Very interesting. I don’t get the sync part, though. Can it or can it not sync to some kind of clock?
While this is perfect for multitrack recording and mixing. What i miss from this type of gear is (easy) editing. Like slicing, copy, paste kind of stuff with bits of audio from one track to another (or same).
Well, I’ve had an OP-1 for a few days now anyway, and it’s exactly what I was looking for in terms of recording, layering and sync. It’s a four tracker mono recorder, sure, but I don’t mind, since it gets everything else right.
If somebody took the tape concept of the Op-1 and made its own, complete product of that, I’d be all over it.
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Two weeks into this and I love it even more now as a recording solution. I keep finding new stuff it can do. There’s no end to the flexibility of this thing.
Well, except fo the four mono tracks, then 
but apart from that, no limitations
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Cool to hear this. What kind of stuff are you recording into it (synths, guitars, etc)? What kind of editing capabilities do you have after it’s recorded?
I’m still searching and starting to think about forgetting a dedicated device, and maybe just looking for a compact audio interface and using GarageBand on my iPhone.
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I record my Prophet 6, my Moog DFAM and Moog Mother 32 straight into the OP-1’s line in, and I also use the mic for sampling and singing. I bounce and resample a lot, lift out specific recordings into the sampler for further editing and then bring it back into the tape again. As a magic box for working with tape, it’s glorious. Given that I enjoy the lo-fi quality of the result, as well as the dirty digital onboard fx and mastering, this works perfectly for me.
As a small four track recorder, it’s very flexible for what I want to do, which is mainly to record live, but also in perfect sync when required. When in sync mode, the OP-1’s tape also starts any gear synced to it, so especially when I want perfect loops from the DFAM, this is proving very handy, whereas I mostly record stuff from the Prophet 6 live.
As for editing, it’s very limited compared to using Garage Band, for example. The basic mastering with EQ and fx, as well as a Drive with release, takes you far enough if the source is recorded okay, though. And the cutting and pasting of the tape parts themselves, is also limited but as a result of that, very focused.
I just don’t need all that much to get shit done, but I need very specific things. I need to be able to record my stuff in an instant, and just take and retake until I get it right. I need to get perfect sync when I want to, and I need to be able to move around different parts, merge, copy and paste at will. And some basic mastering, to get the worse frequencies out of the way, is cool. And I need to be able to carry this solution around.
It’s a bit like my regular work in writing. I don’t need much from the tools I use. But over time, I’ve come to know what I really want from my toolbox, though. So even if it’s just five things, it needs to be the right five things, in the right combination, working together in the right way. My love affair with the OP-1 is still new so I’ll wait with a more mature verdict, but conceptually, this is spot on for me.
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Add Midi clock sync to that OP Studio and I’d buy one too. That would be ace
From what I understand from information available the opz has a kind of tape buffer that is always recording a small loop of the current audio being played, so it lets you perform tape tricks but is not anything like the op1 tape
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Yep, it seems the OP-Z is very much not a sequel, but more a thing on its own. Not a super pocket operator, not the next level OP-1 - but its own thing.
I really like what Teenage Engineering is doing here. You got the OP-1 as your studio with musicians and recording solutions. You got the Pocket Operators, which is basically your band of different musicians that come together. And the OP-Z, which I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I’m definitely checking it out when it’s out. The beta testers keep saying “You ain’t seen nothing yet”, and yet what they’re showing is plenty enough to peak my interest.
So I’m more interesting in what they’re not showing, not telling. Like when they showed the PO-12, and then at release, actually revelaed a line-up of not one, but three instruments. It’s what they didn’t show us until they decided to, that made it all the more cooler.
I’m interested also, not sure if opz has a place in my setup but I know it will be cool.
I hope op2 is next 
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Yeah, that’s the thing. It’ll be super awesome for sure, but in the end, it’ll come down to if you need this kind of portable all in one thing in your rig. I actually don’t, so from what I’m seeing and hearing, I like it but won’t go for it.
But I’m thinking there’s just so much going on here that I don’t know, that’ll sway me once it’s out. When it comes to bleeding edge technology, Teenage Engineering’s leading the pack in their field. Elektron come of as old behemoths in comparison, though very lovely and dearly appreciated behemoths at that 
Yeah TE are very interesting
I’m in the same boat as far as not needing a small all in one, but as always with TE I won’t be surprised if they surprise me 
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Haha 
damn straight
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Glad you are digging it. Definitely one of those pieces of gear that has always intrigued me. For now I’ll wait and see what the OP-Z ends up being.
I really wish someone would release a killer pocket-sized multitrack (with decent effects) at summer NAMM. I really want to upgrade from my Boss, but nothing out there interests me right now. It’s a shame because the tech is finally there for someone to hit it out of the park.
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Yeah, apparently there’s a demand, too, at least over here. The Zoom portas sell really well, so people still want this format. And the tape part of the OP-1 isn’t exactly insignificant. It really does feel like a potential killer product.
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You planted the seed of the OP-1 as a recorder. 
I’m envisioning it with a PO-32 and PO-33 as my travel rig. The GAS is strong, but I’m gonna wait to see how the OP-Z turns out.
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I’ve not had the chance to try one out yet but I like the look of the Zoom LiveTrak L-12, looks like an elegant solution to a lot of recording/mixing situations. I could do away with my current 12 channel analog mixer, simply run everything into the Zoom LiveTrak L-12, record, mix and send to my Macbook for arrangement in my DAW. I could even do away with a soundcard since it also serves as a 14 in 4 out USB audio interface… I think I’ve just talked myself into buying it 
Of all the things I’m looking forward to with the OP-Z, it’s all the stuff they’re not telling us. Knowing TE, the awesome is still to come.
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Well I just did something nutty. I bought a near-mint Korg D3200 on the auctions for $250. I have always loved the look of this machine and it has all the options I could want in a multitracker. Plus, my coworker has one, and loves it, so I sort of know what I’m getting into. Buying old digital tech always makes me nervous, but this thing looks like incredible value for the money, AND it’s super classy looking. I’ll let you know how I get along with it.
