teenage engineering
interviews with david möllerstedt and jonas åberg
sweden-based teenage engineering makes iconic products that have inspired a whole generation of designers, builders, and artists. in 2025 they continued to innovate at the intersection of technology, hardware, creativity, and music.
over the past couple years i’ve had the chance to connect with david möllerstedt, teenage engineering’s elusive co-founder and vp, and jonas åberg about how the company approaches engineering and building their iconic products.
david möllerstedt
there is lots of talk about the industrial design of the beautiful products that teenage engineering creates. each of the devices you make have this perfect balance of physical inputs, considered materials, and playful software that really push beyond the average consumer device. could you talk a bit about your approach to engineering and how that plays out in the conception of a new product?
we work in tandem between all disciplines at teenage engineering. the end result when things go well is not a compromise between different points of views but rather a selection of what’s most important for each aspect of a product. when that balance is not found the ideas that didn't make it all the way to a product may later resurface when the right tech, tools, design, etc. materialise. we’re prototyping a lot to test, touch, feel, look and listen to figure out what projects we should move forward with.
the op-1 field has one of the most playful interfaces i've seen. synth, drum, tape, and mixer and their subsequent menu systems all share the same small screen with colors used to cue users to what inputs to change to customize their view. i would love to hear about how you arrived at the decisions you did and how you partnered with designers to achieve such a layered interface that still feels simple to the user?
all of the op-1 development and design was done in house at teenage engineering by the original core team. in a way it’s a reaction to the much more serious hardware synth scene at the time. the op-1 was called a toy in a way that was not supposed to be positive, but as we knew it also had the depth and professional specs we took it as a compliment.
there was a long period of internal and external testing to refine all aspects of the op-1, i think that was very important, a large part of what we are providing is a creative workflow system.
switching gears a bit, I'm fascinated by the tp-7 and the mechanical aspect of the motorized tape reel and the way it interacts with recording, playback, etc. what were the challenges in bringing to life mechanical drives, software, and the computerized pieces to make everything work?
we are interested in motors at teenage engineering from many aspects. it’s tactile, and it can make things move. there is a lot of computer control involved and the behaviours can be modified in many interesting ways.
the tp-7 captures all of these aspects. we used the combined experience from previous product with similar technology.
i think the way you can touch and physically interact with the audio really makes the tp-7 stand out.
designers will often pull inspiration from other peers, historical design examples, or inspiration from art and the natural world? where do you pull inspiration from as an engineer? can you give some examples of products or systems that you've pulled inspiration from as you build your products?
the op-1 is a perfect example of a product that borrows heavily from history—taking the best parts of decades of recording and music production tools. the way the early four track porta studios always created the most musical demos, how the 80s casio synths stood out and what hands-on controls do for the speed of creativity. having experienced all of this and then getting the possibility to combine it into a new and portable creation was fantastic. it was also really hard work.
i would love to close with asking what your favorite teenage engineering product is. what about it makes it enjoyable to use and keep coming back to?
the teenage engineering product i use every day is the ob-4. it has changed the way i listen to music in a way i did not expect. to have good sound always available, to be able to be in control of time and rewind the fm radio is something i did not know i needed but now i can't do without it.
the one product i’m most excited about now in coming out later this year. i feel a strong spiritual connection to it even if i have not spent much time on the direct development. very much looking forward to how it will be received and what creations it will contribute to.
editor’s note: david was referring here to the yet-to-be-released op-xy
jonas åberg
the op-xy has such a unique combination of aesthetics, functionality, taste, and engineering. what drove the decision to build such a unique product?
conceptually the op-xy is the perfect mirror image of the op-1 in looks and function at teenage engineering. we want to create the best possible creative tools for the musician interested in sequencing and the op-xy is the prime expression of that.
you packed so many unique hardware connections and software into a portable music studio. What were the challenges you faced along the path of creating the op-xy?
the primary challenge was physically fitting all of the buttons, leds, and i/o on device while still having a clean layout that is pleasing to the eye.
from an engineering perspective embedded code running inside is highly optimized—we like to push the limits of what hardware can do and maximize battery life. we think in terms of form factor and connectivity we found a very good balance.
really looking forward to seeing and hearing what people will create with the op-xy—both on the road and on stage.
i’ve spent the course of this year using the mc-15 microphone. some things i like:
the sound profile is warm and full-bodied
manual gain controls are satisfying to use
usb-c and xlr phantom power provide options for connectivity
battery charging enables taking the mic into the field to record (pairs nicely with tp-7 and op-1 field or op-xy (of course)
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