Teenage engineering pocket operators are very trendy and inspiring for future music producers. With great quality sound and portability, even adults love these little instruments to produce music on the go. The craze of pocket operators is only going upwards, and the increasing number of new brands is just the proof of it. For these many options being available, it might get a bit tricky to choose the best pocket operator for your needs. That’s why we have decided to help you out with a buying guide. In this article, we would like to explain what are the benchmarks of a good quality pocket operator, and how you should choose the best one for you.
List of Best Pocket Operators in the Market
How to Select the Best Pocket Operator: Buying Guide
Build Quality
As you know already, pocket operators are really tiny devices. That’s why it is really important to pay attention to your pocket operator’s build quality. Without good build quality, pocket operators tend to break very easily and waste your money. Well, you wouldn’t expect them to be very durable, but the buttons, the screen, and the PCB board should be able to withstand at least some pressure. If you are not confident about the durability of your pocket operator, you may need to buy an additional casing for it.
Battery Life
Though most pocket operators run on AAA batteries, you should consider battery life if you purchase the ones with non-removable rechargeable batteries. In most cases, pocket operators come with very good battery life. They don’t consume a lot of power, and just a pair of AAA batteries can easily last more than a month. However, if your chosen pocket operator doesn’t come with good battery life, you should consider avoiding it. Devices that are used on the go should be able to last a long period of time without being recharged or getting new batteries.
Controls
The best pocket operators for beginners have simple and easy controls. If you too are a beginner, you should not go for the ones with more complicated controls and settings. The learning curve for pocket operators with a more complicated set of settings can be really frustrated. There are instances where people gave up on their pocket operator as they couldn’t figure the settings out. Even though there are tons of youtube videos and control guides, it is always better to use something that you can easily operate.
Type of Sound
This is the most significant factor you need to consider while choosing your pocket operator. In most cases, a pocket operator mimics one particular instrument. You need to get one that gives you the sound of your desired musical instrument. It also depends on your preference of music production, that is to say, the kind of music you would like to produce. For example, sub-bass synths are the best pocket operators for hip hop music. On the other hand, drum machines can go with any type of music that needs beats.
While some pricey pocket operators come with multiple instrument sounds, most of them can mimic only one instrument and you might need to purchase more than one to complete a song. At the end of the day, you will face some limitations while producing music with pocket operators due to their smallness, but you won’t find anything better for making music on the go.
If you have a preferred model you would like to purchase, be sure to read the real user reviews for that particular product. These reviews are usually very helpful and allows you to buy a good product.