Wow, when did that come out? I’ve been using the PDF one and missed this guide!
I was thinking about getting an OP1 …until I played with one. They are certainly very fun, and the portability is hard to beat for a device that has so much potential and so much instant gratification. But the sound is sooooo thin and digital, I walked away thinking “toy”. I don’t say that to catch the ire of op1 fans, but for sure, beware. We are talking about a $1000+ piece of kit, after all.
I have an iPad air2, which has completely surpassed my expectations in regards to making music. I actually got the iPad for work, but there are some seriously killer apps to be had for just a few dollars. THOR being my favorite, and FM8 being a close second. Run them shits through an fx chain (still in the iPad) and you won’t believe how good it sounds. Record with no time limit, edit samples, sequencer, MIDI controller, etc etc etc.
If you buy an iPad, you will be able make anything you could on the op1 (particularly due to the limiting tape recorder of the op1), plus far more, AND you will still have lots of money for buying another bit of kit. Perhaps something like a Microbrute. Now you’re cooking with gas!
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Had an op-1, swapped it for a elektron. Missed it like mad so recently traded my v synth for one. So glad I got it back. It’s a brilliant piece of kit and I won’t trade it again. It’s staying.
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this track is 100% OP-1
don’t sound thin to me!
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The OP-1 is amazing!
If u can afford it, get it…
Besides the great capabilities as a stand alone, you can sequence your external gear in unique ways and it just add a whole lot to your setup.
No toy here, built like a tank with the best screen around, with the color coded animation it seamlessly intergrates with the sound engine.
Comes with me all over the globe and is always doing something in my studio as well.
Also, TE is a great company, not unlike Elektron and you can always expect cool new updates adding new synths or sequencers!
It’s one of the more interesting products to come out in years.
It can be just a ‘fun’ box.
It can be a real workhorse too if you know what yer doing.
It sounds incredible if it has the system to shine with.
It is battery powered and built-in speaker so its incredibly easy to just get to work with.
It looks like a toy, but its built like a jet airplane.
Definitely more of a luxury item - I would not recommend it as a first synth, but for someone that knows a bit of what their doing and can afford it, it is a breath of fresh air - and it sounds great.
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The battery last 10 hours + it’s really built like a tank : my kids play with it quite often and it hasn’t had a scratch (yet).
The way the UI is conceived makes it SO - MUCH - FUN to create music.
Believe me, having monkeys playing your beat or tuning the almighty multicolored exhibisionist COW/CWO is really something else than watching a very efficient and tiny screen. You just FEEL the music differently, I guess.
On the drums, while playing with the sequencer, instant transpose + kit switching makes it possible to get lot of variation.
Even the low-fi down-transposed drums sounds like some effect, I really like it.
With the FM you mostly get interesting sounds, and you start from there to get to the weirdness, no the other way around.
For synthesis, sometimes you don’t know what parameter you’re tweaking exactly… It’s not named : you just watch at the screen, kind of “feel” in the drawing what you want to tweak to get to the sound in your head, look at the color of it, and turn the knob that is the same color.
It’s really an experience in itself, in my opinion.
You can control it from external gear (USB !)
You can sample directly the radio.
And there is even a playable game as easter egg.
Yes, there are limitations, especially compared to Elektron, but most of the time you find a way to go where you want in a creative way.
For instance I found that it makes me end a song quicker, I don’t really mind if the track is perfect or not : I just get it done.
The audio is not resting in my OT as a could-be song, or in Ableton as “waiting to be sawed” track.
You drop audio, then you go to next track.
Here is another 100% OP-1 track (get some headphones)
Damn, I think I actually 
this device ^^
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I love the OP-1. It really is an incredible piece of kit and great fun to use. It ispires me because it is so much fun, so versatile and so beautifully made. I have a Monomachine, a Mininova, a laptop and an ipad. The OP-1 and the iPad are my favourite instruments because of their usability and quick results. I would recommend shopping around for second hand gear in good condition. I found my OP-1 in perfect condition for £500 and my iPad Air for £150 (plus lots of great music apps totalling another £100).
It definitely is possible to make entire tracks on an OP-1 alone:
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Did someone ask about adding MIDI connectors? I suggest getting one of the iConnectivity devices with MIDI and audio pass through, e.g. the iConnectMIDI2+
Hey, can you guys recommend some solid iPad apps and fx? Recently picked up a mini 2 and Samplr is blowing me away. Lots of flexibility there with audiobus as well.
Thanks everyone for the info/opinion on op-1. Seems like since I posted this every OT video I’ve watched has had a op-1 lurking somewhere! keen to get one at some point but got A4/Akeys stuck in my head at the moment. Wouldn’t really solve my portability requirements etc but accidently watched a few videos and pretty hooked in getting one asap… Op-1 maybe later!
This is (I believe) the single most useful forum for iPad music apps:
https://forum.audiob.us
Here’s a post about people’s top ten music apps. Lots of good suggestions there:
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/9549/if-you-could-only-have-10-music-apps#latest
Here’s the best list of music apps on sale. It’s also a great site for no-nonsense iPad app demos:
http://thesoundtestroom.com/app-sales/
A few of my favourites would be:
Audiobus (goes without saying)
Sector
iSem
Sunriser
Crystaline
Most of the AUFX series
Flux FX
Audioshare (along with AB the other best music utility)
As an iPad DAW I use Cubasis. Many people swear by other apps though
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Oh and if you like experimental stuff try, Borderlands and and TC-11. They’re both insane.
I’ll shut up in a moment - but there are quite a few excellent free music apps too.
Oh and if you like experimental stuff try, Borderlands and and TC-11. They’re both insane.[/quote]
Holy crap, borderlands. Amazing stuff, thank you.
My favourite iPad apps are:
Animoog
iSEM
Korg Gadget (utterly brilliant)
Figure by Propellerhead
Audiobus
Audiocopy
Soundcloud
Filtatron
Nave
Thor
Midibridge
Samplr
Glitchbreaks
DFX
Alchemy (Camel Audio has been bought by Apple so if you don’t already have Alchemy you will have to wait for Apple to integrate more of it in Garage Band/Logic)
Garage Band
Logic Remote
Impaktor (turns tapping on a table into drum beats…just set the input gain as low as possible)
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Perhaps I am going on about iPad apps too much, but all iPad users listening in - you have to try out Pattening. It’s an amazing iOS drum sequencer. I won’t try and describe it but it’s a piece of UI genius.
Her’s a video (which doesn’t show all it’s functions):
Here’s a nice review:
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Later, as in November/December, would be a great time to get an OP-1, as Teenage Engineering has reliably had huge sales on all their products in those months. Also OP-1 bundles are introduced then where you get something extra like a nice pair of headphones. If I’m not mistaken, I think it was AIAIAI headphones one time.