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.
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.
