Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator 10th anniversary: A Success Story of the Mini-Synths
How the Pocket Operator Went From Prototype to Cult Object
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Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator 10th anniversary: A Success Story of the Mini-Synths · Source: Teenage Engineering
Exactly ten years ago, the story of the Pocket Operator began with a simple idea: a cheap and accessible synthesizer that would fit in any pocket. Today, the little machines from Teenage Engineering are among the most popular and iconic devices for musicians and sound tinkerers – including professionals, live performers and hobby sound designers. To celebrate the anniversary, we are not only looking back at the development of the series, but also launching an exciting competition for the community..
Pocket Operator Anniversary: 10 years of innovation in your pocket
It all started in 2014 with an experimental prototype at Moog Fest. Without a display and still far from being a market-ready product, Teenage Engineering developed the first official Pocket Operator series. In 2015, TE presented the PO-10 series at the NAMM Show in collaboration with the fashion brand Cheap Monday. Three models with rudimentary displays, few buttons and a minimalist circuit design caused quite a stir. The idea of combining rhythm, bass and melody in a compact and affordable format proved to be a hit. Typical teenage engineering.
Over the years, the Pocket Operator portfolio has continued to expand. In 2016, the PO-20 series was added with chiptune and arcade sounds, followed by the PO-32 Tonic, a drum synthesizer with sound import. In 2018, the PO-33 K.O.! was released, the first Pocket Operator with a sampling function and 40 seconds of memory. In 2020, creative collaboration with Capcom resulted in limited-edition versions such as the PO-128 Street Fighter and the PO-133 Mega Man. Despite production difficulties during the Covid pandemic, development continued and in 2023 the EP-133 K.O. II, a powerful large (professional) successor to the popular PO-33 K.O., was released!
Pixel meets Pocket Operator: The Google Synthesizer Experiment
In addition to the handheld synthesizers, Teenage Engineering released the new POM series, which featured modular synthesizers that were just as compact. Digital experiments were also introduced, such as the “Pocket Operator for Pixel” app, which invited Google users to experiment with sound and video. In 2024, the company surprised with the rather unusual EP-1320 Medieval, an electronic instrument with medieval sounds recorded by real musicians on period instruments.
The big anniversary and a contest
For the tenth anniversary, Teenage Engineering is inviting the community to participate in a DIY competition. The contest calls for creative ideas around the Pocket Operator, from custom cases to unusual hardware modifications. The best submissions will be rewarded with exclusive prizes, including personalized Pocket Operators or the full line of PO products. Ten years after the initial idea, the Pocket Operator is still a cool gadget (actually a full-fledged instrument) for musicians, producers and creative people – and it looks like the journey will continue for a long time to come – with the slogan “stay tuned! TE is definitely keeping the excitement high! We look forward to it.
Here at Thomann you can find all TE synthesizers in Pocket Operator format – and some of them are even available at an attractive discount.
Further information
- PO Anniversary Website
- All about Teenage Engineering
- More about the Pocket Operator synthesizers
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