Teenage Engineering K.O.-sidekick, a 2-channel performance-friendly mixer

Teenage Engineering’s two-channel K.O.-sidekick is an answer to the question “what if a battle mixer, but for mobile gear, with live FX?” And that could make it an ideal companion to more than just the Teenage Engineering kit you see in the photos. €189/$179. First impressions:

Elastic OSC, Plaits-derived poly, is now a macOS and Windows plug-in, too

Elastic OSC expands on Émilie Gillet’s 24 original open-source Plaits oscillator models, adding 8-voice polyphony, expression (MPE), a modulation engine, and Elastic effects. And if that sounds like something you wish you had in your computer DAW and not just Android and iOS, now you’re in luck.

Peter Kirn - May 6, 2026

Casio’s SXC-1 handheld sampler is packed with fun, coming to Japan

Memory may be vanishing, phones and laptops may be getting downgraded specs. But we’re enjoying an unexpected renaissance of mobile samplers. And of all of these, Casio might pack the most fun into a single package. The SXC-1’s Japanese preorder was announced and sold out this week, and with good reason: this looks like the most fun we’ve had with Casio since the 80s and 90s.

Peter Kirn - April 23, 2026