NAMM 2016: Teenage Engineering and Cheap Monday release 3 new pocket operators
Following last year’s PO series on which we bestowed just about every MusicTech award possible, Teenage Engineering has three more PO20 units, and the specs sound incedible. Official info below: last year the two swedish companies teenage engineering and cheap monday started a collaboration and launched a line of micro sized synthesizers called pocket operators. this was […]
Following last year’s PO series on which we bestowed just about every MusicTech award possible, Teenage Engineering has three more PO20 units, and the specs sound incedible.
Official info below:
last year the two swedish companies teenage engineering and cheap monday started a collaboration and launched a line of micro sized synthesizers called pocket operators. this was a great success and generated a lot of good noise.
the idea of the collaboration between teenage engineering and cheap monday was born in the autumn of 2013. the engineers needed new, protective, lab coats for the staff and instead of buying generic ones teenage engineering’s creative director, jesper kouthoofd, turned to his longtime friend ann-sofie back asking cheap monday to design a unique coat and additional garments for his team, to kit them out in modern day work wear.
cheap monday took on the challenge but decided that there was also more to explore in this fledgling partnership; what began with the engineers need for new lab wear grew into a project where a line of innovative new portable synthesizers and matching gear was born.
the fact that both brands position themselves as accessible and inclusive towards anyone who has the urge to create or take action in creative culture provided the perfect cornerstone for the collaboration and as well as acted as an inspiration for the design process. with the pocket operators, retailing at only $59 each, teenage engineering and cheap monday introduced the smallest, smoothest and cheapest synthesizers ever, still delivering premium sound, features and effects. these were truly great products at a great price, accessible to all.
with the launch of the teenage engineering collaboration, cheap monday took a step outside of its core business; jeans and fashion.
this year the story continues with a new line of pocket operators, the PO 20-series.
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about the products
the new line of the pocket operators is called the PO 20-series, and again three different units are released:
PO-20 arcade
• pocket arcade synthesizer and sequencer for rapid beat making and chiptune improvisation
• synthesized arcade sounds
• chord chaining
• 16 sounds
• 16 punch-in effects
hashtag: #po20
PO-24 office
• sampled vintage hardware and real synthesizer engines
• 16 sounds
• 16 punch-in effects
• solo control
hashtag: #po24
PO-28 robot
• real 8-bit synthesizer engines for making live and sequenced melodies and leads
• 15 sounds + micro drum
• live play + sequencer combo
hashtag: #po28
all three units feature
• sequencer
• parameter locks
• built-in speaker
• 3.5 mm audio I/O
• jam sync
• LCD display
• folding stand
• watch + alarm clock
• battery powered (2 x AAA)
• 1 month battery life (normal use 1h/day)
