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Teenage Engineering has designed an electric moped – and it is cheaper than the OP-XY synth.

Though Swedish design studio Teenage Engineering is best known for manufacturing stylish, high-priced instruments like the OP-1 and OP-XY, the company has worked on a handful of products over the years that stray from its musical roots into uncharted territory.

The most memorable example of this is surely the much-maligned Field Desk, a piece of flatpack studio furniture that Teenage Engineering rather optimistically priced at $1,599. The company has also lent its design expertise to other brands, linking up with IKEA for a modular lighting and speaker system and working with Rabbit on the R1, a poorly-reviewed AI gadget.

Teenage Engineering’s latest extra-curricular excursion marks one of its most unexpected moves to date, as the company leaves the music technology world in the rear-view mirror once again with EPA-1, an… electric moped?

Developed in collaboration with Vässla, an e-bike manufacturer based out of Stockholm, EPA-1 looks almost exactly like what you’d expect a Teenage Engineering-designed moped to look like: sleek, industrial and minimalistic.

The scooter’s lofty marketing spiel also bears some resemblance to the company’s high-minded house style: “It is not like the others – the new Vässlan. It does not look like the others. It does not behave like the others. It is smarter to own than the others. The idea is simple. To challenge and improve everything that can be done better.”

Available in both Class 1 and Class 2 models with a removable 30Ah or 50Ah battery, EPA-1 has a range of up to 120km. Though coloured models will be available at the end of June, the launch edition is all-black.

EPA stands for En Passar Alla, which translates as One Fits All, a name that’s apparently intended to highlight the ethos of customization behind the moped, which is equipped with 11 reinforced mounts “strategically placed” for accessories and modifications. “They may just look like small screw holes, but they open up great possibilities,” Vässla says. “The new Vässlan is a moped you don’t just ride. You make it yours.”

The most surprising thing about EPA-1 is the price. Teenage Engineering has drawn its fair share of criticism over the years for pricing some of its products out of reach of the average consumer.

After angering budget-conscious synth fans by slapping a mortgage-endangering MSRP of $2,299 on the otherwise-fantastic OP-XY, the company recently gave customers the option to pay $9,999 for its OP-1 Field – you know, just in case they had some spare cash sitting around the house that they needed to get rid of.

With that in mind, we half-expected EPA-1 to cost something astronomical. Well, it’s priced at 19,990 SEK, about $2,100 – a reasonable amount for an electric moped, but significantly less than the OP-XY’s $2,299 asking price. Are they taking us for a ride?

At Superbooth 2025 – held May 8-10 at the FEZ-Berlin – Yamaha was showing the PG-ANX and PG-FMX– a pair of hardware controllers that bring deep tactile control to their flagship Montage M synthesizer.

The two hardware programmers were designed to unlock the full potential of the AN-X and FM-X sound engines found in the MONTAGE M synthesizer, with a focus on immediate tactile interaction. They describe it as “a radically hands-on approach to synthesis, with hundreds of dedicated controls at your fingertips.”

“As part of the Yamaha Synthesizer 50th Anniversary Project, we developed a hardware programmer that can narrow down the number of controls by carefully selecting parameters and linking multiple parameters and deliberately abandoning the direction of fitting it tightly into a set space, eliminating the physical constraints of the instrument and fully controlling the sound potential of the sound engine,” notes Shinichi Ohta, Producer of MONTAGE M / PG-ANX / PG-FMX.

“In the MONTAGE M, the AN-X and FM-X sound engine sections alone control all these parameters. We hope that by experiencing this hardware programmer, you will be able to feel even more profoundly the sound of the MONTAGE M.”

The PG-ANX gives you physical access to nearly every parameter of the MONTAGE M’s AN-X engine. With 164 knobs and 40 switches, it brings greater immediacy to sound design. Connected via USB and powered separately, it works seamlessly alongside the main unit, giving you unprecedented control with your hands.

The PG-FMX delivers 247 knobs and 60 switches for precise FM synthesis programming. Connected to the PG-ANX via LAN, it allows deep editing of FM architecture, all with a user interface designed to reveal the structure and flow of FM sound creation intuitively.

*Note: The two controllers are concept designs at this point. Visit the Yamaha site for details.

Music Production for Women has announced EmpowHer Sound, a series of free beginner music production workshops taking place across Europe throughout July.

These hands-on sessions in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Dublin invite women and gender-nonconforming musicians to learn the basics of music production, covering a variety of subjects that includes beat programming, synthesis, audio effects and DAW navigation.

Music Production for Women is a tuition platform dedicated to empowering female and non-binary artists to learn production in a supportive community. Since launching in 2019, MPW has delivered classes to thousands of students across the globe, and previous workshop events have drawn hundreds of attendees.

Sponsored by Kilohearts, Novation and Distrokid, EmpowHer Sound workshops are all free to attend. One attendee at each event will take home a studio bundle that includes a Novation Launchkey Mini controller, Focusrite Solo Studio interface and a copy of Kilohearts’ Phase Plant soft synth.

Though MPW’s workshops are primarily aimed at women and gender minorities, people of all genders are welcome to attend the event, and no technical skills or prior experience in production is required.

“If you’re tired of being one of the only women in the room when it comes to music production, we know how you feel and we’ve been there before,” reads a statement on MPW website.

“The most magical part of our events, in addition to all the exciting knowledge that you will take away is the phenomenal energy created when you fill a room with women who want to learn from and support each other.

“There really is nothing like it and we want you to experience it! At our events, you will not feel like the odd person out, you will not be spoken down to, or get technical jargon thrown at you. You will be part of an encouraging community and treated with the kindness and respect you deserve. Although our events are designed to empower women, absolutely everyone is more than welcome to attend.”

Find the dates and locations of each event below or register for a free ticket on the MPW website.

• Dublin – 10 July 2025
• Berlin – 14 July 2025
• Amsterdam – 16 July 2025
• London – 22 July 2025