Scroll lock did have a purpose it is just a legacy key now. Originally it was used to modify the arrow keys so you can move around documents. I know some people who still use it in Excel.
Same here. I bought a pocket operator after a couple years of watching Red Means Recording and Andrew Huang... Now I have 2. The PO-12 Rhythm and PO-14 Sub. I'm still learning them, but if you wanna to throw a couple bucks at something and make some fun noises, I highly recommend a Pocket Operator.
LOVE your videos! Just an FYI - there is a metronome. Hold down funct and press the BPM button on the top. Toggles it on and off. Keep rocking - your stuff is great!!
Thanks! Yeah, it was stuck in my head that functionality was reserved for analog sync. I never thought about using it as a metronome, but it totally works. At least that gave me an opportunity to talk about the step sequencing. I've updated the video descriptions to include the info about the click track.
The PO-12 does have a metronome icon top left of screen, to use it make sure headphone socket is empty then press Function and BPM to select SY1, change its speed by adjusting the tempo. * as this video is four years old and has almost 500 comments someone may have already mentioned this.
Red Means Recording yup tbe cutting mat. I was looking about a same looking one, but i was looking on my local amazon (italian). Is like empty about this thing! Thanks for link!
I just got this Rhythm operator and the Arcade operator. Love this video. Great job. Thanks for the help. I dropped the Arcade operator immediately and the screen broke so I had to learn how to play that one blind. Your video was a big help there, also.
Well done! These videos are very well lit, and they don't start with "what's up, guys!" and they get straight to the point. I have to ask, though: who is opening candy wrappers in the background? ;)
holy shit i discovered your channel today and i just want to tell you that you are overall amazing in every way! I just absorb your videos. Keep up the good consistent work!
thanks for making these videos! I've had my po-12 for quite a few months but haven't done a lot to it. this was very straightforward and I feel encouraged to mess with it more!
Officially hooked to your channel now, think I've started watching your videos three days ago. The funny subs in your OP-1 vids and excellent musical/technical skills got me. Keep it up! Already got plans to buy one of those pocket operators. :) Though I have to say, they're basically only selling the innards of the operator if you don't buy the case...
Your series on these are the best introduction movies out there for the PO´s. A small suggestion, remove the cover from the PO when doing these as we can´t see the LEDs making harder to follow.
I picked up the PO-12 this weekend largely because of your great demos. I'm looking forward to recording and looping with it soon, but it also works great as an extra groovy metronome for practicing.
Not sure if you touched on the overall volume. I discovered it by accident. Hold down the BPM button and choose 1-16 levels. I run mine at about 12 or so. You can hear it pretty well just in your hand or on table. Works for headphone volume too.
Same here. I took a dive and got a PO-14 Sub a few weeks ago, then a PO-12 Rhythm a few days ago. Having fun with them, but there's still a few things that have been frustrating me as a beginner with no real background making music.
Where did you get the case for it? If you remember. I've been looking for a similar one but only found them with numbers on the button covers... which makes me look like I'm a calculator fetishist.
Morrisman Smith it’s all quantized to the 16 step grid. There is swing, so you can quantize to swing. But that’s it. Live triggers (ie, performance mode) is not quantized, so you could live play a triplet for example, but there’s no way to record it. Most of the pocket operators have one or more roll PIFX (punch in effects) and some have 12-step or 6-8 time type PIFX. This is the best way to achieve triplet sounds.
I have one now and it's the smallest and at the same time most fun little object I've ever owned I think. A total blast!!! But - on one of my patterns the button symbol shows - what does it mean? And the needle?
With the metronome, It just set the sync to SY1 with one PO or the last one to SY5 for multiple POs so I can hear the click track. Then I just turn it off when I've played in some drums.
Superb achievement and explanations. Exactly the kind of videos I'm looking for POs. Do the same for op-1 with some tutos! You are really good! Thank you
This was awesome! Great video and audio quality, the camera angle lets us see everything, and I really like the grid background. I also like that your intro is short. I dislike when channels have ~30 second intro montages. One suggestion: just after the intro, I think it would be cool to just see you playing with it for 5-10 seconds, perhaps with a voice-over introducing it: "This is the PO-12 Rhythm drum machine from Teenage Engineering, a [insert your opinion]. Let's see how it works!" Then you show us all the features, but from having seen you play it, we have a idea of what we're working up to.
I'm having a problem... I cant seem to get mine to record my own pattern. Everytime I try following same steps as this it still just plays the pre recorded pattern.
A discovery I made on accident: pressing the FX button AFTER adding an effect intermittently cancels the FX during the pattern according to your button presses, you don't have to clear the entire FX from the pattern. Holding the button clears the FX from the pattern as it goes through the sequence, but it's nice you can add the effect to the entire pattern and selectively turn it off in the pattern later. :)
This is easily the best demonstration how to use the PO-12. You made it look soooo simple! When I get home I´ll start working on it 😎 And for the first time I get why I should get the siliconcover 😁 Thanks a lot man!
is there a machine that you can input sound samples and make loops out of those samples? not really midi but just record any sound. most drum machines dont have the option to record ur own sounds
I'm getting a portable Roland synthesizer and I wanted an inexpensive drum machine for my setup. I knew about the PO series, and I have a $50 guitar center gift card, so I'll definitely buy this guy.
I feel like a n00b asking this question but I am an analog synth player attempting to incorporate this machine into my rig. The grid section (2:20ish) is kind of glazed over but I know it represents classic step patterns. Can I get a bit more info regarding the basic functionality of this particular mode?
Anyone? Doesn't have to be the video creator. I will graciously accept tips and instruction from anyone seeing this comment? Or perhaps someone could point me to an alternate PO-12 video which breaks down the "step recording" process a little more in-depth?
Red Means Recording thanks! I see they jump in price too, do you know a good place to get used equipment? I’ve been looking but maybe I’m not in the right spot.
Hello.... I have a question. I would like to buy a pocket operator but I don't know which one have the most possibilities. Maybe I should wait for the new one (PO-32 Tonic) !? Thank you and sorry for my English.
Hi there :) Nice to hear you commenting on and/or reviewing those little boxes of fun. The PO-12 and the PO-20 I own myself, I like them a lot because of their good value. And you wouldn't believe the huge sound that comes out of those tiny things until you hear it! (I was a bit reluctant investing in them because of their looks at first, but it turned out that they're built more solid than some other synths I've seen which cost more than three times as much :P) Just something I wanted to tell/ask you: What about the Make Noise 0-Coast? It looks like an absolutely awesome synth and I think I will get it within the next few months, however it would be awesome seeing you getting your hands on one of those neat synths because I want to hear what you will come up with. They're weird at first, but since they're patchable and lack a filter (which they more than make up for with sound shaping possibilities) I'm really curious with what you would come up :) (Oh and in case you remember: I didn't go for the LXR because I was offered a DSI Tempest for a good price, I will pick that up within this week. Oh and I would also be curious what you can get out of a Moog synth, I love their sound :) ... I'm just writing down what comes to my mind, hope you don't mind. Guess you're just too inspiring ;)
I see. Tell you what: If I wasn't a poor student who spends pretty much all his money on his gear, I would be the first person to buy you one. No joke. I just happen to like your work :) And after hearing you as a person and judging by your videos, I'm positive that you're a nice person irl as well. I'm excited for the upcoming video of yours featuring the 0-Coast! :D (... actually, I was also thinking about going for a Strymon Blue Sky or El Capistan as well as a Bass Station 2. Too much nice stuff to buy and not enough money...)
"Strymon Blue Sky" ugh, yes. Please. They sound so good. I really loved this video by Mylar Melodies going over the 0-Coast: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5FW8QYt6bio.html He does a great job explaining it, and then jamming on it.
mind blowing for me. i almost know nothing about electronic music tools, i want to make music (i'm learning guitar). your videos are also great visually. thank you for making them.
Just a few questions. I'm looking to buy one super soon, but can you just keep a beat on the device/just use it to make beats for fun when you have free time? Also, how can you reset it? Can earbuds be connected? And lastly, how do you connect to computer/to what on a computer
for resetting, look here: teenage.engineering/guides/po-12/en you can keep a beat on it. it has persistent memory. earbuds can be connected. computer connection for recording audio = 1/8th inch stereo cable out of the PO into whatever input your computer has to record.
Is there a way to delete the last sound that you put in? In other words, if I make a pattern and then decide to add something in to the pattern by holding record and inputting a sound, if I then decide that I don't like that sound can I erase it from the pattern? Hopefully that's not too confusing.
i just watched all of your videos on the PO line of synths, (the arcade is totally the best one) and was wondering if you'd make a video about the new PO-32 Tonic?
Nice video I noticed the word disco techno or hip-hop do not appear on the screen as you enter into the recording. How do I enter that mode on my pocket operator ?I think I have followed your instructions but when I press play it just plays the pre-formatted patterns that came with it.
ok... so nobody seems to be asking what is in my mind a very obvious question... what's with the sewing machine? as an outsider to music creation who accidentally found this video, just by glancing at the recommended videos list on the right, i can tell the graphics of the other devices are based on their names, (po-20 "arcade" has an arcade cabinet, po-whatever "office" has a typewriter) but this has a sewing machine... i must not be making the connection 'cause i don't get it.
the sewing machine is supposed to represent the adjustable metronome qualities that this device posesses. much like a manually operated sewing machine it keeps a pace which is adjusted on the fly based on the will and skill of the operator.
I have one with no outside case, and it has a submarine on the display instead. It was thrown in with something else I bought through SweetWater. Just a free gift like the candy I guess.
Have you noticed the metronome icon on the top left of each po? Not sure if it's easier to use an audible metronome or a visual one, but it sounds like you didn't know about it.
Great videos, i just got 4 of these units (rhythm,sub,factory and arcade) and having a ton of fun with them, when i can get the sync set up right. How would you set up the sync chain for these? I found Factory(sy1)>Arcade(sy5)>Sub(sy4)>Rhythm(sy4) to work great sometimes, other times I get no sound or cant get them all working or the levels are jumping all over the place. Confused
Great thanks will give it a try. I have been tinkering a bit and got them working synced to a click track from my DAW. Opened up a whole new world. Im looking forward to getting the PO-32 as well. Thanks
the shuffle thing is actually called "swing" and it moves the second fourth sixth etc sequencer to hit faster or less fast it gives that offbeat feeling
Im still learning how to use this but this really helps! Is there a way to clear a beat and create it on your own? Im having issues getting it to make a beat thats not obnoxious when i hit play on its own
They all do have a built in metronome though. You just hold down the unique function key of each and push bpm to change it to sync 1 when it's by itself.
Red Means Recording but I do love all your tutorials it's how I learned to first use my pocket operators and my op-1. your videos are amazingly well done. keep creating!
I'm super duper new to synths(and all that jazz) and these seem like a good cheap starting point. Is that true? Also I assume that the PO is plugged into your computer, is it transmitting to a DAW?
It's plugged into a computer to record it, but you don't need that. You can plug headphones in or it has a speaker. I think getting one of these would be a fun way to start messing around with sequencing and sounds, yes.
how do you clear patterns? i just got mine today and there is already a beat made on every pattern so how to i clear everything so i can start from scratch???
This thing is rad! But: Is there an option to adjust master volume? If I buy one I'd like to fiddle with it on the subway without having to worry about it blowing my ear drums out. I'd imagine something like this would be intended to be hooked up through an interface of some sort so maybe a volume control is excluded, and I haven't seen anything anywhere about there being level control. Can you confirm/deny this before I drop $60 on one? Thanks dude!
I think I go over this in each PO walkthrough, but in case I didn't: BPM button and then press one of the 16 note pads. 1 is lowest volume, 16 is highest.
Two questions! 1) Can this play rhythms in other time signatures or just 4/4? 2) Can you store a rhythm for later use? Can you store multiple rhythms? ie, if I wanted this to accompany me for a show, and didn't want to program the beats there, could I have my rhythms all set up and ready to go?
is it me or does this sound way cooler than a TR606 despite going for a similar vibe? I feel like a 606 requires a lot of processing to feel good, but maybe also it's kind of overused for how simple it is, it often seems kinda weak and pappy. This has bite.
I have looked high and low, near and far, and i for the life of me can't find any inkling of this particular case with the drum graphics instead of numbers having ever been sold anywhere. Anyone know where I could find one?
