Teenage Engineering EP-133

colourofsound

EP–133 - teenage engineering

Anyone managed to get one of these on the first run?

Quite a lot of noise on youtube about them, seem to divide opinion. I'd be interested to get some first hand accounts!

monquixote

The internet has gone absolutely mental about them and with good reason as they do look extremely cool, but they aren't quite as revolutionary as people make out as things like the Circuit Rhythm and Circuit tracks can be had for £250 each and are in many ways more capable devices and the SP-404 is a far more powerful device at £385. Elektron fanboys would also probably point to the Model Samples.

I think people are used to TE making things for thousands these days so something keenly priced broke the internet.

One other thing to mention is that the fader is apparently quite fragile.

That said I'd love to have one just to piss about with and if I didn't already own an S1, T8, MC-707, Drumbrute Impact and Polyend Tracker I probably would.

colourofsound

interesting you mention the Circuits; I had one of the V1s and found it very limiting; the EP-133 seems like a better device to me (without trying the new Circuits or the EP-133 of course)

A mate of mine ( @Mathlete ;) has the SP-404 an has made similar comparison and is especially not keen on how the sample editing is done on the EP-133.

An astute youtube comment stated that you 'don't buy a device, you buy a workflow' and I think that is very much the case here. This looks far easier to use than the Circuit or SP-404 (as far as I can tell)

stickyfiddle

I think I want something like this, but no idea where to start. This certainly looks quite straightforward to use but I don't have any other benchmark beyond knowing I'm clueless about any of it. But this seems cheap enough that it's maybe just a good place to start?

Either way, I do like the Braun designs a calculator made of Lego aesthetic  

monquixote

stickyfiddle said:

I think I want something like this, but no idea where to start. This certainly looks quite straightforward to use but I don't have any other benchmark beyond knowing I'm clueless about any of it. But this seems cheap enough that it's maybe just a good place to start?

Either way, I do like the Braun designs a calculator made of Lego aesthetic  

I think it would be a great first device as would a Circuit Tracks or Rhythm.

Check out Gabe Miller on YouTube who really thoroughly discusses Groove Boxes.

Wazmeister

Id like to own one… love the TE stuff, and this is certainly cheap for one of their products.

dindude

It looks really cool, definitely a consideration. I had the circuit tracks and loved the lack of menu / screens but it was easy to loose where you are and end up playing Simon Says. Buying workflow is a good way to look at it. 

I end up thinking that this stuff is ultimately done better “in the box”. My current hardware is analog drum machine and a analog synth with everything digital done in software. 

colourofsound

Wazmeister said:

Id like to own one… love the TE stuff, and this is certainly cheap for one of their products.

I’ll wait for yours to appear in the classifieds then  

dindude said:

It looks really cool, definitely a consideration. I had the circuit tracks and loved the lack of menu / screens but it was easy to loose where you are and end up playing Simon Says. Buying workflow is a good way to look at it. 

I end up thinking that this stuff is ultimately done better “in the box”. My current hardware is analog drum machine and an analog synth with everything digital done in software. 

The appeal of things like this is to get away from ‘the box’ - especially if, like me, you spend your whole working day at a computer. In that respect it really appeals.
I had the same experience with the Circuits; no screen at all tends to limit you to what you can remember things do. I really like the iconographic approach on the EP-133 - feedback about what’s happening but no actual screen

Wazmeister

colourofsound said:

Wazmeister said:

Id like to own one… love the TE stuff, and this is certainly cheap for one of their products.

I’ll wait for yours to appear in the classifieds then  

Looking at stock availability, you’ll have a bit of a wait…

Wazmeister

Now available 

monquixote

I'm actually more excited by the Yamaha Seqtrak although it does look a bit flimsy.

colourofsound

Wazmeister said:

Now available 

It’s arriving tomorrow

monquixote said:

I'm actually more excited by the Yamaha Seqtrak although it does look a bit flimsy.

Didn’t excite me I’m afraid. Looks a nightmare to navigate without any visual feedback

colourofsound

Its arrived. It's very cool!

It's faulty.

Build quality on them is notoriously shakey so I was expected it to be honest. One of the rotary encoders seems to have a loose connection. Hopefully the replacement will be ok!

colourofsound

So far really enjoying this. Very fun to use. My unit is being replaced this week. Its odd there are so many issues with them cropping up because they really feel solid and well made otherwise. It must be something to do with the soldering at the factory; that seems to be the root of all the issues.

Here's an insta-jam for those interested

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2sNOkcspXI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

TeleMaster

I've been looking at these too and they do seem like a lot of fun but the reports of broken faders are rife. I'm not sure whether to risk it for a biscuit and whether it will really do anything significant that my MPC Live can't. 

colourofsound

TeleMaster said:

I've been looking at these too and they do seem like a lot of fun but the reports of broken faders are rife. I'm not sure whether to risk it for a biscuit and whether it will really do anything significant that my MPC Live can't. 

If you have an MPC Live that is going to do 90% of what this can do. I see this device as either a gateway into samplers/drum machines, or a supplement to a bigger setup which is portable, fun and good for live performance.

I did have an issue with mine but it wasn't the fader; I had a dry solder joint on one of the pots which was unfortunate. My replacement unit is totally fine.

Wazmeister

I had one but have returned it.

I've been down a bit of a teenage engineering rabbit hole lately !

The EP133 is fine; I just realised my OP1 was was what I really needed.

I've got hold of a TP7 - my word, its incredible

monquixote

I think you have to think of it as a fun idea generation box / music toy. It's not going to replace an MPC.

I've really got into iPad music and I'm finding that really quite brilliant.

Just starting learning to play Geo Shred and get into Drambo.

mo6020

I'm trying to hard to avoid falling into a Teenage Engineering rathole and this thread is not helping...

colourofsound

monquixote said:

I think you have to think of it as a fun idea generation box / music toy. It's not going to replace an MPC.

Don't 100% agree with this. There's a lot of chat online about it being 'just a toy' but its a lot deeper than people give it credit for. Sure you'll hit the limits of it quicker (maybe) but i think its so accessible that it doesn't matter. I've tried a lot of groove boxes and haven't got on with any of them; this clicked immediately. Someone, somewhere said you don't buy a device; you buy a workflow - and that is 100% true in my experience.

Also, the MIDI implementation is top notch; it's seamless. I have it sync'd with a controller, microfreak and Loopy Pro on my iPhone. Gonna see if I can add the HX Stomp to the party too.

Once I have some jams finished I'll pop some links here  

TeleMaster

colourofsound said:

TeleMaster said:

I've been looking at these too and they do seem like a lot of fun but the reports of broken faders are rife. I'm not sure whether to risk it for a biscuit and whether it will really do anything significant that my MPC Live can't. 

If you have an MPC Live that is going to do 90% of what this can do. I see this device as either a gateway into samplers/drum machines, or a supplement to a bigger setup which is portable, fun and good for live performance.

I did have an issue with mine but it wasn't the fader; I had a dry solder joint on one of the pots which was unfortunate. My replacement unit is totally fine.

Yea I guess it's a bit like an inspiration machine. It will do similar things to the MPC but the work flow, the layout will inspire sounds and beats that you may not discover on something like the MPC where you have to set everything up, deep dive to get those sounds. It just looks like a lot of fun.

I also like the look of the OP-1 but the Field seems quite overpriced.