Teenage Engineering Brings Pocket Operator To Google Pixel Phone

Teenage Engineering has collaborated with Google to create Pocket Operator for Pixel phones.

They say that the app “utilizes the familiar pocket operator workflow to sequence sound and video”.

Using the Pixel phone’s video camera as a sampling tool, and using Google’s TensorFlow machine learning to analyze and categorize the samples, you can create unique drum and sample kits using just your phone.

Play and mix live, or record step by step using your recorded video clips. Use up to 4 tracks across 16 patterns to compose full songs, including the sampled video and 16 audiovisual effects.

It’s available now for Pixel 5 and newer Pixel phones.

20 thoughts on “Teenage Engineering Brings Pocket Operator To Google Pixel Phone

  1. Android used to be miles behind iOS for music production, in terms of latency etc., to the point of being unusable. Does this mean that it’s now caught up? I know the pixel is one particular phone but I thought it had to do with the Android architecture.

    1. I have a Pixel 4XL and I have limitations trying to use Roland Zenbeats and Koala Sampler. They both work fine until you start to add 4 or more tracks. I know that the Pixel 6 is VERY powerful and I also know that TE worked with Google to capitalize on the features of that specific phone. I expect this app will run great, but it’s no real progress, in my opinion, for Android as a music device. I’ll keep using my iPad for my portable work. Having said that, when I upgrade my phone, I will DEFINITELY be getting this app. I watched the Red Means Recording video. It’s awesome!

    2. It hasn’t. Many will want you to believe that it has but they are Android users. I work for a game publishing company and Android is always an issue when it comes to asset optimization (thats my side of things there but the backend side hates android). When you see pretty CPU intensive apps on IOS only, there’s a reason and it aint because that company doesn’t want to reach many more users (Android has more). BUT, the google play store runs laps around IOS as far as serving indie devs, featuring and ad monetization. Oh yeah, we’re talking about music production. Animoog will never make it to Android:)

  2. At least the company has developed a marketing strategy. Teenage apps geared toward teenagers who don’t know better. Who the else would buy their crap, especially for the prices they charge? If there was a prize category for most flushable technology, Teenage Engineering would win in every category in which they competed.

    1. Hahahahahah, thats the funniest thing I’ve read all week. It’s Monday though. Let’s see if I can do a bitter guy word swap.

      At least the gas companies have developed a marketing strategy. Gas geared toward everyone who needs gas. Who the else would buy this crap, especially for the prices they charge? If there was a prize category for most flushable product, Gas companies would win in every category in which they competed.

      1. Under most circumstances I wouldn’t even try to respond to this absurd word substitution. There’s a lot of difference between an average consumer’s need of gas (I, assume were talking about auto fuel, here) and a typical musician’s need for the products marketed by Teenage Engineering. Seriously, every time I have entered into a conversation about those products (Teenage Engineering’s not gas), the only thing that I can possibly conclude is that the people who defend them are suffering from severe cases of cognitive dissonance and are behaving appropriately, given their conditions. If you look at what most of their stuff is, especially the expensive stuff that has obligatory radios built in, it has about the same substantive appeal appeal as an 80s poster of Farrah Fawcett.

  3. I actually just tried it out and it works pretty good. Not much of a latency there. Tried it on a Pixel 4a 5G. Thanks TE!

  4. I like this idea. Good one! A good combination. Then again I doubt I will buy a new pixel phone. My old brick does the job. So maybe they could release this down the line the rest of us hard up Android folks 😀 !

    1. timing just worked for me – my old phone was dying so I got a pixel 5 since they are on the cheaper side now for something decent- turned out they announced this like a week after

  5. I have nothing but praise for TE’s ability to cram a decent studio into that small a space, but its not suitable for my gorilla-sized mitts. I have zero desire to use ANYthing that would require a stylus in each hand. Its too much miniaturization for me. No problem these days, though. Geez, just look at the new NAMM reports! To each their own GUI.

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