Teenage Engineering is branching out into instrument amps with the previously leaked EP-35, a multi-input, multi-instrument, battery-powered amp with built-in effects. The back of the unit has a line-in port, as well as a 1/4-inch guitar input and an XLR input for mics, including mics that require phantom power. You can also stream audio to it via Bluetooth and connect multiple EP-35s together over Bluetooth using Auracast. If you have them paired in stereo, tilting a unit to the left or right sets it to the appropriate stereo channel, which is pretty neat.
Teenage Engineering launched an instrument amp with a ton of built-in effects
TE’s EP-35 is a battery-powered speaker for your synths, guitar, and voice.
TE’s EP-35 is a battery-powered speaker for your synths, guitar, and voice.
There are separate effects processors for guitar and vocals, though you have limited control over them. Instead of adding, say, a delay and dialing in the delay time, you pick a style-based preset like “blues,” “indie,” or “twang,” which applies a specific selection of effects, and you control the “amount” with a single knob. The vocal channel works the same way, but with different effects like “radio” and the all-essential “robo choir.”
TE is also offering a number of accessories to pair with EP-35. The most interesting are the “amptenna,” which turns the unit into an FM radio, and the EP–127 KO Pedal. The pedal is a wireless MIDI controller that gives you additional control over the built-in effects, unlocks a simple looper and metronome, and includes an expression pedal jack which can be used to control the volume of a selected channel on the amp. And since the EP-127 also has a 3.5mm MIDI output and works as an HID controller, it can also be used with your other synths, pedals, or even to control video playback from your computer.
The EP-35 amp is available now for $399.