In collaboration with famous sound-to-object designer Yuri Suzuki, the PO-80 engraves and plays 5-inch discs with “ultra-analog lo-fi sound.” By using a 3.5mm jack, recordings of around four minutes of sound at 33RPM (or three minutes at 45RPM) can fit on each disc.

Sound playback comprises of a built-in speaker on the PO-80 or connecting an external speaker via a 3.5mm audio plug.

The PO-80 is also a new addition to their Pocket Operator series of compact instruments. The PO-80 can record full songs created in Pocket Operators onto vinyl by also using the 3.5mm jack.

An online mastering system by Stockholm plugin maker Klevgrand provides additional help to create the highest-quality vinyl engraving.

The Teenage Engineering PO-80 Record Factory Kit costs $149. The kit comes with six black, 5-inch vinyl records, a spare vinyl cutting needle, 3.5mm audio plug, USB and a 7-inch adapter. The kit also comes with a Gakken educational music magazine.

Find more information on the Teenage Engineering website.

The mixer’s custom CNC aluminum build comes with proprietary encoders, faders and PCB board. A rechargeable battery holds the TX-6’s power for about eight hours.

The six-channel stereo mixer layout on the TX-6 comes with three-band EQs or customizable individual knobs controlling any parameter in the device. An adjustable compressor on each channel helps with more dynamic mixdowns. Its built-in effects include reverb, chorus, delay, freeze, tape, filter and distortion.

In true Teenage Engineering fashion, the TX-6 is built as more than just a simple recording device: it is also an instrument tuner, effects unit, synthesizer and drum machine. The device’s synthesizer and sequencer comprise of four oscillator waveforms and four synthesized drum sounds. The “Tempo Sync” feature keeps devices connected to the TX-6 working in unison.

The TX–6’s audio interface feature can connect to any DAW and uses 12 channels over USB-C. MFi also allows you to connect to iOS devices. BLE connectivity turns the TX–6 into a wireless controller for other BLE midi devices. Trigger and sync from internal synths and sequencers from other sources is also an option.

Turning the TX–6 on its side enters it into “DJ Mode,” in which is works as a DJ mixer. Channel one becomes a fader to crossfade or cut between channels five and six.

The device connects to any audio output using a 3.5 mm mini jack, and a removable 6.35 mm jack to 3.5 mm mini jack adapter is provided. Slimline cables allow use of six channels at once, as well as a field bag for easy packing.

The TX-6 runs for $1,199. Find more information on the Teenage Engineering website. 

The OB-4 continuously records from radio channels, allowing users to loop, rewind and timestretch up to two hours of audio. Its fully portable build comes with a LiPo battery providing 72 hours of listening time at “normal” volume. The OB-4 also features a “disk” mode, said by Teenage Engineering to be a test bed for “new experimental features.”

Below are the latest additions to the OB-4:

Beat Match Looping

On top of recording radio, the OB-4 can now analyze musical content in real time and detect the beat. As a result, the device automatically gives out a perfectly timed loop.

808 Kick Metronome

An 808-style kick drum can be used as a metronome setting in the OB4’s “disk” mode. The kick drum metronome also carries a tuning and decay feature.

Ambient mode

In its “Ambient” setting, the OB-4 can turn any audio source into a drone.

External Instrument Loop

Looping now works with external equipment through the line input of the OB-4. The above video shows a Teenage Engineering OP–Z looped and manipulated with the OB–4.

The OB-4 is available now for $649 USD. Find more information on the OB-4 on Teenage Engineering’s website.

The PO- 133 Street Fighter is based on the PO-33 KO!. It includes genuine samples and 16 theme songs from the original Street Fighter game. Eight melodic sample slots, 15 punch-in effects and a handy microphone for sampling make for nostalgic creativity. The sampled sounds in the PO-133 Street Fighter are from the YM2151 (OPM) chip found in the original arcade game.

The PO-128 Mega Man is based on the PO-28 live 8-bit synthesizer with samples from Capcom’s earliest smash hit. Some of PO-128’s capabilities include a three-track sequencer, 128 pattern chaining and a micro drum kit. Both devices can be synced together via 3.5mm I/O cable with other Pocket Operator devices as well as Korg Volca synthesizers and iPhones.

The PO-133 Street Fighter is out now for $89; the PO-128 Mega Man will be out December 2nd at the same rate.

Synth Innovators…

Teenage Engineering was founded in 2005 by Jesper Kouthoofd, David Eriksson, Jens Rudberg and David Möllerstedt and is based in Stockholm. They are most known for their award-winning OP-1 synthesizer. The company released the Pocket Operator in collaboration with now-defunct Swedish clothing label Cheap Monday in 2015. They followed it up with and two other versions in 2016 and 2018.

…And A Gaming Legacy

Capcom began as I.R.M. Corporation in 1979 as an arcade company, its name a clipped compound of “Capsule Computers.” Since the release of the first Street Fighter game in August 1987, the series generated $1 billion in revenue in arcade cabinet sales and 44 million home units worldwide.

Mega Man was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 and expanded to over 50 games on multiple systems. As of December 31st, 2019, the game series has sold 36 million units worldwide.

Find more information on the Pocket Operator PO-133 Street Fighter sampler here and the PO-128 Mega Man here.