Tag Archives: teenage engineering

Teenage Engineering Mind Games Limited Edition OB-04 Speaker celebrates John Lennon’s 84th Birthday

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Teenage Engineering is long known for its musical design and they’ve got another head-scratcher for all the John Lennon fans. His son Sean Ono Lennon has collaborated with Teenage Engineering to create a custom-made Bluetooth speaker for the legendary singer’s birthday. Coincidently, Sean shares his birthday with his father, and this is the perfect gift for him turning 49 and also for diehard fans.

The focus of the minimalist wireless speaker-cum-radio christened Mind Games Limited Edition OB-04 is the 1973 album Mind Games. The audio accessory has a two-hour loop recording function for rewinding, time-stretching and looping the live radio.

Designer: Teenage Engineering

On the outside, the speaker is inspired by the album art of the fourth solo studio album by John. The graphic has the popular graphic where a mini Lennon is minusculed by the Yoko-mountain graphic. The legendary musician and singer was a proponent of peace and the Teenage Engineering’s white truly matches that vibe. Till date fans mourn his death after he got shot, and the speaker’s exclusive content is a homage to that. There are six sets of new mixes of the Mind Games album which include the raw studio mixes, the Evolution documentary, the Elements mixes and Elemental mixes. That’s not it as there is a new metronome, meditation mixes (nine re-edits of the album’s title track) and nine mantras to complete the set. Some of the aforementioned tracks have instrumentals and record engineering by Sean and Scott Holingsworth.

This limited edition version is based on the OB-04 BT speaker which in itself is an exclusive audio accessory. The hardware on the inside remains the same, so audio quality and soundstage are going to be similar. On a single charge, you can listen to the music albums for 40 hours uninterrupted and in the radio mode it goes up to 72 hours. Carrying the weighty legacy of John Lennon, the ‘Mind Games’ edition is understandably priced at $999, almost twice as the standard version which can be bought for $549 in 7 color options.

 

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Teenage Engineering debuts new $300 Sampler… but it’s only Medieval Sounds and Gregorian Chants

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Medieval-themed Teenage Engineering Audio Gear was definitely not on my Bingo card this year.

Building on the success of its EP-133 K.O.II sampler from not too long ago, the quirky audio-tech company just debuted the EP-1230, a variant of the K.O.II with a medieval twist. Featuring old-timey instruments like the hurdy-gurdy and the bowed harp, sound effects like swords clashing or even a dragon roar, along with 9 original songs, and a bunch of effects (there’s even a Torture Chamber Reverb setting), this biblically accurate sampler is perfect for people looking to experiment with their sonic portfolio, making audio for medieval-themed games like your Dungeons & Dragons sessions, or perhaps trying to emulate the musical genres of a certain Woodkid.

Designer: Teenage Engineering

The EP-1230 is almost exactly like its predecessor in format, except for the ye-olde overhaul. It sports a rather beige color scheme, with medieval fonts on the keys as well as a medieval typeface on the seven-segment screen. Switch it on and you’ve got hundreds of sounds to choose from, featuring everything from old instruments to audio loops, original songs, and even SFX or foley sounds. You may find navigating the settings a bit of a learning curve because even the language on the keys is in Latin, but that’s all a part of the charm I guess.

Beyond its extensive sound library, the EP-1320 is a fully functional instrument. Its intuitive interface features pressure-sensitive pads for triggering samples, a built-in sequencer for arranging musical ideas, and a suite of effects processors to add depth and character to sounds. The device also invites you to build on its capabilities by recording your own sounds through its built-in microphone and line input. Whether it’s capturing the rhythmic hammering of a blacksmith’s forge or the haunting melody of a traditional instrument, the EP-1320 empowers musicians to infuse their creations with a personal touch. The sampler’s compact size and battery-powered operation make it a versatile tool for both studio and on-the-go music making.

The overall design of the EP-1230 is interesting, as it literally applies a medieval skin onto what’s ostensibly a very quirky contemporary-looking sampler. That fusion isn’t something most companies can pull off (it’s giving Medieval Winamp skin), but I guess if I had to trust a company with doing a good job, it would probably be Teenage Engineering. That being said, the market for a medieval-themed sampler could possibly be a lot slimmer than one for the company’s other products. The EP-1230 is up on Teenage Engineering’s website for $300 (the same as the EP-133 K.O.II), and enthusiasts can even grab themselves a medieval quilt bag, leather keychain, or tee shirt to complete the ‘look’.

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BMW Motorrad x Vagabund electric bike has integrated umbrella and Teenage Engineering speaker

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BMW Motorrad Austria has joined forces with design studio VAGABUND to create a custom CE 02 eParkourer ride. The electric bike has a futuristic vibe and retro flair that’ll appeal to Gen-Z and millennials too.

Unlike other electric scooters, this one-off ride gives a sneak peek of where the future of two-wheelers is headed. That’s because it has an integrated BT speaker, hidden umbrella and a strapped skateboard grip tape for all your city riding needs.

Designer: BMW Motorrad

The urban commuter will spark interest in electric bikes that can otherwise have the style and feature-rich element missing. It has a two-tone look which goes perfectly with the needs of the modern crowd. Coming on to the BMW CE 02 bike, it tops at a speed of 59 mph and we expect this special version to have the same 48-volt electric motor and drivetrain. It churns out a peak output of 11 kW and offers a range of 55 miles on a single charge. This bike differs in visual appeal as it has a bit more spark with the contrasted white accents. This white influence is carried onto the half-white wheels.

What makes this electric scooter distinct is the integrated OB-4 Magic Radio by Teenage Engineering and a running board with skateboard grip tape. That cool exhaust that you see is for aesthetics, as well as storing a foldable umbrella for the untimely downpour. All these added elements resonate well with the retro-futuristic vibe of the EV. Mixed with the white and black tones is the lively tan of the saddle.

BMW Motorrad has not detailed a lot about the CE 02 x Vagabund edition, however, it is ultra-exclusive simply because of the $549 TE speaker that has a minimalistic theme.

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Teenage Engineering DJ Console concept brings OP-1 style aesthetics to the deejaying world

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Teenage Engineering has become an inseparable part of the music community in the past decade. Ever since their OP-1 synth debuted on Swedish House Mafia’s music video for their song ‘One’, the company has been on a rise, launching Pocket Operators, recording/playback gear, turntables for children, and even venturing into phones for Nothing and the R1 AI device for Rabbit. Their position in the new-age music industry, however, remains cemented for the next few years to come – but if there’s one device missing from their music-making tech repertoire, it’s a great DJ console. While most people love making music, there’s a case to be made that if you want to connect with your listeners, you need to perform your music too – and deejay consoles help artists do just that. Designed to bridge this product gap, Chris Matthews designed the OP-J, a Teenage Engineering-inspired console for disc jockeys looking to play and remix tunes.

Designer: Chris Matthews

Deejay consoles don’t really need to be portable, but there’s an understated beauty to how sleek the OP-J is. It’s about as thick as its synthesizer sibling, with the same design language running through. You’ve got two rotating discs, knobs, keys, buttons, cross-faders, a speaker, and two screens that guide you through playback as well as effect settings.

Keeping in theme with the company’s focus on music creation, the OP-J allows you to do more than just play and merge tracks. Sure, it’s a pretty capable DJ console, with everything a disc jockey would need to get on stage and drop the bass… but you’ve got 8 keys and 8 more buttons to record/trigger loops, play melodies, or activate certain intros/outros to spice up your songs. Although it isn’t shown here, I wouldn’t be surprised if you could hook the OP-1 to the setup and take your performance to even higher levels.

Color-coded knobs let you control effects and envelopes, while a dedicated display just for the effects lets you monitor what you’re up to. It’s unusual for a DJ console to come with its own speaker, but just in case you want to practice in the privacy of your home or hotel room, the OP-J lets you nerd out without needing a separate speaker system. Yes, audio jacks on the bottom let you hook external speakers if you can, or headphones so you can preview tracks before cueing them.

The OP-J is just a fan-made concept for now, but if someone from Teenage Engineering reads this, we all could use an OP-style deejay console! Besides, let’s also take some time out to appreciate the Darth Vader-esque black and red version below?!

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Hi-fi Audio Player inspired by Teenage Engineering and Sony refreshes an age-old design

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Purist audiophiles always come back to the DAPs and high-resolution audio players to enjoy their favorite music collection in high definition. Sony has a foothold in the hi-res audio game for as long as memory goes back, and they continue to offer some of the best players for music listening. Walkman MW-A306 released last year is a favorite one for music lovers.

Teenage Engineering resonates the same value for its consumers with a broader portfolio of innovative and unconventional audio gadgets. Both Sony and TE have things like modern design, Gen-Z targeting and sublime quality at their helm to attract a niche set of audio lovers. We certainly love TE and so does the community of designers who have been mustering up cool concepts inspired by the Stockholm-based electronics company.

Designer: Evgeniy Vakulich

This cool concept of collaborating together the two loved brands is surely going to bring the heat to the likes of Astell&Kern, Fiio, iBasso and Shanling. Interestingly called the Pony Project, the DAP has the design DNA and color theme of Teenage Engineering. It gets a digital display to show the currently playing music and library elements to search for tracks. All the other buttons for toggling the elements like the tempo, loop, mode or FX. The tactile input for the L-Shift, R-Shift, Mic, Select and Start is heavily inspired by the Teenage Engineering aesthetics.

The top of the gadget has the volume rockers, bass and treble, power and stop buttons. A lot of mind has been put into the design and conceptualization of the music player by Evgeniy. The popular color theme of the TE products is so good to see in a DAP which usually comes in contemporary dark hues. If you’ve already not noticed, the audio player comes with the Pony branding which dupes the Sony brand name.

 

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This Teenage Engineering handled gaming console derives inspiration from Sony PSP

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Teenage Engineering as a niche electronics brand has always offered something new and exciting to the audio-loving community. We certainly love all their creations and are always looking forward to the next creation from the Swedish wiz. It’s been just a few weeks since we saw the refreshing TE concept handheld gaming console designed by an independent creator, and now another one with an eerily similar vibe has landed on Behance.

On first look both these handheld gaming consoles seemed similar but on closer inspection they are indeed different. No surprise, this concept is fan-made, and in no way does Teenage Engineering endorse the concept. That said, the handheld is impressive enough to someday become the inspiration for a real gaming console by TE.

Designer: Vishesh Jaiswal

The curves normally identified with the Apple smartphone become an inspiration on the Gaming Console XP-I and the curvature follows down to the bottom surface. The portable gaming machine designed for casual gamers emerges from the teardown of the nostalgic 2006 Sony PSP, and finally evolves to take the form of a handheld that is an amalgam of inspiration from the Nintendo Switch. The prototype dummy model is created by intricately shaping the styrofoam that still looks roughened up and unconvincing.

On the other hand, digital renders look more refined and TE-worthy with an extended rear section that acts as a sidekick to place it on the surface. These also act as the trigger buttons for massive tactile input as they move a full 90 degrees. This should be engaging and fun while playing the newly released COD Warzone Mobile or CarX Street. The joystick buttons are more prominent for gamers who like the more retro-styled console with big chunky input buttons.

The rear bottom of the handheld has leather padding for comfortable holding during long gaming sessions. The body shell is done in a titanium grey finish contrasted with the signature Teenage Engineering color scheme in orange, black and white. I personally like this one better compared to the earlier concept. Which one do you fancy more to one day join the TE line-up?

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This Teenage Engineering inspired laptop is a creative sound engineers dream come true

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One thing all digital creatives need is a good machine to support their endeavors. The same holds true for music that pleases our ears, and no one knows it better than Teenage Engineering. The Swedish consumer electronics brand has made a name for itself in the last couple of years courtesy of its unique design language and the sublime ability to blend visually striking form factor with the musical experience.

This music editing laptop based on the TE philosophy of instant musical immersion, is all about music immersion, portability of use and flexible connection options to connect audio devices to create and edit music. It comes with a unique DJing method to control multiple controllers simultaneously by pressing the keys and adjusting the dot-shaped touchscreen.

Designer: PDF Haus

The motivation behind designing this compact music-creating machine is to cut down the clutter of various instruments and give audio engineers the ability to work on their projects anytime, anywhere. There are dedicated control wheels and keypads for editing the music files with ease. Those detachable sound sampler modules that act as a sound device to record or send edited samples, extend the usability of the machine without the need for a dedicated sampler. Thus, making it a one-stop-shop gadget for sound editing, audio creation and more. Everything is a lot more fun with the 180-degree hinge that allows one to work on it like contemporary audio-creating equipment.

That detachable interaction UI system brings a whole lot more to the fore than expected. Things like Low Pass Filter, High Pass Filter, pitch controller, and much more. While one could go on talking about the multifaceted use of keys and buttons that music makers will instantly relate to, we’ll appreciate the whole design aspect of it. Especially the achromatic and orange point tones emphasizing its Teenage Engineering DNA.

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Teenage Engineering-inspired Nintendo Switch feels like the minimalist handheld console we deserve

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Teenage Engineering has created a niche in the music tech market with rule-defiying products that tap into the inquisitive nature of things. No matter if it’s a field system, wireless audio, or synthesizers; if it’s from Teenage Engineering, it’s got to be worth talking about. That’s the sole reason we just love everything from the Stockholm-based audio wizard.

This time around though, it’s not something coming out of their creative factory, but rather a culmination of creative thoughts from a designer to muster up a winning product envisioned for TE. A handheld gaming console that’s fun to play around with and also one that doesn’t deviate from the core ethos of the brand. According to the designer the handheld blends into any environment, “triggering the nostalgic feeling and providing fun to the users.”

Designer: Nidharshan Suresh

The primary motivation behind this concept gaming console carrying the DNA of Teenage Engineering is to break the monotony in the design of current handheld consoles and refresh the market with a product that’s a delight to savor. The initial research identified the reason for playing games as an escape from the daily stresses of life. Another couple of motivators are the ability to boost problem-solving capabilities and live a story in pseudo-reality. One fact that was clear from the data was the end-users who are either on-the-go gamers, tech geeks, softcore gamers, or socializers.

Nidarshan employed parallel prototyping using thermocol models to fine-tune the final handheld design that falls right into place. As a TE fan, I immediately found a connection between two different worlds of audiophile bliss and gaming frenzy in this product. A cohesive form that’s minimal while retaining the ergonomic comfort of playing games for extended sessions. The color theme also piques interest in the form of orange, black and white buttons for the joystick and D-pad buttons.

The slim form factor ensures your fingers never get fatigued from constantly hitting the trigger buttons on the top. From what’s apparent this handheld gaming console is quite compact compared to the current market leaders like Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, or Nintendo Switch. That alone is a win for someone like me with small hands.

The titanium silver grey finish brings a new look to the arena which I absolutely love. Whether or not such a handheld is going to disrupt the market, only time will tell, that is if, Teenage Engineering ever designs a handheld gaming console in the near future!

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Rabbit r1, co-designed with Teenage Engineering, is a cute pocket AI assistant

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Before the current craze of ChatGPT, image generators, and AI-powered services, the world was obsessed with personal assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. That fad has died down a bit, though mostly because these voice-controlled disembodied voices have become so common and so ubiquitous in many smart home devices these days. That said, most personal AI assistants can only be accessed either from a stationary device at home, such as a smart speaker or TV or from your smartphone, which means you can’t call on your digital friend when you’re outside and can’t pull your phone out. That’s the problem that the Rabbit r1 aims to solve by putting a smart, AI-powered personal assistant in a cute little gadget that feels like a Tamagotchi made for serious purposes.

Designers: Rabbit x Teenage Engineering

You wouldn’t immediately associate the Rabbit r1 with AI when you first see it. It initially looks like a simple toy with a pixelated rabbit that’s actually just a blocky head with long ears in a square orange device that fits in your hand nicely. That this rabbit head can show some expressions, blink, wink, or even wear headphones further cements its image as a toy, but it’s actually the face, or rather the head, of what may be the cutest AI assistant to grace the market.

The Rabbit r1 is basically a dedicated AI-powered assistant, formally marketed as “your pocket companion,” that makes the usual AI features more accessible by divorcing them from your phone or home speaker. The idea is that you’d simply pull this less conspicuous (if not for its bright orange color) device out of your pocket or bag, push and hold down a button to talk to the rabbit, and then wait for its response both on the screen as well as via audio. Rabbit OS, as the software platform is being called, seems plenty capable and can answer almost any question, and the rotating camera even does image recognition so you can identify viral personalities or get a suggestion on what to cook based on what you have in your fridge.

If the r1’s aesthetic looks familiar, then you might have recognized Teenage Engineering’s design DNA in it. The Swedish company is best known for its distinctive music-creation devices, and it is indeed the creative genius behind this pocket AI device’s equally distinctive design. Suffice it to say, you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in public using this device, especially in places where a smartphone would be even more impolite or impossible.

The Rabbit r1 is designed to be super simple to use, which is why it only has a single push button and an analog scroll wheel, though the screen is, of course, touch-enabled. In addition to the usual queries, Rabbit OS will also be able to connect with the same apps and services as typical AI assistants, though it’s still a work in progress. It seems that the concept and the design have resounded with many people and the initial batch of 10,000 pre-orders for this $199 sold out on the first day. Whether it will be able to deliver on its promise, we’ll have to wait for initial reviews to see, and hear.

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Teenage Engineering made a tricorder-like gadget that’s actually a portable synthesizer

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Teenage Engineering is best known for audio equipment with unique aesthetics, though it does sometimes put out unrelated products, such as a desktop PC tower, wooden “choir” mini figurines, and a toy car. That last one was its prelude to the real product launch it had planned, a product that seemed to straddle the line between a full-fledged tool and a sophisticated toy. Given its size, design, and pedigree, Teenage Engineering’s shiny new EP-133 K.O. II is something you might find hard to take seriously at first glance. Fortunately, it seems to have just the right knobs and buttons, literally, to make it a real tool for music makers, at least those that will be able to shoulder its price.

Designer: teenage engineering

This new sampler, sequencer, and composer takes its inspiration from the brand’s Pocket Operator PO-33 K.O. I back in 2015. This device’s small, calculator-like design and accessible price point really made it look and feel more like some fun gadget for some whimsical music mixing. In contrast, the EP-133 K.O. II, or just KO II, for short, is way too large to fit in your pocket, which is the price you’ll have to pay for significantly more functionality that makes this portable synthesizer worth its weight in gold.

The aesthetics are also worlds apart as well. While the Pocket Operators really looked more like black Pocket Calculators, the KO II more than doubles the size and injects a mix of grays, whites, and oranges all over the place. The large buttons, tall knobs, and industrial aesthetic might remind some of the props from sci-fi shows during the 60s, specifically those from Star Trek. The rectangular screen’s choice of colors and shapes to display the user interface is also reminiscent of the show’s LCARS user interface. It might even be able to play those tricorder sound effects because, after all, it is a portable synth anyway.

It actually has quite a lot of features for that purpose, including 999 sample slots and a built-in speaker. There’s also a built-in mic to let you record your own samples right then and there, as well as a selection of drums, bass, and keys to help you get started. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack in case you want to extend the sampler’s features, but do note it only has 64MB of memory, which is probably the biggest deal-breaker for this product. Apparently, the limitation is there to encourage musicians to finish their creations in one go rather than delaying them forever.

Teenage Engineering is slapping a $299 price tag on the EP-133 K.O. II, amusingly just $50 more than its toy Grip Car. It’s still considerably lower than its other synths, enough to entice music makers of all skill levels, but still quite a hefty investment. Then again, it’s a fully functional portable groove box that has quite a distinctive design you can flaunt around, giving you an image of a retro-futuristic music genius controlling the beat with your hi-tech tool.

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