#510

They use the (very well thought out actually) technique of having the numbers light up for a short period of time when you click on tempo (to indicate bpms), track + shift (to indicate length), track (to indicate which engine is selected) etc. so I guess to point out the pages you’d just need to do the same to identify which page you’re on when you click on the combination for track “split”. The step components thing might be trickier ? But sometimes it would allow me not to create a lot of seens just to make purposeful variations that are not step component / randomized driven and I’d like that. I can understand how it must be complicated to add even more to an already so tiny and capable UI though.

I agree most synths sound very similar to some degree, which is the reason why the addition of the sampling capabilities was such a relief for me !

#511

It’s hard to overstate how much a decent onboard reverb would add, and the same goes for the OP-1. I don’t know how realistic a request this is for the hardware, but those springs will only take you so far, and occasionally they just feel flat-out spiteful. I appreciate that it’s all you get on a Music Easel, but even so.

#512

The problem with the spring is it’s more of an FX than a reverb to me actually, I love using it for drasting and meaningfull addition to the sequence, and hate it to create roomy / atmospheric / light ambiances whatever else you do with a reverb. I’m ok with that though as I try not to add too much reverb to all things in general, but I agree it’s often as if there was no reverb on board at all. I love to play with the delay though.

#513

I also found sampling as a workaround for limmited synth engines. Sampled PWM from mother-32 sounds really nice on op-z. I only would wish if there were more than 10 sample banks per track. It is so easy and fun to sample everything that I reached sample banks limit like half an hour after updating :smiley: And copying sample banks between tracks might also be nice.

#514

The reverb on the OP-Z might be one instance where the limited UI and interface work against it. I feel like I can coax a more useful sound out of the OP-1 spring, thanks to the combination of more parameters and having access to them all on the same page. Hopping back and forth to tweak the reverb params and then the track send isn’t much fun.

But similar to Karol’s experience with the synth engines, you can of course sample with reverb included, which although being limited in obvious ways can still lead to some pleasing (and unexpected) results. I think to give the OP-Z some real longevity, developing the sampling features is important.

#515

Anyone up for sharing their sampling workflow, especially for drum machine sample sets? The way it worked on the OP-1, you’d either line up samples on tape, then cut and paste them into the drum sampler, than tweak the start stop on the keyboard…similar flow in PO KO, just organizing the samples in a DAW or similar, then recording in the KO, aligning. I experimented with the OP-1 / OP-Z utility for drum machine samples as well.

Really - I’ve always found the drum machine sampling workflow for OP-x and PO-KO kind of clunky. I use it to “chop up” bits of song, but I rarely build drum machines (here is the kick, here is the snare) because it’s kind of onerous. Would much prefer to record a sample per key…so I could build up a drum sample set a bit at a time. Seems more spontaneous that way?

Maybe I’m doing something wrong?

#516

I think the move is using the op1drum utility instead of live sampling drum tracks into the Z! Way easier.

https://now.teenageengineering.com/post/47348903156/op-1-drum-utility

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#517

If you sample perfect loops it will chop the samples evenly, this is valuable for MPC style chopping. If you want to chop to transients you have to do that manually. There is also the OP-1 drum utility to make patches if you want to really get into on the computer. I find it pretty fast to get what I want. But would love transient detection or “sample to key” like push 2 and Korg microsampler.

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#518

On the MPC, could you sample per pad? Or did you have to record a full loop and then cut it up? Asking out of curiosity more than anything.

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#519

MPC2000XL was the first MPC to have slice. It could only slice in time divisions, it was a process you did to a recorded sample. The OP1and Z automatically slices to 16th notes the first 16 keys and 1/8notes in the last 8 keys. Really useful for hip hop chopping rearranging the slices.

#520

I’ll just add that all the MPCS since have more advanced sample slice. Yes in an MPC you can also just sample a sound to one pad.

#521

Not being able to sample to pad is a shame, but I guess it’s a function of the format used by the OPs. On the OP-1 you could have a display of remaining time, I suppose, and it would have to stitch the full sample & metadata together every time you added or tweaked a sample. Not being able to fully truncate to reclaim space would also be an issue they’d have to address, because over 20+ individual samples those lost fractions of time would soon add up.

I don’t mind it too much because I like to throw 12 second samples of whatever into the devices and experiment with chopping them up, see where it leads. If I wanted a traditional drumkit I guess I’d arrange it on a PC and transfer it, to make sure I was making full use of the time.

Ultimately it’s another of the quirks that maketh the device. It’d be nice to have full-on Digitakt style sampling on the OPs, but - like multi-track sequencing - I wonder what impact it would have on where these instruments lead us.

#522

This, especially with the fm radio on OP-1…has been the basis of many hours of fun. Especially with the local classical music station. Not sure why, but this path feels better on OP-1 than OP-Z (so far). I think the OP-Z equivalent is going to be usb connection plus youtube…I just haven’t really done it enough yet. Something about OP-Z makes me want my sample sets to be more organized. Which is odd.

#523

apologies if i missed it in this thread somewhere, but how are people getting along with the oplab module (and specifically its use to control/sequence an euro oscillator)? curious about the cv stability…does it maintain consistent v/oct pretty well? even with low battery life? any weird slewing nonsense like that of the qunexus?

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#524

Having a conversation about the OP-1’s 4 track and how it changed my life offline and it got me wondering - does TE like the 4 track on OP-1? Is it weird that the greatest feature of the OP-1 in my (and others?) opinion has been dropped on new hardware? My impression from discussions here is that the 4 track is the reason why the OP-1 is an amazing ground breaking (by being retro and skeuomorphic) thingee. So - if that’s true, either 1) TE doesn’t like the 4 track as much as me, or 2) TE knows the 4-track is amazing and they’re going to put it out in some other form?

SPECULATIN’.

#525

I think TE knows the 4 track is amazing. I think they know the OP-1 is amazing and chose to build the OP-Z as something complimentary rather than a replacement/upgrade.

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#526

Do you think they’ll replace / upgrade OP-1?

#527

I think TE is trying hard to make stuff that can evolve over time. By giving them software updates etc. They have a very «scandinavian» design mentality in the way that they want to make products that are considered design classics.

Never owned an OP-1, but have used a friends one alot. And I recently got an OP-Z. I love that they are very different products, that compliment each other alot. But the sequencer on the OP-Z, and now the sampling makes it a killer machine. And yes, I miss the 4track, but the sequencer and the flow of constructing complete song on the OP-Z is amazing.
And BTW. Any love for the Tape track on the OP-Z? I can get lost messing around with it, very underrated feature.

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#528

TE definitely knows that the 4-track structure of the OP-1 is amazing, with this mix of open workspace and dub workflow. With the OP-Z, TE envisioned a kind of analog tracker - with a nod to OP-1´s 4-track spirit in the Tape track. And I fully agree with @noiserock: it´s an underrated feature that I need to explore more :slight_smile:

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#529

Only guessing- but it seems to me they have no plan to upgrade or replace the OP-1. I think they had to put in a lot of work just to be able to continue manufacturing the OP-1 as is (hence the recent price jump).

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