Behringer Unveils Jam and Jam Play, Two Budget Sequencer Keyboards

Behringer has officially announced Jam and Jam Play, two 32-key USB MIDI keyboards that follow the Swing, the company’s controller whose similarity to Arturia’s KeyStep 32 drew attention on release. The new pair moves away from that template, rearranging the layout and adding features the Swing did not have.

Both units carry velocity- and channel-aftertouch-sensitive keys, dual touch strips for pitch and modulation, four assignable rotaries and transport controls. Sequencing runs through a 64-step, four-channel polyphonic engine offering rest, tie and legato note entry, ratcheting, swing and gate randomization, alongside a multimode arpeggiator and a Chord Play mode that stores chords of up to 16 notes. Connectivity covers three 3.5mm CV/gate outputs, analogue sync in and out, 5-pin MIDI In and Out, a 1/4-inch sustain pedal input and two USB-C ports, which puts modular and analogue gear within reach of a cheap desktop controller.

Jam Play adds standalone operation: 128 instrument voices, 10 drum kits, effects, a small preset display and a 1/4-inch audio output, all managed through the rotaries.

The naming is muddled. Behringer teased an MPC-style groovebox called Jam back in 2020, and that product still has not appeared. Behringer has confirmed neither price nor availability for the new hardware, though UK retailer Andertons lists Jam at £89 and Thomann has both models on pre-order at €99 and €179. That pricing is the familiar Behringer argument. What a retailer listing cannot settle is whether the sequencer and the build live up to it.