Top 5 Pocket Operator: Your Essential Buying Guide

Rating: 9.2/10

The Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O.! is a tiny but mighty music-making gadget. It’s a micro sampler and drum machine that fits in your pocket. You can record sounds and then play them back in cool ways. It’s like having a portable music studio!

What We Like:

• It has 40 seconds of memory to record your own sounds.
• You can record samples right into it with its built-in microphone.
• You can play your samples like a keyboard (chromatically) or as single hits (one-shots).
• It lets you add drum sounds to your samples, making your music sound fuller.
• There are 16 built-in effects, like loops and stutters, to make your samples sound amazing.
• You can connect it to other Pocket Operators to make even more music together.
• It’s small and easy to carry around, so you can make music anywhere.

What Could Be Improved:

• The screen can be a little hard to see in bright light.
• The buttons are small, so it might take some getting used to.
• The battery life could be longer for extended jam sessions.

The PO-33 K.O.! is a fun and creative tool for anyone who loves making beats. It’s a great way to experiment with sound and create unique music on the go.

Rating: 9.2/10

The teenage engineering PO-12 Rhythm is a super cool little drum machine and sequencer that fits right in your pocket. It lets you make your own beats and songs with a bunch of different drum sounds and fun effects. It’s easy to use, so you can start creating music right away, whether you’re at home or on the move.

What We Like:

• It makes 16 different drum sounds, like cymbals and hi-hats, using real synthesized sounds.
• You get 16 built-in effects, such as distortion and delay, to make your beats sound unique.
• You can build a whole song by chaining up to 16 patterns together.
• It has a jam-sync feature to connect with other Pocket Operators, and it can sync with other gear using its audio-pulse sync.
• You can easily change the effects in real-time using the two knobs, and control the tempo from 60 to 240 beats per minute.

What Could Be Improved:

• The screen can be a little hard to see in bright light.
• The buttons are small, which might be tricky for people with larger fingers.

The PO-12 Rhythm is an awesome tool for anyone who loves making music. It’s a fun and affordable way to explore beat-making and songwriting.

Rating: 9.0/10

The Teenage Engineering PO-20 Arcade is a super fun little music maker that lets you create awesome sounds. It’s like a tiny synthesizer and sequencer that fits right in your pocket. You can make cool retro sounds, kind of like old video games, and even build whole songs with it. It’s easy to use and sounds really good, even without extra speakers.

What We Like:

• It makes both old-school and new synth sounds, like 8-bit video game music.
• You can build full songs using its 16-step sequencer and connect up to 128 different song parts.
• The sound quality is great, thanks to good chips inside.
• It has a built-in speaker, so you can play it anywhere without needing other gear.
• It easily connects with other music gadgets using a special sync feature.
• It has cool features like parameter locks and punch-in effects to make your music more interesting.

What Could Be Improved:

• The screen can be a bit hard to see in bright light.
• It runs on AAA batteries, and you’ll need to replace them.
• The buttons are small, which might be tricky for people with larger fingers.

Overall, the PO-20 Arcade is a fantastic tool for anyone who loves making music, especially if you like that retro video game vibe. It’s a powerful little device that offers a lot of creative fun.

Rating: 8.7/10

The Teenage Engineering PO-32 Tonic is a super cool drum synthesizer. It’s small but packs a punch with its sound-making abilities. You get 16 built-in drum sounds. You can even swap these sounds out using special computer files. This makes it really flexible for creating your own unique beats.

What We Like:

• It’s a tweakable drum synth with 16 preset sounds you can change.
• You can make new drum sounds by using it with the MicroTonic software.
• You can transfer sounds easily using a microphone or a cable.
• The step multiplier lets you repeat sounds to build cool rhythms.
• It has 64 patterns and pattern chaining to create full songs.
• You can use it by itself with its built-in speaker.
• It syncs with other Pocket Operators and even computers or other gear.

What Could Be Improved:

• The MicroTonic Plug-In needs to be bought separately.
• While it can sync, learning all the modes might take a little practice.

This little drum machine is a fantastic tool for anyone wanting to explore electronic music. Its ability to swap sounds and sync with other devices makes it a versatile and fun gadget for making beats on the go.

Rating: 9.2/10

The teenage engineering Pocket Operator PO-14 Sub Bass Synthesizer and Sequencer is a tiny powerhouse for creating killer basslines. This little gadget packs a serious punch, letting you craft unique sounds with its versatile synthesizer engines.

What We Like:

• It’s small but loaded with features, offering multiple real synthesizer engines like wavetable, FM, and subtractive synthesis.
• You can make your bass sounds even better with 16 punch-in effects, including a bit crusher and delay.
• It has 2 tweakable parameter locks to fine-tune your sounds.
• The PO-14 Sub Bass delivers high audio output thanks to its quality components.
• You can jam on the go with its jam-sync function, connecting it to other Pocket Operators or even 3rd-party gear using its audio-pulse-based sync.

What Could Be Improved:

• While it’s packed with features, the small screen and buttons can take some getting used to for complex sequencing.
• The battery life, while decent, might not be enough for super long jamming sessions without spare batteries.

This Pocket Operator is a fantastic tool for any musician looking to add some serious bass grit to their tracks. It’s a fun and portable way to experiment with sound creation.