teenage engineering op 1

yeah, the main reason I want it is because I just want something fun that I can just play with on the couch or something, take it to my girlfriend's place and sketch something together while she plays fallout or something. I have my gameboys with nanoloop but even they are a bit too er.. serious, maybe? in terms of composition and sound design—I find I always fall into making serious minimal techno with nanoloop :P

 

.. plus there's the chromatic sampling element which I've been looking for since I started using hardware.

sounds like the op1 is exactly what you want. love taking it with me to bed and jamming before zzzs. perfect for traveling on a train/plane. just a lovely piece of kit

sweet. thanks for the advice!

 

 

fuck I've been buying too much gear lately :P :D

  On 1/6/2016 at 4:10 PM, juiceciuj said:

 

  On 1/6/2016 at 12:57 AM, modey said:

I'm getting money together to possibly buy one of these next month. I'm weighing up an impulse decision to buy a Machinedrum after playing with it at bitroast's place last weekend.. but then again I could buy an OP-1 *AND* a nord drum 2 for the price of an MD in australia.

 

Interesting that Everybody Sweat was made on an OP-1, that's a great album.

i'm itching to sell most of my hardware (including a machinedrum and analog four) only holding onto my op1 and some sentimental stuff from my wife

Why sell the analog four?

Have any OP-1 owners used it on a bus, plane, or train? Is it awkward? Do you feel nervous about it getting lost or stolen? I like doing this with LGPT, and I don't think anyone wants to steal the 11-year-old PSP I run it on.

 

 

  On 1/7/2016 at 9:59 AM, Grain Bastard said:

I find it really useful for creating audio that I later use in the daw. The 4 mono tracks seem limited at first but I make sections along the 6 minutes to create more. I don't usually feel like powering up the daw on evenings after work but the op-1 and iPad combo allows me to create usable audio for use in productions rather than just messing about with a toy.

 

Ymmv

I hadn't really thought of using it in conjunction with the ipad I just got. Not sure I could justify its price for just a secondary control for iPad, though that's a great idea and you've obviously gotten a lot out of it.

 

sent using magic space waves

  On 1/7/2016 at 4:06 PM, sweepstakes said:

Have any OP-1 owners used it on a bus, plane, or train? Is it awkward? Do you feel nervous about it getting lost or stolen? I like doing this with LGPT, and I don't think anyone wants to steal the 11-year-old PSP I run it on.

I've used it on plenty of plane and train rides, perfect companion, not awkward at all. I didn't leave it on my seat while going to the loo, put it in my bag/backpack. The box it comes in is pretty convenient as transport case. Edited January 7, 2016 by Gocab

  On 1/7/2016 at 4:24 PM, auxien said:

 

  On 1/7/2016 at 9:59 AM, Grain Bastard said:

I find it really useful for creating audio that I later use in the daw. The 4 mono tracks seem limited at first but I make sections along the 6 minutes to create more. I don't usually feel like powering up the daw on evenings after work but the op-1 and iPad combo allows me to create usable audio for use in productions rather than just messing about with a toy.

Ymmv

I hadn't really thought of using it in conjunction with the ipad I just got. Not sure I could justify its price for just a secondary control for iPad, though that's a great idea and you've obviously gotten a lot out of it.

sent using magic space waves

What I meant was I use the ipad as an audio source for the op-1, not as a controller. I had an ipad before the op-1 and loads of great synth and drum machine apps but there wasn't many ways of getting the audio from the ipad into the daw, apart from live recording which obviously doesn't fit with the dossing on the sofa jams :)

 

I just tended to noodle with the ipad stuff and occasionally transfer stuff via dropbox or itunes to the daw but for example, seekbeats is great for making drum samples for the ipads drum sampler. I sample sounds from Nave into the sampler and also use a 'tape track' to simply record the output of something like tc-11 or Borderlands Granular. Then simply attaching the op-1 to my daw via usb and drag an drop the audio from the tape directory into Cubase. I find the ipad most useful in the studio as a controller rather than a sound source. Lemur running the Mackie Controller or the CC-121 emu works well for me.

 

As for 'getting it out in public', i would but I haven't. i don't use public transport often so the chance hasn't really arose but I take it mates houses often and to show the odd person I'ved worked with. I think you would need to be prepared for lots of people asking about it though as it does attract a lot of attention. To be fair you could probably use it as a weapon if someone tries robbing you!!

  On 1/7/2016 at 4:06 PM, sweepstakes said:

Have any OP-1 owners used it on a bus, plane, or train? Is it awkward? Do you feel nervous about it getting lost or stolen? I like doing this with LGPT, and I don't think anyone wants to steal the 11-year-old PSP I run it on.

used it on several flights and on the eurostar train from london to france. never felt akward. never let it out of my sight either. stayed with me in my messenger bag in the soft carrying case they have for it on their site

 

  On 1/7/2016 at 1:21 PM, o00o said:

 

  On 1/6/2016 at 4:10 PM, juiceciuj said:

 

  On 1/6/2016 at 12:57 AM, modey said:

I'm getting money together to possibly buy one of these next month. I'm weighing up an impulse decision to buy a Machinedrum after playing with it at bitroast's place last weekend.. but then again I could buy an OP-1 *AND* a nord drum 2 for the price of an MD in australia.

 

Interesting that Everybody Sweat was made on an OP-1, that's a great album.

i'm itching to sell most of my hardware (including a machinedrum and analog four) only holding onto my op1 and some sentimental stuff from my wife

Why sell the analog four?

 

it's worth a lot more than i paid for it. don't care for the interface. kinda losing my "omg analog" boner. i think virtual analog is fine. easier for me to get stuff done w/a computer and a controller

bought it today, new, from a store

 

I've only been playing with it for 45 mins, haven't read the manual but it's fucking incredible

  On 1/14/2016 at 8:29 AM, modey said:

bought it today, new, from a store

 

I've only been playing with it for 45 mins, haven't read the manual but it's fucking incredible

Cool as fuck man, enjoy :)

 

The manual is worth a read though as a few things require the shift button for extra functionality. Basic things like holding down record will pause the tape until you hit a key to start a sequence, which allows easy sync recording, isn't obvious at first. The TE School videos are good too and they aren't too long. Nicely split into sections aswell, tape, sampler, fx etc

 

Preset handling on the op-1 itself is a bit clunky as you can't rename them on the device, only on a computer. That takes a little getting used to but I'd say it's an easy synth/mini workstation to learn. Oh yeah the drum envelopes are weird aswell :)

 

May I recommend the sketch sequencer for drums - you can get it to display a grid overlay to help get hits on time where needed and then add fills/ghost notes etc anywhere in between. Pressing a key will move the sketch point to the y-axis position of the relevant sound and then sketch along to x-axis to retrigger the sound. It's polyphonic obviously but no velocity so you need to have quieter samples mapped if you want accents.

 

You probably already know but for some reason sketch sequences of comedy male genitalia bare very little in the way of meaningful audio but they still look magnificent on that oled screen and maybe justifies their creation....

^good advice both the manual and videos are quite helpful

 

will have to try the sketch tips

haha, I was trying to figure out the point of the sketch sequencer. I'll give that a try, sounds like it'll be great for IDM stuff.

 

And yeah, I did look at the manual lastnight, I'll give it a more detailed read over the next few days.

 

It's quite a distracting little synth; whenever I set out to explore the synthesis methods and effects, I ended up jamming something out, recording it to a loop, and then building it up almost into a solid base for a track, before thinking "wait, I was doing something else" and going back to exploring for a few minutes before the process repeated again :D

 

Worth every dollar, imo. The amount of crazy shit that can be done live with the tape recorder alone is enough to justify the purchase.

damn

sounds good : >

  On 1/14/2016 at 9:14 PM, modey said:

haha, I was trying to figure out the point of the sketch sequencer. I'll give that a try, sounds like it'll be great for IDM stuff.

 

And yeah, I did look at the manual lastnight, I'll give it a more detailed read over the next few days.

 

It's quite a distracting little synth; whenever I set out to explore the synthesis methods and effects, I ended up jamming something out, recording it to a loop, and then building it up almost into a solid base for a track, before thinking "wait, I was doing something else" and going back to exploring for a few minutes before the process repeated again :D

 

Worth every dollar, imo. The amount of crazy shit that can be done live with the tape recorder alone is enough to justify the purchase.

Sketch is great. Even synths are ace with it - try a nice evolving looping sound in the sampler, draw a continuous sine wave from left to right and slow the rate down the /4 - then trigger the sketch from the tape view but pitched down a few octaves, maybe a delay on the sampler and say a filter on the master. Add an lfo to the sampler too for even more movement. Its great for drones etc

nice! I'll give it a try.

 

I can't believe how diverse this thing is. I made some dethwave with it tonight after flicking through some radio stations and stumbling upon a metal show on community radio. Within seconds I was cutting the intro of a metal song into slices and arranging it into a loop, and then adding some droney synths.

 

One thing I can't figure out though, is when using a sequencer, is there any way to change the gate length for the notes? I tried to sequence some sample slices, but the notes in the sequencer didn't hold, so it was just a choppy version of what I ended up playing live into the looper. Not a huge problem since I can just play it live, but sometimes I'd prefer to be able to sequence long notes.

  On 1/15/2016 at 3:27 PM, modey said:

nice! I'll give it a try.

 

I can't believe how diverse this thing is. I made some dethwave with it tonight after flicking through some radio stations and stumbling upon a metal show on community radio. Within seconds I was cutting the intro of a metal song into slices and arranging it into a loop, and then adding some droney synths.

 

One thing I can't figure out though, is when using a sequencer, is there any way to change the gate length for the notes? I tried to sequence some sample slices, but the notes in the sequencer didn't hold, so it was just a choppy version of what I ended up playing live into the looper. Not a huge problem since I can just play it live, but sometimes I'd prefer to be able to sequence long notes.

 

As far as I know I don't think there is a way to make a note last longer using any of the sequencers.

You can do it in the endless sequencer by pressing forward arrow while holding shift + a note/key.

 

Good tips in here. I like recording stuff at the wrong tape tempo and key, and then playing it back at the correct tempo/pitch. Makes for some interesting artifacts, also great for instadrones.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Gocab

  On 1/15/2016 at 5:06 PM, Gocab said:

You can do it in the endless sequencer by pressing forward arrow while holding shift + a note/key.

Good tips in here. I like recording stuff at the wrong tape tempo and key, and then playing it back at the correct tempo/pitch. Makes for some interesting artifacts, also great for instadrones.

And in sketch by drawing a longer line :)

  On 1/15/2016 at 5:06 PM, Gocab said:

You can do it in the endless sequencer by pressing forward arrow while holding shift + a note/key.

I think that just adds rests rather than sustaining the note!

Nah, that's only if you don't hold the note/key. Hold shift + your note, while keeping both pressed click forward arrow. Voila, your note is now extended. If you just press shift and arrow you get a gap.

 

Oh, and shift+back arrow deletes your last note, took me ages to find that one.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Gocab

oh shit, I probably did read that in the manual but forgot, thanks!

someone was a naughty boy and leaked the op1 update. i haven't tried it yet and probably will wait for official release

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6qixCnPTYwNN3NVWUhEZnh2RVE/view

 

thread page: https://www.operator-1.com/index.php?p=/discussion/675/op-1-update-2016/p35

 

"Main OS updates:
* tape loops with crossfade
* all new presets
Shhhhhh


* new synth Slump (no presets yet, access with Shift + T1)
* new sequencer Arpeggio
* PO sync out (called NY for now)
* tape effect chop twice as short + now works at tape start/stop position and across loop wrap
* FM radio press green encoder to autotune
* Endless sequencer extended to 128 steps
* uu_id shown in te-boot screen
* various other minor fixes"

Shiiit, I was actually expecting a little more. I'll wait for the official release, just in case there's something wonky with this.

yeah people are experiencing some crashing and knobs becoming unresponsive that force you to restart.