Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator Modular Series

Calling all DIY tinkerers!

Good news for all sound and beat builders! With the brand-new DIY kits PO Modular 16, 170 and 400, Teenage Engineering not only expands their popular Pocket Operator series with a plug-friendly modular line, but actually lets you become a hobby builder. You heard that right — time to hit the workbench! Before you can coax the first wild sounds from the modular systems, you have to screw the minimalist enclosures together and patch the different modules. But don't worry — an illustrated step‑by‑step assembly guide is of course included in the clever cardboard packaging, so nothing stands in the way of modular fun — even for beginners!

Simply bend, assemble and start patching!

With the DIY assembly kits you'll get a very easy, almost playful introduction to the world of modular synthesis. Once assembled, you can start straight away, because the DIY kits already have everything on board you need to get going.

Let's begin with the Pocket Operator Modular 16. Behind it is a classic sequencer with a simple touch keyboard for input and programming. The 16 keys can be tuned individually, which in the workflow leads to out‑there sound creations.

Full‑blown, monophonic & analogue!

With the two Pocket Operator kits Modular 170 and Modular 400 you get full‑blown monophonic analogue synthesizers in your hands. The operation is very intuitive and invites experimentation. The supplied patch cables let you connect the different modules and chain them in series. When exploring and plugging together new sound worlds, the Modular 170 and Modular 400 are in no way inferior to many of their much larger competing rack systems.

There's a lot under the hood!

The Pocket Operator Modular 170 from Teenage Engineering houses a total of 9 modules waiting to be chained together. Available are, among others, 1 oscillator (square waveform), 1 low‑pass filter, 1 ADSR envelope, 1 VCA, LFO, speaker box, as well as a built‑in and programmable sequencer with keyboard (PO‑Modular 16).

The largest contender in Teenage Engineering's modular series is the Pocket Operator Modular 400. It brings together 16 modules under its yellow casing. After assembly you'll find, among others, 3 oscillators, a noise/random generator, 2 ADSR envelopes, 2 VCAs, an LFO, a filter, a programmable 16‑step sequencer, mixer and an integrated speaker ready to be patched together!

Both analogue synthesizers include a patch cable set and a battery pack, which requires 8 AA batteries.