[HN Gopher] Teenage Engineering's PO-32 acoustic modem and synth...
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Teenage Engineering's PO-32 acoustic modem and synth implementation
Author : ericlewis
Score : 141 points
Date : 2026-03-28 01:04 UTC (4 days ago)
(HTM) web link (github.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
| larme wrote:
| That's amazing. I wonder how accurate is the synth engine?
| smlacy wrote:
| The synth engine is an implementation of
| https://soniccharge.com/microtonic Not sure what "accurate"
| means in your context though?
| girvo wrote:
| How closely it replicates microtonic's, would be my
| assumption
| kmeisthax wrote:
| > The PO-32 is not receiving finished drum audio when you
| transfer a sound or a pattern. It receives structured data:
|
| Wait, isn't this what MIDI is for?
| Elidrake24 wrote:
| Sure, but being able to share the 'data dump' at the end of a
| Youtube Video is so much more fun/likely to be used.
|
| https://youtu.be/TLzAyouLQxw?si=mm6goX-cMyEZkwOI&t=102
| iamjackg wrote:
| All it means is that the PO-32 is not a sampler, it's a
| synthesizer, so it receives a "preset" for the synth rather
| than an audio sample.
| itishappy wrote:
| It's sending sound parameter information (e.g. filter cutoff at
| 12khz, resonance at 1.6, Q of 0.89) along with note information
| (e.g. start playing note A4 with velocity 80). You could
| absolutely use a MIDI CC channel to convey this information.
| The OP-32 chooses a different route and encodes this into an
| audio signal so that it can transmit it over the air using the
| speaker/mic instead of a wireless stack.
|
| I bet it sounds like a dial-up tone!
| txbrown wrote:
| Would have been easier to say it receives patches - I think
| most people would get this.
| Intermernet wrote:
| The word "patch" has a naming conflict between the
| disciplines of synthesizers and software.
| txbrown wrote:
| what you mean? synthesisers are software... I think the
| context is clear here and we're talking about software made
| for music, so the usage of patch is accurate. If author
| wanted to use "patch" to mean patching a file they would
| likely be specific or context could be inferred.
|
| "A patch is data for modifying an existing software
| resource such as a program or a file"
|
| Which is what patching synths/drum machines (and files)
| does.
| Lio wrote:
| > _Wait, isn 't this what MIDI is for?_
|
| It is but I don't think this Pocket Operator has MIDI without
| adding third party hardware.
| gxd wrote:
| This reminded me of when people used to transfer games over the
| radio: https://www.racunalniski-muzej.si/en/40-years-later-a-
| game-f...
| socks wrote:
| Hey ericlewis - this is cool! Can I ask how you figured it out?!
| Doing this for my PO-33 was on my bucket list. I thought I might
| have to resort to voltage glitching to get a firmware dump, which
| is currently beyond my skills.
| chr15m wrote:
| Me too, have been trying to crack this for so long!
| reerdna wrote:
| I was able to get part way some years ago by demodulating the
| bitstream with gnuradio and then making small changes (like
| replacing one note with the next higher one) and noting the
| differences. So that is one possible, but probably too
| inefficient way.
|
| I never got close to finishing or publishing anything.
| Awesome to see this released and I'll have to play with it!
| svantana wrote:
| Unfortunately I think only a few of the PO's support this
| transfer method, and I don't think the 33 is one of them. They
| were never meant to be updated at all, as I understand it.
| chabes wrote:
| Digital modules from Mutable Instruments (and related clones +
| offshoots) use audio-based data transfer for firmware updates.
|
| Interesting way to give the consumer the ability to change the
| firmware without having to access the back of the module (there's
| a way to use a serial JTAG adapter as well).
|
| https://github.com/pichenettes/mutable-dev-environment?tab=r...
| scarecrowbob wrote:
| As I understand it, transferring data as audio goes back quite
| ways, right?
|
| I had a Commodore 64 that could use phillips tape. I'm drawing.
| blank, but IIRC there were musical instruments (maybe the
| roland juno 60?) in the 80s that were storing their data as
| audio, too.
| somat wrote:
| Here, this is a lot of fun.
|
| http://www.whence.com/minimodem/
| scarecrowbob wrote:
| I mean, I'm thinking about upgrading from my tech license
| so I can start playing with digital modes on HF radio...
|
| damn, this thread is making me feel old...
| bobmcnamara wrote:
| Kansas City Standard was delivered on cheap records through
| the mail
| Cthulhu_ wrote:
| Yus, apparently some software was broadcast on the radio,
| people could record it on tape and use it on their Commodore
| and such.
| spogbiper wrote:
| also distributed on thin records inserted into computer
| magazines
|
| https://obsoletemedia.org/floppy-rom/
| scarecrowbob wrote:
| Heck, my computer used to get on the land line telephone
| and ask its friends for software.
|
| One of the weirdest things I did last week was realizing
| that my flipper zero could be used as a redbox... now I
| just need to find a payphone with a trunk...
| jvoorhis wrote:
| Yeah, Juno-106 as well.
| lintbrush wrote:
| Yep, that's correct about the Juno 60. There are people still
| sharing WAV files of the original factory patches which is
| cool to be able to re-load now and again.
| jasomill wrote:
| On a similar if sillier note note, Korg made a Hatsune Miku
| guitar effect[1] that was programmable through audio sent from
| an iPhone app through the guitar pickup.
|
| Annoyingly, the free app isn't available on the US App Store,
| so open source software would be useful (insofar as the ability
| to play back a predefined sequence of Vocaloid phonemes using
| an electric guitar is useful).
|
| [1] https://www.korg.com/us/products/effects/mikustomp/
| unixnight wrote:
| I have been on the hunt for this pedal, and it is now
| stupidly expensive. I hope they rerelease it one of these
| days
| PunchyHamster wrote:
| Looking at this I can only think one thing: "Just put USB-C in,
| the connector is ten cents and it's far more convenient than
| hipster shit like this, you pretentious fucks"
| Gigachad wrote:
| Pretentious hipster shit is their whole brand.
| mobiledev2014 wrote:
| This was released in 2017 for one thing. Considering that
| enough people are still interested in it a decade later they
| probably did something right.
| nosrepa wrote:
| I didn't think I'd see something on the PD squad before I saw it
| on HN!
| c-c-c-c-c wrote:
| > A user you've blocked has previously contributed to this
| repository.
|
| I see that claude's been in here as well.
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