Teenage Engineering OP-1 All-in-One Portable Synthesizer, Sampler and Controlle
the portable all-in-one wonder synth
OP-1
OP-1 is the all-in-one portable synthesizer, sampler and controller. with additional features like a built-in FM radio and an assignable G-force sensor for motion controlled effects, there is nothing quite like it. its modular architecture enables endless sound possibilities without making the workflow complicated or distracting. The unique and award winning design with its colour coded interface makes the OP-1 intuitive and non-technical to control and shape your sounds.
-
Synth Engines
OP-1 comes with several unique synthesizer engines, all instantly accessible with the sound selection keys. the synthesis palette ranges from physically modeled string synthesis to frequency modulation. the DNA synthesis is modeled on a machines individually unique ID which makes every OP-1 sound slightly different from another.
-
FX engines
Seven unique effects engines that can be applied to the synth, drums or overall mix.
-
Sampling
sampling is instant with the two built-in samplers, one for instruments like piano and one dedicated for percussion sounds and drum kits that automatically splits a recorded sound and lays it out on the 24 keys. the OP-1 also comes pre-loaded with great kits and instruments, and if you want to create your own sample library, just sample anything using the built-in microphone or line in. It’s never been easier, quicker or more creative to sample.
-
Controller Functionality
pressing the com button turns OP-1 into a versatile midi controller with control change options, a two octave keyboard and four knobs. if selecting disk mode when in com mode, the OP-1 turns into a storage device, letting you drag and drop .aiff audio files to it or drag the complete tape with it’s 4 tracks as separated individual audio files from it to your computer where you can do final tweaks in your DAW software.
-
Optional Accessory Kit
expand your OP-1 with the OP-1 accessory kit. it comes with an FM antenna, a crank, a bender and LEGO compatible brick shafts.
| Weight: | 454 g |
| Dimensions: | 32.99 x 13.49 x 3.48 cm; 453.59 Grams |
| Model: | 002.AS.001 |
| Colour: | Grey |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Colour: | Grey |
| Origin: | Sweden |
It is so much more than you expect. You can be either simplistic with it and make fun video game sounding tracks or very involved samples from random equipment/radio clips/built in microphone snapshots to make movie like production sounds. If you are even on the fence about it. Buy it.
A distanza di 10 anni dalla sua uscita ancora un prodotto incredibilmente completo… vale assolutamente ogni euro speso e il divertimento assicurato
Lo que ms me ha gustado es que tiene muchas funciones en poco tamao.Es muy compacto y tiene un chasis metlico muy robusto.Lo que menos es que es un poco caro.
C’est un instrument iconique (le prix s’en fait ressentir!) et qui presente l’avantage d’ette tout en un, axe sur l’ultra portabilit. Je l’ai eu plusieurs fois tout aussi genial que frustrant.
Ad oggi totalmente funzionante.
Non sono sicuro di aver comprato un modello nuovo, forse ricondizionato o forse un reso, non si spiega il prezzo ridotto rispetto al sito della casa madre, la confezione interna di polistirolo presentava alcune rotture da utilizzo, l’oggetto invece non ha segni visibili, confezione completa.
Una sola volta si bloccato dopo qualche mese…fatto il reset ed come nuovo, persino aggiornato dal sito con l’ultima versione.
One thing to take note of, the foam does rub a bit on the synth as you take it out. This is not a scuff, just wipe with a microfiber and you will get it out.
I’m 10 years late to the party. I waited for the price to go down and ended up reluctantly paying 400 dollars more than I had originally been thinking was WAY too much. Now that I have it, I’m bummed I spent the last ten years without it. As an instrument alone it is worth the money. The 4 track tape recorder is great. The limitations of one song at a time keep me focused. I might actually finish something. (NOTE) if you get the antenna, also get this (see link below) to avoid damage to the connector board. About a month after I bought the op-1 I lightly bumped the antenna while it was plugged in and it ripped the connector off the pcb due to all the leverage. (IT IS A NIGHTMARE TO GET FIXED) You cannot just order the part even though it’s $60 on ifixit and takes ten minutes to fix. They have all been bought out in the us and it will cost around $200 to get fixed $125 for labor and $60 for the board plus tax/fees/etc. Spend the $8 up front instead. This thing is built fairly well but there are weak parts and a racket built around getting them fixed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079GSFNSW?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details
It has: 10 synths, 2 samplers, 6 sequencers, 7 effects box’s, 2 drum machines, envelope control, 7 LFO’s box’s, 6 mins of easy recording in 4 track form, a 4 channel mixer with 3 band eq, instant sampling from mic/import/radio, OR… just lift/cut anything you write/record & dump/paste it into the sampler with one tap. It even has a virtual single, as in two sides ( A & B ) of a virtual recording, for storing a finished track or two, or maybe to bounce/re-record & dump into the samplers.
The list goes on.
There are some limitations, the main one to me is there is no editing after you’ve recorded (unless you resample).
It’s super creative, instant jam fun, very rich/punchy/quality/great sounds like all TE devices.
It’s well built & sturdy. The battery holds a charge well. The screen gets a lot of prop’s, and deserved in my opinion. Having the visual reference helps to gel with the creative flow, lovely colors, animated responses to tweaking parameters & realtime changes.. The small keyboard also has been well designed & feels good, not velocity-sensitive, no soft/hard touch, but for what it is, your fingers easily find the key you need, I have fairly fat fingers & fumbling seems kept to a minimum.
I’m only scratching the surface three months in, every aspect & function is in-depth if you want it to be… an amazing bit of kit
So… should!
Recommended.
I think it’s one of the best “things” I’ve ever bought.
Great music making gadget. The only thing which lets it down is the fairly low output on the headphone socket. I also own a OP-Z (made by TE as well) and the OP-Z doesn’t have this problem. Apart from that minor niggle, I love it. The price is a bit steep though, and I feel it should be 200 cheaper. But I did buy it anyway
One thing I underestimated was its weight, and that’s not a bad thing. From all the videos it looked small and fragile but I got it and MAN this thing is BEEFY. I wouldn’t swing it around or drop it mind you because I care about my instrument. But It definitely is sturdy and feels good to hold.
Sound quality is excellent provided headphones. The built in speaker is kinda.. Just plug in headphones, it wasn’t designed to use the speaker build in.
I did play with it for about 15 mins and yes it is awesome but bummed I have to send it back. Now I’m nervous about ordering another one thru amazon. May go the b&h route instead. They seem to have a better handle on quality control.
As a synth it’s great. A great variety of synth engines that are very customizable. You can sample your own sounds to create your own unique patches or use the stock engines to create new sounds.
The drum machine is as nice as the synth. You get a lot of nice stock patches that can be customized and it’s very easy to sample sounds to create your own drum patches. I personally love taking spoken word stuff and chopping it up using the drum sampler.
Recording is intuitive and easy. The hardest part is playing in time.
It’s just a very unique machine. I’ve used it as a complete recording tool to record entire songs and as an external instrument. You can also use it as a MIDI controller if you like.
This thing doesn’t try to sound analog. It sounds the way it sounds and it’s not trying to be something it isn’t. It has its own unique sound that is going to be recognizable if you just use the stock patches but it’s so easy to customize the sounds that you can fit it into just about any genre of sound and it would be hard for someone to say “oh yeah, that’s an OP-1”.
I write and record mostly guitar driven music but have been incorporating the OP-1 into my songs lately. It’s really given things a different feel and texture. It’s expensive and when I bought it I immediately thought about returning it the next day because of the price tag but once I started playing with it I fell in love. It’s a very inspiring tool. I had written a new song within an hour of playing it for the first time. To me the sampling feature is the most addictive. I also love the different sequencers for both drums and synth.
If you have the means this is a full DAW, MIDI controller, synth, and drum machine that is incredibly portable. It’s actually quite a bit heavier than it looks and feels very solid and well made.
The keys took me a bit to get used to. It feels weird to play keys on what are essentially Mac style computer keyboard keys with a scissor mechanism but now I really like it. The keyboard itself if kind of small but it makes it easier to play some things and doesn’t really make things difficult. You could send MIDI over USB to the unit if you want to use an external keyboard but that’s not really common and I personally wouldn’t bother.
Anyway, there’s so much to say about this thing but the bottom line is that I love this thing.
It’s really expensive. I know. Trust me. It hurt a lot seeing my money go. – But you know what? I forgot about my pain the moment I unboxed my OP-1
& it’s amazing. It’s a different instrument for people who know how to change their work flow. The shipping was very quick! Super surprised! Other than it being ridiculously expensive, I didn’t know a piece of tech could make me this happy.
It’s a wholehearted YES if you want to be musically creative on the go. Minimal kit, and just let your mind fly on the go. I find it’s far better than other portable music making routes such as using an iPhone/iPad. I think it beats the iPhone because of the distraction factor. You never get an email notification or something else in the middle of creation.
Everything you do on the OP-1 affects the sound. It’s so weird and different in the way it works. Often thing don’t work in a straight forwards fashion. You twist a knob and the cow’s innards rotate or it blinks. What does that mean? I seldom have a clue visually. Audio-wise it leads to something unexpected, and that is it’s strongest point.
Who is it not for?
It’s not for a musician that knows what they want to sound design or sequence exactly and needs the quickest route to that end. The quirkiness will lead to frustration in that case. It is not a portable DAW in the traditional sense.
It’s not for the person starting out trying to learn how oscillators, VCA’s, VCO’s, or filters work together in a synthesizer. The fundamental data is too obscured to learn that. (However, a newbie that is looking to explore and get happy accidents could be really solidly supported by the OP-1)
It is not for someone looking to add new synth sounds to their musical desktop, or a midi controller. There are 1001 better-suited choices for less or equal money that is far better suited for that task.
If you can let go of traditional sound design, want an ultra-portable device, and are looking for something that leads to inspiration through playfulness. You would be hard-pressed to find something better than the OP-1.
I also own a Novation Circuit and that is great too in its own way. It’s a solid runner-up; but for me and my music, the size factor, workflow, and scope of the OP-1 is far superior on the go.
Reading reviews watching tutorials and seeing this Op-1 online is a totally different experience than holding it and actually playing it yourself. If you’re reading this stop hesitating and buy it. I guarantee you won’t return it.
The worst thing about it is the internal speaker, it sounds like it’s made from tin foil and the highs make your ears itch, it’s nasty.
Some of the best fun I’ve ever had in my life with this little thing. Amazing. But you probably already know that. Like other Teenage Engineering synths I have, this thing is built like a tank, and the battery lasts for literally hours.
Nach fast einem Jahr ist mir eine Taste rausgebrochen, aber die Jungs von teenage engeneering haben mir ein komplett neues tastenset in die Post gegeben, weil ich noch Garantie hatte. Nicht der aller schnellste Service, aber bei der unternehmensgre durchaus gut. Und vor allem freundlich! 10 von 5 sterne
Now I know it’s easy to be apprehensive about the OP-1 thanks to its luxury price tag. Here are a few considerations that might help if you’re on the fence about spending one-month’s worth of rent on what looks like a toy: Do you play an instrument? Is it the piano? Do you know your way around a drum set? Do you understand music theory? Have you used DAW software before? Are you familiar with different types of electronic synthesis? Do you understand how frequencies work in regard to mixing a track? Do you have a good ear for that sort of thing? Are you patient?
I don’t mean to sound elitist, but the OP-1 definitely has a steep learning curve and having foundations in music, *especially* in electronic music production, will greatly increase your enjoyment with the OP-1. Of course, you can disregard what I’ve said and the OP-1 will be a fun little noisemaker for you, but the more times you answered “yes” to those questions, the more likely you are to get your money’s worth out of the OP-1. I’m by no means a professional producer; I’m a hobbyist at best. I don’t sit down and expect to craft the next chart-topper, I create music for myself because it’s fun, and that’s the mindset you need to approach the OP-1 with. It’s easy to fall in love with the OP-1 after watching virtuoso users like Cuckoo and Red Means Recording create masterpieces on YouTube, but in reality it is a lot harder than it looks. The OP-1 is an intentionally limited device, opting to use a tape recorder with only four tracks that emulates the analog days of yore instead of modern pattern-based composition. There is no undo function with tape. It also lacks a lot of the visual aids found in modern DAW software, requiring you to use your ears instead of your eyes to find out what a sound is doing. This may sound like a drawback, but Teenage Engineering’s vision of “finding inspiration in limitation” often leads to happy accidents that reveal new ways of working with a sound, and this is what the OP-1 does best.
It’s important to leave your expectations at the proverbial door if you decide to invest in an OP-1. A good portion of your time at the beginning will be spent haphazardly pushing buttons and twisting knobs, exploring the convoluted interface of this Swedish monstrosity. The first sounds and tracks you create will not sound good, I can guarantee that. But once you get the hang of the workflow, once everything “clicks”, you might find yourself intoxicated by the endless possibilities hidden within the OP-1.
I LOVE IT. I have been debating on purchasing this. And then had some trouble finding a reasonable priced one. The build feels nice, heavy for its size but feels durable. Since the world is going thru a recession of OP-1 apparently. But it was shipped quickly and I can’t wait to travel and make some tracks around the world. 12/10
Here are my favorite things about it:
– Full end to end music production. Is it a synth, a step-sequencer, a 4-track or a production workstation? It’s all of the above! There’s very little competition in terms of anything else so complete yet portable at the same time (except for possibly an iPad).
– Portability. I can compose and arrange from just about anywhere. So far: on the bus, on the subway, on a plane, in a doctor’s waiting room and in a train station concourse.
– The synth engines. They produce a great “low-fi” sound, if that is an aesthetic that you like.
– Sampling / Line-In capabilities. If the synth engines aren’t what you are looking for, you can sample or record from the line-in (or the onboard microphone, but I recommend the line-in option)
– Versatility with external hardware/instruments. You can place the OP-1 just about anywhere in the music production cycle depending on your work flow. You can use this as a midi controller, or you can use it for its synth engines sent as an audio signal to an external DAW, or you can use it as your main work station, with external instruments recorded to the 4-track as line-ins for mixdown and mastering on the OP1.
– The cow…
Many reviews of the OP1 break its features down into individual “modules”, and then compare those modules to other products. For example, its synth engines aren’t on the level of other good soft synths on the market, its mixing capabilities aren’t as good as a full DAW, etc. However, each of these criticisms misses the point of the OP1. It is deliberately designed to have relatively few bells and whistles to get your creative juices flowing and make music, all while being able to fit in your pants pocket!
I’m barely scratching the surface of what the OP1 is capable of, and I could go on for several more paragraphs, but I’ll end by saying that I have never purchased an instrument that has brought quite as much joy as this one.
****
EDIT (September 2018)
6 months after writing this review, I am still having so much fun with my OP1, and its capabilities continue to amaze me. Here are some “hidden” features that allow you to keep as much production / mixing on the OP1 as possible without “giving up” and finishing the tracks on a DAW:
– You can use the built-in gyroscope to “wobble” the pitch of the note (similar to a Roli seaboard)- because “wobbling” the note causes the whole OP1 unit to physically move!
– You can achieve sidechain compression using an external drum beat as the sidechain signal through the line input
– If you pan one tape track all the way L, and another tape track all the way R, by recording identical parts into each and altering the relative volumes between L and R, you can place an instrument anywhere you like within the stereo field.
I’m pretty sure i’ll discover even more “hidden” features as i continue to use my OP1.
***
EDIT (November 2018)
I can see a lot of price gouging on Amazon. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT FOR MORE THAN 900 BUCKS. Wait and they’ll come back in stock.
P.s. I’m still having **so** much fun with the OP-1. As I write this, the OP-Z has been released, and many people on social media are (1) complaining about the OP-Z’s battery life (3 hrs max at the moment) and (2) regretting not buying an OP-1 instead.
***
EDIT (December 2018)
I take back the disparaging things i said about the OP-Z. I own one now, and it’s a joy to play.
If anyone is considering the OP-Z instead of the OP-1, i now have the knowledge to distinguish them here (in case you are interested):
– The OP-Z is a sequencer, not a 4-track tape recorder. It has fewer synth engines and tweakable synth parameters than the OP-1.
– The OP-Z does contain 8 tracks, and many people think this is “better” than the OP-1. However, the truth is that 4 of those tracks are separate percussive elements (kick, snare, cymbal and sfx), 1 of those tracks is a monophonic bass, 1 is a chord track with 4-note polyphony per step, 1 is a lead track with 3-note polyphony per step, and the last one is an “arpeggiator” track, which is highly annoying and a bit useless. With the OP-1, you can layer an infinite amount of polyphony onto any track you desire, the OP-Z is definitely much more limited in what you can do (even though it has more “tracks” on the surface)
– The OP-Z is definitely a lot more portable than the OP-1. Don’t get me wrong– the OP-1 is highly portable, but the OP-Z just blows it out of the water with how tiny it is
– The OP-Z does not contain a sampler, or a line-in, limiting its role as a “full production work station”.
– The OP-Z does not allow you to export the finished songs as a .wav file.
In conclusion — if you’re looking for an all-in-one portable workstation, the OP-1 is your best bet. Furthermore, I believe that the OP-1 will hold up far better over time as a unique instrument. The OP-Z is great, but it’s a portable groove box that you’re unlikely to actually finish a track on.
***
EDIT (September 2019)
The OP-Z now has line-in and microphone sampling capabilities in the latest firmware.
***
EDIT (February 2020)
Teenage Engineering appears to be committed to updating the firmware for the OP-1, which is great for a decade-old product. The latest firmware allows the user to further slice up the tape track into half-measures, quarter-measures and even finer slices, making it easier to execute the sequencer in smaller increments to keep your tracks tight.
In addition, in an earlier post i advised potential buyers not to spend more than $900 on an OP-1. However, this is now outdated advice, as the price of new first-hand OP-1 units has increased to $1,300 (presumably due to production costs going up as a result of now-obsolete parts being replaced.)
So, would I have spent $1,300 dollars 2 years ago for an OP-1, without the knowledge and experience of the unit that I now have? Perhaps not. But with the benefit of hindsight, I would spend another $1,300 on an OP-1 in a heartbeat if for any reason my unit breaks.
With that in mind, please please protect your OP-1 if you have one already. I’d get a decksaver and an official OP-1 case, and use both at all times when not using the unit. In addition, if you are comfortable with electronics, buy replacement parts on iFixit- you never know when you might need them!
Can’t fault it, it’s everything n more I’d expected; soon to be diplo.
Owned this for about 7 months and still learning new things. This is a deep and tremendously powerful instrument.
At first I had a bit of fun with it, then got frustrated (thinking I would always be terrible at it) and put it aside in favor of a guitar (thinking I was going to return it) and just used it basically as an expensive drum machine, but then after a bit more practice, I started to get a hang of it! Ever since then, it’s been my go to for making creative music! It’s actually been the base for most of the music that I’ve made since getting a hang of it (and the root of most improve that I do with friends).
Long story short, give it time, I think you might like it.
After the frustrating learning period, probably the single most fun music device I’ve ever tried.
It’s expensive, but really cool. Don’t be mistaken it’s not a toy. It’s easy to play, hard to master.
It takes a while to understand all the different menus and how to record, sample, change settings, etc. I don’t think this is a good synth for beginners, it can be a bit confusing. But if you know the basics, you’ll really have fun creating with this little machine
El aparato esta Increble, creatividad ilimitada y miles de sonidos y posibilidades para crear lo que se te ocurra. Super.
One Item I’m not too confident in is the ability to charge – mine looked like it was charging (buildup of green lights topped with a red) – i got a little excited and went and turned it on to try it out once it had a little charge – now the lights flash once, then never go into their charging animation. When I press the help button it only lights up one light (supposed to light them all up for a full charge). Anyway – if you look through their forums there are a ton of charging/battery related issues. It may be that the charge is full but the display won’t share that information.. no idea where the issue is. Not a huge deal yet but for something this $$ you’d think something like battery charging would be a non-issue.
The only real lack of usability I feel is with the knobs – if you don’t spin them fast enough on the menu screens they won’t start to scrub through the options, so i feel like I’m having to flail around a bit to get the functionality to catch and start responding (I wouldn’t call it lag, it’s just the way they set up the hardware talking to the software that’s a bit funky.)
Absolutely amazing device, worth every since dime. I’m almost drooling when I play with it.
Unit is much more solid than it looks–it is heavy. It is built like a tank.
Within seconds after turning it on, you’re ready to roll. I just start looking for sounds, tweaking them, and then playing patterns here and there. Something will catch my ear, and I’ll decide to lay it down–whether drums, bass, synth, or other (sample). You can also record vocals on the condenser mic!
I wouldn’t consider this unit as a full-fledged recording studio, as it is much too limited for that.But you can definitely generate and develop ideas on it for full songs… and import them into a DAW as easy as copying the source tracks (four of them, in .aif format) to beat #1 in the DAW.
Impossible to compare the OP-1 really. It’s a game changer for the traveling musician, no doubt about that.
I held off purchasing one for awhile because of the price….. finally bit the bullet and am pleased as punch!
Tempi di spedizione eccellenti (questa volta Prime ha funzionato a dovere).
La scatola conteneva poca carta all’interno, il prodotto poteva muoversi e sbattere.
The capabilities of this machine (particularly relative to its size) are pretty mind blowing and make it worth the money. Nothing is as portable and comprehensively featured as this. Although it has limitations, they can be used to focus your efforts on particular areas and really hone your craft, forcing you to work in particular fashion but developing ideas effortlessly and rapidly – something many DAWs lack.
If you have done your research and think an OP1 might be of interest to you I would very strongly recommend saving up or taking the hit and plopping down the cash. It is a seriously fantastic bit of kit, enhanced by the recent (Nov 2016) update that adds a new synth, arpeggiator, presets and bug fixes. It may be several years old but it remains unique, powerful and highly sought-after.
The OP1 will always hold a special place in my heart and my collection of instruments and gadgets. It is utterly unique but highly practical and useable. It is expensive but it is very powerful and hugely entertaining.
For reference I also own a Novation Circuit, Volca Kick, Keystep, Korg Monotron Delay and plan on getting a Waldorf Blofeld and Elektron Octatrack very soon. I kept a very close eye on the Amazon price and bought it when it dropped pretty low. I would strongly recommend only buying from Amazon or proven reputable 3rd parties as I’ve heard of people being burned by dodgy sellers – likely scammers.
I love this and it has been a great addition to my studio
Uno degli strumenti pi innovativi usciti negli ultimi anni, i motori di sintesi sono eccezionali, massima portabilit, e con poco d’orecchio anche senza avere nozioni musicali eccelse si riesce sempre a ricavarne qualcosa di buono!!…..costicchia ma ne vale la pena, piuttosto che andare a comprare tante macchine diverse, questo racchiude molte funzionalit in un unica macchina!!
synth, sampler, drum machine, sequencer, effetti e tape machine virtuale.
Il tutto racchiuso in uno strumento dal design favoloso.
what can i say other than its the most fun thing to mess about with creating sounds – i love making backing tracks for my guitar playing, and there are so many uses for it – its expensive – its niche, its not hard to work out though, Its not as pick up and play like the novation circuit is – (which is also amazing)
but with the circuit its the best sketch pad for writing music, both are different and the op- is much more in depth , horses for courses but i suggest both over any other product out there – ie the korgs.
Ognuna delle sue innumerevoli funzioni resa intuitiva e divertente dall’interfaccia.
Costa molto ma vale la pena.
Ante todo, actualizar el firmware lo antes posible, lo notaris enseguida.
Es un juguete con todo lo necesario para pasar buenos ratos, incluso si no sabes de msica, ya que tiene secuenciador y es divertido.
No esperis mucho del altavoz integrado, ms all de hacerlo porttil, cumple con su funcin bsica.
No hay nada en el mercado parecido, una alternativa podra ser el Yamaha Reface, pero no abarca tanto como este cacharrito.
Saludos a todos.
Zu den Features und der Bedienung mchte ich an dieser Stelle nichts schreiben. Auf der Webseite von Teenage Engineering gibt es die komplette Anleitung (leider auch nur dort, nicht etwa als gedrucktes Heft oder als PDF), und auf Youtube etliche Videos, die den OP-1 in Aktion zeigen. Genug Lesestoff und Hrproben also, um zu sehen, was “der Kleine so drauf hat”.
Fr das OP-1 verlangt der Hersteller einen sehr hohen Preis. Fr deutlich weniger Geld bekommt man schon richtige Keyboards mit hnlichem Funktionsumfang. Ich habe das OP-1 dementsprechend pingelig beurteilt, und muss sagen: so richtig begeistert bin ich nicht.
Die Verarbeitung ist sehr gut, da gibt es nichts auszusetzen. Das Gehuse ist aus gefrstem Metall und hat ein angenehmes, aber solides Gewicht. Die Tasten entsprechen einer guten Notebook-Tastatur und haben einen sprbaren Druckpunkt, sprechen aber bei zu schwacher Bettigung nicht sauber an und erzeugen dann gerne zwei Tastenanschlge statt einem, was beim flinken Spiel ein wenig nervt.
Ein fr ein Instrument wichtiger Kritikpunkt ist der Klang. Und da wei das OP-1 nicht zu berzeugen, denn der Ausgang rauscht je nach angeschlossenem Gert deutlich hrbar. Beim Klimpern ist es egal, aber “live” ist es strend, vor allem, weil der OP-1 keinen rein digitalen Ausgang als Alternative bietet. Es ist schade, dass Teenage Engineering offenbar beim D/A-Wandler gespart hat. Der eingebaute Lautsprecher taugt nur fr eine einfache Klangkontrolle, hat aber gar keine Bsse und zerrt bei hherer Lautstrke. Da htte es sicherlich auch bessere Alternativen aus der Smartphone- und Notebookwelt gegeben.
Die Firmware ist gut gemacht. Das Gert lsst sich einfach bedienen, und nach kurzer Zeit hat man bereits das Bedienkonzept verstanden und seine ersten Klangschnippsel auf das Tonband gespielt. Schn sind vor allem die witzigen Animationen in den einzelnen Modi, sei es ein Boxer, eine Kuh oder zwei Affen am Schlagzeug. Ende November 2016 gab es ein kostenloses Firmwareupdate, das neue Presets, einen neuen “Voltage”-Synthesizer, einen Arpeggio-Sequenzer und weitere Verbesserungen bereit hielt. Seitdem konnte ich auch einige Bugs (wie ein Knacken beim Tonband-Loop) nicht mehr nachvollziehen. Durch das Update lsst sich der OP-1 nun endlich auch mit den Pocket Operators aus dem gleichen Hause synchronisieren.
Amazon bot das OP-1 im Rahmen der Amazon Prime Days als Sonderangebot an. Der Preis war da schon hart ber meiner Schmerzgrenze, den regulren Preis von knapp 1000 Euro htte ich nie bezahlt. Generell ist Teenage Engineering bei seinen Preisen nicht gerade zimperlich. Die zugehrige Tasche ist teuer und bietet fr die Drehregler einen schlechteren Schutz als der Originalkarton. Der Preis fr die Original-Antenne ist schon unverschmt hoch, hier kosten handelsbliche Antennen mit Klinkenstecker nur einen Bruchteil bei genauso guter Qualitt.
Fr um die 500 Euro htte das OP-1 von mir volle fnf Sterne als Bewertung bekommen. Fr den aktuellen Preis knnte man aber durchaus hochwertigere Hardware erwarten. Dennoch wohl verdiente vier Sterne. Wer den Preis verschmerzen kann, bekommt ein wirklich schnes Spielzeug.
I highly recommend taking it outside and sample sounds in your surroundings, you will be surprised how easy it is and how it can inspire you to create a brand spanking new track you never imagined. I set it up in the middle of living room as a stand only station, shut down your monitor and open up to a new world.
Don’t listen to complaints about the price, it pays itself off with pushing your creativity to new limits.
Expensive but so much fun. I use it when traveling.
EDIT 6/8/16
Had the synth for a few months now, can’t say that I’ve really learned all it has to offer. The truly unique philosophy behind this device is its capability to be an entire production platform. Sure, many comment that it sounds too digital; I’ll give them that. That dosen’t mean it isn’t capable of creating some really insane and ethereal sounds.
What gets my goat is that the OP1 is a synth that tries to please everybody; proving that some people cannot be pleased. It has:
A sampler
Several synth engines
Many unique sequencers
An FM radio
Several weird FX
All encapsulated within goofy line drawings and incomprehensible knob assignments. Sure, that may be a bad thing if you are trying to clone some synth warrior you saw on youtube, but if you really want to create some kind of unique sound – and have the cojones to have confidence in that sound – you may actually create a sound that is new and not cookie cutter.
Also they update the os with new goodies every couple of years. Can’t say the same for most other acid boxes.
-keine “richtige” Klaviatur
-keine Anleitung dabei
-die wichtigsten Tasten/Knpfe waren mit einer aufgelegten Folie beschrieben
-die Anzeigen im Display erinnern etwas an die 1. Gameboyvariante
-es lagen doch tatschlich 2 Gummibnder dabei,mit denen man das Styroporcase zumachen kann
…und das alles fr schlappe unter 1000 Euro!
Jetzt das groe ABER:
Das Ding ist absolut wertig verarbeitet,klein und fr den kreativen Kopf von unschtzbarem Wert!
Es macht unheimlich Spa,immer wieder neue Funktionen zu entdecken und hat man sich erstmal ein wenig in Sampler&Co
eingearbeitet sprudelt es eigentlich nur so von Ideen und “was-passiert-wenn-ich-hier drcke”-Ereignissen und man kann sich
kaum mehr von der Kiste lsen.Man ist dauernd am Experimentieren und aus dem ganzen vermeintlichen Chaos kommen spter die
wahnsinnigsten Sachen zustande!Als Tip sei hier auf die vielen Videoportale hingewiesen.
Fazit:Wer ein Jukeboxmusiker ist und nur nach Noten spielt,wird hiermit wohl nicht glcklich.Wer jedoch selber
vorzugsweise elektronische Musik macht und evtl. seinen Gertepark etwas erweitern und aufhbschen mchte,ist hier goldrichtig!
Such a clever and beautiful bit of kit. Takes a bit of practice to get your head around it, but once you do the possibilities are endless.
Aber, es ist seinen Preis wert, ich habe ihn behalten und bereue es nicht. Mein persnlicher Stil unterfordert das Gert sehr (ein paar Spuren aufzeichnen, und dann live dazu improvisieren. High Tech Doodling). Qualitt und “Handschmeichel” ist umwerfend!!
Just buy it.
Most fun and creative hands on device ever created for the electronic and music enthusiast hand down !
If like me you love playing around with music creation, you will love this device. It’s not cheap, but neither is an iPad & you can make your own sounds & song creation on this device & then share or tweak in Mac/PC DAW later if you wish.
Better still as an engineer working away on my own a lot, it had opened up a world of conversation with interested people who want to find out what it is, this is great when we live in a world of people living in close proximity & isolation from each other, with everyone wrapped up it their own little virtual electronic world.
The device not only makes music, it has revived the art of conversation about the device 😉 Happy Days………
super Mehspurrecorder….. man mu sich einarbeiten um das Ding zu beherschen dank fehlendem Manual aber
DAS IST GUT SO den es ist wirklich kein blttern und nachlesen ntig vorausgesetzt gewisse vorkentnisse in der musikelektronik . Die anbindung am Rechner ist kinderleicht zum speichern und wiederladen auserdem gibt es updates von TE . Also wer etwas sucht um auch ausserhalb des Studios oder 4 Wnden kreativ zu sein hat hier meiner Meinung nach was gutes geordert !
Karlheinz Potzma