By Keith Walsh
Having the good fortune to get my hands on a Pocket Operator Modular 170 from Teenage Engineering, I get to experiment with the beast. But first, some details about the device architecture.
The Pocket Operator is a one-oscillator, monophonic synth, with a VCO (voltage-controlled oscillator) generating a square wave including pulse width modulation. There’s a VCF (voltage controlled filter) and VCA (voltage controlled amplifier) and plenty of patch points to inspire and encourage experimentation.
There’s a LFO (low frequency oscillator) to modulate the sound sources and the pulse width on the VCO as well. If you’re like me, you tend to like synths where everything is laid out and simple to use. In the case of the MOD 170, it’s definitely laid out, and once you get acquainted with the basic functions, it all makes sense. There are videos online from Teenage Engineering that show you how to get some patches going.
There’s also a four-track sequencer attached, that holds 64 patterns. Compared to the synth architecture, I found the sequencer took a bit of practice and experimentation. After getting used to it, I found myself using a different compositional workflow that I do typically when I use computer based DAWs and a MIDI keyboard. The sequencer has gate and control voltage out, to control features on the internal synth as well as external synths, aspects of the product I need to get deeper into. In the meantime, I made my first lo-fi sound experiment, an interpretation of a David Bowie song.
Songwriting Tools
Teenage Engineering products are favorites of artists in the lo-fi crowd, and though there’s definitely that aesthetic to them, the design and sound of these devices is deep and powerful. The square wave oscillator achieves fully robust lows, and resonant highs if you want it to. The filter and amplifier are superb and the sonic output demonstrates that. There’s a built in speaker, but until you patch the 170 into a mixer or speaker system, you won’t know how awesome it sounds.
The Pocket Operator 170 and its brother the 400 are kits, and it took me a couple hours to put the 170 together, including time taking photographs of the process. The assembly itself is a fun way to get acquainted with modular synthesis.
The manual for the Modular 170 encourages experimentation, and that’s part of the enjoyment. I found myself getting into the details; it was time well spent. In doing features on Synthbeat and punkrockbeat.com, Thom Lucero of Painter told me how he found inspiration using a Pocket Operator OP-1, and Daniel Trudeau of Pregnant told me the OP-1 and other Teenage Engineering products are among his favorite songwriting tools. I have no doubt that these are superb products for the creative musician looking for new ways to approach sound- making.
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