A chorus of wooden dolls that serenade you? If that sounds like something out of a dream, Teenage Engineering has made it real. The Swedish electronics studio has introduced the Choir, a whimsical ensemble of eight handcrafted, linkable digital speakers. Each doll is a charming, robotic character with its own look, voice, and personality. Featured in Teenage Engineering’s New York City exhibition in collaboration with Canadian design collective Bentgablenits, the quirky design has also made its cinematic debut, appearing in Pixar’s film Elio.

In Elio, a space-obsessed boy is accidentally beamed into the Communiverse, a vibrant assembly of alien civilizations. The Choir’s voices signal his first contact with alien life, setting the tone for a surreal journey through identity and connection. Later in the film, the dolls’ harmonies underscore the moment Elio’s clone is created, helping to define the sonic language of the film’s off-world environment.

all images courtesy of Teenage Engineering

the choir: tiny performers with a big repertoire

Each member of the Choir by Teenage Engineering is made from beech wood, carefully polished with hard wax oil. Hidden inside is a compact speaker module containing a processor, Bluetooth Low Energy transmitter, and a rechargeable battery with up to four hours of continuous performance time. With moderate use — about 10 minutes a day — the battery can last for a month.

Out of the box, the dolls by the Swedish electronics brand come pre-loaded with a selection of choral pieces ranging from baroque compositions to folk melodies. They can also be controlled via BLE MIDI using Teenage Engineering’s OP–1 Field, OP–Z, or any compatible MIDI keyboard, allowing users to create their own harmonies in real time.

the Choir is a whimsical ensemble of eight handcrafted, linkable digital speakers

playful interaction and expanded performance

Interaction is playful and intuitive. Users can tap a doll to start or stop the music, or tilt it left or right to adjust the volume, thanks to a built-in accelerometer. Each doll features a unique vocal timbre and character design inspired by cultures from around the world. A single doll can perform solo, or users can group up to sixteen dolls together for a full a cappella experience.

The Choir builds on Teenage Engineering’s first project: the Absolut Choir, an art installation created in 2007 featuring 22 wooden dolls for the Absolut Machine series. Now, the concept returns in a refined, interactive format—bridging music technology, storytelling, and character-driven design.

every doll is a robotic character with its own look, voice, and personality

inside the doll is a compact speaker module

each doll features a unique vocal timbre

the character design is inspired by cultures from around the world

a single doll can perform solo

users can also group up to sixteen dolls together for a full a cappella experience

wih moderate use, the speaker battery can last for a month

the Choir x Elio characters

Choir x Elio character

project info: 

name: Choir
brand: Teenage Engineering | @teenageengineering

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Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits host an exhibition in New York City where 1930s musical dollhouses serenade the visitors. Running between June 27th and 29th on Greene Street, the show comes to life in collaboration with Shopify, a space where the electronics brand brings over a reimagined version of its OD-11 wireless speaker alongside the OB-4 mesh bags, hand-beaded ban shirts, lab coats, and the choir, which is a series of eight wooden dolls that serenade visitors with a repertoire of choral classics.

all images courtesy of Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits

Bentgablenits restores original metal miniature homes

The musical dollhouses on display at the exhibition are the original metal-made ones from the 1930s. The Canadian design collective Bentgablenits restructured, collected, and handcrafted them some years ago, so in the New York City show, the visitors see that the rooftops lift up and reveal music playing from within. These miniature homes have a clear fourth wall, like in theater sets, so people can take a look inside the interiors. There’s also a magnifying glass available on site to help visitors get a closer look at the tiny and carefully crafted interior details, including the built-in speaker as well as the overall design inside the miniature musical dollhouses.

On the outside of the musical dollhouses in the exhibition by the electronics brand Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits, round glasses with a glossy surface treasure retro images within them, and at a closer look, people find downsized versions of some of Teenage Engineering’s products, including the OB-4 wireless speaker. The edges of the Bentgablenits’ musical dollhouses are wrapped with holed metals, framing the miniature homes without taking away the detailed design of the exteriors. All of these handcrafted pieces are available to buy either at the exhibition in New York or online through the bentgablenits website, but the supplies are limited and first come, first served.

Teenage Engineering and Bentgablenits host an exhibition where 1930s musical dollhouses serenade viewers

the musical dollhouses on display at the exhibition are the original metal-made ones from the 1930s

Bentgablenits restructured, collected, and handcrafted the miniature homes some years ago

visitors can lift the rooftops up and listen to the music play from within

on the outside, round glasses with a glossy surface treasure retro images within them

these miniature homes have a clear fourth wall, like in theater sets

view of the packaging for the miniature homes

objects by Teenage Engineering are also on view at the exhibition

the choir, a series of eight wooden dolls with a repertoire of choral classics

project info:

team: Teenage Engineering, Bentgablenits, Shopify | @teenageengineering, @bentgablenits, @shopify

exhibition location: Greene Street, New York City

dates: June 27th to 29th, 2025

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For the first time, Teenage Engineering designs a customizable electric moped with the Swedish brand Vässla. Named epa-1, the acronym stands for ‘En Passar Alla,’ or ‘one fits all.’ The design teams say that the name refers to the electric moped being customizable and easy to update depending on the preference of the rider. They can choose to add different accessories onto the base of the ride, including a front rack, a passenger seat, a helmet box, some floor decals, and even a cargo basket. Around Teenage Engineering’s first-ever electric moped is a series of small screw holes, all of which are for custom mounts, accessories, upgrades, and decal kits.

‘The moped is meant to be used,’ the design teams say, and so they’ve considered a robust frame and set of covers, lights, and screws for epa-1, so the entire ride can weather tears and wear over time. ‘For example, the covers are colored through and not just painted, so you don’t have to worry about scratches,’ they add. The two-wheeler is also visibly bare of any vivid design elements, and even if there are models with bright colors, these shades only appear in some of the parts and not throughout the entire body, mainly around the front headlights and the sides.

all images courtesy of Vässla

All-black model to launch in the summer of 2025

Teenage Engineering and Vässla’s customizable electric moped epa-1 comes with an alarm for theft security, and it uses LED lights for the front and rear. It is also NFC-ready, and riders can use the two-wheeler as a power bank when they plug in their smartphone and use the USB mobile charging. The motorcycle is also keyless, and its range depends on the kind of battery it has: +100 km with the 50Ah battery and 60 km with the 30Ah one. Riders can cruise up to 45 km/h on the road and even 25 km/h on a bike path, depending on the class they’ll choose. 

Either way, the Swedish electronics and brand both have the options available and authority-approved. In front of the the rider, they find a small screen flashing the ride’s information. So far, there’s no news yet whether Teenage Engineering and Vässla’s customizable electric moped epa-1 has a dedicated app where the riders can monitor the battery percentage, cruising speed, and more. At the present time, the design teams are gearing up to launch a special edition, which comes in black, from the frame down to the screws, in the summer of 2025.

view of the front headlights

view of the front wheel

the passenger seat is an attachable accessory

the digital screen in front of the rider, flashing the riding information

all-black model of epa-1

epa-1 stands for ‘En Passar Alla,’ or ‘one fits all’

a robust frame and set of covers, lights, and screws for epa-1, so the entire ride can weather wear over time

Teenage Engineering and Vässla collaborate together for the modular epa-1

the all-black model launches in the summer of 2025

project info:

name: epa-1

brands: Teenage Engineering, Vässla | @teenageengineering, @officialvassla

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modern sound gadgets put a design twist on audiophile classics

Some modern sound gadgets reimagine audiophile classics, from speakers and earphones to cassette and vinyl record players and musical instruments. They’re portable, wireless, and rechargeable, which are some of the design and tech features that can appeal to the present and classic collectors and listeners. Modern elements come through, like a series of medieval sounds and folleys installed in an electronic instrument, sampler, and composer.

Cassette players are redesigned so they can have rechargeable batteries instead of the swappable ones. In this way, users don’t need to keep changing them for power. There’s a turntable with a minimal design and a blasted glass platter, slightly frosted to mimic the vinyl disc’s look. Some Bluetooth-ready speakers are equipped with solar-cell technology, so that users can rely on sunlight to recharge them. Earbuds these days have advanced technologies too, which include an active noise cancellation feature to dilute the exterior noises.

Teenage Engineering EP-1320 Medieval | image courtesy of Teenage Engineering

turntable with blasted glass platter and medieval sampler

Sound gadgets used for listening to tracks and records come with features that are not present before. Take Teenage Engineering’s electronic instrument, sampler, and composer as an example. Named EP-1320, the portable music maker produces medieval sounds, including the hurdy-gurdy, citole, bowed harp, and gittern, as well as battle toms, coconut horse hooves, farm animals, witches, rowdy peasants, an actual dragon, and more. The instrument can fit in a bag, the same advantage as the modern FiiO CP13. Users can always bring their tape player wherever they go, but with this cassette player, they don’t need swappable batteries to keep it running.

It comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, so fans of audiophile classics can just plug the port when their playing time runs out. The design also retains the tactile play, pause, stop, fast-forward, and rewind buttons, which revives the style of the audiophile classics. In terms of turntables, they’re more streamlined and can be minimal, like the Pro-Ject T1. For this vinyl record player, there’s a zero-resonance, blasted-glass platter in place on an anti-resonant sub-platter design. Its single-piece tonearm is forged from aluminum, and the sound gadget has vibration-absorbing feet to minimize jumps, as well as a dust cover with adjustable hinges for protection.

EP-1320 can produce sounds like hurdy-gurdy, citole, and gittern | image courtesy of Teenage Engineering

Solar-powered speaker and capsule-shaped earbuds

For modern speaker designs, these sound gadgets no longer have the massive horns or a utilitarian look of the audiophile classics. They’re self-charging now, like Urbanista’s Malibu Bluetooth speaker. This device is portable, and the user can hold it in their hand. It also has a rechargeable battery like the FiiO CP13 cassette player, but a feature the brand prides itself on is the use of solar cell technology. Because of this, the self-charging wireless speaker may never run out of battery, potentially ever, given that it can harness solar power from the surface of the device.

Even the earphones transform over time, and some of them, like Nothing’s CMF Buds, double as fashion statements. In fact, these dust- and waterproof wireless earbuds have a capsule-shaped exterior, so when users put them on, they look like accessories rather than sound gadgets. Fans of audiophile classics may appreciate the active noise cancellation of the listening devices, which can allow them to drown out the exterior sounds, unlike older earphone designs. It’s clear that sound gadgets will keep evolving, and it’s safe to say there are designers who still and will keep the retro features and style for collectors and fans of audiophile classics.

FiiO CP13 Cassette Player | image courtesy of FiiO

the cassette player also retains the tactile buttons to play, pause, stop, fast-forward, and rewind

Pro-Ject T1 Hi-Fi Turntable | image courtesy of Pro-Ject Audio Systems

for the turntable, there’s a blasted-glass platter in place on an anti-resonant sub-platter design

Urbanista Malibu Solar Bluetooth Speaker | image courtesy of Urbanista

the self-charging wireless speaker may never run out of battery, potentially ever

CMF by Nothing Buds | image courtesy of Nothing

these dust- and waterproof wireless earbuds have a capsule-shaped exterior

project info:

name: Teenage Engineering EP-1320 Medieval; FiiO CP13 Cassette Player; Pro-Ject T1 Hi-Fi Turntable; Urbanista Malibu Solar Bluetooth Speaker; CMF by Nothing Buds

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Our top 10 personal technologies of 2024 include a variety of gadgets for individual needs, including the powered exoskeleton pants MO/GO by Arc’teryx and Skip Innovations. At times, they come in the form of accessories, such as the AI glasses of Ray-Ban and Meta, which, after having received a multimodal update, can report history and explain the backstories of famous landmarks and objects. Phones are big this year too, with the release of the world’s first triple-screen smartphone from Huawei, named Mate XT.

Musical instruments are also considered personal gadgets and technologies. They’re now advanced like The Orchid, the retro-inspired synthesizer by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, which can produce sounds ranging from jazz to sci-fi music. Teenage Engineering brings back the old era because their electronic sample and composer in one plays medieval music. In our list of the top 10 personal technologies, we explore the designs that have made their mark in 2024, including Dyson’s Ontrac headphones and Marko Lazic’s 3D printed phone with an e-ink display.

TAME IMPALA’S KEVIN PARKER RELEASES THE ORCHID

image courtesy of Telepathic Instruments

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Telepathic Instruments have unveiled The Orchid, a retro-inspired synthesizer with a compact design featuring tiny round buttons, a mini keyboard, wheel knobs, and a vintage-radio aesthetic. It produces sounds ranging from jazz and guitar chords to retro-futuristic tones, reminiscent of sci-fi soundtracks.

The Orchid includes 12 velocity-sensitive keys, allowing its small keyboard to mimic the sounds of an 88-key piano by spreading chord notes for a realistic effect. The velocity keys let musicians adjust volume dynamically, changing sound intensity based on how softly or firmly the keys are pressed. Additionally, the synthesizer features a “chord logic system,” enabling users to mix and match countless chord combinations. 

read more here

TEENAGE ENGINEERING’S INSTRUMENT PLAYS MEDIEVAL MUSIC

image courtesy of Teenage Engineering

Teenage Engineering revives the Middle Ages with the EP-1320, their latest release described as the world’s first electronic sampler, composer, and instrument exclusively for medieval music. It comes with a library of ready-to-play instruments, one-shot samples, and medieval phrases. Dubbed the instrumentalis electronicum, Teenage Engineering calls it the ultimate medieval beat machine. DJs and producers can jam directly on the instrument’s pads or connect an external MIDI keyboard to add their unique twist.

Packed with hundreds of medieval sounds, the EP-1320 also includes a line input and built-in microphone for quick, custom sampling. Users can tap the pads to play classic instruments like the hurdy-gurdy, citole, or bowed harp, or mix them with tambourines, chain rattles, and battle toms. If they’re feeling bold, they can throw in clappers, bells, and even coconut horse hooves for an authentic Gothic vibe.The instrument also features foley effects, including swords clashing, farm animals, arrows, and the roar of a dragon.

read more here

APPLE LAUNCHES VISION PRO VR HEADSET

image courtesy of Apple

The Apple Vision Pro launches, and this gadget in our top 10 personal technologies of 2024 aims to blend digital content with the physical world through spatial features. Apple claimed the Vision Pro includes over 600 new spatial experiences that users can control with their eyes, hands, and voice. These experiences let users transform any room into a personal theater for sports, TV, and movies, as well as collaborate and create digital content together. 

Many users appreciate the high-resolution display, praising its contrast, colors, and dynamic range, which they compare to a high-end TV. This makes the VR headset’s entertainment display feel like an upgraded home theater. Some users also enjoyed the immersive gameplay, especially with 3D-capable content, and found that it could function as a combined work, game, and entertainment space. However, there have been mixed reviews, with some users noting a pixel smear that affects the sharpness of the visuals.

read more here

RAY-BAN META AI GLASSES CAN REPORT HISTORY

image courtesy of Ray-Ban and Meta

Meta and Ray-Ban’s AI glasses have received a multimodal update, so they can share landmark histories, object backstories, and scientific explanations. Mark Zuckerberg has demonstrated the new features on Instagram through clips of his Montana weekend trip. While recording his walk, the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses were asked to explain the Roosevelt Arch’s history, how snow forms in simple terms, and whether horses feel cold in snowy weather.

The AI glasses answered in a semi-monotonous voice. For the snow explanation, the glasses amusingly started with a caveman-like grunt before transitioning into the science behind it. In beta testing, as seen in Zuckerberg’s post, the glasses identified landmarks such as Big Sky Mountain and expanded on their significance with detailed information.

read more here

POWERED EXOSKELETON PANTS MO/GO BY SKIP AND ARC’TERYX

image courtesy of Skip Innovations

Arc’teryx and Skip Innovations have joined forces to create MO/GO, powered exoskeleton pants designed to make hiking easier. Arc’teryx provides the apparel, while the exoskeleton technology, made from carbon fiber, is developed by the California-based startup. When worn, the exoskeleton on the sides of the pants lights up, boosting leg strength by up to 40 percent to help hikers move with ease.

The MO/GO pants can make wearers feel 30 pounds lighter when trekking uphill, while also supporting their knees on descents to reduce strain and prevent slips. The technology, which is part of our top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024, targets quadriceps and hamstrings, minimizing muscle fatigue and joint discomfort. A wheel built into the pants conceals the motors, spinning in response to the hiker’s movements and triggering the needed boost.

read more here

SAMSUNG GALAXY RING IN OUR TOP 10 GADGETS OF 2024

image courtesy of Samsung

At the 2024 Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona, Samsung unveils the Galaxy Ring. This smart ring uses advanced sensors to collect data about the wearer’s health, providing detailed insights. Powered by artificial intelligence, the ring acts as a personal wellness assistant, offering recommendations to help improve health and wellness. Samsung’s goal is to bring its innovations into a small, comfortable device that can be worn 24/7.

The Galaxy Ring, which is included in our top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024, combines technologies from Samsung’s Galaxy products to track health all day long. It gives users insights into their wellness, helping them understand their health better. The company believes that every wellness journey begins with understanding health in depth and over time. Designed for 24/7 use, the ring also focuses on monitoring sleep quality.

read more here

HUAWEI REVEALS FIRST TRI-FOLD SMARTPHONE, MATE XT

image courtesy of Huawei

Huawei launches the Mate XT Ultimate Design, which is the world’s first tri-fold AI smartphone with three large glass screens. The phone features a slim rod structure between the hinges, helping keep the device compact. Thanks to this design, even though the phone has three screens, it feels like just one when folded. The launch also introduces Huawei’s Tiangong hinge system, allowing the phone to easily fold both its internal and external parts. 

When unfolded, the display measures 10.2 inches and doesn’t show any creases or the rod between the screens. Currently, the phone is available in two colors: red and dark black, both with leather covers. The edges of the phone are lined with black gold strips that shine both day and night. Huawei assures users that the Mate XT Ultimate Design is made with steel used in rockets, so it can handle frequent folding without deforming. 

read more here

 ‘OFFONE’, A 3D PRINTED PHONE WITH E-INK DISPLAY

image courtesy of Marko Lazic

Marko Lazic introduces the Offone, a 3D printed phone with an e-ink display designed to run only essential apps like calls, texts, messaging platforms, and taxi services. The phone’s compact size and slim body fit comfortably in the palm of the hand. This concept phone in our top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024 also has an e-ink display, which gives it the appearance of paper.

This choice eliminates screen glare and blue light, which can cause eye strain. Marko Lazic also mentions that optional lighting might be available, so users can read messages and check calls in the dark or at night. The design of the Offone is simple and straightforward, using universal icons instead of text or captions to represent apps. Lazic hopes this will eliminate language barriers, allowing users to navigate the phone using intuitive symbols.

read more here

MORRAMA’S AI TECHNOLOGIES HELP CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

image courtesy of Morrama

Morrama develops a set of concept Mindful AI tools to support children’s mental health. The team, known for creating mixed-reality glasses that display games, is now using machine-learning data analysis to power these smart tools. Their goal is to help children with emotional and mental well-being. The lineup includes four concept products, all starting with the letter “C”: Calm, Comfort, Create, and Connect. 

Connect is an AI sunflower designed to encourage communication. Create is a ‘MidJourney’ printer, a tube-like, green device that generates line drawings for children to color. It responds to spoken prompts, allowing kids to ask for a specific image, which it then prints, just like how MidJourney creates AI-generated images. Calm uses motion and heart rate sensors, along with a sweat monitor, to track the child’s mental and physical health. Then Comfort, which is a small projector with a built-in speaker that responds to the children’s requests with images and sounds.

read more here

DYSON’S ONTRAC HEADPHONES WITH CHANGEABLE EAR CUPS

image courtesy of Dyson

Dyson launches their OnTrac headphones, with over 2,000 customizable ear cups and cushions. These include options in aluminum, copper, and nickel, crafted with ultra-soft microfiber and foam for acoustic sealing. Designed by Jake Dyson and the Dyson Colours, Finishes, and Materials (CMF) team, the headphones, which have made it to our list of top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024, come in four base colorways.

One standout is the Ceramic Cinnabar, featuring a ceramic-effect painted finish. Users can mix and match finishes across four headphone parts, creating combinations like a nickel cup paired with a copper one, or contrasting in-ear cushions in bold colors like lemon yellow and sunset orange.The OnTrac headphones boast Dyson’s active noise cancellation (ANC) system, which uses eight microphones to monitor surrounding sounds 384,000 times per second. 

read more here

see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 —

2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 personal tech and gadgets of 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

It’s 2024, but Teenage Engineering wants to bring back the hurdy-gurdies, lutes, Gregorian chants, and thundering drums with EP-1320. It’s their recent release, dubbed the world’s first electronic instrument, sampler, and composer that only plays medieval music. Why rave to club music when party animals can rock and roll to the sounds of bagpipes, shawm, flutes, and trumpets?

There’s a large library of phrases, ready-to-play instruments, and one-shot samples in Teenage Engineering’s electronic instrument. In their words, ‘The instrumentalis electronicum is the ultimate, and only, medieval beat machine.’ DJs and music producers can play medieval music directly on the pads, or they can plug in their external MIDI keyboard to add their own flair to the sounds.

all images courtesy of Teenage Engineering

EP-1320 and the sounds of witches, farm animals and a dragon

Teenage Engineering’s EP-1320 boasts hundreds of medieval sounds and samples. The design team has even added a line input and internal microphone, so users can sample their own music in just a few seconds using the electronic instrument. If they’re not into that, they can just tap the pads and play the hurdy-gurdy, citole, bowed harp, and gittern. They can mix that with the sounds of frame drums, tambourines, chain rattles, and battle toms. If they want, why not add some clappers, bells, and coconut horse hooves to go with their Gothic flow?

Users shouldn’t forget the various foley and sound effects such as swords, arrows, farm animals, no less than two separate witches, rowdy peasants, and an actual dragon (yes, there’s a sound of a dragon). The medieval electronic instrument has a ‘demus’ mode. When switched on, users can choose any of the nine songs and then dance along with them using the sounds and instruments on the four banks. They can play around with the tunes by activating some punch-in sound effects, so the tavern fever is full on, causing a Middle Ages party frenzy in the modern year.

Teenage Engineering bring back the hurdy-gurdies, Gregorian chants, and thundering drums with EP-1320

‘cocoa scented’ pads and a ‘torture chamber’ reverb, too?

Teenage Engineering’s EP-1320 runs on four AAA batteries, but the electronic instrument can also be powered using USB-C. Even the design of the sampler and music composer looks medieval, from the font style all over the board to the color, presentation, packaging, and imagery (the main image resembles a woman holding a harp). The electronic instrument is portable too, and the design team includes a quilted hardcover case, t-shirt, keychain, and a vinyl record featuring songs and samples as additional medieval apparel and accessories.

There’s also an integrated speaker in the electronic instrument, so users aren’t required to plug in external ones when they want to listen to medieval music. Teenage Engineering says that the pads on the sampler/composer are ‘cocoa scented’ and that users can also play ‘torture chamber’ reverb. A dungeon echo and a bardic ensemble are also included, cranking up the Middle Ages party. As of publishing the story, EP-1320, the world’s first electronic instrument that only plays medieval music, is available, priced at 349 EUR per unit.

there’s a large library of phrases, ready-to-play instruments, and one-shot samples included

DJs and music producers can play medieval music directly on the pads or plug in their external MIDI keyboard

rear view of EP-1320

the design team includes a quilted hardcover case as an additional accessory

detailed view of the ports

side view of EP-1320

packaging design of EP-1320

Teenage Engineering’s EP-1320 boasts hundreds of medieval sounds and samples

project info:

name: EP-1320

company: Teenage Engineering | @teenageengineering

The post teenage engineering launches world’s first electronic instrument that plays medieval music appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Teenage Engineering is back at making portable consumer electronics again with its recent portable, compact, and kid-friendly PO-80 turntable, a DIY record factory to produce lo-fi music. The Swedish brand collaborated with designer and sound artist Yuri Suzuki, who also created a similar product named ‘EZ record maker’ and educational toymaker company Gakken for the portable turntable PO-80, resulting in a toy-looking device that jams with the users’ lo-fi dreams.

Under adult supervision, even kids can create their own records using the portable turntable. Aesthetic vibes are in through the lo-fi sounds PO-80 produces, and more than that, users can cut and playback their own records as long as they plug in any audio divide to the 3.5mm audio input jack of the portable turntable. 

images courtesy of Teenage Engineering

simple to assemble – just follow the instructions

The orange and white color combination of the portable turntable by Teenage Engineering and Yuri Suzuki adds to its playful and kid-friendly look. The Swedish brand assures its users that the P0-80 comes with a simple-assembly system and instructions, a plug-and-play setting of some sort.

It includes the basics users need to create their own records such as a cutting arm with a stylus that engraves sound onto the five-inch vinyl discs, a tonearm for playback, and paper sleeves and center label stickers shaped like flowers. A carry bag is also available along with a record pack comprising ten discs if the included six five-inch discs are not enough as well as a cutter head.

pluging audio device to kid-friendly & portable turntable ‘PO-80’

Time to record, but how?

To use the PO-80, users must connect their audio source to the line input, adjust the needle pressure of the turntable, and slide the cutting arm to the end. After they place a clean record on the turntable, they switch to recording mode, turn it on, and adjust the volume with the volume dial.

They play the audio source at maximum volume and adjust the volume on PO-80 as needed, push the cutting arm slightly forward to connect it with the pulley gear, carefully lower the cutter head, and set the cutting needle to the record only to raise it when the recording is finished.

kid-friendly & portable turntable ‘PO-80’ is a DIY record factory

Teenage engineering can help master the tracks

Teenage Engineering recommends users use an equalizer when recording to achieve a quality result. They also suggest recording music to a computer and using a low-cut EQ to achieve the best quality recordings. ‘To further improve your recordings you can try to adjust the needle weight. Experiment to find the optimal setting for your unit,’ the company writes.

It is also advisable to adjust the input volume to steady the needle for recording since heavy vibration of the needle can cause skipping. To help the users, they can upload their music to the company’s mastering machine system on their site to master their tracks.

kid-friendly & portable turntable ‘PO-80’

Yuri Suzuki’s record maker reinvented

Teenage Engineering met Yuri Suzuki ten years ago while he was freelancing at its studio in Stockholm. From the get-go, the duo has eyed making playful music gadgets, shoving away the heavyset and bulky music equipment productions use these days to include those who are either starting out or just want to dabble into music in their spare time.

After Suzuki created his EZ record maker, Teenage Engineering was inspired by the ease the portable turntable offers to its users and tapped Suzuki to reframe its version with a pocket-operator mentality and an updated design. Now, music enthusiasts can acquire portable turntable PO-80 and shelve it in their homes when done, to use again when needed in the future.

disc pack

record cutting head

bag for the kid-friendly & portable turntable ‘PO-80’

project info:

name: PO-80

designer: Yuri Suzuki

companies: Teenage Engineering, Gakken

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some years later, teenage engineering has release their own add-ons to the collection and have published the 3D CAD files that can be downloaded for free and used for 3D printing. ‘to all of you that bought a 3D-printer but don’t know what to print, teenage engineering gives you IKEA frekvens hacks.’

images by teenage engineering

the teenage engineering frekvens — meaning frequency — collection was released on february 2020, available at selected IKEA stores. not being able to sell their collection, the electronics company decided to create their own add-ons to make the collection even more modular and playful. let’s say that they somehow hacked themselves and now want us to do it too.

there are 12 teenage engineering frekvens hacks, including handles and stands for the speakers, wheels for the lights and even a trolley to move your sound and light system around. each hack pack includes a ready-to-print model (stl), photo (jpg), and assembly instructions (pdf). the accessories are supposed to be printed on a prusa i3 MK3 3D-printer with PLA filament. 

proejct info:

name: IKEA frekvenz hacks

design: teenage engineering

download files: here

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image courtesy of gris design

with the OP-S CONCEPT, gris design wants musicians to take their music production system with them everywhere, just like you do with your phone. imagine having the best idea ever and being able to work on it immediately, no matter where you are? a full keyboard, audio I/O with 32bit DAC, built-in 4 high-capacity surrounding microphones, front-facing speakers, immersive screen and a set of three cameras make up the perfect tool to create as well as share the creative process on the go.

the OP-S CONCEPT features a slider phone type of design, where the top part is a seamless touchscreen while the part that slides contains the synthesizer keyboard and all the controllers appear on the touchscreen. with all these elements you can compose, sample, loop and produce any audio track ever imagined. two audio jacks are available — one for monitoring and another to send out to the speakers or a laptop.

this project by GRIS design is not affiliated at all with teenage engineering, but we do hope the latter one picks it up and produces it.

project info:

name: OP-S CONCEPT

designers: gris design

type: smartphone plus synthesizer

inspired by: teenage engineering – OP-1

The post this conceptual smartphone by gris design has an actual synthesizer built right into it appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Oplab musical experiment board by teenage engineering
all images and video courtesy teenage engineering

teenage engineering has developed an experimental PCB (printed circuit board) that allows users to network electronic musical instruments and software together. the ‘Oplab’ lets you connect things, toys and random junk laying around the house, which interacts with any device that produces sound; grab a broken hard drive, rip it apart, hook it up, and use it as a scratchpad. below, london-based designer yuri suzuki has directed a series of demonstration videos, showing the endless possibilities of the intelligent device:

‘Oplab’ has two standard USB host ports and one mini USB device port. essentially any mobile device or computer that sends MIDI over USB or can output an audio trigger click sound will work as a controller.

with 2x 12 bit switchable digital in-and outputs, you can interconnect more than just synthesizers. the device works together with LEDs, buzzers, motors or sensors, all in syncing together with your music or controlled via MIDI data from a sequencer.

build your own synth kit by connecting knobs, potentiometers and LEDs. with some basic programming skills you can build your own soundmaking machine solely using the ‘Oplab’.

 Oplab comes as a bare PCB for maximum flexibility

technical specifications:

2 x USB host port
1 x USB device port
2 x CV IN or any analogue IN
2 x CV OUT or any analogue OUT
MIDI in / out / thru
sync 24
program selection switches

dimensions: 92mm X 92mm X 20mm
hole pattern: 82mm X 82mm center to center

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