Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator Modular 400 // In depth demo + synth tips

[@expandingknowledge8269]

Just purchased a used PO Modular 400 last night from Reverb. Hopefully I can incorporate this synth with my MicroFreak and Behringer Neutron. Really enjoyed this in depth video you did here. You really do such incredible work with synthesis, I really appreciate you and your content. I will be rewatching this video again and again for your excellent tips and instruction, Thank You my friend, you are TOPS in my book!😎

[@DivKid]

Really appreciate it, thank you! Have fun with the PO 400.

[@expandingknowledge8269]

@@DivKid Thank You my friend!😎

[@ChuckLeone]

Great demo video. I love the patch examples in random locations you sprinkled in.

[@DivKid]

great cheers!

[@bitegoatie]

First-rate educational video, as usual, with the welcome inclusion of little people of various species and states of animation, it kept me interested throughout. Good work!

[@DivKid]

nice one, thanks.

[@joanrue5169]

This is maybe the best Demo of it! Thanks! Your daughter and this machine = Best friends!!!

[@GazWilliams]

Excellent, excellent overview our kid!

[@DivKid]

cheers Gaz, nice to see you in the comments section. You'll be knee deep in some extreme modular logic demo next :)

[@clivemathieu9386]

BassFACE

[@DivKid]

AceFace

[@RobinRimbaudScanner]

Love that you dressed up so smartly for this video. Looking very dapper DivKid!

[@sodiumlights]

sounds really, really sweet! Thanks for this superb and thorough demo.

[@DivKid]

cheers for the comment.

[@Soundtrackloops]

A fantastic demo. I just bought one new because they slashed the prices to nearly 50% off.

[@DivKid]

thanks, I'm glad it's helpful. It's definitely good thing at the new prices.

[@MSPatterson]

I quite like how everything has multiple outputs, to give you more options for patching.

[@DivKid]

Yeah that's a big plus little multiple on each module.

[@TravellingSynths]

Love those fun breaks!

[@DivKid]

I enjoyed some stupidity

[@jeremy8133]

Thank you so much for making this video, I didn’t know where to begin with this thing

[@vigilancebrandon]

Wonderful demo. Subscribed. P.S. would love more vids on it. As of now, I still want it. Just watching gets my heart rate up!

[@midierror]

top demo/explination. audio rate mod ftw

[@DivKid]

Yeah best bit of it for me with this.

[@haydnr1631]

Brilliant video. Fantastic demo and tutorial that can be appreciated by anyone owning or thinking of buying any modular kit. I love the sounds it makes but just wish they made a 'grown-up' version. I'd be tempted to build my own front panel and tuck the yellow plastic 'toy' in the back!

[@DivKid]

Would be in the spirit of it to re panel it.

[@gottdio2804]

Fuck yes, I can't wait to get my modular setup started with the 400. Awesome review, thanks for going through all the features and giving such an in-depth review in such a short time!

[@DivKid]

Cheers Gott.

[@benedictjohnson2176]

thanks for the thorough overview. You certainly have a delightful home : )

[@rickbustamante]

Got enough Euro Rack modules Kid? Loved the intro, great stuff, cheers.

[@DivKid]

There's certainly a lot of them.

[@bufboston1]

The toilet/ gorilla head tableau is excellent.

[@DivKid]

haha thanks George, I'd forgotten about that.

[@exitritual]

Fantastic demo! Thank you.

[@DivKid]

thanks Scott

[@davidroberts9458]

Just got mine ... note about one of your gripes ... the speaker volume control isn’t a volume ... but a cross fade ... so turning to the left just maximizes the left channel (kinda)

[@DivKid]

Yeah, I realised quickly after. Shame it's not documented and a mono speaker doesn't do left and right.

[@Dogboy73]

.......... Fantastic video. Love it.

[@DivKid]

cheers, appreciate that.

[@braincoral9866]

ooh I've been waiting for this video.. :D

[@DivKid]

cheers

[@davidroberts9458]

Great video ... Glad to see the comments on this video are much more positive then your PO-400 Build video! (Was kinda dismaying, especially because mine just got delivered and I have been looking forward to using it) With the audio signal ... have you tried running it through a amp module with overload?

[@DivKid]

an amp with overload? Do you mean an amp with gain? I have options for boosting the level so it's no problem.

[@AndyVonal]

Nice tie, Ben!

[@DivKid]

thanks

[@immersiveworlds]

Great video, as always!

[@DivKid]

cheers Scott.

[@toolzshed]

Sounds Great!

[@stevebloomdevon]

Nice review....wanted one at the start .....just so yellow and lego like......by the end .....meh.... Mind you I do feel the need to spray paint the gear I own bright primary colours.

[@DivKid]

enjoy the graffiti session.

[@petercarlsson6606]

It will be mine!

[@DivKid]

:)

[@budfoon]

Well it's gonna be perfect for my 10yo!

[@alexandermontagnet3361]

Thank you so much for the video and the detailed info! I felt lost before watching this video. Two quick questions, have you messed around with the TE 16 modular keyboard at all? If so what are your thoughts with it and the 400 together? If you have not, to get full use out of the 400 what would be the next thing to combine it with to actually make some good “god noises” or fleshed out sequenced parts?

[@videomove]

the no. 1 👌🏼

[@DivKid]

no.1 synthesiser?

[@videomove]

no. 1 youtuber when it cones to modular…

[@DivKid]

ah thanks, appreciate the kind words.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

Do any of the CV inputs respond to stereo signals? Meaning tip is one CV, sleeve is another? The OP-Z module sends 0-5v cv on the tip and -5 to 5 on the sleeve to act as a pitch/gate and a modulation cv, simultaneously. Since they opted for stereo patch cables, it would be cool to see if that does anything here, especially since the two are supposed to work together.

[@DivKid]

I don't think any of the jacks here are stereo mini jacks.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

Interesting. A really missed trick then in the design, since the OP lab module on the OP-Z outputs pitch and cv on channel 1 and gate and cv on 2 using stereo cables.

[@ludvista29]

Great video! Would love to hear this used with a quantizer :)

[@DivKid]

Yeah that's the first missing link. Been enjoying it sequenced by the Stepper Acid.

[@ritchrdronson7903]

Can it handle CV/Gate signals from standard eurorack gear? Or is there a chance of damaging the 400?

[@7177YT]

made me smile throughout, so awesome. thx! edit: Love the owls. btw: Sequencer as audio source... o.0 >.< neat!

[@DivKid]

Yeah sequencer at audio rate is a nice trick!

[@EaselCat]

Love it!

[@johnmiddleton4291]

The speaker level knob is likely design to control the levels of both left and right at the same time, sort of a sub mix. So full counter clockwise is all left, full clockwise is all right, and the in-betweens is a mix.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

I see you addressed that further down the responses. I think this is supposed to be a sub mix output module in addition to just a simple monitor speaker. You can plug into left and right ins then set a balance between the two signals and take that from the out to your monitor set up. Definitely could be more clearly documented though. Also could do some stereo using the 170 system added on.

[@allenschmitz9644]

so it's like a fade right fade left effect.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

Exactly. A fade between the two inputs. There may be some gain boost full left or right and I have no idea what the prospective volume mixes between left and right are. No one really is showing any of that. Seems to be lots of little things on this that TE should document more thoroughly.

[@DavidDeLuge]

Very thorough video but what would you use it for? Would it be used to mainly generate samples that can then be played via a keyboard? I am struggling to see where I'd use it to make music since you can't "play it" as such.

[@justinbrown8214]

I don't have one but I'm sure it's got CV or something so you can sync the internal clock with other gear like po12, volcas, beatstep pro, etc

[@gnarhess]

What sort of oscilloscope is this in your video?

[@marcel_holdys]

modular from washing machine just make me laughs so hard.Top a top demo Kid.

[@DivKid]

haha

[@mylarmelodies]

missed a trick not putting that washing machine on x

[@DivKid]

I know totally.

[@videomove]

thanks, you rule!

[@hasko_not_the_pirate]

Is it actually compatible to Lego? One could tune the oscillators with a mic and a motor.

[@markuskoivisto]

Hasko Heinecke yes, they are. They chose to do that rather than make the knobs comfortable.

[@DivKid]

It is yeah. I ordered some gears to make fine tuning easier.

[@leContrebasson]

It,s great shit! Thanks dude!)

[@DivKid]

cheers

[@TheFreeRadikal]

nice kick sound

[@DivKid]

Yeah I always enjoy synthesising my own percussion.

[@UnauthorisedService]

nice tips thanks a lot

[@stepanok]

Are the knobs responsive and smooth?...it seems sometimes in the video that you straggle a bit with one and another just ..bammm races ahead.....as they are tiny and it would make it difficult to work with . Thanks

[@DivKid]

adding the lego technics gears helps with fine tuning.

[@stepanok]

well, unfortunately the flimsy way these are attached means that after a while they come off. @@DivKid

[@DivKid]

yeah I can see that been the case.

[@tiltedstudio]

Can I automate this using LEGO Mindstorms??

[@migueldelag]

Yes

[@DivKid]

Yeah absolutely.

[@bembeleee]

You were in SonicTalk with Nick Batt subscribing aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

[@nadamucho466]

Love the interstitials, especially the garden one. I'm totally new to this kind of stuff. Is it controllable with any kind of keyboard?

[@remologpaintingwithsound2912]

yes you can use a voltage control keyboard to play the keys for each oscilator

[@OmriCohen-Music]

The flu this year is crazier than ever... Anyway, it sounds great, but do you think it has something more than just the gimmick? Feel better.

[@DivKid]

Some of the audio rate techniques work really well with the tone of this thing.

[@kollagebeats]

Can you use standard TS cables from your eurorack to patch the 400 or do you have to use the proprietary TE cables?

[@TheSilentCartgraph3r]

TE cables only

[@DivKid]

you can use any cables with it.

[@elshuffles]

the patch at 14.00 can you talk through hows thats made again!

[@XanderEwald]

My girlfriend calls it the "cheese synth".

[@DivKid]

does she like cheese?

[@alexstixx]

I hope she likes him at least.

[@XanderEwald]

Update: She is not my girlfriend anymore. I, however, will continue calling it the cheese synth.

[@Breakbeat90s]

my girlfriend too if i had one

[@XanderEwald]

Update 2: She is my girlfriend again and I decided to buy the cheese synth.

[@clivemathieu9386]

Could have been so much cooler... the synth, not the video

[@LeonTrimble]

i know right. they could have made it as interesting as makenoise stuff. why is this so basic? that's not what they are known for...

[@DivKid]

I hope this is the start of a range of things they pursue in terms of modular of just general more open ended synthesis stuff.

[@decibel001]

@@LeonTrimble alot of the cooler make noise modules cost $270-$550 this is a lot for for the price $499.

[@LeonTrimble]

@@decibel001 not what i'm saying - teenage engineering are known for their their innovation in electronics, this may be innovation in size and price, but they usually move the paradigm forward... i was hoping their approach to modular would have been as inventive as make noise, in this form factor...

[@justinwhite9754]

There is a high pitched buzzing that is always present through the speaker on mine. Do you have the same problem?

[@fjazz]

I didn't understand the D1234 binary inputs on the sequencer

[@DivKid]

while a voltage is high at those inputs it will skip forward to steps 1 4 8 or 16

[@DriesBultynck]

How do you connect this to your daw?

[@DivKid]

Typically you'd use a DC coupled audio interface to interface CV signals and take audio signals back in. Or send MIDI out of a DAW and then into a MIDI to CV device.

[@DriesBultynck]

Arturia keystep would fit nice

[@inventanew]

19:28-19:36 wow

[@DivKid]

:)

[@AshBashVids]

Get some large lego technic gears, put them on the tune pots and you'll have more control over the tuning due to the increased knob radius ;)

[@ipadoddschan7184]

Mister Shledge not much space on the sequencer for that ;)

[@markuskoivisto]

Why didn’t they just make the knobs bigger and grippier?

[@AshBashVids]

@@ipadoddschan7184 The VCO tune knobs, not the sequencer

[@AshBashVids]

@@markuskoivisto A previous interview states allowing it to be used with lego technic for more creative results eg. moving multiple knobs at once at different ratios with gears

[@DivKid]

I saw someone else doing that earlier today. I ordered some. Cheers for the suggestion.

[@Individual_two]

With your flu-ravaged voice I can actually understand you better. :) Good demo!

[@DivKid]

ah interesting

[@apparently_sonam]

@@DivKid Phlegmtastic.

[@LeonTrimble]

@DivKidVideo what did/didn't you like about it?

[@ednasdiscomachine6049]

I sort-of didn't want to like this. However, it actually sounds great :) The only way I'm going to power my modular outside is with a generator... :\

[@DivKid]

Yeah the weird dying power starve batteries failing is interesting the first time though.

[@ghostly606]

The speaker volume is a balance. It’s receiving a left signal so anti-clockwise is full volume. Or so I’ve been told...

[@DivKid]

Yeah makes sense, not so much when labelled left and right, not documented as such and it's a mono speaker.

[@CO5MA]

Cool! How do you like it?!

[@DivKid]

pretty fun, some interesting sounds with the audio rate stuff.

[@ArtFluids]

Seems like a killer percussion machine, specifically. Nothing wrong with that at all.

[@DivKid]

Yeah some cutting audio rate percussion stuff is great!

[@paulb1953]

You just back from court?

[@DivKid]

haha yeah I had my hearing earlier. I get full custody of the modular system.

[@BrunoWiebelt]

thumbs up

[@DivKid]

thanks Bruno.

[@7thdanwebninja]

M8, lemsip, shot of whisky to taste. Other than that, awesome video.

[@DivKid]

Cheers James!

[@irok81]

I commend you for doing this video sick. But why not just wait and do it when you feel better? A couple days later maybe? Sounds are very cool. Get well soon.

[@DivKid]

Couple of days hasn't shifted anything. I have a schedule to keep to so work couldn't stop entirely.

[@irok81]

Ya schedules will do that. Good job on the video anyways. 👍

[@DivKid]

thank you, much appreciated.

[@ArtFluids]

Two envelopes and two VCAs means you could get two separate synth voices out of this thing.

[@DivKid]

yeah easy to patch up.

[@Dogboy73]

Looking a bit Kraftwerk. I want one. Still shows as sold out though.

[@DivKid]

Yeah first run sold out really quickly.

[@2.7petabytes]

Dammit! How cool! Bit pricey like many Teenage Engineering items

[@jmsiener]

Yeah, what gives with the tie?

[@DivKid]

Hi Jacob, why not. I felt my collar deserved a treat.

[@PWMaarten]

Husky voice compensated with suit and tie.

[@DivKid]

haha

[@SpawnoftheEd]

great video. man i wish this was more of a "pocket operator" and less of a weird stand thing with "this module goes here" mind set. it's not really customization or portable.

[@0ooDT]

Read a post about the build quality being complete garbage with issues galore. Can anyone speak to this?

[@markuskoivisto]

Some have reported missing parts like washers. Haven’t really heard much else. Have you?

[@DivKid]

there's no washers in the whole kit ... you need to cut some of the headers/spacers (might be what they mean) to get 8 from the 4 longer ones. I didn't bother as I couldn't cut through them.

[@robertsyrett1992]

extra husky div kid!

[@DivKid]

Huskid.

[@WeirdMedicine]

my girlfriend calls it the "spongebob synth."

[@asciisynth]

Washing machine reverb

[@fengchen303]

And it sounds metallic

[@DivKid]

super metallic reverb.

[@7alken]

well, ok, as far as you will be not disseminating this *hit near to me, ok, ok.....

[@time4anew1]

I'm the calculator with my pocket operator

[@DivKid]

:)

[@TheRealSasquatch]

interesting - great video - just seems overpriced and dare I say - not overly tuneful.

[@DivKid]

First thing you need for "tuneful" is a quantiser for the sequencer as it's just pure analogue voltages.

[@jamescruz8678]

$549 USD for all of that seems like a good deal to me. EDIT: It's $499 USD. My bad.

[@CubeRepublic]

I'd fucking hate to have to noodle on with a tonne of wires to make music for it only to sound like a heart monitor from the cardiac unit after spending 12000£ to have some kind of cup a soup rave moment

Nice review! Half level is not good...

[@DivKid]

You can boost it, but just something to note. For the record there's some eurorack module who's output levels are lower than nearly everything else.

[@professionalhater2809]

This thing is sold out!!!

[@bigmanlizard7326]

compare this to an AE modular system basically the same price its crazy how cheap and gimmicky this thing is

[@0m0n97]

Why dont you say the knobs fall out after a while?. Are youbsupposed to glue them?? This is made in a ridulous way. Why not a bad word for TE?? There are people who would not dare get it if they knew all the facts.

[@DivKid]

I didn't say that because they didn't fall out. Mine still haven't fallen out. Don't glue them, they won't turn then! "Why not a bad word for TE?" ... Why a bad word? I've made a demo that shows the product for what it is, demo'd each function in detail and given some examples and patches. This isn't a review, I'm not scoring it out of 10 or making comparisons and pros/cons etc. The product is exactly what you see in the video without masking anything. I have a build video that shows how fiddly and awkward some of the build is. What "facts" are missing?

[@deroden724]

Love the Scottish accent

[@pawnotdaw4559]

deroden ?

[@deroden724]

@@pawnotdaw4559 :)

[@DivKid]

Bradford accent. Maybe a bit of cold/flu takes you further north the worse is it.

[@dannycarbona]

Husky means short and fat

[@moistpeanut5986]

Its too overpriced for what it is in my opinion. Its a fun time killer for rich people but there are better options as an intro. Its great for instagram pictures though.

[@fjazz]

Moist Peanut plz list a few better options as an intro?

[@mpmi7588]

@@fjazz he's not going to

[@moistpeanut5986]

@@fjazz Behringer Neutron, 0- Coast, Mother 32, SV-1. Also a real full eurorack case will cost you less than the Modular 400 with change for a few modules.

[@DivKid]

"great for instagram pics" hahaha

[@alexjones4219]

@@mpmi7588 oh but he just did mate :)

[@C-sidesammy]

You could talk to whale's using this.

[@Guitarist888]

I hate the color. It looks like a child’s toy. I wish they gave us an option to choose different colors.

[@samesong]

Half the level...bummer. So it's a toy after all... 🙄

[@AshBashVids]

Just wait until you try buchla!

[@DivKid]

me? I've tried Buchla, possibly going to be working some more so this year. Currently on a Serge venture at the minute.

[@spankenheim]

well I was kind of hoping this would sound like crap so I could write it off completely but it actually sounds pretty good. Still not likely to get one, but thumbs up.

[@DivKid]

Yeah doesn't sound how I imagine many think.