Drum machines
Analogue-style, digital, FM and 606-inspired drums, with controls for shaping each voice.
Made in Berlin. Made to play.
tbd-16
compact, capable and open by design
Synthesis, sampling, sequencing and effects in a compact standalone instrument. Designed, assembled and tested in Berlin.
599 €Germany · incl. 19% VAT · plus shipping
Pre-orders aren't open yet. Get notified when they open.
110 × 110 × 25 mm Small footprint. Unexpected depth.
Compact. Capable. Open by design. Discover tbd-16
tbd-16 in action
The instrument
Meet tbd-16
Connect USB-C power and speakers or headphones: tbd-16 boots straight into the Groovebox, with no computer needed to play.
It is a finished instrument, but not a fixed one. Alternative firmware can give the same hardware a different role. You can write your own, too.
- 16
- audio or MIDI tracks
- 40+
- machines & effects
- 64
- steps per pattern
- 16
- scenes per song
From Superbooth to your setup
From prototype to production
If you saw tbd-16 at Superbooth, there is more here now. The production hardware brings significantly improved audio quality, a second stereo audio input and a separate headphone/cue output.
The Groovebox firmware has developed alongside the hardware, with new machines, effects and sequencing features.
Sound & machines
Find your sound. Choose your machines.
Tracks aren't tied to a single sound engine. Choose any drum machine for any drum track, or any synth machine for any synth track. Each machine brings its own synthesis method and controls.
Synth machines
Mono and polyphonic synthesis, wavetable, physical modelling, speech synthesis and acid bass.
Samples & external audio
Use your own samples and bring external audio into the mix. Keep projects and sounds on the included, user-replaceable 32 GB microSD card.
Effects & master processing
Two dedicated FX tracks use the same flexible machine concept. Choose delays, reverbs, modulation or Beat Repeat effects.
Shape the full mix with master bus compression, sidechain and a DJ-style filter.
Sequencing & performance
Sequence, play and perform
Program a pattern on the 16 RGB step keys, then shape individual hits with the four endless potentiometers. Parameter locks, velocity and note length give each step its own sound; probability and retriggers introduce variation.
- Independent track lengths, LFOs and random modulation
- Pattern window, rotation and flexible time signatures
- Arpeggiator, Euclidean sequencing and 16 scenes per song
- Metronome with cue routing
From the development studio
Sounds in progress
Early tbd-16 sound sketches by Servando Barreiro, our collaborator on sound design, UX and testing.
Servando is a sound artist and creative technologist. Explore his work or get in touch about a collaboration.
Visit Servando's websiteWork-in-progress recordings. Opening a player connects to Instagram.
Connect & create
Connect your setup
Connect external instruments, process incoming audio or sync with a modular system. Ableton Link and automatic MIDI clock sync keep tbd-16 in time with the rest of your setup.
A standard 5 V USB power bank can power the instrument away from the studio. The mounting accessory is included.
Audio, with room to grow.
Two stereo inputs, a stereo main output and a separate headphone/cue output. USB audio also works in the default Groovebox firmware. The second audio input shares the MIDI Input 1 socket in its switchable mode. A dedicated control sets headphone volume.
Bring your instruments.
USB host and USB MIDI device. Two TRS MIDI inputs and two TRS MIDI outputs. Switch MIDI Input 2 to Eurorack clock/reset to sync with a modular setup. Novation Launchpad Mini MK3 and Launchkey Mini MK4 integration extends the controls beyond the front panel.
A browser is all you need.
Manage samples, presets and configuration in the WebUI over USB or Wi-Fi. It runs in your browser: no companion software to install. The instrument itself doesn't need a computer to play.
Take a closer look.
Explore the production hardware up close.
Same hardware, different instruments
Run your own apps
Switch apps from the SD card at reboot. Run MCL (MegaCommand Live), Justin Mammarella's sequencer for the Elektron Machinedrum, ported to tbd-16. More alternative firmware is in development.
And yes, it runs DOOM.
Open by design
Your code. Your instrument.
Write your own apps, sound engines or firmware. Change how tbd-16 plays, how it sounds, or both.
The firmware and DSP code are licensed under GPL 3.0, with source access initially available to device owners. No paid SDK or access tokens.
Supported by the NLnet NGI0 Commons Fund.
The people behind tbd-16
Made with friends.
dadamachines is Johannes Elias Lohbihler's one-person studio in Berlin.
tbd-16 brings together his work with friends and collaborators in sound, code and instrument design.
Johannes Lohbihler
Vision, product & firmware
Founder of dadamachines. Shapes the product and strategy, designs the hardware, and develops firmware and UX.
Robert Manzke
DSP engine & platform
Creator of CTAG TBD. Develops the DSP engine, new sound machines and essential Groovebox features.
Per-Olov Jernberg
Sequencer & Groovebox
Built the Groovebox, sequencer and user-interface foundations, including the macro and preset systems. possan.codes
Servando Barreiro
Sound, UX & testing
Sound artist, creative technologist and long-time collaborator, contributing sound design, UX and hands-on testing. servando.teks.no
Benjamin Weiss
UX design
30 years in electronic music; previously UX at Native Instruments and Ableton. instrument-design.com
“A groovebox that's compact, capable, and open by design.”Peter Kirn | CDM · May 2026
The details
Technical specifications
Sound & sequencing
- 16 audio or MIDI tracks, 2 FX tracks and a master track
- More than 40 sound machines and effects, with flexible choice across drum and synth tracks
- Drum, mono/poly synth, wavetable, physical-modelling, speech and sample engines
- Two selectable FX tracks plus master bus compression, sidechain and DJ-style filter
- Up to 64 steps per pattern and 16 scenes per song
- Pattern window, rotation and flexible time signatures
- Parameter locks, probability, retriggers, velocity and note length
- Independent track lengths, LFO and random modulation
- Arpeggiator and Euclidean sequencing
- Metronome with cue routing
Connections & workflow
- Browser-based WebUI over USB and Wi-Fi
- Ableton Link and automatic MIDI clock sync
- USB host and USB MIDI device
- USB audio in the default Groovebox firmware
- 2 × TRS MIDI in / 2 × TRS MIDI out
- MIDI Input 2 switchable to Eurorack clock/reset input
- 2 × stereo audio inputs; second input switchable from the MIDI Input 1 socket
- Stereo main output and separate headphone/cue output
- Dedicated headphone volume control
- Switch apps from the SD card at boot
Hardware & platform
- 2.4″ OLED display
- 4 high-resolution endless potentiometers with push
- 16 step keys with RGB feedback
- Built-in 32 GB microSD card for projects and samples, user-replaceable
- USB-C powered (5 V), compatible with standard USB power banks
- Power-bank mounting accessory included
- Anodised aluminium top panel and powder-coated steel base
- 110 × 110 × 25 mm
- Open-source CTAG TBD audio platform
- Designed, assembled and tested in Berlin
Your next music machine
Pre-orders open soon.
599 €Germany · incl. 19% VAT · plus shipping
Pre-orders will open once the shipping date is confirmed. Get notified when you can order through Schneidersladen and future retail partners.
Prices outside Germany may vary. Your dealer confirms local pricing and shipping.