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Simply nicknamed 16, 170 and 400, these new devices are what Teenage Engineering proudly calls "the poor man's modular". These are reasonably priced introductions into the complicated and often incredibly expensive world of modular synthesis, where, instead of having a traditional keyboard with a predetermined signal path, you have to connect different parts to create the desired sound.
The 16 is a simple modular membrane keypad, it produces no sound alone, but it can be connected to other equipment with a control voltage (CV) in outlets. The 170 retains this membrane keyboard and connects it to a simple monophonic synth with a unique square wave oscillator, an LFO, an envelope generator, a sequencer and everything you would need to create music (or at least noise), including a speaker. Finally, there is the 400 – the big boy of the group. It includes Square, Sine and Saw oscillators, 2 VCAs, 2 envelopes, a mixer, a random generator, a 16 step sequencer, an LFO, a noise module, a filter and more, for a total of 16 different modules. He loses the keyboard of 170, but keeps the speaker.
Not surprisingly, these new synths are neither pocket nor as affordable as the rest of the Pocket Operator range. The 16 is $ 149, the $ 170 is $ 349 and the $ 400 is $ 499. These last two in particular could induce a small sticker shock for the most expensive handheld operator up to $ 89. But they are significantly cheaper than most of your other modular options (but not all).
If you are wondering how a $ 500 synthesizer the size of a table format book goes well beside the PO-12 at $ 50, you're not the only one. I interviewed Oscar Ahlgren, head of development at Teenage Engineering, and he explained that the pocket operators aimed to "get a lot for their money" rather than their price. He also added: "When you open the box and you start unpacking the kit, you will definitely feel that it has that pocket operator ambience … All of this is very playful and fun without sacrificing the sound quality. "
It is interesting to note that Mr. Ahlgren stated that the company was very much inspired by his work with Ikea for the new line. After "watching the modular world for a moment," the company realized that it could create "flat pack" kits in which it "would compromise anything but the sound quality" that the customer had to bademble. For example, Ahlgren said "the casing is made of sheet metal that folds into its final shape, which requires some attention from the user manual because you do not want to bend it in a way having to discover that you're going to 39, have badly folded and then fold it Where the slogan of this project: "twink twice, fold once".
And do not worry, Teenage Engineering is already planning to release unique module extensions later this year.
We look forward to getting a kit. But for now, we have to make do with the video above.
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