It came as a shock to many when the famed and acclaimed boutique audio equipment manufacturer teenage engineering announced that they were no longer going to produce synthesizers—the OP synths are their flagship product! What are they thinking! What will come next?
With the announcement of the new teenage engineering EP-35 K.O. amplifier and EP-127 K.O pedal, along with plenty of other accessories and swag, we got a first look at the new direction teenage engineering is heading toward.
The EP-35 is a stunningly designed portable battery-powered amp with six separate inputs that all lead to a mix sum: ¼" instrument input, XLR mic input with 48V phantom, two 3.5mm stereo line in/ line out connections, and two USB-C ports that also allow the EP-35 to act as an audio interface, along with Bluetooth with LE audio and broadcast capability. The unit also comes with 8 built-in FX presets for guitar and microphone controllable via a rolling dial on the top.
The unit is designed to be portable, featuring an integrated handle (that invokes the lunchbox chassis of the Nintendo GameCube) and a "camp light" on the back (for late-night campfire guitar performances); available separately is the EP-35 strap, which locks onto the handle of the EP-35 amp, allowing to you carry it hands free.
Like most teenage engineering products, the EP-35 is extremely modular—the K.O. Dock Kit uses the ep-grid system to connect any of your EP-series devices directly to the EP-35 and comes with 90mm stereo TRS cables for connection (hence the line inputs). Carrying your whole set is easy thanks to the three attachable storage compartments:
- The EP-35 pocket bag snaps directly onto the side of the amp using four clips
- The EP-35 eyelet bag slips over the silicone feet of the amp, perfect for carrying the EP127 pedal, the new handy mic, and other smaller accessories
- The EP-35 cylinder case is designed to fit snuggly in the rear storage compartment of the amp, perfect for holding whatever piques your fancy
Teenage engineering's new rollout doesn't end there. The "amptenna" is an FM radio receiver for the EP-35, connecting directly to the ep-plug port on top of the amp, turning it into a portable radio; the "USB drive 16GB" is loaded to "two sides"—one with instrumental tracks for jamming and soloing, and the other with drum loops, live breaks, and electronic beats ranging from 65 to 199 bpm. You can load up your own mp3, .wav, and .aiff files onto it too. A nice little "handy mic" is also available.
All of these add-ons (excluding the carrying bags) are available in a complete accessory kit, so you'll get the USB drive 16GB, handy mic, K.O dock kit, and amptenna in one package. On top of all that, teenage engineering is releasing a sweet little 9-foot "guitar textile" ¼" cable, plus a ton of new merch and swag.
This new product launch is a preview into what teenage engineering seems to be cooking up next, and while the discontinuation of their synthesizers is bittersweet, it seems we have a lot to look forward to in the next phase. Check out the new gear on our online storefront or reach out to one of our audio professionals for more info!
