First in depth Impression of the TX-6 // Pros vs Cons 

Interested in buying any gear that was featured in this video? Support this channel while you're at it! Below are Perfect Circuit affiliate links which I make a small commission off of at no extra charge to you: ►TX-6: bit.ly/3LIkrMG ►OP-1 Field: bit.ly/3MBnGXA ►Empress Reverb: bit.ly/3Od4uRi

"Portability" is often mentioned, as in - devices like this are targeted at the nomadic travelling musician. But consider "put-away-ability" ... this is great for people without space for a dedicated studio. It can travel from the bookshelf to the couch :) I'm happy to finally see an option for a compact audio interface with a lot of channels. Hopefully there will be more.

I have been waiting for this! Always love your reviews!

8 months ago I posted (for the first time) on your OP-1/OP-z/POM 400 Jam video while drooling myself thinking about the possibilities for music production (though I never learned music) with that particular combo. I finally decided to pull the trigger on a used OP-1 this week as a B-day gift to myself, and a couple of days later you drop this video. It's a sign man, the stars are aligning for me and Zeus himself has charged down through the clouds and struck me with [expensive]purpose. Time is ripe for 28 year old me to finally try to learn music, with the OP-1, just so that I can have an excuse to get the POM 400 and mix it up with this gorgeously tiny credit score destroyer. P L E A S E make more jam sessions incorporating the TX-6 with other instruments (maybe a full TE instrument jam sesh for the content?). But either way, thanks for helping inspire me to finally learn about this whole new universe in music. Much love dude~

Thanks Liam a well made and concise video

Wowzer .. no matter how small the app you always manage to bring the positives ... with that .. a thorough dissection of all the tools .. hardware needed to any new set up .. thanks as well for highlighting all the bells and whistles .. clarifying the ever changing world of music production .. cheers !

gotta love a first look that covers some ground! nice

this is the only review that fully explained ALL the aux functions. thank you😎

To whoever needs to hear this: Get back to work on your songs, you don't need this nonsense.

Good review. I picked one up to finally have a fully portable studio in a bag. Op1, tx6, Po33, iPad, done. Eagerly waiting how the midi syncs can work. You have me on the fence for a Digitack or OpZ now... Let's get you some gigs in the 604. Bring that shirt lol.

The tx6 is undeniably useful and packs some power in the size. It just seems way too small for me, the knobs are looking pretty cramped. Does the device move when you try to turn up two or more sliders at a time?

My opinion has changed and I got my hands on an OP-1 Field. While it is expensive I find it quite fun and portable. I can’t speak on the TX-6 but I’m sure if I got one then I would find it useful too.

Hi Liam, thanks for this. I read some reports of the AIAIAI headphones having quite a big/high noisefloor (so volume might be an issue). How is that when using it with the TX-6?

Howdy I am thinking of playing live with only op1 field..but I am considering buying the tx-6. Will the new TE CM-15 be able to pug directly into the tx-6? Or do I need a dynamic mic? I plan on talking and or screaming…distortion, delay, reverb.

Keep it up Liam

Great video. It is feature packed with some real handicaps too. I feel like the tiny size solves a problem that doesn't exist. Portability is one thing, but the drawbacks of the micro size seem to take away from that. It feels like if they had made this the size of an OP1 or even somewhere in between (with the same feature set), it would have been even more attractive. Knobs could've been functionally spaced, cable jacks as well. Oh well... as with everything TE, it will have lovers and haters and those of us that fall somewhere in between. Thanks again for the great content! CHEERS!

Something I would have loved to see in this video is a direct comparison of the sound output of the OP-1 or PO devices with and without the TX-6 effects, and with the internal mixer on the OP-1 compared to the TX-6. If you still have the TX-6 it would be cool to see some more comparisons!

If the main usage of this device is to add a bit of drums and some fx to one input, I am thinking: which PO could be the best replacement of this device and if you had to pick the PO or the mixer before going to an uninhabited island for a year (with one other synth that feeds the input line) wouldn’t you rather pick the PO any day over this?

Great review. Definitely opened my eyes a little to it’s capabilities. I have a Nord Drum 3p and that little box hits as hard as that from your demo which is a huge compliment. I think you are spot on with the value comment - design IS important - not the be all and end all but important. It’s who I bought an MPC Live II Retro rather than the black one. Just inspires me more is all. And add up all the features if you would use them and buy separate boxes of similar quality - I think it starts to look decent value.

Good to see an unbiased review. I personally really can’t see the use of the drum/synth engines. Who is going to use them over the real thing in reality. I would have liked to have seen the option to record tracks instead personally. Here’s hoping the TX6 inspires other companies to build a similar sized mixer (maybe a little bigger). No effects, no drum/synth engines. Just a 6/8 track powered portable mixer at a competitive price.

It is an outstanding piece of equipment, that will be used constantly. The Synth and Drum functions seem like an afterthought, but that maybe because I haven't found a use for them, however, it is just remarkable.

Is it possible to use sidechain compression between two track channels as a mixer?

I think we are increasingly heading towards smaller instruments for that minimalist appeal. People just want to create music while on the go and not have to be tied up to a chair. If you really think about it, the outdoors and change of atmosphere can bring out creativity.

interesting video , thanks

I wish I could afford this. What I really need though is just the multi track to iOS. Then I could just use GarageBand or some other app to do the mixing. I haven’t found anything else that is this portable that can do this. In defence of TE, they may be a design company, but the design is so important. Not to put down other companies, but when I look at most boxes, I can’t really tell what they are or what they do without research. But with the OP-1, I think most people, including people who don’t even know what a synth is, can pick it up and have some fun. It just makes sense and is very easy to use. That is not to put down other devices, it’s just that there is a beauty and value in the design itself.

Cheers Liam. It's good to hear your take on this. Do you know if the TX6 is capable of mixing individual OPz tracks via USB?

in term of button size it is quite comparable to eurorack modules. I think they get inspiration from this tiny cable and Space world. We are also talking about a battery power mixer and audio card, iphone or ipad compatible . it fit with the po / opZ / op-1 field / OB 4 univers. Expensive like Leica or Minox, but so much powerful, design and full of joy to used.

Great video & review! I wonder when you OP-1 field is shipping 🤨

Fab video. Seems to be the same size of a deck of cards. There's your cheap decksaver/travel box right there.

Where can I get those amazing cables you are using, loving the baby blue and neon green colors.

What about connectivity with other types of instruments like guitars of microphones? You didn’t touch base on that at all

Hi Liam, do you know if the drum synth has swing?

If it’s gonna be expensive it might as well offer unique capabilities. And it does! But the weirdest thing is, there’s not really anything between the TX-6 and the Bastl Dude

Definitely try the PO Pixel app if you get a chance! The app is actually incredibly easy and fun to use, and the auto-slicer works so well that 90% of the time you can just upload a video clip and start beatmaking right away without adjusting trigger points.

Far too pricey for me and what I need at the mo, but I do love the look of this thing.

this would be amazing if you could send audio tracks from the opz to the tx6 through ble

It’s definetly a keeper for me

can it be used as stems separator?

Yes please. All things go USB-C or thunderbolt pls

I think it's cool they reused the design of the Yeezy stem player prototype. I like the drum machine a lot but I don't think that's the appeal. If it can resample itself then you can do some pretty kooky stuff with it. I kinda feel it's like an sp404 with less capabilities but the sacrifice is for insane portability. Mini production brain for sure

The new firmware is a beast! The tx-6 has even so much more potential.

1:09 excellent touch 😭😂

I like the idea of it and would definitely like to have one but the price it just to much. I have an opz and love it death im sure I would love this thing just as much.

As a hipster my only complaint is that it’s too big. As a hipster I want to operate my musical instruments with a microscope and tweezers. As a hipster bad is good

Of course the size is considerably bigger, but one can pick up a 10-12ch mixer w/ FX from Soundcraft or Allen & Heath for $550 - both with USB to use as an interface. Of course, it doesn’t have a drum machine though. But how much is the drum machine and the cost of the considerably smaller size worth? Also the added cost of their name and designer price increase. All that is worth differently to each individual. Personally, $899-999 would have been a perfect price point imo.

Ooof only i've it could record internally, haha. And yeah, 1.3x the size would still be amazing.

I see why it’s so expensive…I have an MX-1 and I know it’s the closest thing I can compare with functionality but scaled smaller than a pocket operator that’s crazy durable with a built in “drum machine”

So first, while TX is getting part of the OP Field hate, I will try to stay away from that (although, it is clear TE wanted to pair the two). I understand people want small format mixer. I also understand why you might be ok with it, as you got it for the content. But as someone who has went through all kinds of analog, digital and hybrid setups, from a bedroom studio to much bigger setup, and has 25 plus years in sound engineering and music production under their belt - this , to me, is another clearly overpriced item by TE. Here are my reasons, zero hate. First, we will be seeing more and more small format mixers, as people really dont have enough real estate for their music devices - even if they live of music - but this form factor could ve been double the size and no one would mind. That way, they could add a proper XLR input and phantom power for , you know, a condenser mic. Second, mixer should be your epicentre of the setup - and this isnt it - you basically use it as a channel strip emulator. Knobs are too small, logic behind the way how it is all set up is clearly eliminating certain basic mixer functions. Le't go further. They added gimmicks no one really needs on a small mixer, like synth and drum synth, added controller abilities. Now, mapping this, working with this looks so tedious that I can't possibly imagine someone actually using it as a controller. You can find small midi controllers for less than 100 quid that would do way more than this. You can find devices that allow up to 8 inputs of all possible connections, and are just a little bit bigger and half the price of this. Let's be real, who would actually MIX on this matchbox? there is a reason 100mm faders are standard on a mixer, to allow for a tactile work. So, this is definitely NOT a mixer you will use for your final mixes. Ok, then what for? to connect few small devices, allow for arbitrary volume difference, and then record them per track? Ofc, this is my personal opinion and I can be alone on this, but for me, it really has zero usability, and I quite often find myself in situations to have to sum just a few desktop synths and boxes. Problem is, I would pay 100 quid for something just to merge the split signals so I can hear them, and then later on plug them in my Allen&Heath. But for this pricetag, you can get : a semi - decent digital mixer (say Behringer x32, or used 02R, or something in that range). Or a digital mixer recorder (Tascam). Or you can get Audiofuse, Apollo Twin, or any of those full featured audio interfaces. Lines are blured long time ago, when it comes to mixer/interface And in any of these scenarios, you will have some money left to buy a decent midi control surface, or even entire controller. . Really, this is just a companion for OP Field, and a shiny box for hipsters to enjoy. Ofc, if the feature set vs pricetag it offers makes sense to YOU people, go on and buy it! Also, one synth with one reverb pedal is not "full dawless setup" - its one synth with one pedal lol. And it goes to show further shortcommings of the device, as you cannot send tracks to aux , or create aux tracks.

Not for me, using the bluebox from 1010music instead. Cheaper, still portable, more features and from my subjective opinion- more "finger friendly"(?).

It does get tiresome hearing people complain so much about the price - I mean if you don’t want it, don’t buy it. And it does have some great features. HOWEVER - at the end of the day what good is a mixer if you can’t even turn the dials? I feel like most peoples fingers are literally too big to use those knobs with any reasonable accuracy. Kinda bizarre design choice in that sense

Mile End represent!

Thanks for giving a fair take. It's hard to see past the blind hate to actually assess if it's worth it on an individual level. I miss the days when the OP-Z came out where TE still got hate but it was much easier to find people giving genuine impressions.

For me, the issues are of design, which is an odd thing to say about TE products, because the OG OP-1 is one of the best designed products I've ever used. The small faders, no mic input, small inputs, chunky headphone adapter and tiny screen are issues, among others. This is positioned as THE mixer/interface for people, and I can't see this being the center of an actual professional studio. For most of us, the drum machine (one bar?) /synth section won't be used, either. For me, a portable mixer for travel use would ideally be more like the Bastl Dude: lean, mean, and a lot cheaper, giving me $1500 to spend on other portable devices. Pairing a Novation Circuit/Roland MC-101 with a Bastle dude easily defeats your price justification argument; for under $500 I could have a versatile portable setup--add a $100 zoom digital recorder, a couple pocket operators, and you could do a ton, and save nearly $1k'. With all that said, if TE sells a ton of these, they certainly know someting I don't.

I could see myself getting addicted to this , but like most drugs; i just can't afford it 😅 I could see it becoming very powerful if TE constantly comes up with quality of life updates. And yes the EU is requesting USB C being the only usb standard (for now)

Teenage engineering is such a dope company. They're products are just so fun. The price makes me want to grind harder and save better to be able to afford the privilege.

USBc is basically the android answer to what Apple does. It's being used on Samsung and Amazon products. I first saw it about 2 years ago and it's now everywhere Apple isn't.

TE could stop all the hate by simply offering their products at a price that reflects what actually went in to it rather than about cementing them as a 'premium design' company

A divisive device.. who'd a thought? ;-)

Of course TE has cool stuff, but their price points put it in the back of the GAS queue.

RU-vid influencers pushing these useless devices again. Feel bad for anyone that buys these things. If anything these make cool looking videos that people will watch. These have the most horrible workflow 1/4 inch knobs and a 3/4 inch screen.

Thx for a very informative vid. To me it is still a piece of hipster junk toy. I'm traveling a lot and I create music content often outside which means I love small and practical devices but if I just gonna start listing all your (con) comments here is becomes a huge list of cons. Upgrades have always been a huge problem at TE. They claimed often updates which never came so I would not really rely on upgrade (means I would not buy first and wait for an upgrade then). The only piece of TE hardware I intended to buy is the OP-Z because it's amazing concept but due to the horrible case quality I decided not to buy it and I'll be waiting for an "update"/upgrade/facelift or whatever (which will probably never hit the market 😅 and of so for double of the current OP-Z price probably). Anyhow hopefully Teenage Engineering realize these problems and starts working on Adult Engineering 😉 As design oriented guy I like well and nice designed products. Such products create my attention but the fact is I don't use these pieces of hardware as a nose, ear or cock ring or something and don't walk around to show them to others how nice my latest Chi Chi devices are. At the end of the day these products are there to help accelerating my creative outflow and because of the high price they have to last long because one day I would introduce them to my kids. An OP-Z that starts making problems after 18 months is out of discussion. And what if I buy a product and hoe for firmware update but 18 months receive an update but hardware itself becomes buggy.

Can't wait for Behringer to integrate this and the OP-1 into a single $299 device!

USB-C to USB-C has been a thing for quite a while now.

It’s neat and cute but let Behringer come out with one for 199 or 150 that does the same thing teenage engineering needs to buy their parts from somebody else if it’s gonna cost them that much to make one of these. And I haven’t heard anything that came by the OP one yet that they would warrant the price its sales for Sorry

superfast chargers are usb c both sides

G.A.S.

I ain’t going to lie, that tx-6 is a game changing gear that fly over my head………serious engineers may never see this gear as valuable as a Tascam model 12, or a producer who would rather buy a rode podcaster pro 2 for less than half the price. 😢😢😢😢😢sad it makes me upset just looking at it, because it is an insult to people who takes their music career seriously. Why $1,200 Just taking advantage of people without seeking their interest. Get a balance been profit driven and purpose driven innovations

LK threw me for a loop with that USB-C comment, haha. I have a few years old laptop with USB-C and i can extend my laptop screen to my 32inch TV with an USB-C to HDMI cable. The cool thing about the TX-6 size is; you can use any cell phone clamp to attach it to anything/anywhere. Don't have to worry about it sliding around a desk. *and someone accidentally came across the TX-6 easter egg...it's just some game you can play.

Great for minimalist Instagram setup xD

From the company that still hasn't invented the undo button. Ridiculous waste of money. The design makes no sense. Who cares how small it is and if it's battery powered if you still have to hook it up to a huge number of bigger, non-battery powered devices.

If only it's 1.3 times bigger it would be perfect

1.wow its so Coooolmaowtfpriceeeee🤯

I think teenage engineering's biggest flaw is there lack of engagement with the community about their products. I think people need an explanation about how and why things cost what they do, people are just a bit drunk of mass manufactured cheap gear.

Portability with a 6-channel mixer? What 6 things are you planning to plug into it? So it has a so-so drum machine that will take up 3 tracks, fine. Now what will you use the other 3 channels for? 1) OP-1, 2) a guitar?, 3) a mic? Then what are you recording into? A MacBook? Who is bringing all that on a trip and expecting portability? Portability is fine, I'll play along, but once you start accounting for other equipment you're plugging into a 6-channel mixer, in totality it's no longer portable. I like that Teenage Engineering is thinking outside the box, but at the prices they're charging, it's got to be more in line with a musician's functional needs. More and more musicians/producers are being made irrelevant due to A.I. and this equipment isn't making it easier for musicians to create; it's not giving anyone an edge over AI technology. Lots of musicians/producers are getting their GAS in check, especially with prices like these. The industry is in flux. If I were an investor, I'd think twice about investing in the professional audio equipment manufacturers. These sorts of tools are not really professional grade, so what we're really looking at here is the disposable income of people willing to spend money on a perceived convenience rather than a practical improvement in how one produces music. Yup, it's an expensive toy. Would someone like Rick Rubin or Rick Beato buy this to improve the production value of their projects... your answer should guide you if you're thinking of buying the TX-6 to help you produce better music.

Congrats on landing a deal with TE to review it and for being up front about them sending you the unit. My take is simple: When adult hands fumble with those miniscule, cramped controls, it looks beyond silly, like an April Fool's joke product. I'm guessing there are some people even within TE who are unsurprised by the blowback and mockery for charging $1,200 for this objectively poor user experience. I simply can't believe that everyone at the company was thinking "this is the right product at the right price" and that it'd be a big hit.

What a beautiful... JOKE!

I wouldn't agree that the OP1 has had a huge impact on the synth community... its a click bait tool for RU-vid, Instagram etc creators. Red Means Recording probably has used it to the best of its potential. It's a rich person's toy. Most will never get used beyond noodling to hipster buddies... IMHO

I am sorry to say, but 16ms is pretty much, from the point of keyboardist. Up to 11 is ok. Good luck Aiaiai

*free **if you only have the one exact model of the Google pixel

They bailed om superbooth 2022. to much h ate from the nerds? why are other yt so slow reviewing? First mixer capable of falling through the grill of a gutter and beeing swallowed by3 y olds. Love the idea of assigning filters. If some designlover ends up making sgt peppers mk ii. Price will not be talked about anymore.

i dont get that company. either 59 dollar toys or 1200 dollar mixers?

I can't believe you spent half the video on the worst part of this device. You should have spent more time on the mixer and midi features.

It's not "Diggy-tone". It's "Didgy-tone".

Honestly, I normally enjoy your videos but I just couldn’t even watch more than about 5 mins.. It wasn’t because of you but I just can’t even waste my time watching a video about any of TE’s stuff. I have an OG OP1 that I bought years ago and that is enough for me. 👎🏼👎🏼 Not a fan of their products. They belong in the gift shop of MOMA.