Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

I love this thing more than life but guitar center is the worst place on the planet

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Getting an OP-1 is one of those experiences where you know it's probably something you don't need, but it's so darn cute, portable and so much fun to play with that you can't resist. I actually bought one, felt guilty after spending so much, returned it, and then saved up and bought it back! It definitely isn't cheap. It may have a toy-like presence, but it is not a toy, and doesn't come with a toy price either. So it really is a tough decision as to whether you need to spend so much on something like this.

Once I decided to really keep it, I started to really enjoy playing around with it. It is a great machine for making beats - I'll say that right up front. However, it's not as easy (at least it isn't for me) to do traditional songs on it, with an intro, verse, middle 8, chorus, etc... it's just not set up that way at all. You can force it into that mold, but it's not really how it shines. It shines when you start experimenting with it, finding crazy new sounds and looping them against a wide variety of drum samples and such. Beats are where this little powerhouse really comes alive.

The sounds are good, and sometimes great. It seems more difficult to get really warm sounding patches from it - most are really digital/chip tune in nature. You can squeeze the synth engines and find some warm, analog-ish sounds if you are really patient, but again, not really where this synth holds it's strength. If you're looking for lush analog sounds, this isn't really the box for you. Think 90's video game consoles, i.e. Megaman, etc... that's the type of sound you'll find the OP-1 really excels at. They advertise 8-9 synth "engines" but yet I find several of them to be rather thin and similar sounding - so I'm gonna call a bit of hype on that claim. Maybe it's true, but I would expect more sonic variety from nine different engines.

Overall, it's both a toy and a professional musical instrument. You have to decide which for yourself.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

I am on my second OP1. Bought my first one from GC in August of 2015 and sold it in December. I couldn't live without it, so I now have another one. It's an odd little beast that forces you to work creatively in an out of the box way. The tape aspect can be frustrating at first, but once you get comfortable with it, it's pretty awesome. I have a room stacked with synths, a lot of them vintage, and the OP1 is a great addition to my studio. It's very digital sounding, actually noisy at times, but you can get some very gnarly and otherworldly sounds out of the OP1 rather quickly. I use it either standalone as a groove machine, or as an outboard instrument with Ableton. The whole instrument has a sense of humor about it as well.

It's expensive but very complete. Don't let the looks fool you. If you're looking for something that can make huge, swirling Jupiter 8 pads, this is NOT the synth for you. But if you want something with a unique sound that can get you thinking out of the box, give it a look.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

I wasted an opportunity to get a new unit for a gift because I trusted Guitar Center phone sales staff when I asked and they told me there was so much stock the unit I got would be new, unopened, in the box. The unit I was sent by Store 341 in St. Louis was not new and unopened.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

By all means don't let the pre-school looks fool you. This is a full blown production center and more to come with updates. Dj's/producers alike will find the OP-1 very intuitive and extremely fun to use. If inspired on the plane, bus, car, train or whatever you just pull it out your backpack and start producing from the rhythm all the way down to vocals and everything else in between. I was amazed by the sampling and chopping and yes you can bounce your tracks! No it won't replace your MPC but it'll sure give it a run for the money.. The little synth that can!

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

This thing is a wonder tool that any musician, synth enthusiast, or songwriter will be happy to own. The built in synth engines sound great and can be tweaked to get any sound you like, and the drum presets and effects sound equally awesome. The "tape" recorder is handy for recording full songs or sketching sound ideas, and sampling has never been easier than with the OP-1's built in FM tuner, mic, and line-in capabilities.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Teenage Engineering's OP-1 is a really lovely portable synth workstation. It has an overabundance of digital sounding synth engines that can create FM and Phase Distortion-style sounds. It also offers a sampler for both the synth and drum engines so importing your own sounds is easy.

The OP-1 comes with no real documentation though there is a PDF manual available on Teenage Engineering's website. There are a few other places on the net to grab sounds, patches or alternate documentation in order to learn all the ins and outs of this device.

Ultimately, the OP-1 is all about experimentation. This works great when playing with the synth engines where twirling the knobs will change one of the preset sounds. Experimentation can be maddening when using the 4 track recorder as it's easy to lose your place and sometimes difficult to get back to where you want. With enough practice though it all becomes second nature.

Speaking of the 4 track recorder, the OP-1 comes with a number of simple sequencing options. You can't build a multitrack song with the sequencers but you can program a pattern easily and commit it to the built in four track audio recorder. Once you've got a drum pattern or bass sequence programmed and recorded to one of the four audio tracks, you can easily record on the other 3 remaining tracks. There's about 6 minutes of 4 track audio available. If you exceed that, you'll have to offload your projects, including the 4 individual audio tracks, to a PC to clear up some space. You can also master your 4 track recordings to a 2 track stereo file that can also be downloaded.

The OP-1 is expensive but I was lucky enough to have a chance to finance my purchase which made purchasing the OP-1 a much easier decision. It's a great tool, is lots of fun and can travel with you easily as long as you have a good case to keep it in (the original packaging works great for this so keep it handy).

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Great synth to take to work. I purchased a small Pelican case and it goes to and from work with me in a small backpack with my iPad and laptop. Plug it into a set of studio monitors and you will see how big this synth really sounds. This is no toy, it is a valuable musical tool in my arsenal.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

I dismissed this little workstation for a couple years now. Then I began seeing it come up in a lot of interviews from some big artists, including NiN and Swedish House Mafia. I took a closer look for curiosity but also because I get physically tired after a day in the studio, but I'm far from being done with synthesis. Enter the TE OP-1. Remarkable synthesizer/sampler/drum machine etc etc! This little device is truly inspiring, intuitive in use and incredibly creative with all the different synth engines and the tape machine function. The basic EQ and Master Compressor work very effectively. The FX are super unique and functional. Negatives? Um.... It can be noticeable when it runs out of voices with subtle clicks. I really wish the OLED screen could tilt! The Minibrute is unique in its sound, and so is the OP1. Very beautifully digital. The string synth is amazing as is the sampler. When they increase the voice count or work on the voice allocation I'll give it a 5 stars! Totally worth the price because you can do so much with it, including use it as an external sequencer for you other analog gear!! Thumbs up in my book. -Arie

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Exceeded expectations!

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Thx for reading

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

I bought this after being inspired by the throngs of people that have taken to Youtube with this thing. I was skeptical at first, then I picked it up.

First things first, the build quality is A+ on this thing. While it looks like a toy, it's got a solid weight to it, and is incredibly durable. It's the perfect thing to bring with you when you're out and about, when you get some inspiration and want to make some beats when you're away from your DAW. Highly recommended.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Awesome little synth/workstation. Will be spending lots of hours uncovering it's mysteries. Build quality is superb.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

The most unique synth I have ever used that also includes the software built in. From the 4 track model, to all the drums, instruments, sampling, sequencing, tinkering, to the effects, the possibilities are endless. Yes it is typically used for more electronic/ EDM type of music but this can be easily used for hip hop/ r&b type of production. The sampling and drum sequencers + sub bass, make it so that you should be able to replicate any rap beat you hear, basically. Pretty much in short this thing is insanely amazing and I plan to have it for my entire life and pass it on to my kids. Definitely a must have if you are into music production and want something that is insanely portable. It is everything you can do in your DAW but just smaller with longer battery life than your laptop. It is quite expensive though so that is the only thing I would say to be hesitant about when purchasing. :))

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

This is my first instrument. It has a learning curve but the color coated knobs and beautiful screen make it easier to learn. Plus the ability to sample the radio or any other external device is amazing and allows for great creative inspiration!

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Awesome

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

Self indulgence.

Comments about Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer:

All I can say is I love my OP1!