Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O. Reviews

Simple & Fun

The K.O. is the most portable synthesizer I've ever owned. While it can be limited when writing whole tracks, it's very easy to start putting together sounds and making nifty little loops.

The sampler feature is phenomenal and it opens up a world of possibility for recording on the go. Unlike the OP-Z, you can sample instantaneously anywhere, any time. And while the library is a bit limited space-wise, the quality is astounding. And editing samples is easy to learn.

The speaker is low quality but as good as you'd expect based on the wafer thin size of the synth. The look of the exposed solder on the board is a nice aesthetic but sometimes I find myself touching the solder behind the knobs and the synth treats it as if I'm moving the knobs. A slight design issue but a minor problem that I wouldn't fault the company on.

I deleted all the factory sounds almost immediately but I believe others may have more use for them as they're quite nice quality samples.

Finally, the live effects are what make this synth, and the rest of the PO series stand out to me. They make playing this instrument a genuinely fun experience.

I'd recommend to anybody interested in sampling to buy this and see what they come up with. It's certainly limited but it's a good learning tool in my opinion, and tonnes of fun for the bus or train.

Great Little Sampler

I bought this machine thinking it would work as decent and fun drum-machine, but what I got was somewhat more interesting.

The PO-33 K.O. is at its strongest as an idea machine. An everyday carry musical machine where you can just put down some initial thoughts that later on can develop into a more consistent piece.

The workflow takes some getting used to, as there are multiple functions tied to multiple button presses that are easily forgoten if you don't use the machine regularly.

The lack of a case that doesnt require you to break of the endearing top portion of the machine is a shame and the way you put your batteries in or take them out is just anoying to say the least.

Overall a great first sampler with great connectivity to other machines and set ups, it is a joy to fiddle around with in your spare times, fits in your pocket and probably in some live settings if you're smart about it.

Really fun sampler, great for beginners (such as myself). The cheap price is worth it even though it means the build quality isn't as good as some other samplers. Just need to make sure to handle with care!

Best for looping

I'll use it for busking situations but its really good if you want to save a composition if you are in a hurry

Fun sampler

This little music instrument can be great fun. Sampling is very easy and there are lots of ways to handle the samples, to splice them and to copy them to the right key.

Sound quality is ok, the microphone is handy, but you get better sound quality when samling through the input channel. Only 4 voices can be played simultaneously, which can be a huge limitation when making drum beats.

The batteries last quite long, so this little box is ideal on holidays. Add a head phone and you’re ready to go.

Crunch

I use this for old school industrial style sampling, it has that great crunch and you can get pretty wild with the effects. Having the option to chop a drum sample into separate sounds vs melodic sample playing makes this thing pretty versatile, too. The only drawback is the limited sampling time, but it's not a big deal given the price.

It's a great tiny sampler… but with annoying flaws

If you want a pocket size sampler, that's the (only) way to go. It's definitely a looot of fun. T E products are well built, endearing and surprisingly robust.

But. This is not chromatic. You can play major, minor and harmonic minor and that's it. I really don't understand the reasoning behind

such a limitation

Also, the beat slicer is pretty weak, and even simple hits can end up sliced in the wrong way. You can edit the slices manually, BUT, the encoders have absolute values (and are über sensitive) so, when you jump from a slice to another, it's very easy to mess up you start/end point just by lightly touching the encoder by accident

40seconds is a VERY short recording time, even for samples. That's 2.5s/samples. That's not much ! And you can't really delete a sample, you have to record a very short silence (which eats a bit of the precious space !)

All in all, it's a fun little thing, it's inspiring and fits in a pocket. Sadly, it has some very silly limitations that's makes it miss the podium.

Bummer.

great sketch pad

The PO-33 ko is well known its great fun and if you are looking at teenage enginering for the first time i 100% reccomend.

Once you learn this device products like the OP-Z are very simmiler in how they work.

its good to learn the workflow of the PO/s then work your way up.

great product endless ideas can be made on this.

You have all the music in the palm of your hand

Well not all the music but you can do a lot of things with this awsome gadget-music instrument- music calculator...

I bought it for fun and it helped me spend a lot of hours playing music while commuting.

For the size and the money of it I didnt expect that much so I am greatful of buing and using it.

An insane amount of fun and use

A pocket sampler to sample any interesting sounds you encounter where ever you go? With a sequencer so you can play around while you are bored, wherever you are?

I'm having so much fun with this, and when travelling it even entertains my 8 year old daughter, who finds it similarly hilarious. Everyone needs one.

great sampler

Great sampler , just feels a bit flimsy , really needs a case.

Really nice tool. Especially for sketching ideas and trying new sounds.

Yes it has limitations, but they won't get in the way if you put your mind to it.

fabulous handheld sampler

this thing really helps creativity.

it''s fantastic and easy to figure out - plus the internet is full of how-to guides for it.

it does seem to run batteries down fairly quickly.

all in all it's fantastic.

great pocket sampler

I believe this is the most versatile PO among the 9 that have been up to buy right now. It's louder than the previous series, really simple and fun to play with. In a couple of minutes and with some youtube help you will be making beats. Really easy to record sounds into it as well, being with the onboard mic or with line in.

As all other PO's it is kind of fragile, a case is extremely recommended if you plan on using it's portability. I wouldn't trust mine inside of a loose backpack without proper protection. The case also helps to don't accumulate dust on the contacts.

Also it is 4 track polyphony so it is a bit limited on how many sounds you can play at the same moment, but honestly to me this limitation is good cause it makes things simple and force you to get creative.

Overall it's a great little gadget for some fun and also serious music making.

Packs a punch for it's size...that's why it's called KO

Packs a punch for it's size...that's why it's called KO. So happy with this little cracker...it has added a lot to my setup and I can carry it around town and sample stuff from the streets

Excellent!

Amazing sampler that fits in your pocket! You can record anywhere with the built in microphone and use your samples to create quick ideas on the move.

The most versatile of PO's

When in doubt about the pocket operators I would recommend this one for its versatility or the arcade for its enjoyment factor.

The versatility comes in being able to sample any sound on the fly and make music with it instantly. A friend plays the trumpet? Sample it in couple of seconds. Waiting for the metro? Sample while you wait. Join your sampled stuff together and make a track.

Its pretty intuitive and the performance effects are something you wont easily find elsewhere. One of the biggest plusses on me not selling mine and keeping it.

The sound quality is good but its not great compared to say the digitakt, but the latter is not portable nor is it priced so interesting :)

Very mobile and interesting thing,

but it is just a toy for me

This tiny thing is a BEAST!!

I've never use a pocket operator in the past and im not familiar with drum machines or a step sequencer, So... when i get in my hands po 33 i was so confused of how easy in use it was. In the official site of teenage engineering you can find everything about how it works and its functions. I use it for beats in my jams and i connected with my volca sample and minilogue and thats where it was a little confused but as i write above the site can explain everything.

the way you can sample a sound is very easy and you can trim, pitch, and set the start-end of the sound you add. I found that its better to add sound from another device via aux cable or a connected mic for external sounds and not of the po 33 mic.

Pros:

quantize, very easy use, so many functions, the size and the quality is unbelievable of how it looks in first place. Best part is the effects ... so much fun.

Cons:

The limitation of 4 sound polyphony and that you cant write different sound from the same drum rack.

The way it sync with other devices can be confusing

Overal:

very fun to play and so many uses to make you more creative for every use.

Exactly what I was expecting - great fun.

This is my first Pocket Operator and I chose it because of it's sampling functionality. The amount of fun I'm having with this and the ease with which one can create beats by sampling all sorts of things is the reason for my 5 star review. Great intro into the the Pocket Operator range.