samplers
Teenage Engineering · Micro sampler

PO-33 K.O!

Sample with the mic, chop it up and sequence in 16 steps.Based on Teenage Engineering's official guide

Sampling

Sample with the mic

  1. Pick a slot: 1…8 to play it as notes (melodic) or 9…16 for drums (it gets chopped into 16 slices automatically).
  2. Hold record and hold the chosen key: it records while you hold them.
  3. Let go to save. The display shows the seconds of memory left.

Sample through a cable (line in)

  1. Plug the cable into the input (line in). It replaces the mic automatically.
  2. Press play on the source and hold record + a key 1…16.
  3. Let go when you're done.

Delete a sound to free up memory

  1. Select the sound: hold sound and press its key.
  2. Hold record and press sound: the selected sound is deleted.

Copy a sound to another slot

  1. Select the sound with sound + key.
  2. Hold write + sound and press the destination key.

Play and shape

Select a sound

  1. Hold sound and press 1…16.
  2. Let go of sound: the keys now play that sound.

Play notes and slices

  1. Melodic sound (1–8): the 16 keys are a scale. The lowest is 13 and the octave is two keys up.
  2. Drum sound (9–16): each key plays one of the 16 slices.

Fix no sound at all

  1. Press write once: if you were in write mode, the keys were setting steps instead of playing.
  2. Turn up the volume: hold bpm and press a key 1…16.
  3. Check the sound isn't empty (sound + key).

Change pitch, volume and filter

  1. Press FX to change page. The display says ton, FLt or tri.
  2. ton: A = pitch, B = volume.
  3. FLt: A = filter (off in the center, to the left it cuts highs, to the right it cuts lows), B = resonance.

Trim a sound or a slice

  1. Press FX until you see tri.
  2. Play the sound or slice you want to trim.
  3. A = start, B = length.

Reset a knob to its default value

  1. Hold record and turn A or B. The display says rSt.

Sequencing

Program steps (write mode)

  1. Select the sound with sound + key and play the note or slice you want.
  2. Press write: the keys 1…16 are now the 16 steps.
  3. Press a key to put the sound on that step (it lights up). Press again to remove it.
  4. Press play to hear it.

Record by playing live

  1. Press play.
  2. Hold write and play the keys: they're recorded into the pattern, quantized with the current swing.
  3. Let go of write to stop recording.

Change the tempo

  1. Press bpm to cycle through HIP-HOP 80, DISCO 120 and TENCHO 140.
  2. To fine-tune: hold bpm and turn B (60–240).

Add swing

  1. Hold bpm and turn A.

Set the master volume

  1. Hold bpm and press 1…16.

Automate the knobs per step (parameter locks)

  1. Pick the page with FX (ton or FLt) and the sound with sound + key.
  2. Press play.
  3. Hold write and turn A or B: the value is recorded on the steps as they play.

Repeat a step (step multiplier)

  1. In write mode, hold the step's key.
  2. Press bpm (the m). Each press changes how many times it repeats.

Effects

Play effects live (punch-in)

  1. Press play.
  2. Hold FX and press 1…15: the effect plays while you hold it.
  3. Let go to remove it.

Record effects into the pattern

  1. Turn on write and press play.
  2. Hold FX + a key while the steps where you want it are playing.

Clear the recorded effects

  1. With write on, hold FX and press 16.

Patterns and songs

Select a pattern

  1. Hold pattern and press 1…16. The active pattern blinks.

Chain patterns (song)

  1. Hold pattern and press several keys in order, for example 1 1 1 4.
  2. Let go of pattern: the chain loops.

Copy a pattern

  1. Go to the pattern you want to copy.
  2. Hold write + pattern and press the destination key.

Clear a pattern

  1. Hold record and press pattern.

System

Set the clock

  1. When inserting the batteries: A = hours, B = minutes.
  2. Press any key to confirm.

Set an alarm

  1. Press sound + pattern.
  2. A = hours, B = minutes. With A all the way down it's off.
  3. Press 1…16 to pick the pattern that will play.

Check the batteries

  1. Press sound + bpm.

Sync with other Pocket Operators

  1. Connect the output of the first one to the input of the next.
  2. On each one: hold record and press bpm until you reach the right mode (SY0–SY5). Official example: PO-12 on SY1 → PO-24 on SY5 → PO-33 on SY4.
  3. Press play on the follower (it waits for the signal) and then play on the main one.

Make a backup

  1. Connect the output to a recorder (or a computer) and start recording.
  2. Press write + sound + play: the PO “plays” all its data.
  3. To restore: connect that audio to the input and press write + sound + record.

Factory reset

  1. Hold pattern + write while inserting the batteries.

Understand the “lock” tab

  1. Breaking off the lock tab freezes the patterns (they go back to that state when you remove the batteries).

How to play it

Mouse or touch

Play it: it sounds, the keys light up and the screen reacts.

Hold a function button for a moment and it latches for the next one, so you can do combos with one finger.

Keyboard

1pad 12pad 23pad 34pad 4
Qpad 5Wpad 6Epad 7Rpad 8
Apad 9Spad 10Dpad 11Fpad 12
Zpad 13Xpad 14Cpad 15Vpad 16
5
record
T
FX
G
play
B
write
7
sound
8
pattern
9
bpm

How to read this cheat sheet

write + sound + 5 means: hold write and sound and press key 5. Whatever comes first is held.

Keys 1–8 = melodic sounds (played as notes). 9–16 = drums (each sound is chopped into 16 slices). A and B are the two knobs, left and right.

There are 40 seconds of memory for all sounds and no undo: make backups with write + sound + play.

Sounds, lights and the screen characters are approximate.

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