Woody Piano Shack’s PO-12 Review: The Cheapest Drum Machine That Actually Slaps

Woody Piano Shack wastes no time showing off the Teenage Engineering PO-12, a drum machine so small you might mistake it for a keychain. He’s quick to point out the price—$35 on sale, $50 regular—and throws down the gauntlet for anyone to find a cheaper hardware drum machine that isn’t a total joke.

Despite its size, the PO-12 isn’t just a novelty. Woody’s clear that this isn’t fanboy territory; he’s here for the beats, not the brand. The design is “adorable,” sure, but it’s the sound and the sheer fun factor that get him hyped. If you’re expecting a plastic toy, you’ll be surprised by what this little slab can do.

Woody’s genuinely gobsmacked by how solid the PO-12 feels—tiny, yes, but with a reassuring heft that makes you think twice before tossing it in your gig bag. The buttons and knobs are described as top-notch, and the battery life is measured in geological epochs. There’s even a built-in speaker for those moments when you need to annoy everyone on the bus.

The screen, in classic Teenage Engineering style, is mostly “gimmicky junk,” but Woody shrugs it off since you don’t actually need it. What matters is the 16 sounds laid out in a 4×4 grid, each one tweakable into oblivion with two simple knobs. Whether it’s sampled kicks or synth toms, you can warp them into something uniquely yours—and the PO-12 remembers your settings, ready for the next round of sonic mischief.

Woody gets stuck into the patterns, demoing everything from glitchy clicks to deep, lo-fi bass. The PO-12’s global tempo and swing settings give it a groove that’s hard to resist—even his son gets in on the action, cranking out a pattern that holds its own. The variety of sounds is wild, and with each pattern capable of its own knob-tweaked drum kit, you’re never short on inspiration.

Effects take things up a notch: punch-in distortions, beat repeats, and filter sweeps transform basic grooves into something unrecognisable. Woody’s not just showing off presets—he’s mangling them, chaining patterns, and building eight-bar loops that sound like they’ve escaped from a malfunctioning arcade. If you want to hear the PO-12’s full chaos, you’ll have to watch the video—words can’t do justice to the sonic carnage.

Here’s where the PO-12 earns its street cred: real-time parameter recording. Woody demonstrates how you can automate every knob twist, capturing wild filter sweeps and pitch dives right into your patterns. The result? Beats that mutate and glitch out in ways you’d never expect from a budget box.

He’s quick to point out the unpredictability—sometimes it’s chaos, sometimes it’s genius, but it’s always fun. The ability to combine effects and automation means your grooves can go from clean to completely unhinged with a few button presses. If you’re into controlled accidents and happy mistakes, this is your playground.