{
  "guide": {
    "slug": "teenage-engineering-pom-400",
    "title": "Teenage Engineering POM–400 Buyer Guide",
    "subtitle": "Whether POM–400 is the right Teenage Engineering tool for a larger patching surface and more oscillators in a self-contained modular object.",
    "summary": "Buy POM–400 when you want a larger patching surface and more oscillators in a self-contained modular object; the main tradeoff is fixed architecture, kit-build/reliability history, and competition from truly expandable modular gear. The official US feed showed $359 on 2026-10-18; its status was out of stock and discontinued. As an Amazon Associate, Field Guides may earn from qualifying purchases.",
    "category": {
      "slug": "hardware",
      "name": "Hardware",
      "description": "Product factsheets for computers, devices, peripherals, and buying decisions."
    },
    "tags": [
      "teenage-engineering",
      "portable-audio",
      "music-hardware",
      "pom-400",
      "buyer-guide"
    ],
    "version": "2026-10-18.2",
    "publishedAt": "2026-10-18",
    "updatedAt": "2026-10-18",
    "freshness": "Official Pocket Operator Modular page, current US price/status, Sound On Sound, Waveform Magazine, and community comparisons were checked 2026-10-18. No exact Amazon identity was accepted; no Amazon offer or availability claim is made.",
    "heroLabel": "Expanded pocket modular synth buyer guide",
    "vaultPath": "Research/Technology/Hardware/Teenage Engineering POM–400 Buyer Guide.md",
    "r2JsonKey": "guides/teenage-engineering-pom-400/2026-10-18.2.json",
    "archetype": "buyer",
    "stats": [
      {
        "label": "Official US price",
        "value": "$359",
        "detail": "Official store feed observation on 2026-10-18; Amazon price remains unverified."
      },
      {
        "label": "Official state",
        "value": "Out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed",
        "detail": "Official US feed state; not an Amazon offer claim."
      },
      {
        "label": "Core role",
        "value": "Three-oscillator Pocket Operator Modular synthesizer kit",
        "detail": "a larger patching surface and more oscillators in a self-contained modular object."
      },
      {
        "label": "Main constraint",
        "value": "fixed architecture, kit-build/reliability history, and competition from truly expandable modular gear",
        "detail": "Check this before paying for the compact workflow."
      }
    ],
    "thesisCards": [
      {
        "label": "The fit",
        "title": "POM–400 is a yellow, three-oscillator patching kit with an internal 16-step sequencer.",
        "body": "Choose it when a larger fixed patch surface is the object; choose Moog Mother-32 or Eurorack when ready-built or expandable matters more."
      },
      {
        "label": "The reason",
        "title": "Three oscillator sources and patchable fixed modules make timbre and routing visible.",
        "body": "The internal 16-step sequencer is part of POM–400; standalone POM–16 is a separate product."
      },
      {
        "label": "The catch",
        "title": "Assembly, discontinued supply, and early review issues affect ownership.",
        "body": "Inspect modules, knobs, patch cables, and power rather than assuming a keyboard or standalone sequencer is included."
      }
    ],
    "sections": [
      {
        "id": "bottom-line",
        "eyebrow": "Bottom line",
        "title": "Buy POM–400 for the larger fixed patch field.",
        "body": "POM–400 is the larger fixed-architecture POM when three oscillator sources and a bigger patch field are worth assembling. The official US feed showed $359, out of stock and discontinued, on 2026-10-18; it has an internal 16-step sequencer, while standalone POM–16 is separate."
      },
      {
        "id": "product-shape",
        "eyebrow": "Product shape",
        "title": "Three oscillators and an internal 16-step sequencer.",
        "body": "The official modular page positions POM–400 as the yellow three-oscillator member with patchable fixed modules and an internal 16-step sequencer. That gives it more sound sources than POM–170 without making it an interchangeable modular system; standalone POM–16 is not part of the base-kit assumption."
      },
      {
        "id": "comparison-ladder",
        "eyebrow": "Comparison ladder",
        "title": "Choose more sources, ready-built flow, or expansion.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Choice",
            "Product",
            "What you gain",
            "What you give up"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Smaller POM",
              "POM–170",
              "Choose the single-oscillator kit when footprint and lower complexity matter.",
              "You give up POM–400’s extra oscillator sources and larger patch field."
            ],
            [
              "Target",
              "POM–400",
              "Choose it when three oscillator sources and physical patching are the point.",
              "You accept fixed architecture, kit/reliability history, and discontinued supply."
            ],
            [
              "Ready-built semi-modular",
              "Moog Mother–32",
              "Choose a ready-built instrument with a conventional product workflow and sequencer.",
              "You give up POM–400’s kit build and distinctive fixed panel."
            ],
            [
              "Expandable system",
              "Eurorack modular system",
              "Choose module interchangeability and long-term expansion.",
              "You trade compactness and object simplicity for cost and complexity."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "buying-matrix",
        "eyebrow": "Buying matrix",
        "title": "Where POM–400’s larger panel fits.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Use case",
            "Fit",
            "Why"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Patch-learning object",
              "Good with caveats",
              "The panel teaches routing, but the architecture is fixed."
            ],
            [
              "Finished production",
              "Weak",
              "A sampler or workstation is more direct for complete arrangements."
            ],
            [
              "Expandable modular",
              "Weak",
              "Choose Eurorack or semi-modular equipment when growth matters."
            ],
            [
              "Design-led collection",
              "Strong",
              "The physical build and yellow panel are part of the value."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "review-signal",
        "eyebrow": "Review signal",
        "title": "Independent reviews explain the tradeoff better than the feature list.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Signal",
            "What it supports",
            "Confidence"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Sound On Sound",
              "Sound On Sound describes the POM family’s patching model, fixed module architecture, and early production issues, including the POM-400.",
              "Professional hands-on review"
            ],
            [
              "Waveform Magazine",
              "Waveform treats POM-400 as an unusually attention-grabbing modular object and focuses on its visual/physical appeal and patching experience.",
              "Professional review or launch-context source"
            ],
            [
              "r/synthesizers",
              "Synth owners debate POM-400 against semi-modular and Eurorack alternatives; this is anecdotal comparison evidence.",
              "Community signal; anecdotal"
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "mechanism",
        "eyebrow": "Mechanism",
        "title": "What the kit includes, and what it does not.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Area",
            "What the sources describe",
            "Buyer consequence"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Voice",
              "Three oscillator sources inside a fixed, patchable POM–400 panel.",
              "More sources make it more expressive than POM–170, not more expandable."
            ],
            [
              "Sequencing",
              "Internal 16-step sequencer; standalone POM–16 is separate.",
              "Do not treat POM–16 as an included keyboard or sequencing module."
            ],
            [
              "Assembly",
              "Kit construction, proprietary hardware, patch cables, knobs, modules, and power.",
              "Check component fit, screws, cables, and power on used units; keyboard buttons are not a base POM–400 requirement."
            ],
            [
              "Revision context",
              "Early reviews documented assembly/fit concerns, while the official page documents revised-kit context.",
              "Use the revision and return path to interpret older review complaints."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "decision",
        "eyebrow": "Decision",
        "title": "Choose POM–400 when patch surface is the point.",
        "bullets": [
          "Choose POM–400 when the larger fixed patch surface itself is the instrument; choose Mother–32 or Eurorack when immediate or expandable synthesis wins.",
          "Inspect every module, patch cable, knob, and power connection before accepting a used POM–400; do not expect keyboard buttons in the base product.",
          "Standalone POM–16 is separate, so do not infer it from the internal 16-step sequencer.",
          "Read early assembly reports alongside the official revised-kit guidance; do not turn review-era issues into a current failure rate."
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": "edge-cases",
        "eyebrow": "Edge cases",
        "title": "Check modules, power, and the separate POM–16 boundary.",
        "bullets": [
          "Inspect every module, patch cable, knob, and power connection before accepting a used POM–400; do not expect keyboard buttons in the base product.",
          "Standalone POM–16 is separate, so do not infer it from the internal 16-step sequencer.",
          "Read early assembly reports alongside the official revised-kit guidance; do not turn review-era issues into a current failure rate.",
          "The official feed marked POM–400 out of stock and discontinued; no Amazon identity was accepted."
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": "cheat-sheet",
        "eyebrow": "Cheat sheet",
        "title": "POM–400 in one minute.",
        "table": {
          "columns": [
            "Question",
            "Answer"
          ],
          "rows": [
            [
              "Core role",
              "Three-oscillator Pocket Operator Modular synthesizer kit with internal 16-step sequencer"
            ],
            [
              "Official US price observation",
              "$359 on 2026-10-18; out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed"
            ],
            [
              "Best first buyer",
              "A builder who wants more oscillator sources in a fixed patch object"
            ],
            [
              "Main limitation",
              "Fixed architecture, assembly/condition risk, and discontinued supply"
            ],
            [
              "Source confidence",
              "Official modular page plus two professional reviews and labeled owner discussion."
            ]
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "sources",
        "eyebrow": "Sources",
        "title": "How this guide was built.",
        "body": "Official product, guide, and dated US price-feed sources were checked on 2026-10-18. Professional reviews and labeled owner discussion are identified in the source metadata; their workflow observations are not current offer, reliability, or hands-on claims by this guide. Merchant price, stock, seller, fulfillment, delivery, bundle contents, warranty, and returns remain unverified unless a dated source explicitly says otherwise. As an Amazon Associate, Field Guides may earn from qualifying purchases."
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      {
        "id": "te-price-feed",
        "title": "Teenage Engineering US product and price feed",
        "publisher": "Teenage Engineering",
        "url": "https://teenage.engineering/_api/mw2/products.json",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "official",
        "role": "price"
      },
      {
        "id": "te-pom-400-official",
        "title": "POM–400 official product page",
        "publisher": "Teenage Engineering",
        "url": "https://teenage.engineering/products/po/modular",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "official",
        "role": "spec"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-sos-pom400",
        "title": "Pocket Operator Modular",
        "publisher": "Sound On Sound",
        "url": "https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/teenage-engineering-pocket-operator-modular",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "review",
        "role": "review"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-waveform-pom400",
        "title": "Pocket Operator Modular 400 review",
        "publisher": "Waveform Magazine",
        "url": "https://waveformmagazine.com/waveform-reviews/-pocket-operator-modular-400-teenage-engineering/",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "review",
        "role": "review"
      },
      {
        "id": "community-pom400",
        "title": "Is POM-400 a good idea?",
        "publisher": "r/synthesizers",
        "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/1ac9r1y/is_the_teenage_engineering_modular_400_a_good_idea/",
        "accessedAt": "2026-10-18",
        "sourceType": "community",
        "role": "community-signal"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "id": "identity",
        "claim": "POM–400 is the three-oscillator pocket operator modular synthesizer kit in this comparison.",
        "sourceId": "te-pom-400-official",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "The role is an editorial summary of the current official product page; recheck the exact model and variant before buying.",
        "guideLocation": "Product shape",
        "sectionId": "product-shape"
      },
      {
        "id": "core-specs",
        "claim": "The official Pocket Operator Modular page positions POM–400 as the yellow three-oscillator member with an internal 16-step sequencer and patchable fixed modules; standalone POM–16 is a separate product.",
        "sourceId": "te-pom-400-official",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "Manufacturer specifications describe the feature set; they do not guarantee every workflow or host combination.",
        "guideLocation": "Product shape",
        "sectionId": "product-shape"
      },
      {
        "id": "official-price",
        "claim": "The official US feed showed $359 for POM–400 on 2026-10-18; the listed state was out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed.",
        "sourceId": "te-price-feed",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "This is an official store observation, not a live Amazon offer or a guarantee that every color, bundle, or seller shares the same state.",
        "guideLocation": "Buying matrix",
        "sectionId": "buying-matrix"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-one",
        "claim": "Sound On Sound describes the POM family’s patching model, fixed module architecture, and early production issues, including the POM-400.",
        "sourceId": "review-sos-pom400",
        "evidenceType": "review",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "This is an independent review of a specific unit and time; it is not a universal performance guarantee.",
        "guideLocation": "Review signal",
        "sectionId": "review-signal"
      },
      {
        "id": "review-two",
        "claim": "Waveform treats POM-400 as an unusually attention-grabbing modular object and focuses on its visual/physical appeal and patching experience.",
        "sourceId": "review-waveform-pom400",
        "evidenceType": "review",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "The review’s sample, firmware, and comparison set may differ from a current unit.",
        "guideLocation": "Review signal",
        "sectionId": "review-signal"
      },
      {
        "id": "community-signal",
        "claim": "Synth owners debate POM-400 against semi-modular and Eurorack alternatives; this is anecdotal comparison evidence.",
        "sourceId": "community-pom400",
        "evidenceType": "community",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "Community reports are anecdotal and selection-biased; use them to form inspection questions, not failure rates.",
        "guideLocation": "Review signal",
        "sectionId": "review-signal"
      },
      {
        "id": "buyer-decision",
        "claim": "POM–400 makes sense when a larger patching surface and more oscillators in a self-contained modular object; the main tradeoff is fixed architecture, kit-build/reliability history, and competition from truly expandable modular gear.",
        "sourceId": "review-sos-pom400",
        "evidenceType": "inference",
        "confidence": "medium",
        "caveat": "Fit depends on the reader’s workflow, budget, and tolerance for the stated limitation.",
        "guideLocation": "Decision",
        "sectionId": "decision"
      },
      {
        "id": "compatibility",
        "claim": "The relevant connection, configuration, and ownership caveats for POM–400 are material to the buying decision: inspect the modules, patch cables, knobs, power, internal 16-step sequencer, and separate status of standalone POM–16 before buying used.",
        "sourceId": "te-pom-400-official",
        "evidenceType": "official",
        "confidence": "high",
        "caveat": "Check the current guide and included accessories for the exact revision before purchase.",
        "guideLocation": "Edge cases",
        "sectionId": "edge-cases"
      }
    ],
    "commerce": {
      "disclosure": "As an Amazon Associate, Field Guides may earn from qualifying purchases.",
      "primaryLinkId": "te-pom-400-direct",
      "priceApi": {
        "provider": "merchant-observed",
        "status": "not_applicable",
        "note": "No exact Amazon identity was accepted for this discontinued product; use the official page or a verified secondary-market listing and confirm condition."
      },
      "links": [
        {
          "id": "te-pom-400-direct",
          "merchant": "Teenage Engineering",
          "title": "POM–400",
          "label": "POM–400",
          "description": "Official product page for POM–400; the current feed marks it out of stock and discontinued in the official US feed.",
          "url": "https://teenage.engineering/products/po/modular",
          "relationship": "direct",
          "role": "primary",
          "factCard": {
            "eyebrow": "POM–400",
            "summary": "Three-oscillator Pocket Operator Modular synthesizer kit",
            "details": [
              "yellow three-oscillator modular kit with internal 16-step sequencer",
              "physical patching between fixed modules"
            ],
            "caveat": "No exact Amazon identity was accepted; do not infer marketplace availability."
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "te-pom-170-direct",
          "merchant": "Teenage Engineering",
          "title": "POM–170",
          "label": "POM–170",
          "description": "Official Pocket Operator Modular family page for the POM–170 comparison.",
          "url": "https://teenage.engineering/products/po/modular",
          "relationship": "direct",
          "role": "downgrade",
          "factCard": {
            "eyebrow": "Compare POM–170 on the official site",
            "summary": "Single-oscillator POM alternative",
            "details": [
              "Compare footprint, patching, and discontinued status."
            ],
            "caveat": "No exact Amazon identity was accepted."
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "publicUrl": "https://fieldguides.co/g/teenage-engineering-pom-400"
}