You know that feeling when you’re drowning in new gear hype but your wallet’s screaming for mercy? sunwarper gets it. In this video, our LA beat wizard ditches the shiny toys and dusts off the Teenage Engineering PO-33, proving that sometimes the oldest box in your drawer still slaps the hardest. With his signature blend of cinematic vibes and streetwise hacks, sunwarper flips samples, rides the groove, and shows why this pocket-sized sampler still earns its keep—even if it’s got a few quirks. If you’re hungry for inspiration and not just specs, this one’s for you.
14. December 2025
RILEY
sunwarper Digs Up the PO-33: Old School Grit Still Hits Different
Back to the Future with the PO-33
Let’s be real: gear acquisition syndrome is a disease, and sunwarper’s got the cure—digging up the PO-33 from the graveyard of forgotten gadgets. While the world’s busy drooling over the latest releases, he’s flipping the script and showing love to this tiny, battle-worn sampler. The PO-33 might be old and technically replaced by the EP-133, but it’s got a lo-fi charm that newer boxes just can’t fake.
There’s something about the PO-33’s simplicity and compactness that makes it a straight-up vibe machine. It’s not about flexing specs—it’s about that gritty, immediate feel. sunwarper’s approach is all about squeezing every drop of flavor out of what you’ve already got, and in this case, the PO-33 still brings the heat, even surrounded by fancier, pricier toys.
"There's a certain lo-fi charm to this PO-33 that I just think got lost in the expansion of the EP-133."
© Screenshot/Quote: Sunwarper (YouTube)
Sample Chops & Groove on a Shoestring
"You do need to do some creative work-arounds if you wanna get hi-hats on the same spot as a snare or a kick."
© Screenshot/Quote: Sunwarper (YouTube)
sunwarper dives right into the PO-33’s sample manipulation workflow, and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride. You get instant chops on the drum tracks, and while the process is a bit convoluted, it’s all about quick hands and happy accidents. Filters come into play, adding that extra lo-fi dust to your sounds, and the step sequencer lets you drop in kicks, snares, and hi-hats with just enough swing to make your head nod.
Sure, the PO-33’s monophonic tracks and four-voice polyphony mean you’ve gotta get creative—layering hi-hats and snares takes some streetwise maneuvering. But that’s half the fun. The workflow is all about instant creativity, not menu-diving. If you want to see the gritty details and hear those crunchy grooves, trust me, the video’s where the real flavor lives.
Inspiration Machine: Where the PO-33 Shines
Limitations? Yeah, the PO-33’s got ‘em, but that’s what makes it a killer inspiration tool. sunwarper shows how you can lay down a beat in minutes, tweak some filters, and ride that swing until you’ve got a loop that just begs to be flipped. It’s not about building a full arrangement—it’s about catching that spark before it fades.
This little box is perfect for those moments when you’re bored or just want to make something raw and gritty without overthinking it. For sunwarper, the PO-33 is the go-to for quick ideas and dirty textures, especially when the fancy gear starts feeling more like homework than fun.
PO-33 vs. SP-404: Workflow Throwdown
Here’s where things get spicy. sunwarper moves the beat from the PO-33 into the SP-404, layering on effects like cassette sim and 303 vinyl sim for that double-dipped compression. The contrast is clear: the PO-33 is all about raw ideas and fast flips, while the SP-404 lets you flesh things out, add polish, and get surgical with your edits.
Watching sunwarper bounce between the two is like seeing a street chef move from a food cart to a full kitchen—same flavors, just more room to cook. He’s honest about the PO-33’s limits (no resampling, clunky pattern chaining), but the combo of both machines is a workflow hack that’s hard to beat. If you want to see how the sausage gets made, you gotta peep the video for the full beat-making process.
"It took what, five minutes to get that whole idea going on here."
© Screenshot/Quote: Sunwarper (YouTube)
Old Gear, New Tricks: The Real Takeaway
At the end of the day, sunwarper’s message is simple: don’t sleep on your old gear. The PO-33 might not win any spec wars, but it’s cheap, fun, and packed with creative potential if you give it another shot. Instead of chasing the latest hype, try flipping what you’ve already got—you might just stumble onto your next banger. Sometimes, the best beats come from the boxes you almost forgot you owned.
This article is also available in German. Read it here: https://synthmagazin.at/sunwarper-graebt-den-po-33-aus-alter-charme-der-immer-noch-knallt/