notch and it's so inspiring to play around with. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

I love that this synthesizer has Bluetooth music playback. It makes it super easy to jam along with my favorite songs. It's also easy to modulate oscillators and presets. Highly recommend for novice users.

Great synth! Sounds great and very easy to use. The first one I ordered arrived broken, but customer service got back to me right away and sent a new one the next day. Awesome product and awesome service!

I'm a novice user and this synthesizer has been perfect for me. It's easy to navigate and there's so much to explore. I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface yet!

I bought this synthesizer for my home studio and it's been perfect for my needs. It's easy to use and the sound quality is terrific. Great value for the price!

The Microkorg is a game-changer. It has brought a whole new level of creativity to my music. The versatility and ease of use make it a must-have in any musician's arsenal.

This B1 is just so great sounding and an excellent way to learn about analog synths and sequencers. I am using it alone for sequences and also using the MIDI out for sequences on my B2600. It also pairs up well with effects pedals if you have any to create electronic soundscapes.

Great fun and amazing riffs

A absolute, stunning, tiny instrument of joy. Rich and fat. I wish you made matching midi floor pedals so i could play it with my feet for live shows. The sound is thick. I love to write a short loop sequence and run it through my pedal board. It's amazing to sit and make music with it!! 5 stars out of five!! Oh yes, the fact it's a incredible bargain helps too!!

This sound incredible. And it looks great. Glad I bought it, hope I got a good price. Donner would know!

The synthesizer worked great. No complaints on the sound quality. I just wish that you had a sequencer program in plug-in form so I can control the slides and accents more easily in my DAW

Excellent

The sequencer is awesome

It's like a Behringer TD-3, which is a replica of the Roland TB-03 bass synthesizer. This Donner version does not suffer from the "unfriendly" user interface like the original does. I have a Behringer TD-3 also and it is an exact replica of the original TB-03 right down to the tedious programming of notes. The Donner B1 is more "friendly" and can be learned by using its display which the Roland and the Behringer do not have.

Excellent very easy to edit but wish the software had more features to control it is a bit flaky but manageable, I did notice one thing the distortion switch cuts off my rhythm and then comes back to normal dont know if this is a glitch in Donner hardware but again thank you for shipping this product to my home, cheers!! keep up the great work with more products like this and affordable!!!

Really fantastic little synth. I was impressed by everything about it for the price - the build quality, the sound, the features (including the software editor which is a nice touch). Can do everything from subtle basslines to full-on Josh Wink.

Still wrapping my head around this awesome piece of gear! True, other synths offer more, but I find that having some limitations breeds creativity. And the B-1 does way more than it should for the price! Great purchase!

When I first saw this on YouTube, it was being billed as a "TB-303 clone" of sorts. But the truth is, this goes further than Roland's little silver box (or their three or four "we're not going to reissue it" versions). For one thing, this has something that makes sense as a user interface. The keyboard pads actually do double-duty by being visual feedback for various types of poking around with sequencing, the knob layout is very clean and direct, and the overall design is just a lot more user-friendly than the OG. For instance, you have a number of easily-accessible buttons that replace the unintuitive 303's function buttons...and the B1 actually adds a few tricks to the 303 sound. Ratcheting? Yes, please! But the SOUND...is it what we all expect? Well, yes...in more ways than one. For example, the original 303 didn't have the most linear "glide" behavior...and amazingly, Donner's replicated even that and some other Roland "mistakes" that actually play a part in the classic acid sound. Now THAT is detail...and it's a detail that a lot of the 303 clone companies miss to varying extents. The fact is that if you want that sound, you also want Roland's "mistakes" which help that sound...and it's all here. But when you kick this thing on and put it through its paces...oh, myyyyy...it's 1987 and time for "Washing Machine" all over again! Oh, yeah...MIDI...I almost forgot that since I'm not used to thinking about MIDI when it comes to the TB-303. But the B1 goes WAY past the original by having MIDI out AND in. You could clock the B1 with your DAW (it likes a number of different sync signals) and then have the B1's sequencer feed a VSTi in the DAW. But why would you do that? If this were Yet Another 303 Knockoff, I'd say, sure...sequencer's right, sound's wrong, or vice-versa. But the B1 has THE SOUND...all of the nasty growl (especially when you jack up the distortion!), squeal and howl, and so forth, just as you'd expect. That distortion circuit was, I think, a good choice...it meshes with that near-industrial acid sound and pushes it one step further into the acid lead that you'd expect...only you DON'T have to pay $3,000+ to get it now! Oh, and it's got a delay. Acid lines sound great with that effect, and Donner seems to have thought ahead there. Sound-wise, the delay isn't as aggressive as you might think, but if you're out doing a DAWless gig, it's excellent to have that right there and ready to go. Again, Donner seems to have done their homework on what the TB-303 needed to have. But the B1's not quite perfect. There's two things I'd like to see in a firmware revision, one of which a Donner rep said on (I think?) Gearspace will probably be in the next update: randomization. This is actually far more important with a TB-303 clone than one might think. Some of the most amazing tracks from the heyday of the acid house scene were written by taking the 303's batteries out, then putting them back in. This would scramble the sequencer...but in ways that could be prodded into more solid lines, or in a few cases, nothing further was needed. So being able to "take the batteries out" on the B1 is, I think, a must for any proper TB-303 redux. The other thing I'd love to see, which wasn't an acid thing but which loads of other synthesists would go bonkers over, would be a way to kill the VCO's output. Since the B1 has an "audio in", switching the VCO off would let you use the instrument as a sequenced filter. Like I note, this wasn't exactly part of the original Roland 303, but it was a mod that some users could do, along with some other trickery with the "voice" such as FM, VCO doubling, and the like (think "Devilfish mod" here). Although, given the sound that you get from the B1, I think it shows its heritage just fine without extensive mods to the audio path beyond that one "VCO off" trick. So it holds up against its progeny just fine...but against the other 303 clones? Well, as I mentioned, pretty much all of the clones miss a detail or two that winds up altering the sound. And some of that, I'm sure, is due to companies copying the circuitry itself and then calibrating things to sound "good". But the TB-303 DOESN'T "sound good" when up against a "real synth"...and Donner nailed that nasty, skittery, squealy, snarly distorted sound...which is a really big feat, in my opinion. Add to that the ease of programming the sequencer, and you're in a little better territory than the other clones that tried and didn't quite hit that early 1980s mark. Oh, yeah...one other point: the software. Software? For a 303? Yep, software...and it fixes the worst part of the original: dealing with that damnable, obtuse TB-303 sequencer to write and play patterns. With the B1's simple software, you can write sequences, transfer them via USB (yeah, it's got USB!) to the box, and there you are! Didn't like the ninth note in that line? OK, just go back and move it via MIDI...no gnashing of teeth due to having to re-enter things again. And that's another point about the sequencer here...if you ARE forced by circumstances to alter specific notes in some way, it's NOT a total gig-killing disaster. Need glide on the fourth note? Well...just add it right then and there. Put in a new sequence? Yeah...it'll take a few minutes of button-poking, but you're never in a situation where you're utterly, totally stuck. So...for those who want a TL;DR on this, I've got to say that the B1 is the thing you or I or ANYONE who wants to get that awesome acid sound have been waiting for. Took 40 years...but the Acid Box is back! And, to be honest, it's BETTER! No need to scrape up...hmmm, lemme look at Reverb...ok, about $4,000 for the little plastic original. Just hand Donner what's in your change jar and wait for delivery. And THAT is the best part of all!

Amazing!

BASS! Great sound and the distortion and delay take it over the top. Sync in? Yeah. Full MIDI specs, yep! I’m betting an analogue drum machine is next. Take my money, Donner!

This is a fun little synth. It doesn’t try to be a direct TB-303 clone, but it’s sonically much closer to a TB-303 than some of the more expensive clones. The Arp and Ratchet functions are handy and the delay and overdrive are usable.

It is easier to figure out than some other 303 clones (not that any of them are very challenging). It has some features that are unique so it's worth getting one even if you have other brands.

This is quite a handy piece of equipment for not a lot of money - build quality and sound quality is very good - nothing in the price range is better and that includes the Behringer equivalent.

Great first crack at a synth, I hope they stay at it. I'd love to see support for modding for USB power!

The synth itself is quite nice but the documentation is minimal, lacking examples, and the English is not well translated. The software has similar issues and is not intuitive. But still, you get a well made Reason style bass synth with sequencer for $152, not bad! I wish it had a rechargable battery with Ni-MH or Lithium batteries.

This synthesizer sounds good, for what it is, and the controls are usable. Overall, it's a decent little live performance synth. What it lacks is any sort of MIDI automation for the parameters: there's no way to encode things like filter settings or even volume to MIDI CCs so you can sequence them. So this ends up being a very limited device, in terms of MIDI functionality. You can sequence the raw notes, but nothing else. This would be a 5-star device if the controllers generated and used MIDI CCs. As it is, it's a decent synth for noodling, but I'll never use it in production because it's just too limited.

Pretty limited in what you can do with it. Two waveforms and no way to store presets. No midi control of the synth parameters. So basically no way to really make use of this in a MIDI sequencer environment.

A very good product. Fast delivery, well packaged！

Deserve a try.

best analogsynth in it's price range