P33

Objectives

By the end of this chapter you will be able to:

  • Perform a live arrangement on the PO-33.
  • Record your live performance to a computer.
  • Mix your PO-33 track with a DAW.
  • Share your music with the world.

What is a live performance on the PO-33?

The PO-33 is not a multitrack DAW. It is a live instrument. You don’t arrange it on a timeline; you play it. The patterns chain automatically, but the transitions between sections are under your control. A good PO-33 performance is a series of:

  1. Pattern selections (jump to a different pattern).
  2. Knob tweaks (adjust filter cutoff, volume, swing).
  3. FX punches (apply an effect to the next note).
  4. Sample triggers (play a sample that’s not in the pattern).

The PO-33 is essentially a groovebox that you “play” like an instrument. Each performance is different, because your timing, your transitions, and your knob tweaks are unique.

Sidebar — groovebox vs. sequencer. A sequencer plays a fixed sequence. A groovebox plays a fixed sequence but lets you modify it in real time. The PO-33 is somewhere between — it’s a sequencer with groovebox-style real-time controls.

A live arrangement exercise

Let’s perform a 4-minute live set with the patterns we wrote in Chapter 15:

  • 0:00–0:30: Pattern 1 (intro). Slowly turn Knob A from 0 to 255 to open the filter on the sample.
  • 0:30–1:00: Jump to pattern 2 (verse). Apply a low-pass filter to the bass (Tweak Filter mode).
  • 1:00–2:00: Jump to pattern 3 (chorus). Remove the filter (twist Knob A back to 0).
  • 2:00–2:30: Jump to pattern 4 (bridge). Apply bitcrush to the sample.
  • 2:30–3:30: Jump to pattern 3 (chorus). Remove bitcrush.
  • 3:30–4:00: Jump to pattern 1 (intro). Fade out by turning the master volume down (Tweak Volume mode, Knob B).

This is a 4-minute arrangement with 5 transitions. Each transition is a different feel — filter opening, FX applied, FX removed, FX reapplied, fade out.

To jump between patterns, hold PATTERN + the new pad number. The chain follows.

Recording your performance

The PO-33 has a line-out jack. Plug it into a computer’s audio input (or a USB audio interface) and record the output to your DAW.

Recommended DAWs for PO-33 recordings:

  • Audacity (free, simple).
  • GarageBand (Mac, free).
  • Ableton Live (industry standard, paid).
  • Reaper (cross-platform, paid but cheap).

The PO-33 outputs mono audio. The recording will be a single mono track.

Mixing your PO-33 track

A raw PO-33 recording sounds “thin”. To make it sound “professional”, mix it in a DAW:

  1. EQ: cut the lows below 30 Hz (PO-33 rumble), boost the highs at 8 kHz (adds “air”).
  2. Compression: a 2:1 ratio with a slow attack. This evens out the loud and quiet parts.
  3. Reverb: a small room reverb (5–15% wet). Adds space.
  4. Saturation: a subtle tape saturation. Adds “warmth”.

A “PO-33 mix” preset in your DAW will give you a starting point.

The PO-33 as a sketchpad

The PO-33 is most useful as a sketchpad — capture a 4-bar idea, then move it to a DAW for full production. To move an idea to a DAW:

  1. Sample the PO-33’s audio output into the DAW (record the line-out).
  2. Slice the audio in the DAW (use Ableton’s Simpler, Logic’s Quick Sampler, etc.).
  3. Replay the slices on a MIDI keyboard or pad controller.
  4. Arrange the slices into a full track in the DAW.

This is how professional producers work. The PO-33 is the first step — the sketchpad. The DAW is the second step — the full production.

The PO-33 as a finished instrument

For lo-fi and experimental music, the PO-33 is the finished instrument. Don’t move the audio to a DAW. Record the PO-33 directly, mix it minimally, and release it. The “raw” sound of the PO-33 is part of the aesthetic.

Artists who release PO-33 tracks as finished music:

  • Burial: every track is “sketchpad quality”, and that’s the appeal.
  • J Dilla: he released the beat tapes Donuts and The Beat Generation as raw beats. No DAW.
  • Madlib: his Beat Konducta series is a collection of raw beats.
  • Oneohtrix Point Never: some of his tracks are built from single samples.

If your beat sounds good on the PO-33, it’s good enough.

Guided exercise: a 4-minute live set

Success criteria: a 4-minute live performance with at least 5 transitions.

  1. Write 4 patterns (intro, verse, chorus, bridge).
  2. Chain them: PATTERN + pads 1, 2, 3, 4.
  3. Press PLAY.
  4. At 0:30, jump to pattern 2 (PATTERN + pad 2).
  5. At 1:00, jump to pattern 3 (PATTERN + pad 3).
  6. At 2:00, jump to pattern 4 (PATTERN + pad 4).
  7. At 2:30, jump to pattern 3 (PATTERN + pad 3).
  8. At 3:30, jump to pattern 1 (PATTERN + pad 1).
  9. Press STOP at 4:00.

You have just performed a 4-minute live set. The transitions are abrupt — that’s the PO-33’s aesthetic. Embrace it.

Creative challenge: record and release

Record your 4-minute performance to your DAW. Apply the mixing chain (EQ, compression, reverb, saturation). Upload the result to SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or your favourite platform. Share it with a friend. You are now a music producer.

Listening assignment

Listen to:

  • J Dilla, Donuts (2006). A 40-minute album of raw beats, played on the MPC and mixed minimally. The PO-33 is the spiritual descendant of the MPC.
  • Madlib, Beat Konducta in India (2007). A full album of beats recorded in India with local musicians. The PO-33 can do this — record local musicians, chop their samples, build beats.
  • Burial, Untrue (2007). An album built from chopped R&B vocal samples and pitched garage beats. The PO-33 is Burial’s instrument.
  • Autechre, Amber (1994). An album of pure electronic music with no human “performance” — just sequences. The PO-33’s chained patterns can do this.

Summary and checkpoint

Key takeaways:

  • The PO-33 is a live instrument. Perform it like a groovebox.
  • Live arrangements use pattern jumps, knob tweaks, FX punches, and sample triggers.
  • Record the PO-33’s line-out to a DAW for mixing.
  • The PO-33 can be a finished instrument (lo-fi) or a sketchpad (full production).

Self-check:

  • [ ] Can you perform a 4-minute live set with pattern jumps?
  • [ ] Can you record the PO-33’s line-out to a DAW?
  • [ ] Can you mix a PO-33 recording in a DAW?
  • [ ] Do you understand the difference between “sketchpad” and “finished instrument”?

If you answered “yes” to all four, you have completed the book. Congratulations.

Appendices