what started as an idea to grow the synth population has today earned its spot as the world’s most affordable and accessible music machine, making its way into hundreds of thousands of pockets—and counting. it’s time to celebrate pocket operators tenth anniversary!
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it all began when the PO-10 series, a collab with the jeans brand cheap monday, made their grand debut at the namm trade show in 2015. made up of just a bare circuit board, an lcd screen and a handful of knobs, and for only $59, these tiny machines proved size is only half the story, becoming cult favorites for anyone and everyone who loves music!
2014
moog fest beta release
the early days of the pocket operator® go back to moog fest 2014, where we launched 200 rare prototype models—screenless and raw.
the first prototype is today considered a rare collectible, going for way more than any pocket operator® on the market today.
2015
PO-12 rhythm PO-14 sub PO-16 factory
in what was essentially a backroom deal with the then-designer of cheap monday, ann-sofie back, we agreed to this; create the cheapest synth ever made in exchange forfree lab clothes.
the PO-10 series brought together the three foundational elements of music—rhythm, bass and melody—into a pocket-sized form factor that was affordable and accessible to anyone who wanted to try a synth.
2016
PO-20 arcade PO-24 office PO-28 robot
the most interesting sounds are the ones in your periphery. just listen—arcade game bleeps, robot noises from machines, even pots and pans from office equipment.
the PO-20 series drew inspiration from the extraordinarily ordinary sounds around us, featuring 8-bit drums and melodic arrangements inspired by chiptune synthesizers.
2017
PO-32 tonic
made with magnus lidström at sonic charge, this game-changing pocket operator® could send and receive data over audio link, making it possible to create unique sounds via microtonic. and it sounded different—every time.
the PO-32 tonic featured a design of people drinking at a bar—and who else to better capture that setting than our ceo’s nine-year-old daughter, who drew all screens for the entire PO-30 series?
2018
PO-33 K.O! PO-35 speak
from simple sequencers with built-in sounds to samplers with built-in mics; the pocket operators started sinking their teeth into everything you’d need for a tiny studio.
PO-33 K.O! was the first of its kind—a micro-sampler with 40 seconds of sample memory. and yes, ‘tencho’ was an intenchonal typo we kpt as a tribute to our ceo’s daughter, who wrte it.
2019
PO-33 K.O! ghostly edition PO-137 rick & morty POM-16 POM-170 POM-400
as the series evolved, so did its appearance and behavior. we collaborated with iconic franchises and turned the pocket operator® into a vessel for others’ creativity.
this year brought limited edition versions of the PO-33 K.O! and collabs with ghostly and rick & morty, and the launch of pocket operator® modular—our idea of compact, analogue synths.
2020
PO-133 Street Fighter PO-128 Mega Man
when the chance came to team up with gaming titans, the decision was an easy one; put the pedal to the metal.
on the back of our of capcom collaborations, PO-133 Street Fighter and PO-128 Mega Man dropped with sounds and visuals straight from the classics, quickly becoming cult favorites for anyone with a soft spot for gaming nostalgia.
2021
a blip in the matrix
we think we speak for most of us when we say that 2021 was, at best, a ‘blip’ of a year.
the pandemic bottlenecked our supply chains, manufacturing was limited. as a result we had to reimagine things, which proved to be fertile grounds for what came in 2023..
2022
pocket operator for Pixel
pocket operator® for Pixel is a free app made in collaboration with google based on the pocket operator® workflow.
you could now sample audio and video into the sequencer to create music. pocket phone perfection!
2023
EP–133 K.O. II
in 2023 we were thrilled to launch what was essentially PO-33 K.O!’s successor.
packing far more punch, EP–133 K.O. II became the follow-up to the much-loved PO-33 K.O!. in other words, it was a ‘pocket operator® gone pro’.
2024
EP–1320 medieval
lutes, gregorian chants, hurdy gurdys. unsurprisingly, medieval music has always been a off-duty pastime for most people at our office, which makes sense considering that we..
..created and launched the world’s first medieval electronic instrument. recorded by real medieval musicians on real medieval instruments, EP–1320 became the first of its kind.
2025
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just shy of a million units sold, it’s safe to say that there’s an extensive library of music made on the pocket operators. we’ve gathered some of our favorite creations over the years. keep them coming!
zumandrewpianoman
zumspitfireaudiollp
zumactionresearchfl
zumcariLekebusch
zumshlohmo
zumrazfresco
zumnsdos
zumdeerful
zumdibiase
zumtubesockor
zumgnuvainu5872
zumtrumtrum
zumdeath_rave
zumeeelbeats
zumsamplikprost
zumsadfaith444
zumjoeandme
zumacebutter9241
zumcashestbeats3941
zumwaspbass8647
zumakeyling
zumsonicstate
zumvanbotmusic
zumjak_makes_music_
zumderbymachtsachen
zumaabattery
zumgillesvermeulen
zumpockettrax
zumgarhoover
zumcanamusic
zumohrickybeats
zummmagru
zumbargen
zumquikeoperator
zumyoyoyo
zumpmtvuk
zumfairroseave3256
zumxpelled
zumbeatmakersboutique
zumn8k8s
zumh_potta_nyc
zumzombienation
zumasme.wav
zumlftkryo
zumotdalenno
zumryanfranklinpix
zumfunky_nec
zumkennybeats
from synthitars to fossil cases, pocket operator® typewriters to pogo pin builds; we’ve seen some incredible creations and are truly blown away by what you’ve made. a big thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s #PO10DIY contest.
airdrum clips
by zumdorandy13
we absolutely love these airdrum clip-ons. each clip on has a tiny force sensor inside, so when you shake the pocket operator® in a certain direction, it triggers the sound the clip is on. click on the images to see it in action.
deconstructed piano keys
by zump3sideprojects
turns out, pocket operators can go acoustic. these deconstructed plastic piano keys turn the pocket operator® into a makeshift piano. when you’re ready to go, just mount your pocket operator® on the stand, attach the 16-key piano and start playing.
fossil case by zummaxkuwertz
typewriter by zumcharlesferg.design
synthitar by zumakapollypocket
MiDiLin by zumbobthesheep22
cookie cutter by zumjordalic
we knew there’d be great submissions, so we split 3rd prize across 5 entries: a pocket operator® cookie cutter, a synthitar, a typewriter with a built-in PO-33 K.O!, 3D-printed fossil cases, and more. thank you!
jitterbug by zumaleqsqs
pocket dock by zumalpantone
diamond operator by zummax___kat
spring reverb by zumtian_tiantiantiantian
artwork by zumben.hose
with so many standout entries, picking the winners wasn’t easy. that’s why we’ve highlighted a few honorable mentions—projects that, while not taking the top spot, truly grabbed our attention.
gold prize: full pocket operator® line
first place gets their hands on the full pocket operator line. in other words; pure pocket perfection!
silver prize: PO-80
second place will get their hands on PO-80; a compact and portable record cutter made with yuri suzuki.
bronze prize: custom pocket operator®
five people that land third place gets a personalized pocket operator® of their choice with engraved initials!
start with a classic and grab the PO-12 at its originally intended price of just $49! we’ll drop new limited-edition anniversary merch very soon, so stay tuned.
PO-12 rhythm
$$$
add to cart
PO-14 sub
PO-16 factory
PO-20 arcade
PO-24 office
PO-28 robot
PO-33 K.O!
PO-35 speak
CA-X pro case
explore
in memory of archived pocket operators that, for whatever reasons, didn’t make the cut.
drum roll! an early prototype of the pocket drum. we went through more rounds than a drummer with commitment issues.
a short stint with spinning led displays led to the pocket operator light synthesizer. we even flew in a spinning led display specialist from eastern europe.
early explorations of what was intended as a slightly lighter alternate to our beloved PO-33.
graphic for PO-30 that never made the cut.
it all began when the PO-10 series, a collab with the jeans brand cheap monday, made their grand debut at the namm trade show in 2015. made up of just a bare, multilayer circuit board, an lcd screen and a handful of knobs. and for only $59! these tiny machines proved that size is only half the story, becoming cult favorites for anyone and everyone who loves music.
the first prototype is today considered a rare collectible, going for way more than any pocket operator® on the market today!
in what was essentially a backroom deal with the then-designer of cheap monday, ann-sofie back, we agreed to this; create the cheapest synth ever made in exchange for free lab clothes.
the most interesting sounds are the ones in your periphery. just listen—arcade game bleeps, robot noises from machines, even pots and pans from office equipment!
the PO-32 tonic featured a design of people drinking at a bar—and who else to better capture that setting than our ceo’s nine-year-old daughter, who also drew all screens for the full PO-30 series?
PO-33 K. O! ghostly PO-137 rick & morty POM-16 POM-170 POM-400
as the series evolved, so did its appearance and behavior. we collaborated with iconic franchises and turned the pocket operator® into a vessel for others’ creativity!
this year brought limited edition versions of the PO-33 K.O! and collabs with ghostly and rick & morty, and the launch of pocket operator modular—our idea of compact, analogue synths.
the global pandemic bottlenecked our supply chains, manufacturing was limited. as a result we had to reimagine things, which proved to be fertile grounds for what came in 2023..
pocket operator® for Pixel
pocket operator® for Pixel was a free app made in collaboration with google that reimagined the pocket operator® workflow as an interactive app.
the workflow mirrored the pocket operator® hardware—you could now sample audio and video into the sequencer to create music. pocket phone perfection!
strokes of brilliance arrive when we least expect it—mid-pandemic. we were thrilled to launch what was essentially PO-33 K.O!’s successor.
just shy of a million units sold, it’s safe to say that there’s an extensive library of music made on our little pocket operators. we’ve gathered some of our favorite creations over the years.
zumcarilekebusch
zumfunkynec
airdrum clips by zumdorandy13
deconstructed piano keys by zump3sideprojects
start with a classic and grab the PO-12 at its originally intended price of just $49! we’ll drop new limited-edition anniversary, stay tuned.
PO-12 rhythm $$$
add to bag
PO-14 sub $$$
PO-16 factory $$$
PO-20 arcade $$$
PO-24 office $$$
PO-28 robot $$$
PO-32 tonic $$$
PO-33 K.O! $$$
PO-35 speak $$$
pocket drum
PO-48 light synthesizer
a short stint with spinning led displays led to the pocket operator® light synthesizer. we even flew in a spinning led display specialist from eastern europe.
PO-33 K.O! alternative
PO-30 screen
graphic for the PO-30 that never made the cut.
