PO-2x
I'm proud to announce Arcade, Office and Robot, three affordable, portable synthesisers that I've developed for Teenage Engineering's Pocket Operator series.
- PO-20 Arcade is an 8-bit synthesiser and sequencer for rapid beat making and chiptune improvisation.
- PO-24 Office lets you create noisy, glitchy beats out of sampled vintage hardware such as floppy drives and a matrix printer.
- PO-28 Robot lets you play soaring 8-bit melodies live, while also including a sequencer and micro drumkit.
The Pocket Operators are available online, as well as through retailers worldwide.
Teenage Engineering is a Stockholm-based electronics company that designs and manufactures synthesisers, among other things. They got in touch with me back in 2012, asking if I'd be interested in some kind of collaboration. So we met up and had some great creative discussions, and then we both kind of lost momentum due to other projects. But when they started to work on the original Pocket Operators, the PO-1x series, it became evident that this was a perfect opportunity for us to do something together. The original plan was that I would design a single 8-bit Pocket Operator (now Arcade), but the scope grew and we finally settled for the three machines above.
The PO-2x series was unveiled at NAMM 2016, and you'll find several online videos where I give demonstrations for the press, such as the following one:
I also got to star in the official instruction videos, which were shot in a studio in Stockholm:
Finally, let me draw your attention to a nice tutorial by Cuckoo:
Posted Tuesday 26-Jan-2016 05:34
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Anonymous
Mon 25-Jan-2016 21:56
Mon 25-Jan-2016 21:56
Hi Linus,
I'm delighted to hear you're involved with these modules. I saw them discussed a couple of days ago and ordered right away as they sounded incredible. I'm so excited to try them out when they arrive. My hope is to be able to record some loops with these so I can build up something for my game. We're so lucky to have someone with your genius pushing this genre.
John
I'm delighted to hear you're involved with these modules. I saw them discussed a couple of days ago and ordered right away as they sounded incredible. I'm so excited to try them out when they arrive. My hope is to be able to record some loops with these so I can build up something for my game. We're so lucky to have someone with your genius pushing this genre.
John
Anonymous
Thu 28-Jan-2016 21:29
Thu 28-Jan-2016 21:29
My po-20 should be arriving today! Very excited
Anonymous
Sun 31-Jan-2016 06:01
Sun 31-Jan-2016 06:01
Dude, just found out you're one of the guys behind the new PO's. I remember being entranced by your AVR chiptune project years ago, so cool to see the same kind of fun brought to something like the pocket operators. The Arcade is a blast.
Anonymous
Thu 4-Feb-2016 23:08
Thu 4-Feb-2016 23:08
Linus, this is fantastic!
Would you be able to comment on the technical side of the devices? Are they still a Leopard Gecko Cortex-M3 for the main CPU and a Cirrus Logic CODEC?
You mentioned in one of the videos that aliasing was a problem to overcome, does this mean the CODEC is operating at 16 bit / 48 kHz?
Lastly, does this also mean that there is now 0 probability of the Bitbuf schematics and source ever being released?
Would you be able to comment on the technical side of the devices? Are they still a Leopard Gecko Cortex-M3 for the main CPU and a Cirrus Logic CODEC?
You mentioned in one of the videos that aliasing was a problem to overcome, does this mean the CODEC is operating at 16 bit / 48 kHz?
Lastly, does this also mean that there is now 0 probability of the Bitbuf schematics and source ever being released?
Anonymous
Sat 6-Feb-2016 23:14
Sat 6-Feb-2016 23:14
Now make Parallelogram Portable! FPGA handheld and make amazing tracker for PC! I will buy 4x Parallelogram Portables...
Anonymous
Tue 9-Feb-2016 09:21
Tue 9-Feb-2016 09:21
Amazing! Keep making!
Anonymous
Wed 17-Feb-2016 15:43
Wed 17-Feb-2016 15:43
Thank for your contribution to humanity, Linus.
Anonymous
Fri 19-Feb-2016 21:32
Fri 19-Feb-2016 21:32
Are you going to post a video of you doing a lengthened song with one of these platforms?
mporshnev
Max Porshnev
Wed 6-Apr-2016 14:37
Max Porshnev
Wed 6-Apr-2016 14:37
How does the sync between multiple POs work? What you gonna see if you sniff the interconnect with an oscilloscope?
mporshnev
Max Porshnev
Wed 2-Nov-2016 11:46
Max Porshnev
Wed 2-Nov-2016 11:46
It sounds like «Exposure» by Gareth Emery was performed on Pocket Operators. :-)
jostein_topland
Jostein Topland
Wed 14-Jun-2017 00:53
Jostein Topland
Wed 14-Jun-2017 00:53
Just got the PO-20 and PO-28. Awesome instruments!
I'm missing having the option to set a different scale. Any plans for an update to enable custom ones? Would like to play some tunes in a major scale..
Thanks!
I'm missing having the option to set a different scale. Any plans for an update to enable custom ones? Would like to play some tunes in a major scale..
Thanks!
Anonymous
Sun 3-Sep-2017 01:44
Sun 3-Sep-2017 01:44
Hi, is it normal for the low pass slow sweep fx on the po28 to only work 1 time, and not reset like all the others reset. That is what mine does. I can only use that effect once, unless I take the batteries out and put them back in.
lft
Linus Åkesson
Mon 4-Sep-2017 07:40
Linus Åkesson
Mon 4-Sep-2017 07:40
Hi, is it normal for the low pass slow sweep fx on the po28 to only work 1 time, and not reset like all the others reset. That is what mine does. I can only use that effect once, unless I take the batteries out and put them back in.
Yes, this is a known bug. Sorry for that.
It has been fixed by now, so new units don't have this problem.
Anonymous
Mon 9-Apr-2018 21:40
Mon 9-Apr-2018 21:40
i just got my pocket po20 arcade synth, but unfortunately i find
it impossible to actually record a pattern. according to your instructions,
I should be able to press 'write', then set the sounds by clicking
the desired 1-16 buttons and then press 'play', right?
well, it keeps playing the initial pattern, the sounds i selected are
played as well, but mixed with the existing pattern. how do i
start a pattern from scratch ?
thanks a lot, i'm wondering if the little synth is broken :(
Jonathan
it impossible to actually record a pattern. according to your instructions,
I should be able to press 'write', then set the sounds by clicking
the desired 1-16 buttons and then press 'play', right?
well, it keeps playing the initial pattern, the sounds i selected are
played as well, but mixed with the existing pattern. how do i
start a pattern from scratch ?
thanks a lot, i'm wondering if the little synth is broken :(
Jonathan
lft
Linus Åkesson
Tue 10-Apr-2018 12:41
Linus Åkesson
Tue 10-Apr-2018 12:41
the sounds i selected are
played as well, but mixed with the existing pattern. how do i
start a pattern from scratch ?
played as well, but mixed with the existing pattern. how do i
start a pattern from scratch ?
To clear the current pattern, hold Chord and press Pattern. (This gesture is the same on all pocket operators, even when the button in the upper right corner is called something other than Chord.)
Good luck with the music making!
Anonymous
Sat 29-Sep-2018 18:10
Sat 29-Sep-2018 18:10
lft wrote:
Hi, is it normal for the low pass slow sweep fx on the po28 to only work 1 time, and not reset like all the others reset. That is what mine does. I can only use that effect once, unless I take the batteries out and put them back in.
Yes, this is a known bug. Sorry for that.
It has been fixed by now, so new units don't have this problem.
Hi, I just bought a new PO-28 and it has the bug. I asked the guy in the store about it and he told me that it won't have it as it is new stock and they sell them all the time. I guess he lied to my face. Should I contact TE about this? Do they replace units with the bug?
lft
Linus Åkesson
Mon 1-Oct-2018 12:57
Linus Åkesson
Mon 1-Oct-2018 12:57
lft wrote:
Hi, is it normal for the low pass slow sweep fx on the po28 to only work 1 time, and not reset like all the others reset. That is what mine does. I can only use that effect once, unless I take the batteries out and put them back in.
Yes, this is a known bug. Sorry for that.
It has been fixed by now, so new units don't have this problem.
Hi, I just bought a new PO-28 and it has the bug. I asked the guy in the store about it and he told me that it won't have it as it is new stock and they sell them all the time. I guess he lied to my face. Should I contact TE about this? Do they replace units with the bug?
Ouch, sorry to hear that. May I ask you to please create a ticket here:
https://teenage-engineering.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
I think our support people should be able to help you. It also helps us to get this information into the system, to document what happend and hopefully prevent similar problems in the future.
Anonymous
Sat 22-Dec-2018 12:08
Sat 22-Dec-2018 12:08
Oh my gosh you made these? I saw some tutorials and awesome videos of people playing 'em online and ordered the Arcade, seeing them instantly made me think back to your bitbuf and the really cool demo of it you put out. Awesome to have some tech you designed, great job man :)
x3n0n
Wed 16-Dec-2020 16:06
Wed 16-Dec-2020 16:06
First: thanks for making these! I recently got a PO-20, and I'm having a great time!
Second: would you be willing to describe what notes are arp'ed by sounds 9-12? I think I understand 9 and 12, but I am not sure about the details of 10 or 11.
Conjectures:
* 9 (arpeggio) plays the triad from the current chord, with knob A choosing the inversion and octave
* 12 (octave arp) plays the knob-A-selected note in multiple octaves
For sounds 10 and 11 (melodic and falling arp, respectively), I can tell that the "dominant" note is the one selected by knob A, but I'm not sure what the rest of the notes are and how they are related to the current chord.
Many thanks!
Second: would you be willing to describe what notes are arp'ed by sounds 9-12? I think I understand 9 and 12, but I am not sure about the details of 10 or 11.
Conjectures:
* 9 (arpeggio) plays the triad from the current chord, with knob A choosing the inversion and octave
* 12 (octave arp) plays the knob-A-selected note in multiple octaves
For sounds 10 and 11 (melodic and falling arp, respectively), I can tell that the "dominant" note is the one selected by knob A, but I'm not sure what the rest of the notes are and how they are related to the current chord.
Many thanks!
lft
Linus Åkesson
Mon 11-Jan-2021 13:12
Linus Åkesson
Mon 11-Jan-2021 13:12
x3n0n wrote:
For sounds 10 and 11 (melodic and falling arp, respectively), I can tell that the "dominant" note is the one selected by knob A, but I'm not sure what the rest of the notes are and how they are related to the current chord.Many thanks!
Both of these place the knob-selected note at the top of the arpeggio, with a couple of chord notes as close as possible below that. I'm pretty sure more chord notes are used in instrument 11, to cover more octaves.
Instrument 10 plays the notes in a quick loop.
Instrument 11 plays through the notes once, from top to bottom, at a slower speed. It begins an octave higher.
Anonymous
Mon 11-Jan-2021 21:46
Mon 11-Jan-2021 21:46
lft wrote:
x3n0n wrote:
For sounds 10 and 11 (melodic and falling arp, respectively), I can tell that the "dominant" note is the one selected by knob A, but I'm not sure what the rest of the notes are and how they are related to the current chord.Many thanks!
Both of these place the knob-selected note at the top of the arpeggio, with a couple of chord notes as close as possible below that. I'm pretty sure more chord notes are used in instrument 11, to cover more octaves.
Instrument 10 plays the notes in a quick loop.
Instrument 11 plays through the notes once, from top to bottom, at a slower speed. It begins an octave higher.
Ah, I see. Thank you again, and happy new year!
Anonymous
Wed 28-Apr-2021 18:18
Wed 28-Apr-2021 18:18
I am curious how to go about generating the robot voice on the PO-28. (demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloyDjmU2dQ&t=1266s). Also do you know if this feature made it into the PO-128 that was released a few months ago?
Thank you.
Thank you.
lft
Linus Åkesson
Tue 4-May-2021 08:49
Linus Åkesson
Tue 4-May-2021 08:49
I am curious how to go about generating the robot voice on the PO-28. (demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloyDjmU2dQ&t=1266s). Also do you know if this feature made it into the PO-128 that was released a few months ago?
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm afraid that voice recording wasn't created on the PO-28, nor the PO-128. They don't have that feature.
Anonymous
Wed 5-May-2021 21:42
Wed 5-May-2021 21:42
Thank you for clearing that up. Your work is admirable regardless (PO-128 is my favorite PO so far)! You seem like an exceptional polymath, may you continue to bridge the gaps between worlds.
I'm afraid that voice recording wasn't created on the PO-28, nor the PO-128. They don't have that feature.
lft wrote:
I am curious how to go about generating the robot voice on the PO-28. (demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloyDjmU2dQ&t=1266s). Also do you know if this feature made it into the PO-128 that was released a few months ago?
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm afraid that voice recording wasn't created on the PO-28, nor the PO-128. They don't have that feature.