Teenage Engineering is moving into instrument amps with the previously leaked EP-35, a multi-input, multi-instrument, battery-powered amp with built-in effects. The rear 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 requiring phantom power. You can also stream audio to it via Bluetooth and connect multiple EP-35s together via Bluetooth using Auracast. If you’ve stereo paired them, tilting a unit left or right sets it to the appropriate stereo channel, which is pretty cool.
There are separate effects processors for guitar and vocals, although you have limited control over them. Instead of, say, adding a delay and dialing in the delay time, you choose 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 voice channel works the same way, but with different effects like “radio” and the essential “robot chorus”.
TE also offers a number of accessories to pair with the EP-35. The most interesting are the amptenna, which transforms the device 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 that 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 functions as a 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.
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