Small enough to fit in your pocket and powered by a pair of AAA batteries, the Teenage Engineering PO-32 Pocket Operator Tonic is an analog drum synthesizer with 16 on-board sounds and limitless external timbres thanks to a collaboration with Magnus Lindström of Sonic Charges. Indeed, the product was developed by Magnus and Teenage Engineering to jam-pack the sound of Sonic Charge’s well-regarded Microtonic drum synthesizer into the pocket operator’s form factor, recreating the oscillators, envelopes, and filters from the original Microtonic plug-in.

With 16 on-board sounds and 16 tweakable effects, the PO-32 is not merely a replica of the Microtonic. Instead, you can actually create custom sounds in the Microtonic plug-in and transfer them from your computer to the PO-32 by means of its on-board, receptive microphone. Thus, you can take the sound of the software with you in a highly tweakable analog format. You can also share sounds you’ve tweaked with other users of the PO-32 in a similar manner as described above. Conversely, you can receive data from your friends’/collaborators’ PO-32.

The unit’s parameters can be locked, while a 16-step sequencer, which holds 16 patterns in memory, can be chained into a song. An integrated clock and alarm clock expand the creative possibilities of the instrument. A jam-sync function with 3.5mm audio in and out connections allows for multiple synthesizer units to be linked together. A foldout stand makes it easier to play and rear-panel speaker solder terminals allow you hook up the unit to a larger sound system. An optional tailor-made silicone pro case (sold separately) adds anti-slip feet, battery protection, and professional-feel buttons to this truly unique music-making device.

Teenage Engineering PO-32 Pocket Operator Tonic Drum Machine