8-bit enthusiasts may enjoy it, but there are plenty of free and low-cost tools that create similar sounds. The PO-128’s synth sounds are pretty entertaining, but I didn’t find them helpful in my projects and workflow. Eight different patches are available for the lead, seven for the bass, with the last sound slot reserved for percussion. One synth engine will take care of the low-end, the other on lead duties. Many of its features are similar to the PO-133, but there are other exciting details such as glide, key changing, note length, timbre of the synth and more. No doubt Megaman fans will love it, but I wonder how many die-hard followers are out there willing to spend £80 for a mini synth.ĭespite my reservations, I found myself picking up the PO-128 more often as I gradually got to know it better. The original PO-28 is £30 cheaper and seems to offer the same functionality, which makes me wonder whether it’s worth the extra buck. There are no samples from the Megaman games, but the preloaded sequences are based on the game’s soundtrack.Īgain, this an amusing toy, but it feels lacklustre in the context of actual music production. It sports blue highlights to fit the renowned Megaman outfit. Like its Street Fighter counterpart, the PO-128 has the character jumping and fighting in time with sounds. Sure, the sounds are 8-bit, but its simplicity is its allure, and you can make creative strides in just a five-minute break from work. In the end, however, I found myself more attracted to the Megaman Pocket Operator’s two synth engines and drum track. At first, I wasn’t convinced by the 8-bit synth onboard this Pocket Operator. The revelation I had with the PO-133 came in tandem with my testing of the PO-128. The PO-133 sent me down new creative avenues, experimenting with rare tracks on YouTube, which is more than you can say of many instruments in this price bracket. It’s healthy to get away from the DAW from time to time, and there’s a greater sense of achievement when you craft a head-bopping beat on such a small instrument. If sampling is part of your workflow and you have £85 to spare, this is a fantastic tool to get some quick ideas down. That said, the design and Ryu vs Chun-Li display is fun and unique, and the price tag is the same as the PO-33, so it’s a no-brainer if you have even a passing interest in beat-em-ups. If you’re a fan of the original games, maybe that’s a bonus. However, they do offer a silicone case if you feel like you need one.I’m still not sold on the Street Fighter sounds, though. The models are caseless by nature, which is fine since all the sensitive stuff is hidden under the display. PO-35 / “Speak” ($89) - Vocal synthesizer and sequencer with built-in microphone for sampling 8 different voice characters.Įvery unit features 16 patterns, a 16-step sequencer, a built-in speaker, a fun animated LCD display (the graphics vary by model), a folding stand, 3.5mm audio I/O, a month of battery life and two years of standby time (on two AAAs), and more.PO-33 / “K.O.!” ($89) - Micro sampler with 40 seconds sample memory and a built-in recording microphone.PO-32 / “Tonic” ($89) - Drum and percussion synthesizer and sequencer.PO-28 / “Robot” ($89) - Real 8-bit synthesizer engines for making live and sequenced melodies and leads.PO-24 / “Office” (unavailable on Amazon as of writing) - Noise percussion drum machine and sequencer. PO-20 / “Arcade” ($59) - Arcade sound/chiptune synthesizer and sequencer.PO-16 / “Factory” ($59) - Lead synthesizer for keys melodies.PO-14 / “Sub” ($49) - Deep bassline synthesizer.PO-12 / “Rhythm” ($59) - 16-sound drum machine and sequencer, perfect for making beats.You can listen to sounds straight from their onboard speakers, connect some headphones, or hook any/all of them into a sound system for live performances. The “Pocket Operator” family of mini synthesizers by Teenage Engineering are a bunch of small, ultra-portable gizmos you can use to create studio-quality music on the go.Įach one offers a unique set of sounds and capabilities - ranging from drums to basslines to keys to chiptune sounds to vocal sampling - and they can either be used separately or connected together to create your own little pocket band.
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