Riddim and Ting by Teenage Engineering
Welcome to a brand-new column here on Ground Control! One where we review cool products in a one-off: stuff that was so cool that we couldn’t wait for our Back to School Guide. We are calling it Lost in the Supermarket, and what better way to kick off the column with, arguably, the greatest band of all time: The Clash.
The Clash are an essential band for any music lover. Unlike the Beatles who hover that grey area between homework and permanent play, the Clash are a permanent fixture in both fields. And one thing I’ve learned about this band is that one cannot truly understand the Clash without understanding dub and reggae.
I know it’s a hot take, but Sandinista is arguably the best Clash record after London Calling: it’s a wonderfully bloated, but captivating journey into pop, disco, rock, gospel, all glued together by dub and reggae. You don’t even have to dig too deep if you want to gain a deeper understanding of the band and this record. The essentials will do, like Lee “Scratch” Perry and King Tubby. Or, just pop in one of the Trojan Dub box sets and you’ll start connecting the dots in your head. You’ll see it’s basically a straight line from Reggae to the Clash.
Those who can’t teach, and those who can, do. That’s what Teenage Engineering has been all about since we started covering them. They’ve proven themselves, time and time again, to be purveyors of all the gear required to take ownership of your music or at least getting you jump started. From their Pocket Operators, to their mixing modules, to their microphones and speakers, everything Teenage Engineering does functions to elevate your craftmanship as a music maker.
Now, almost miraculously, they’ve celebrating reggae and developed, in my opinion, their coolest sampler the Riddim. It’s a perfect mixer and soundboard, collecting all the beats, sounds, and eccentricities of old and modern reggae, all in one simple module. In this mega-beast you have over 300 instruments and loops loaded into four banks, and less you think this isn’t the genuine article, some of these samples are provided by none other than King Jammy and Mad Professor. Like all Teenage Engineering instruments, it’s easy to use in the sense that the setup is intuitive. Once you get it, you take off. But, there are also videos and tutorials galore to help you in that respect. For that extra icing on the cake, you can also use the Ting microphone which has a bunch of mixed-in effects like pitch shifting and reverb: a perfect compliment for those fresh beats you’re making.
The Riddim and Ting are the perfect gifts for this holiday season, or anytime. It’ll unleash a well of creativity in both beginners and seasoned veterans. It also looks cool as hell. Teenage Engineering has just taken it to the next level.
Get it here.
