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This project is being tested and polished. Check back soon!
Teenage Engineering sells synths for $89. You’ll build yours for $20.
Teenage Engineering makes some of the coolest electronic gadgets on the planet. The Pocket Operator is a synth the size of a calculator. The OB-4 is a speaker that looks like it came from a design museum. The EP-133 is a beat maker that fits in your pocket. They’re beautiful. They’re clever. And they cost $59 to $1,499.
Here’s the thing: the chips inside these products aren’t magic. They’re microcontrollers, DACs, amplifiers, and LEDs — the same components you can buy for a few dollars. The expensive part is the design, the software, and the brand.
You can build the software. You can 3D print the design. And your brand? It’s called “I made this myself.”
Here are 6 projects inspired by the Teenage Engineering aesthetic — minimal, functional, beautiful — all under $30.
Projects
Beginner
| Project | What you’ll build | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Visualizer LED Strip | An FFT music light bar — LEDs dance to whatever’s playing | ~2h |
| Theremin | Play music by waving your hands in the air — two ultrasonic sensors control pitch and volume | ~2h |
Intermediate
| Project | What you’ll build | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pocket Synth | A Teenage Engineering-style synthesizer with 8 keys, OLED display, and rotary encoder | ~3h |
| Beat Box Drum Machine | A 16-step sequencer with a 4×4 keypad, tempo control, and LED feedback | ~3h |
| Bluetooth Speaker | A reactive speaker with LED visualizer — plays from your phone via BT | ~3h |
| Field Recorder | A pocket WAV recorder with OLED screen, SD card, and one-button recording | ~2h |
| MIDI Controller | Control any DAW with 6 physical faders, 6 buttons, and a rotary encoder | ~3h |
| Reactive LED Wall Panel | A Nanoleaf alternative — 8×8 LED matrix reacts to music and has multiple modes | ~2h |
The Teenage Engineering Design Philosophy
What makes TE products special isn’t the technology — it’s the design constraints. Every product is small, has minimal buttons, and does one thing beautifully. Apply the same rules to your builds:
- One function, done well. A synth that only plays pentatonic. A speaker that just works.
- Minimal interface. One encoder, a few buttons, one screen. If you need a manual, redesign.
- Beautiful when off. The object should look good sitting on a shelf, powered down.
- Fits in a pocket. If you can’t carry it, you won’t use it.
3D print your cases in white or orange PLA for that signature TE look.