One Small Synth, Ep. 9: PO-12 Rhythm

This is the ninth installment in a micro-series diving deep into my collection of very small synthesizers and samplers. Each episode will explore one tiny music machine. There will be no talking, just music or noise, depending on the synth in question and your personal taste in sound.
The PO-12 Rhythm was my second Pocket Operator, but the first that Teenage Engineering and Cheap Monday released. It’s a hard-hitting drum machine, juxtaposing its minuscule size with gigantic sound (hence my choice of the hammer for ambiance)! As with other POs, the Rhythm has its limitations: it’s only able to make 16-step sequences, meaning that achieving 3/4 time requires some careful planning. It does, however, have the ability to play all 16 sounds at once, which is far more than are discernible by a mortal ear. This puts it squarely above other PO drum machines in polyphony. The palette of sounds gives a great range for standard or completely wacky beats and bleeps. The FX offer a lot on top of the basic functions, from the bitcrush to the retrigger, there are plenty of options to spice up the beats and create some downright dirty sounds. In this video, I’ve stayed mostly away from the standard “4 on the floor” type techno beats, hoping to better show the real capabilities of the PO-12.
Let me know if there’s a particular synth you’d like to hear, and I’ll add it to the short list for future episodes. Enjoy!