Teenage Engineering PO-32 Pocket Operator Tonic Drum Synth
drum and percussion synthesizer
PO-32 tonic
The PO-32 tonic is a drum machine like the Rhythm. Each drum sound is tweakable, but unlike other operators you can also entirely replace the sound in each slot using Sonic Charge’s Microtonic Plugin. Microtonic is a drum synthesizer which allows you to craft electronic percussion from scratch.
3.5mm TRS Jack Input Input jack for audio & for sync signal to jam with other
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Battery HolderPowered by 2 x AAA batteries
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />External Speaker Solder Pointsolder an external speaker to your pocket operator.
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| Weight: | 59 g |
| Dimensions: | 17.8 x 8.8 x 0.5 cm; 58.97 Grams |
| Model: | PO-32 Tonic |
| Colour: | Gold/black |
| Colour: | Gold/black |
Lo strumento esteticamente molto carino e nonostante sia una scheda con tutto a vista ha un aspetto di qualit e pare resistente. un giochino e quindi chi ha grandi aspettative compositive rimarr deluso da un sequencer limitatissimo. Ottima invece la pasta sonora che ne fuoriesce, che ha un carattere decisamente interessante, almeno per me. In conclusione pu essere usato anche in produzioni importanti a patto che sia la ciliegina sul brano e non la struttura.
Grandma lovess it and I can’t keep her hands off it you know what I mean she won’t even play poker with me anymore she just sits around like I’m not even here you know what I mean but at least grandma loves i
Learning aside, ok so the 8 bit sounds are pretty lo fi, but I still think even when I graduate to a proper studio quality sequencer/sampler like the MPC One, this will always have a place in my signal chai
Habe nicht viel erwartet und wurde umso mehr berrascht.
Die Samplingfunktion macht echt Spa. Besonders das man mehrere Samples in einem Zug aufnehmen kann und das Gert diese gleich stckelt macht es sehr angenehm damit arbeiten.
Die Soundqualitt in Verbindung mit einem ext. Lautsprecher ist auch besser als ich erwartet hatte. Der onboard Lautsprecher ist jetzt nicht besonders, wie auch bei der Gre aber fr mal schnell was probieren ausreichen bzw. kann man ja auch einfach Kopfhrer anschlieen.
Die Bedienung ist auch sehr einfach wenn man den Dreh mal raus hat.
J’adore ce produit, un vrai sampler et une boite a rythme dans la poche
La caratteristica principale di questo oggetto la sua immediatezza di utilizzo dopo poche prove e smanettamenti. Consente di trovare grazie anche alla sapiente tipologia di effetti, suoni davvero interessanti. Richiede forse un diverso approccio rispetto a sistemi pi tradizionali, ma permette se usato creativamente, di trovare nuovi spunti musicali/ ritmici. La qualit tende al lo -fi, ma non per questo meno accattivante. Si pu sempre usare come partenza per rifinitura su sistemi pi performanti. A mio avviso Consigliato. ( se volete fare le cose sul serio vi conviene comunque avere un setup un po’ pi vario)
Unit works, though it came already opened. Plastic was still on screen and it works good so far. People don’t understand what they get with these and underestimate them greatly. If the unit works ok I am fine settling with the seller on a discount to
make it a used item price instead of a new item price. Either way, its TE tech that works and its worth it.
The product itself is good.
But be weary when ordering. It says “new”, but when i got it, the original box had been open (and taped back), and the hanger was already snapped off and gone. Quite disappointing.
Anyone that has a budding interest in making music or noise in general would absolutely love this or really any of these pocket operators. I’ve been playing with it all day and having a blast making up tunes. This one’s an arcade-game based synthesizer and composer that runs on AAA batteries and your own creativity. Really cool little devices.
Super! Appena impari ad usarlo (non semplicissimo), non smetti pi. Ci sono dei tutorial abbastanza completi su Youtube anche in italiano. Le funzioni sono ben spiegate, in pratica un sinto-campionatore capace di registrare con microfono incorporato o in line-in. Ho preso pure il case e non disturba la funzionalit.
Geschenk fr den Sohnemann, 9, nicht ganz leicht zu durchschauen in dem Alter aber langsam wirds. Ich finde das Teil groartig und spiele selber gerne damit rum. Ist aber eindeutig auch zu mehr fhig. Samples, Drummachine oder wie bei uns einfach Spa an Rhythmus mit selbst aufgenommenen Tnen…
I love this pocket operator. I’ve been wanting one for a long time and finally decided to buy one. I defenitely want to buy a couple more in the future.
My daughter loves it, but it was difficult to start using it. She has it now for 6 months and still she can not use all the functionalities.
At first glance It looks very delicate as it does not come with a case, but it is resista
Pequea pero grande en su sonido la verdad me e quedado impactado de el sonido que saca
I like my pocket operator and it seems from youtube research to have the best variety of sounds to create a decently-layered song. Options to create melodies are there but limited because I haven’t discovered how to control the sustain of the synth waves. Still a fun little composer.
I am a huge Mega Man fan and am very happy with this device. My only issue is it shows a blue silicone case in the pictures, but I didn’t receive one. I assumed by the photos that it came with a blue case. After receiving it and not having a case, I searched Amazon for the blue case, and it is not for sale. Where is the blue case? Why show it in the photos and not include it, or have it for sale?
1000 potenzialit.
Strumento interessante sotto diversi punti di vista, primo tra tutti il suo aspetto spartano e minimale: veramente una scheda con un display e dei tasti ma un cervellone da fare paura (mille – per modo di dire – effetti per i suoni ed i pattern, possibilit di suonare in tempo reale registrando le modifiche su altrettanti parametri sia dei suoni che dei “beat” che avete creato (considerando che ce ne sono gi un bel po’ dentro se siete proprio negati).
Se poi siete un po’ pi ferrati di me con le “macchinette”, allora ci potete fare veramente un sacco di roba, anche live (due ministilo e vai!): ne puoi mettere anche pi di una in serie con un cavo audio jack sincronizzandole e suonando indipendentemente sulle tre…Oh… DIVERTENTE DIRE POCO!
Ho visto mille video prima di comprarlo ma appena mi arrivato mi sono stupito di quanto fosse piccolo (pi di quanto aspettassi), letteralmente: TASCABILE (consiglio la custodia – costo pari a quasi un terzo dello strumento e propiet pi estetiche che funzionali ma meglio averla che no! – cos ve lo appendete al collo, un paio di cuffie e invece di ascoltare la musica, la fate).
Have fun!
Soo much fun. If your in to making beats this is for you. It is limited if you have been sampling for years, but for the price, it’s incredible (did I mention it’s soo much fun 🙂
Finally, a handheld chiptune drum machine. I know these have been around several years but I just got mine yesterday, so if you’re like me and hesitant to buy it cause it looks too good to be true, pull the trigger. This little dude is worth every penny and more, I mean you can adjust the parameters of every sound and input them 2 ways, sequenced or live, and both work great, especially helpful that it syncs them with the beat when you input live notes. And don’t get me started on the swing knob, that thing is super cool! Best little feature for sure. Also, I’m sure this is just me, but I love watching the LCD dude work the big sewing machine looking thing when it’s playing.
Bought this for my 9 year old whom is just getting into music. Within 10 minutes he’d created something he loved and was proud to show us.
Lots of other units available to add together to expand the sound.
I enjoy every musical aspect that this equipment offers to conceptualize new music creations. Looking foward purchasing other modelos. SO cool!
Definitely one of the best pocket drum-synth units out there.
PO-Tonic is great. If you buy this, I highly recommend buying both as the PO unit can communicate with Microtonic directly for making new sounds for the PO. If you just buy the PO-Tonic (without Microtonic), you’re not really getting the best out of the machine as you can’t change the soundbank yourself (unless you go to youtube which can send new sounds via the built-in microphone).
I know the PO-Tonic with Microtonic is quite expensive compared to the other units – but it’s definitely worth it if you want a solid and capable battery operated drum synth which you can carry in your pocket.
If, however, you’re not intending to ever buy Microtonic, I recommend you to buy the PO-Speak instead of the PO-Tonic because the PO Speak also contains the default sound banks from the PO-Tonic.
If you do decide to buy Microtonic for the PO-Tonic, go to the Patternarium website which has hundreds of thousands of sound presets and drum patterns for free which you can edit and send directly to you Tonic. The free/Cracked versions of Microtonic do not support transferring sounds to the PO-Tonic – you;ll have to buy it but if you contact the SonicCharge website, they will give you a massive discount for Microtonic if you prove you bought a PO-Tonic (eg: send a photo of it or a screenshot of your order).
The best thing about the PO-Tonic (with Microtonic) unit is that it can also be used as a synth instrument (you can make any sound in microtonic, not just drums).
The other amazing feature is the “morph” feature which morphs 2 sounds for every slot on the PO. This means that you can create thousands of unique sounds on the PO if you use microtonic, simply by using the patternarium presets and appying a morph to them.
One last thing is the effects, very decent and usable effects which cleverly inject a lot of raw excitement into the sounds – they can be manually triggered and sound great – even just by mashing the buttons randomly – great for live sessions.
For the perfect Pocket Operator rig set-up, I would recommend:
PO-Tonic (with Microtonic) as a Drum/Synth machine
PO-K.O. as a sampler
PO-Speak as a vocoder/bass synth
Link the 3 together and you’ve got an amazingly versatile rig. I’d go so far as to prefer my Pocket operators to my Analogue Korg Electribe.
Highly recommended.
I have a couple of these and 9 Pocket Operators, and a number of other ‘proper’ synths. These are brilliant music machines, that follow a similar format so that once you know how to use one, they are all very similar. But each has unique features that makes them all desirable for different reasons.
The PO 33 is one of two samplers, the other being the Voice Sampler. It is amazingly powerful as a sketchbook for idea’s scratching to having samples that you can use in a finished performance or song. Is it perfect? NO! But for less than 100 you get an amazing piece of kit. I have 2 because I take one out and about looking for external things to sample and the other I keep at home. The sound is LoFi but the tools it comes with give you everything you need to trim and work with the samples and then a whole load of appropriate effects too. It’s basically a lot of fun.
This is a basic loop device with 16 stored sounds that cannot be replaced. That said it fits in your pocket and I take it everywhere – it’s really addictive.
It is not easy to use straight out of the box, get ready for loads of frustration as you master creating your loops, but imagine somebody giving you a piano… The instructions tell you how it works, but it’s going to be a while before you play your first few bars.
I will definitely be buying other Pocket Operators, just might have to save up first as they are expensive. You could get an app for ur phone that works just as well, if not better, and I have had many of them but I would still rather use the PO. It’s hard to explain, almost like reading real books vs e books.
Love this thing, so much so I bought the sub bass to go with i
Love this thing, so much so I bought the sub bass to go with i
Insomma, se quello che cercate uno strumento realmente tascabile per poter campionare e creare beat ovunque vi troviate, questo quello che fa per voi.
The po 12 is pretty cool, it’s a very compact drum machine with more control then I was expecting. All pocket operators have the same core functions and controls, so once you know the layout of one its very easy to transfer over to a new pocket operator. This wasn’t my first model and it was very easy learn.
I did get triped up with how to chain them together; I would of liked if you could pause and play a slave po and have it sync with the masters click track, however what actually happens is once you pause a slave you need to stop and start the master controller, it’s not a huge deal but that was one of the few nitpicks I’ve found.
Overall I love these things, and they are fun to try to incorporate into a proper set to accompany more traditional instruments
They’re fantastic, addictive and great fun!
Downside, the Instructions are basic and you will need to watch some U tube vids. Many of these are not very good, people showing off and not explaining, but there are some good ones. 3/4 minutes don’t bother, look for 10/15 minutes.
The POs power down after 5 minutes inactivity, EXCEPT if there’s an audio cable plugged into the IN jack and then it’s 60 minutes. This flattens the battery MUCH quicker!
I had a Rhythm and a Sub chained together, the Rhythm last in the chain with a cable in the IN jack. After 3 weeks the Sub battery is 94% and the Rhythm 43%. DON’T leave them chained together!
Press Sound + BPM for battery % remaining. Swapping the dying batteries around I found the POs are on the edge of giving up at around 40%
The on board speaker, well it works, it’s OK, headphones are better, but get some amplification, I play mine through a guitar amp, awesome!
Doug
I have an MK2 Maschine that I haven’t used since I’ve taken delivery of the KO. You will be making music in minutes (sample from the phone speaker) beatbox your own sounds (using the onboard filter to create a completely unique sound) sequence your steps together and make a full track – it even has live FX that can be recorded for automation. the PO 33 is a full mini studio. A great way to discover your creative side – then move up to bigger things if you want more flexibility with sequencing and mixing. check out YT for some really great inspirational tracks other people have made.
Great drum synth! Easy to programme patterns and punch in effects!
Syncs with ease to other bits of equipment!
Ich mache sehr selten positive Rezensionen, aber das Gert ist es wert. Zwar braucht man auch hier ein Stndchen um sich einzuarbeiten, lohnen tut es sich auf jeden Fall.
In Kombination mit den anderen Pocket Operators kann man noch viel mehr Tiefe erreichen, und ein Effektgert a la NTS-1 bringt auch noch einiges, der Arcade kann aber als Einzelgert selber schon so viel, dass er sich als Musikgert mit Kopfhrern in der Bahn bestens eignet.
Auch 5 Sterne an das Musikhaus Korn, die waren schnell und freundlich beim Umgang mit einer Rcksendung.
This thing is nuts. Saw a video of one of these randomly and thought it’d be good to use for backing to some guitar. It’s 10x what I thought it was, I’m now addicted, and will be buying a bunch of the others.
Molto male la spedizione. Voleva essere un regalo di Natale ma in queste condizioni mi sembra non sia il caso. Verificher nei prossimi giorni che tutto funzioni a dovere. Altrimenti aggiorner la recensione.
Aggiornamento: il contenuto funziona correttamente ed anche piuttosto divertente da usare. Rimane piuttosto deludente il packaging ma non posso dargli almeno 4 stelle.
um instrumento e um brinquedo, mas tem qualidade de instrumento. A nica maneira de passar as msicas para outra plataforma por jack. Cada tecla tem o desenho do instrumento, mas para adicionar efeitos preciso consultar a lista porque muito memorizar 12 efeitos e no h nenhuma indicao na mquina. Sincroniza com aparelhos de outras marcas, como os Volca e tem vrios modos de sincronizao.
If your looking at this then you know what the po-133 is and its as good as you think it is
If your looking at this then you know what the po-133 is and its as good as you think it is
Bought for my Husband. Lasted about a week. He put it in his pocket to take outside and accidentally cracked the screen. Have been unable to get a response from the company with regards to repair. As one of the more expensive models of the range its disappointing the screen is not repairable at home. (Electronic Engineer, here, happy to replace screen if parts were avaliable). I would suggest spending extra on a case if you have the option.
This thing is amazing. Best used with a line in. I have had many hours of fun creating little looped tracks and some more in depth ones too. It’s reasonably easy to use but rather hard to master and I wish the knobs were less sensitive or bigger as adjusting the timings is not the easiest. Overall I have had hours or even days worth of time using this and will continue to chop up samples in no time and loose an afternoon building yet another song.
My reviews are independent and I try to be honest and to the point. If you like my review please press the helpful box. Thank you.
I love this little thing. It sits somewhere between a real professional tool and a toy. It’s very small and portable, battery life is pretty good, and it can make a wide range of sounds. Getting a whole track devoted to Tonic is a huge upside; the drum sounds are deep and customizable, and the sequencer is great. Biggest limiting factors are that you are limited in terms of the sounds you can apply to the samples, and also there is two-voice polyphony: one synth sound and one drum sound on any given step. However, despite these limitations, the possibilities are still pretty deep, and chaining patterns together in a pseudo-“song mode” is possible. Overall, for $100, it’s a great buy for anyone who loves synthesizers and music production. I wouldn’t recommend this to a first-time synth buyer but if you already have a collection and want something fun and diverting, this is the one to get.
So most people are probably going to buy this to make cool jams and make house/techno/EDM music which it does well and is a cool niche. But I think it has a wider use for a variety of musicians. This thing is an awesome metronome. Assuming you are in 4/4 time (I think you can force it into 3/4 I have not played with this yet) the PO-32 lets you laydown a simple drum track with bass drums, snares and high hats that although a little mechanical it is light years more fun to practice to than a sterile click from a metronome. You can add some swing for Jazz or blues tracks. it holds 16 rhythms that you can program and you can chain these together to make a more complicated backing track. This is definitely helping me with practicing rhythm guitar.
Pro’s:
– Portability
– Sound(s)
– Easy to learn (which is valid for all PO’s).
– A great first “drum machine” for beginnings, who “just want to see” if they like programming patterns on, without breaking the bank.
– Can by synced to other PO’s, Volca’s, etc
– Can “interact” with Microtonic VST Plugin (Needs to be purchased separately but it’s worth it)
–> You may actually get a discount if you send an e-mail with your PO-33 serial and copy of the invoice to the developper
Con’s
– Due to it’s “circuit board” style, it can break pretty easily if not protected during transportation (I have seen several units with smashed screens, etc.
– No MIDI
– Price is almost equal to the ones of the Volca’s or even used Elektron Model:Cycles/Model:Samples. (Especially the latter ones are fully fledged machines, which can do much more but they won’t fit into your pocket, so it always depends on what exactly you are looking for).
Verdict:
I already had a PO-35 Speak and a PO-33 K.O and wanted to complete the Pocket Operator “Metal series” by adding the PO-32. Here is a short overview/verdict about all 3:
PO-33 (K.O.!): It’s a sampler (with integrated mic) and I adore it! There are no limitations whatever! You can record whatever you want and then tweak the sound(s). If there is one Pocket Operator which is clearly above all others, then it is that one. You can also get the “Street Fighter” edition, which has different graphics but does the same. From me the PO-33 K.O. get’s a 5+ star rating!
PO-35 (Speak): Is a vocal synthesizer and sequencer. Like the PO-33, it has a built-in microphone. It let’s you record phrases and then you can apply 8 different voice characters, do formant shifting, etc.
It’s fun but it’s use is rather limited. (I also bought a “PO-137 – Rick and Morty Edition” just for the looks).
I would give the regular one a 4-star rating due to it’s limited use and the “Rick and Morty Edition” a 4.5-star rating cause I think it looks cool… but that’s only a matter of personal taste! 😉
PO-32 (Tonic): Great little drum machine. Much more versatile than PO-12 Rhythm (which also is a drum machine) cause this one allows you to back-up and exchange sounds, through the separately available Microtonic VST Plugin. That one is also highly recommended! I give the PO-32 a 5-star rating cause it does what is supposed to do and it does it well. Especially in combination with the VST (which let’s you sculpt sounds and program patterns, which you can then “upload” into the PO) it’s a powerful package… and certainly the best drum machine in that tiny form factor!
(Maybe I should highlight that Microtonic can also be used as a regular VST in DAW’s, without the need of owning the PO-32… and it’s great!) 🙂
This humble little PO is super quirky and the standard sounds are great. They don’t get annoying after awhile like the Arcade gets.
All Pocket Operators have a slight learning curve, but they all function basically the same. Watch some YT videos online if you need assistance. They’re great for travel. One thing to note is that my batteries don’t sit well in this one compared to my others, which is annoying.
Overall though, I love this little guy and his little office beeps, chirps, and warbles!
PO 133 – Love the pocket operators this is my favourite by far, sadly the microphone stopped working (everything else works great)
PO 28 – This one was a little harder to learn but after watching a few YouTube videos worked it out.
Both sound great, though the 28-robot is a bit quieter than the 133 or other PO’s I own. (also has the 12 and 35 purchased used on Ebay)
My husband wanted this for his 43rd birthday! I’ll be honest when it arrived I nearly emailed to say it was wrong because it’s small but I would be lying if I didn’t say my husband hasn’t used it nearly everyday (he is a DJ!) and wants some of the other beats to add to it (sigh!)! The point is he’s mega happy and so therefore it was a winner present and I am probably the best and most patient wife known to man!
What can you say- music creator in a pocket, this is the king of pocket operators in my opinion. Genius
5 out of 5. The deep tones from this little machine is worth more than the price. Once you figure out to use the PO, the interface never changes from one to the other. The pros of the tonic is easy drum modulation, you can get whatever sound you are looking for on it. The swing is clutch. You can do cool break, melodic, or uptempo beats. Program sixteen patterns with endless combinations.
The only con I have is that it is a little tricky to put different sounds on it. The microphone on it is only used as a way to transfer different drums made in micro tonic which is an additional 99. Although there are many different drum packs that can be downloaded and ran on your speaker online.
Another con would be the durability , I would suggest buying or 3D printing a case
I personally use this with a PO-33 KO for sampling, and the PO-20 arcade for chromatic chord progressions
You know. I’ve got about a crumb of musical talent in me but this thing is so easy to use. Easy to program and easy to make something that just sounds pleasing.
This thing is tiny and does genuinely fit in your pocket. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to dabble in music have a play and doesn’t mind the price tag.
Pretty amazing handheld DAW. Sampling is easy, sequencing is simple, learning curve is steep, you have to think a certain way in order to not overwrite tracks and sample onto the correct lanes.
I love it, fun and much more creative than staring at your phone.
Der K.O. 33 ist ein genialer Sampler fr unterwegs oder wenn man keine riesigen Gerte rumstehen haben will. Aufgrund seiner Beschrnkungen bleibt er aber nur ein Spielzeug, was schade ist, da nur wenige Modifizierungen ihn in einen vollwertigen Sampler (im Stil der 90er) verwandeln knnten. Was mich nach lngerer intensiver Nutzung strt:
– die Beschrnkung auf 4 Audiospuren. Klar kann man vom PC Drumkits am Stck einspielen, aber dann sitzt man eben wieder vor dem PC. Nicht mglich ist, dass man hier mal einen Kick sampelt, da mal eine Snare und Hihats. Denn dann sind schon 3 von 4 Spuren belegt. Gbe es 5 oder 6 Spuren knnte man alles sampeln. Oder zumindest fehlt eine Funktion, dass man das aufnehmen kann, was man gerade abspielt, so dass man eine Abfolge verschiedener Samples auf eine der Spuren 9-16 aufnehmen und wieder zerhacken knnte.
– dass man den Recordknopf gedrckt halten muss, ist auch rgerlich. Somit hat man nur eine Hand zum Einspielen (oder muss mit irgendwelchen Konstruktionen den Recordknopf einklemmen).
– viele der Effekte wren gar nicht ntig, dafr fehlt einer um so mehr: die nderung der Tonhhe ohne Geschwindigkeitsanpassung. Elementar fr Beats.
Ansonsten ist alles perfekt. Die Limitierung, der knarzige Sound,…
I have wanted a chiptune trinket for a very, very long time. And along comes Teenage Engineering with a premade, cost effective bleep-blooper. I am in love; from the minimalist and simple packaging allthe way through the grit sweeps and the FX… love it!
It’s playable in minutes, very easy to learn. The built in speaker is limited, but decent and connecting it to my speaker system reveals a shocking level of depth. For such a tiny thing, the sound is huge! Next up, the PO-137
I can easily see a person spending way too much time messing around with this!!! I already have, and I don’t even know how to use all the features yet!!
This device is a small palm-sized synthesizer which, while including bass features, does not focus exclusively on them, despite its name. It’s about the size of a small calculator, so it’s tiny.
The variations and permutations you can create on this thing are truly remarkable. I’ve been trying this out for a couple of days, and it has not substantially repeated itself. At all. A few notes may rarely be similar, but it hasn’t actually repeated itself! So there’s little chance of using it up or getting tired of it.quickly.
On its own it is immensely entertaining for a sick or confined person. While you can’t compose with it, exactly, you can play around, thereby generating lots of ideas. A worthwhile though expensive purchase, particularly if you’re sick or convalescing!
*Affordable
*Hardwear not software
*you can take it anywhere. Laying in bed. Sitting on the pot. Taking a stroll in the park.
*Limited possibilities means you use your creativity more.
*Suprisingly cool features
Cons:
*You really need to get to know how to use most the features and spend a diecent amout of time tweaking your song to make it sound cool. Otherwise youll likely end up with something that sounds dull.
*Its easy to forget to turn off “write” and screw up the pattern youve been working on. (Apparently theres a feature that helps prevent this)
First impressions:
For those that are familiar with working in a DAW Pocket Operators are like using your mouse to set the notes (and attack, sustain, decay, release) to a software instrument in the squencer window. Very grindy. . . I guess thats just the nature of sequencing. Other than that this little gadget is pretty cool. The 8-bit sound chip on the po-128 sounds super cool. A big turn on with this is that its not a softwear instrument in a DAW. Working with a DAW with limitless possibilities can dampen your creative process.
Why I got this:
I have kids and I dont really have the time to dive deep into synthesizers, recording, mixing, and mastering like I did when I was a bachelor.
Conclusion:
Go for it. Of course do some research on the particular po your wanting.
Expensive but fun I did have resistance to purchase but in the event I did.
Looking for a simple way to start out in the world of drums? Then go into the kitchen and band some pots and pans with wooden spoons.
However if you fancy dipping your creative toe into the world of drum machines then the PO tonic is a great place to start. As small as a calculator and easy enough for a trained chimp to program in some sick loops. I can think of no better way to have fun with a battery operated gadget. Actually I can but let’s leave that.
Bid beats from a small package. Programmable, portable and cheap. Get one and summon up your inner Neil Peart.
What a banger!
Die Devisen
– Grundfunktionen des Samplens lernen
– Kreativitt durch verminderten Funktionsumfang
– Extreme Handlichkeit
– Einstiegsdroge
sind auch die Hauptargumente fr einen PO 33 KO. In der Preislage gibt es auch noch andere Produkte, wie den Korg Volca und diverse Auslaufmodelle, welche ich alle nicht getestet habe, aber welche in dem Bereich auch hufig genannt werden. Ansonsten knnte man auch den normalen Weg gehen und sich eine Umgebung, wie Fruity Loops oder Ableton zu legen, wenn man voll einsteigen mchte.
J’ai dj un po-33 KO je voulais un complment a mon po-33 le tout va super bien la synchronisation parfaite ! Ce qui est du po-35 speak je lui est mis 4 toiles a mon avis il est un peux en dessous du po-33 qui est plus complet…mais il est quand mme super ! Vraiment bien du plaisirs assur!!!
If you’re like me and love to make music and make beats and have fun while doing it!? Then this is perfect for you, once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun! I find myself getting lost in the different types of beats, sounds and songs I can make, if you’re unsure how to use it go on YouTube type in pocket operator there are so many helpful videos, if you’re also like me and was unsure whether to spend that much on a little notice maker, I’ll just say I did and I’m happy I did,
I think I might actually collect them
I like them that much
My husband loved this gift. So much so that he now has completed his collection with 3 other productions from the same brand.
This review is about the PO-20 Arcade.
They may look a bit odd and minimalist, but they sound incredible and provide a lot of fun for the creatively minded. If you are a beginner to electronic music, the PO may somewhat puzzle you, but in the hands of someone with even a little bit of experience, these provide hours of fun and even some serious musical capability.
The PO-20 totally takes me back to my youth when I used to own an Atari. The rich 8-bit quality of the square wave arps superbly re-create the atmosphere of that era, but with a modern twist. The chord sequencing is inspired. Very clever indeed, hats of to Jesper Kouthoofd and his team for producing something remarkable. I love the way the chord sequence changes the arps and baseline, even without turning up the drone. The side chain compression simulation on the drone sound is a very cool sounding modern twist.
I am also astounded by the very expansive sequencing capability. You can store 16 x 16 step sequences and link them into a chain of up to 128 patterns, that is whopping 2048 steps! The chord sequence of up to 128 “bars” (from a choice of 16 cleverly chosen chords) is independent from this so the options are virtually limitless. Each sound has two parameters that can be sequenced too.
I love the fact that I can sync my PO to my Korg Volcas and other synths. Very easy to set up, plug in and select SY2, that’s all there is to it!
The only bit of criticism I have is about the packaging. I get that this is all part of the overall minimalist design of the product, but does not protect it enough when sent. Especially the knobs are vulnerable as they stick out of the packaging. My first one arrived with one of the knobs smashed in. This is partly because Amazon did not properly packaged it (just stuffed it into an envelope, which got crushed between heavier boxes). The replacement came in the same rubbish packaging, but all works fine. I disagree that the unit is vulnerable to damage. Of course there are always those that treat their kit like Casey Neistat, but then of course nothing is safe from damage.
Highly recommended, seriously thinking which one I want next!
Not returning them as the items themselves are not damaged but these are expensive and partly gifts. One is rather tattered. The packaging for these are delicate. Two could be “salvaged” with some light and careful taping but the packaging is important if you are paying full price I would have no issues with some minor bits but they look like they’ve been tossed about which is expected if in processing but perhaps they need some kind of protective case for this box I don’t know but is pretty bad. I’m not sure about this as well maybe they changed it but I thought the PO-33 box was supposed to be shiny? These are not, I don’t know why that is but.
Aside from this what can you say they are acclaimed little devices!
Crazy and funny machine! Better see some tutorials at YouTube to learn all the options and best way to use it!
16 sound, 16 fx, 16 patterns, create your own, act in live or connect more instruments or pocket operators. So funny!
Fantastic
Carnt believe how they can fit so much into a small package
Pick up and go batters last for ages
Fortunately there are many YouTube videos out on this unit and Teenage Engineering’s other related devices.
I’m NOT happy with the packaging from the seller as the PO-33s box looked like it had been crushed in transit (via US mail). A bubble wrap envelope was not enough to protect the device, and sometimes my buttons don’t work. I don’t know if it’s due to damage in transit or other reasons. This is after all a circuit board with electronics and the box shown in the pictures is very flimsy. Buyer beware! Perhaps select gift packaging -even if buying for yourself- so that there will be additional cushioning? Just a thought.
The video clip is an example of one of the pre-installed patterns which can be modified with filters, pitch, tone, etc.
If you are buying this consider getting a 3.5 male to male cable so you can use the line-in plug and sample sounds from a phone, etc.
Fantastic product, bought for my boyfriends birthday. He loves it, hours of fun and providing he uses it with headphones lots of peace and quiet for me. Took a few youtube tutorials to get a good understanding of how to use it. The units really are pocket size, it’s worth investing in one of the silicone covers to protect it.
Good tim killer also peeves of grand parents an mothers if kids get i
Good tim killer also peeves of grand parents an mothers if kids get i
i bought this to play with making beats – very happy with my purchase
i bought this to play with making beats – very happy with my purchase
I saw this thing on youtube by other producers.. it’s very hard to use or maybe im not as smart. I followed other users on youtube and it didnt even record my samples.. im just confused by it.. i will take some time to learn it but overall i like just playing the sounds that are already there, i just havent known how to actually write a basic loop or record a simple sound..
The instructions are good for getting you started, but I found some good tutorial videos on youtube that really helped me get going with this.
Sound quality is really good (obvs depended on what speakers/earphones you’re using). Recording the output on PC should be really straightforward if you’ve got a line-in – if you don’t have, you’ll need to think about buying a cheap USB sound card with a line in to be able to record your music.
Really tempted to save up for one of the other pocket operator devices now.
– 40 second sample time can be limiting, but is easy to work with if you keep it in mind
– Speaker on this thing is good (around as good as a mid range phone), microphone is AMAZING! Makes live sampling easy breasy
– It looks flimsy but this thing is solid. It feels like the motherboard you might pull out of your computer, solid piece of hardware
THE ONLY THING IS….
Data transfer can be tricky. You save dataa/songs/sounds etc through the line out port, but it can be tricky to do that, and with 40 seconds of memory backing this thing up on thee regular is important. HEADS UP, most people have to purchase ADDITIONAL cords or cables/peripherals to be able to actually record the songs they make on this thing to a phone/computer etc.
TL;DR: BUUUUUUUYYYY ITTT!!!! This thing is AMAZING!! It’s the pocket sampler/baby MPC you’ve been dreaming about. And lets be real, it’s the best pocket music device to come out in more than a decade so if it’s actually in stock I’d say get it!
It’s such a happy little gadget!
I’m in the same boat as some others; a toe-dipper trying to get into electronic music. The PO-12 rhythm was probably where I should’ve started but I went with the Arcade after hearing the awesome chiptune effects on YouTube. And its adorable.
No regrets so far.
If you use tutorial videos and the instructions that come with the Arcade, you’ll be writing fun patterns and chaining them into tracks in no time. Like an hour at most.
Also it’s very easy to carry around so will be great for travel entertainment. Furthermore it sounds great plugged into a speaker if you want to show pals the tracks you’ve made.
A great first synth/drum machine, has given me the confidence to look further into synth music and likely will buy another PO or other synth soon.
So first of all, if you were like me and this is your first foray to this kind of thing : the guide printed in the cardboard container is useless. The manual in 3 different language is slightly more useful, but its also as confusing. Go to the website and find the fully illustrated guide, thats what you need.
The problem is, the thing is loaded with demo patterns etc that is meant for you to remove and re-write over before you start. Which in the guide is like step 5, or 6.
If you just kind of press buttons according to the short guide, the thing would make all sorts of demo noise, and you’ll accidentally add even more noise and effects to it, and before long you’d be totally, loss.
If you just press chords button, you’d be like nothing is happening. There is no reason for you to know that the volume was 0.
Etc etc. All in all, great device, bad included manual, but that said, the online manual is good, and the youtube tutorial by ricky tinez will explain the thing to you , the whole thing, in 15 minutes . Have fun!
Very interesting to use if you like music on the go
Very interesting to use if you like music on the go
Donc “prenons un sampler en plus, comme a la boucle est boucle”.
Oui mais non: ce n’est pas un chantillonneur proprement parler
Il faut d’abord mieux le dcrire: c’est un synthtiseur dot d’une fonction d’chantillonnage
Et c’est en a que c’est intressant
Parce qu’en fait tout ce qui rentre via le micro ou le line in, est destructur puis recompos en synthse, et donc le rsultat, mme sans effet, est “destructif” mais du coup…
devient manipulable!! Et donc autotune, voix robotique, synthse sonore pure etc tout est ddi au traitement d’une source vocale ou approchant -il faut exprimenter- et c’est bien foutu
On commence d’abord par faire tester aux enfants, la voix robotique et le “noise” qui file une frousse d’enfer, ok ok la 1re heure est ludique et totalement dnue de musicalit
C’est lorsque tout ce petit monde est couch que a devient intressant: on visse le casque sur les esgourdes et on branche le line in.
Direction les accap’ de VousTube, on choppe 2 bars d’une chanteuse de soul des 70’s, et on test
Vu que les pitch/speed/vol/tonalit sont modifiables pour chaque effet, on arrive un panel de texture vari permettant toute sorte d’ambiance/synth lead/bass, l’origine incongrue.
Une vraie chanteuse ou un simple “cacaprout” du petit de 5 ans est potentiellement vecteur de quelque chose d’exploitable, c’est pas mal.
Maintenant le “sound 12”
On y trouve une BAR monophonique issue du Microtonic, les sons sont modifiables et priori on peut switch de kit via le soft en question -qui vous dlestera de quelques 99 si vous souhaiter vous le procurer…- un petit malin trouvera bien un moyen de contournement un de ces 4, comme l’un l’a fait avec Caustic (android) et le Volca Sample
Mais nom d’une pipe cette BAR sonne vraiment! Punch, crust, parfois ch(ea)ip tune, mais pour du hiphop lofi ou autre art sonore electro, c’est plutt bienvenu! lger, facile digrer, il en sort tjs quelque chose dont l’odeur sonore varie en fonction de ce qu’on lui donne manger: pour moi c’est des gros beat boombap entre 80 et 90 bpm. On peut se contenter du kit en modifiant les paramtres de chaque son propos le temps de faire une beat tape, il faudra trouver autre chose aprs (un autre PO -le 32- ou ce que je conseille tous: un Volca Drum)
Vous l’aurez compris c’est un pocket operator particulier, ayant une personnalit propre et rien que pour cette particularit, il mrite d’intgrer votre setup.
Help to protect PO, neat fit and easy to install. They are designed specifically for the PO and do a good job, for what they are, they are expensive, it’s basically a silicone boot which costs about 1 to manufacturer but sells for considerably more. They stopped making the model specific ones a while ago but the universal ones work and fit exactly the same, still overpriced considering what it is and what it costs to make. The PO’s themselves are good value and a lot of fun and these cases do ensure they’ll survive any knocks, bumps or drops during their life.
Peut rapidement devenir chronophage.
Les samples que vous ferez sont de bonne qualit.
Attention, les possibilits d’chantillonnage sur ce modle sont divises en deux parties :
Les touches de 1 8 pour des samples ” classiques “.
Puis les touches 9 16.
Sur cette deuxime partie votre chantillon sera reparti sur les touches 1 16. C’est dire que au moment de l’coute, il y aura un petit bout de votre sample sur chacune de ces touches. A vous de le rajuster pour qu’il soit bien cal lorsque l’on dclenche la touche 1, la touche 2 etc… jusqu’ la touche 16. C’est fastidieux caler.
Les touches 9 16 sont censes tre utilises pour un set de percussion. Donc, 16 sons distincts et spars l’enregistrement puis l’coute. Il faut aller vite lorsque l’on sample. Les 16 sont doivent aller dare-dare.
Attention, en vrit, il n’y a pas assez de mmoire pour remplir de sample les 16 touches avec de bonnes choses.
C’est l la faille de l’engin. Cela reste un ” jouet “. Mais vous pouvez tout aussi bien dvier et trouver d’autres ides.
Sinon, pour le reste ca marche trs bien, quelques ” effets ” et moyen de bidouiller un peu.
Branch ou au casque, le son n’est pas mauvais mais aussi ses faillent.
Pour plus de place mais avec une frquence d’chantillonnage plus basse et par consquent un son moins bon au niveau des samples, il y a le P.0-35 Speak lui aussi trs chouette. Peut-tre mieux ?
C’est suivant les gots.
Il faut essayer.
I’ve been programming drums and percussion loops for a long time now so it only took half an hour to learn all the functions and to get my head around the step writing system. Adding effects and bleeps with the ability to record the filtering/pitch live was a genius idea for this device, it turns what could have been just a drum machine into so much more.
Getting the batteries in and out took a bit of getting used to. I’m still discovering and playing with some of the features like swing, copying patterns, playing groups of patterns.
A great device at a reasonable price.
An all in one pocket sized synthesizer which can be connected to other models in the range. Each model has a different set of effects. This one allows chord sounds to be played.
A pocket sized synthesizer. One of a series of similar modules that can be played standalone or linked to other modules in the range. This unit forms a standalone drum machine, perfect for providing background rythym for practising with other instruments or connecting to orher modules to provide a beat track. You won’t find a drum machine any cheaper.
Excellent piece of kit, syncs with my volca and other PO’s, sampling is great.
Can take time to set up with your kit of samples but once done you can make some sweet little jams on the fly.
Excellent piece of kit, syncs with my volca and other PO’s, sampling is great.
Can take time to set up with your kit of samples but once done you can make some sweet little jams on the fly.
Les protagonistes sont les microgranny, volca sample, ou appli android/iPhone
Microgranny trop cher, Volca Sample -possd, revendu- qui ne sample pas vraiment, et sur un smartphone trop peu de “ressenti instrumental” et qui ncessite une interface supplmentaire pour pouvoir sampler.
Et TE a sorti le PO-33.
Merci.
Parce que tout comme toi lecteur, en tant que beatmaker devenu papa de 3 enfants, et bien c’est bien pratique de pouvoir pratiquer notre art commun assis tranquillement dans son lit, casque viss sur les oreilles.
Les plus :
Le son: machine spciale hip-hop lo-fi, bien aid par la dure limite d’echantillonage
Le traitement des samples est vraiment bien foutu, une partie mlodique qui joue chromatiquement les samples, et une partie drum qui dcoupe les samples le tout sur 16 pas.
Pour nous autres amateurs de boombap bercs la MPC et autres SP, cette section drum est fort intressante car une fois les chops ajusts, ceux ci sont jouables en mode mute group (le dclenchement d’un sample coupe celui en cours de lecture) ce qui rend le tout aussi musical que nous l’attendons pour un sampler tel que nous l’entendons.
Le swing, le pitch shift, les effets, les filtres (omg ils sont fous) in fine mme la dure de 40s est fort honnte, et bien sur tout a dans un prix qui dpasse toute esprance
Les moins:
Pour ma part ils sont d’ordre ergonomique. Mes peluches ncessiteront sous peu l’aide d’un botier permettant de mieux apprhender les touches qui, mme si elles sont trs fonctionnelles (au point de pouvoir fingerdrum sans problme en enregistrement live), mrite une meilleure surface de contact.
En l’occurrence plus large pour moi.
En conclusion:
Ce qui est bon avec ce sampler c’est qu’il concentre les bons points de tout ce qu’on a eu de mini dans les annes 90: les boss sp202/303, lesdits SU-10 et MS1, portabilit et autonomie en plus, mais sans les inconvnients.
Allez il manquerait une fonction resample et l et bien ma foi… Ils exploseraient le march
Teenage Engineering si vous me lisez…
Parce que du coup pour rendre le truc ultime de chez ultime, c’est pas 1, mais 2 po33 qu’il faut…
All units operate in a similar manner so really starts to entertain from the moment you put the batteries in . I now have nine of these little machines and sadly this one has the same low volume problem as two of the others hence knocking down to four stars ,…..( Unfair really )…….. just plug it into an Amplifier and……….Problem solved!
You will lose hours with these playing around with these machines and your face will ache with the grin that comes from such a simple yet complex sound generator .
Before I bought this I did a bit of research to make sure it meets my needs. Perfect companion for my volca bass and keys. Plenty of good tutorials on Youtube to get you up and running in no time.
Really easy to sync with other devices and really easy to create your own patterns.
Fantastic device!
Create your own chip tune masterpieces with this sequencer and tone generator.
It’s a calculator sized gadget but packs a mighty punch.
Connects to headphones or amp and speakers.
You’ll need two AAA batteries.
You can also get a calculator sized case for this.
There are other versions available that produce different tones.
This model would be even better value a tenner cheaper or with a case thrown in.
Still, amazing little instrument.
Takes a while to get you’re head around but you’ll be making beats in no time!
Please click ‘HELPFUL’ below as it really helps me do more reviews like this 😉
I also recommend making your own manual, for the things you need to do but forget. I got the case for this as i wanted to protect it but its really sturdy, i maybe didnt need to being honest.
Buy one, make music, share it with the world.
So god for putting down ideas on the go. Great sound for such a tiny device, definitely one of the best teenage engineering units
I have got it as a present for one of my friends. He says is great. I played with it a bit and I really liked it. If you are into synths or you have a kid it is worth every penny.
Fantastic product!!! Unique sounding drum machine and so cool to have ‘microtonic’ sounds in ‘hardware form’ so they can be run through other equipment etc…
Great. Took a chance based on some reviews and videos.
Great. Took a chance based on some reviews and videos.
Nice lil machine you can spend hours playing with, for easily making arcade game style themes.
Reccomended for some fun on the sofa or taking on trips.
I’m not giving it 5 stars because the instructions booklet is a bit scarce, and because it could include a protective case.