Teenage Engineering Po-32 Tonic

Swedish electronics company Teenage Engineering (stylized teenage engineering) brings yet another edition of its quirky Pocket Operator drum synthesizer series to the world--the PO-32 Tonic--with the award-winning manufacturer claiming that it is their best one yet. I got my hands on one to see if there is truth to this rare outburst of Scandinavian pride.

- Robby Vaflor

DESIGN

teenage engineering is known to bring together retro elements with the minimalistic Scandinavian design ethos of its products, willing to break conventions in terms of appearance and operation, exemplified by its critically-acclaimed flagship OP synthesizer series.

With this in mind, the PO-32 looks like a cross between a Casio calculator and a Nintendo Game & Watch, sans plastic covering. If you don’t get the referenced items, the aesthetic may be lost on you. It is so beautifully bare, with just an electronics board and exposed components. You can see the soldered pieces, pins and all. A “pro case” is available for a considerable amount more, but why cover up all the awesomeness?

Each button (23 in all) is clearly labeled, with the action on each as tactile as can be. The two parameter knobs turn finely as well, for better control on the tone of each sound. All in all, the PO-32 exemplifies the simplicity of Swedish design with every element having a definite purpose, while looking so darn cool.