Pocket Operator Eurorack adapter you say? You know you’ve thought about it. I bet you even did some weird gain pumping clock division thing just to get it going with your Eurorack gear. No? Just me? Can’t be, has to be at least me and LPZW. And seen as this little cockajub was sold out for a good long while everywhere I looked, chances are me and LPZW aren’t the only one’s jonesin’ for some modular pocket operator integration.
I have a few of the Pocket Operators, and I love them. They really are neat pieces of kit. Out of the few I have, I think the PO-32 Tonic is just dying to become a Eurorack module.
Build Process
I purchased this kit from Thonk, but you can also get the bare PCB and solder the SMD components yourself. Whether or not you want the SMD pre-soldered really depends on your skill level.
After receiving and opening the package, I have no complaints about the kit, but it is a little pricey for what you get. If you’re someone who does even a little DIY, you’ll have these components laying around.
With that being said, all kits are pricey for what you get, and this one has pre-soldered SMD components…so just ignore me. Wait don’t ignore me! Keep reading. Read other things! Like my Thresholds Build Diary…Moving on…
One small but necessary annoyance is the wire that wraps around to the front of the panel. Since it is really thin and not super noticeable it isn’t so bad, even if it does add a level of slight jankiness to an otherwise tight package.
Following the guide LPZW includes definitely makes the build process easy. It took about an hour from start to finish, and 45 minutes of that was waiting for the epoxy to set. On the whole it is a quick little solder job.
Features
Looking good, but what is going on here? According to the manual this cute little circuit is going to:
- hold the PO in your Eurorack
- supply power to the PO from bus-power
- route the I/O 3.5mm jacks to the front
- divide incoming 16th-note clock to a 8th-note clock used by the PO
- safeguard against higher trigger voltages than the PO accepts
- amplify the output signal times 2
Although this may be the case, the question remains. Does it?
OH DOES IT EVER
Conclusion
Finally, the verdict. I can wholeheartedly recommend this kit to anyone looking to get their Pocket Operator integrated with their modular.
If you have very little DIY experience, I can still recommend this kit for a Pocket Operator Eurorack adapter. Just make sure you grab the one I got with the SMD pre-soldered.
The only bad thing I have to say has nothing to do with the kit or the Pocket Operator… but there is something about tying down an inherently portable device that just doesn’t feel right. It sure sounds, plays, and looks right…but I can’t shake the feeling that this little guy does better in the park with some AAA batteries stuffed in it.
Thankfully, I have other Pocket Operators for my nomadic jam sessions, and a 4 voice drum module in approximately ~12hp is pretty sweet.
Hey, nice little write up. Kay here, aka LPZW.modules. Found your review by coincidence.
I am happy to hear from people that find my „manual“ bearable.
If I was hoping anyone would read it, it would be the creator. Thank you! Manual was great, and I love the device.
Not to gush, but your projects/business is very inspiring to guys like me. Thanks for doing what you do. If you release another DIY project, I’ll be all over it!
Very fucking cool. Skiff for two pocket operators going on my list!
Skiff it up!! They are very much worth it. I’ve got one I’ve been meaning to put together for a while now sitting in the “to-do” box… one day!!
A little late to the party, I have a couple of PO’s lying around, and would love to convert one or two into a eurorack module.. I hope the (pre soldered) PCB’s will be available again soon.
Nice stuff!
Thanks for reading 🙂 I’ve got a couple travel POs for fun, but the drum module right in the rack is just too great. Hopefully you can get yours soon! They are a great little piece of kit.
Stumbled across this mini-review today as I just got a PO-32 myself and have been thinking about how I might put it into the eurorack. But as you say, it would be a shame to tie it down, and I don’t have any other POs at the moment.
In any case, a neat little idea and solid integration into the rack!
Thanks for reading! It is truly a great device and I’m a massive fan. Once you snag another couple POs, give it a try if it’s something you think could be useful. I don’t regret my conversion!!