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teenage engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer, Sampler, and Controller with Built-In FM Radio and 4-Track Tape Recorder - 10 Year Anniversary
Color | Grey |
Brand | teenage engineering |
Model Name | 1 |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 12.99 x 5.31 x 1.37 inches |
Item Weight | 1 Pounds |
About this item
- CREATING MUSIC FOR 10 YEARS AND BEYOND - teenage engineering first unveiled OP-1 in 2010. Since day one, it has been the favorite portable synthesizer by artists around the globe. It features multiple unique synth engines, high-quality stereo effects, and exchangeable LFOs. You also get physically modeled string synthesis and frequency modulation.
- OFFERS MULTIPLE BUILT-IN SEQUENCERS - OP-1 features an onboard tombola sequencer for random trig and a sketch sequencer, which allows you to "draw" notes freely with the knobs. You get 6 unique sequencers doing one task each instead of just having a single sequencer handling everything.
- SAMPLES SOUNDS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES - You can sample a sound using the onboard microphone. The built-in FM radio allows you to sample local radio stations or music. You can also feed tracks plugged from a recorder in the 3.5mm line input.
- OFFERS "TAPE RECORDING" - The 4-track tape feature lets you record any beats you create, play, sequence, or tweak. You can overdub with pitch change by matching the tape speed with the sequencer clock.
- LASTS LONGER THAN OTHER DEVICES - The tiny OP-1 packs 16 hours of battery life. You can travel and play the synthesizer without worrying about running out of power. OP-1 can even last for 2 years on standby mode.
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This Item teenage engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer, Sampler, and Controller with Built-In FM Radio and 4-Track Tape Recorder - 10 Year Anniversary | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | — | $129.99$129.99 | $199.99$199.99 | $239.00$239.00 |
Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 24 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 24 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 24 |
Customer Ratings | ||||
Sold By | — | DonnerDirect | Amazon.com | SONICWARE |
model name | 1 | — | — | LIVEN Lofi-12 |
connector type | Auxiliary, USB | Usb Type C | Usb Type C | Stereo 3.5mm mini jack |
number of keys | 49 | — | — | 27 |
body material | — | Bass Wood | — | Bass Wood |
weight | 1 pounds | 9.6 ounces | 1 pounds | 790 grams |
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Product information
Item Weight | 1 pounds |
---|---|
Product Dimensions | 12.99 x 5.31 x 1.37 inches |
ASIN | B00CXSJUZS |
Item model number | 002.AS.001 |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #47,204 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments) #181 in Synthesizer & Workstation Keyboards |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | August 31, 2012 |
Color Name | Grey |
Connector Type | Auxiliary, USB |
Number of Keyboard Keys | 49 |
Battery type | Lithium Polymer |
Standing screen display size | 2.75 |
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teenage engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer
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Product Description
teenage engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer
Create cool beats on-the-fly with the powerhouse teenage engineering OP-1! The small synthesizer packs 13 unique synth engines, physically modeled string synthesis, and frequency modulation. It has 7 onboard stereo effects and exchangeable LFOs. You can also sample any local radio stations directly with the built-in FM radio. The 3-axis G-Force motion sensor can be assigned to any effect parameter, envelope, or pitch. Underneath OP-1 is a braille-marked panel that helpfully points the I/O jacks. You can update this synth's OS and connect to a MIDI via a USB 2.0 port.
TECHNICAL SPECS:
- Hardware: 400 MHz Processor (800 MMACSS Performance), 64MB Low-Power SDRAM (12ns), 512 MB Nand Flash Storage, 24bit/96kHz ADC/DAC, Upgradeable OS
- Sound Engines: 13 | Effects: 7
- Tape Recording Time: 6 Minutes of Normal Tape Speed, 24 Minutes of Low Tape Speed
- Sensor: 3 Axis Motion Sensor
- Display Type: AMOLED Display Running at 60fps with 320x160p Resolution
- Connectors: USB 2.0 OTG, 3.5mm Audio In/Out
- Power Source: 1800mAh Li-Ion Battery
- Size: 11.1" x 4" x 0.5"
From the manufacturer
Teenage Engineering OP1 Portable Synthesizer / Sampler / Controller Keyboard
Enjoy power-packed performance with the OP-1 Portable Synthesizer from Teenage Engineering. This powerhouse packs a synthesizer, sampler, and controller into a simple and fast interface. The synthesizer features 8 built-in engines (with exchangeable architecture) with 8 quick-selection keys, and 3 great sequencers, enabling instant live tweaks.
General Features
- Eight synthesizer engines with exchangeable architecture can be selected between the T1 to T4 keys, thereby allowing you to switch engines and retain envelopes.
- 8 dedicated instant keys for sound selection.
- Built-in 24-voice instant live sampler lets you sample from onboard music, FM radio, 4-track tape recorder, etc.
- Four-track tape recorder with variable tape speed provides you with an instant way to tweak your recordings live.
- Six minutes recording time (up to 24 minutes) on both sides of the 4-track tape recorder.
- Four-track mixer with EQ, effect, and drive for adding texture; master out for fine tuning.
- Mixer features dedicated VU meter for displaying sound levels, and control over pan, L & R.
- Multiple effects with exchangeable architecture.
- Multiple exchangeable sequencers for instant live tweaks.
- Classic Pattern sequencer to change direction on the fly or shorten the played sequence.
- Tombola sequencer (drop notes & spin) to adjust bounciness and gravity.
- Endless Step Sequencer: Quickest sequencer with features such as random order, reverse, and pattern for instant live tweaks
- USB MIDI controller lets you receive external MIDI Control Change (MIDI CC) from other hardware, or from your computer's music
- Two-way USB file transfer (Mac & PC compatible) for exchanging data between your synthesizer and computer
- Color-coded, vector-based user interface consists of 4 color encoders
- Operation of color encoder is indicated by a color change on the graphical interface of display
From the brand
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The Beauty of Evolution
teenage engineering creates highly acclaimed products for people who love sound, music, and design.
We develop the alternative future of consumer electronics — each invention driven by need, and built to last.
teenage engineering is the creator of OP-1 portable synthesizer / pocket operators / OP-Z multimedia synth and sequencer / computer-1 case / OB-4 magic radio / TX-6 field mixer / and much more.
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Where can I register my unit?
Please visit this page to register your product: teenage.engineering/register
This will ensure you get all the latest updates and support for your units.
How can I reach teenage engineering education?
Please visit teenage.engineering/ems to learn more about teenage engineering education activities and the teenage engineering electronic music school.
You can also join our Discord server, connect with a mentor, or visit the education YouTube channel for more content.
Feel free to join: discord.gg/xZ6n8pCSnQ
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the ease of use, quality and sturdiness of the musical instruments. They mention that it's fun to use, the sound is incredible and it' s an insanely awesome instrument. Customers are also happy with appearance, portability, and battery life. However, some customers have different opinions on value and sound.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the musical instruments easy to use. They say the sound is incredible and it's fun to use, learning is fun, and the most fun music device they've ever tried. It's durable and pleasant to use and is intuitive.
"...The keyboard itself if kind of small but it makes it easier to play some things and doesn't really make things difficult...." Read more
"...quarter-measures and even finer slices, making it easier to execute the sequencer in smaller increments to keep your tracks tight...." Read more
"...OP-1 has the weight of an advanced piece of hardware, but it lets you have fun using it! Instantly you will have fun with this...." Read more
"It is a fun device. There is much discussion on wether or not this is 'just a toy.' I would argue that it is toylike in most ways, but this is OK...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the musical instruments. They say it's an incredible little device, with top-notch engineering. It feels like a professional tool and is an inspiring instrument of the highest quality.
"...actually quite a bit heavier than it looks and feels very solid and well made.The keys took me a bit to get used to...." Read more
"...It's the perfect device for quickly sketching out musical ideas when inspiration strikes or for spending an evening crafting that idea into a full-..." Read more
"...When you hold it, you instantly know this isn't a toy. This feels like a professional tool, making the Volcas feel like plastic toys...." Read more
"The OP-1 is amazing... for the solutions it is directed towards...." Read more
Customers like the sturdiness of the musical instruments. They mention that it's very sturdy, the build quality is great, and it holds its value well. Some say the build feels nice, heavy for its size but feels durable.
"...It's actually quite a bit heavier than it looks and feels very solid and well made.The keys took me a bit to get used to...." Read more
"...Very sturdy as others have mentioned (it's like a block of metal) and the screen is super sharp...." Read more
"...Spend the $8 up front instead. This thing is built fairly well but there are weak parts and a racket built around getting them fixed...." Read more
"...Ultimately this is not a device for polished productions. I doubt that many will make a living producing with this device...." Read more
Customers are impressed with the appearance of the musical instruments. They mention that it is amazingly designed, an inspiring tool, and has a unique sound. Some say that it has'soul' and is quirky.
"...It's a very inspiring tool. I had written a new song within an hour of playing it for the first time...." Read more
"...Still it is rather nice, and I like it. I will keep it. It is sitting on my coffee table next to my VL-tone, and I play with it quite a bit...." Read more
"...effects and synth parameters lead to unusual sounds which can spark inspiration and take you places you wouldn't necessarily intend to go with your..." Read more
"...honestly one of the best (some would say the best) and most unique electronic instruments out there...." Read more
Customers like the portability of the musical instruments. They mention that it is incredibly portable, and convenient. Customers also say that the 4 track recorder makes it easy to pick up and lay down music ideas.
"An amazing portable synth, drum machine, production tool. The OP-1 can be one thing or many things depending on how you use it...." Read more
"...'s very little competition in terms of anything else so complete yet portable at the same time (except for possibly an iPad).- Portability...." Read more
"...It's very compact and easy to carry around as well, which makes it the perfect everyday life companion...." Read more
"...I’ve had it for a week and it has been fairly easy to pick up. I think this may be ideal for writing music on the go...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the battery life of the musical instruments. They mention that it is portable and has amazing battery life.
"...The advantage here cannot be overstated. This thing will operate for 16 hours on a charge, allowing you to take it anywhere without concern.*..." Read more
"...The battery also lasts forever...." Read more
"...Clean design and wonderful battery life." Read more
"...synths I have, this thing is built like a tank, and the battery lasts for literally hours." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the product. Some mention it's worth every dollar, holds value, and is in good condition, while others say that it' s too expensive and an expensive instrument without it.
"...It's really given things a different feel and texture. It's expensive and when I bought it I immediately thought about returning it the next day..." Read more
"...As an instrument alone it is worth the money. The 4 track tape recorder is great. The limitations of one song at a time keep me focused...." Read more
"I have to state the obvious... This is very expensive. It looks like a toy, but has the price of a large synth...." Read more
"...Great for producing, playing live, and having fun on the road. Worth the money, trust me. There is a reason these things hold their value so well." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the sound of the musical instruments. Some mention that it has a phenomenal sound, the audio in is the best function, and it's easy to customize the sounds. However, others say that the sound output was very weak, it sounds too digital, and the built-in reverb is extremely poor. This makes consistent beat making and melodies difficult.
"...It has its own unique sound that is going to be recognizable if you just use the stock patches but it's so easy to customize the sounds that you can..." Read more
"...It's quirky - The unusual effects and synth parameters lead to unusual sounds which can spark inspiration and take you places you wouldn't..." Read more
"...Not for synth-snobs. Can make chunky some analog sounds. Swedish-army knife of synths.EDIT 6/8/16..." Read more
"...of sounds - turning the attack down just a smidge gives you an overly-soft sound which doesn't play well all the time...." Read more
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As a synth it's great. A great variety of synth engines that are very customizable. You can sample your own sounds to create your own unique patches or use the stock engines to create new sounds.
The drum machine is as nice as the synth. You get a lot of nice stock patches that can be customized and it's very easy to sample sounds to create your own drum patches. I personally love taking spoken word stuff and chopping it up using the drum sampler.
Recording is intuitive and easy. The hardest part is playing in time.
It's just a very unique machine. I've used it as a complete recording tool to record entire songs and as an external instrument. You can also use it as a MIDI controller if you like.
This thing doesn't try to sound analog. It sounds the way it sounds and it's not trying to be something it isn't. It has its own unique sound that is going to be recognizable if you just use the stock patches but it's so easy to customize the sounds that you can fit it into just about any genre of sound and it would be hard for someone to say "oh yeah, that's an OP-1".
I write and record mostly guitar driven music but have been incorporating the OP-1 into my songs lately. It's really given things a different feel and texture. It's expensive and when I bought it I immediately thought about returning it the next day because of the price tag but once I started playing with it I fell in love. It's a very inspiring tool. I had written a new song within an hour of playing it for the first time. To me the sampling feature is the most addictive. I also love the different sequencers for both drums and synth.
If you have the means this is a full DAW, MIDI controller, synth, and drum machine that is incredibly portable. It's actually quite a bit heavier than it looks and feels very solid and well made.
The keys took me a bit to get used to. It feels weird to play keys on what are essentially Mac style computer keyboard keys with a scissor mechanism but now I really like it. The keyboard itself if kind of small but it makes it easier to play some things and doesn't really make things difficult. You could send MIDI over USB to the unit if you want to use an external keyboard but that's not really common and I personally wouldn't bother.
Anyway, there's so much to say about this thing but the bottom line is that I love this thing.
Here are my favorite things about it:
- Full end to end music production. Is it a synth, a step-sequencer, a 4-track or a production workstation? It's all of the above! There's very little competition in terms of anything else so complete yet portable at the same time (except for possibly an iPad).
- Portability. I can compose and arrange from just about anywhere. So far: on the bus, on the subway, on a plane, in a doctor's waiting room and in a train station concourse.
- The synth engines. They produce a great "low-fi" sound, if that is an aesthetic that you like.
- Sampling / Line-In capabilities. If the synth engines aren't what you are looking for, you can sample or record from the line-in (or the onboard microphone, but I recommend the line-in option)
- Versatility with external hardware/instruments. You can place the OP-1 just about anywhere in the music production cycle depending on your work flow. You can use this as a midi controller, or you can use it for its synth engines sent as an audio signal to an external DAW, or you can use it as your main work station, with external instruments recorded to the 4-track as line-ins for mixdown and mastering on the OP1.
- The cow...
Many reviews of the OP1 break its features down into individual "modules", and then compare those modules to other products. For example, its synth engines aren't on the level of other good soft synths on the market, its mixing capabilities aren't as good as a full DAW, etc. However, each of these criticisms misses the point of the OP1. It is deliberately designed to have relatively few bells and whistles to get your creative juices flowing and make music, all while being able to fit in your pants pocket!
I'm barely scratching the surface of what the OP1 is capable of, and I could go on for several more paragraphs, but I'll end by saying that I have never purchased an instrument that has brought quite as much joy as this one.
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EDIT (September 2018)
6 months after writing this review, I am still having so much fun with my OP1, and its capabilities continue to amaze me. Here are some "hidden" features that allow you to keep as much production / mixing on the OP1 as possible without "giving up" and finishing the tracks on a DAW:
- You can use the built-in gyroscope to "wobble" the pitch of the note (similar to a Roli seaboard)- because "wobbling" the note causes the whole OP1 unit to physically move!
- You can achieve sidechain compression using an external drum beat as the sidechain signal through the line input
- If you pan one tape track all the way L, and another tape track all the way R, by recording identical parts into each and altering the relative volumes between L and R, you can place an instrument anywhere you like within the stereo field.
I'm pretty sure i'll discover even more "hidden" features as i continue to use my OP1.
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EDIT (November 2018)
I can see a lot of price gouging on Amazon. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT FOR MORE THAN 900 BUCKS. Wait and they'll come back in stock.
P.s. I'm still having **so** much fun with the OP-1. As I write this, the OP-Z has been released, and many people on social media are (1) complaining about the OP-Z's battery life (3 hrs max at the moment) and (2) regretting not buying an OP-1 instead.
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EDIT (December 2018)
I take back the disparaging things i said about the OP-Z. I own one now, and it's a joy to play.
If anyone is considering the OP-Z instead of the OP-1, i now have the knowledge to distinguish them here (in case you are interested):
- The OP-Z is a sequencer, not a 4-track tape recorder. It has fewer synth engines and tweakable synth parameters than the OP-1.
- The OP-Z does contain 8 tracks, and many people think this is "better" than the OP-1. However, the truth is that 4 of those tracks are separate percussive elements (kick, snare, cymbal and sfx), 1 of those tracks is a monophonic bass, 1 is a chord track with 4-note polyphony per step, 1 is a lead track with 3-note polyphony per step, and the last one is an "arpeggiator" track, which is highly annoying and a bit useless. With the OP-1, you can layer an infinite amount of polyphony onto any track you desire, the OP-Z is definitely much more limited in what you can do (even though it has more "tracks" on the surface)
- The OP-Z is definitely a lot more portable than the OP-1. Don't get me wrong-- the OP-1 is highly portable, but the OP-Z just blows it out of the water with how tiny it is
- The OP-Z does not contain a sampler, or a line-in, limiting its role as a "full production work station".
- The OP-Z does not allow you to export the finished songs as a .wav file.
In conclusion -- if you're looking for an all-in-one portable workstation, the OP-1 is your best bet. Furthermore, I believe that the OP-1 will hold up far better over time as a unique instrument. The OP-Z is great, but it's a portable groove box that you're unlikely to actually finish a track on.
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EDIT (September 2019)
The OP-Z now has line-in and microphone sampling capabilities in the latest firmware.
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EDIT (February 2020)
Teenage Engineering appears to be committed to updating the firmware for the OP-1, which is great for a decade-old product. The latest firmware allows the user to further slice up the tape track into half-measures, quarter-measures and even finer slices, making it easier to execute the sequencer in smaller increments to keep your tracks tight.
In addition, in an earlier post i advised potential buyers not to spend more than $900 on an OP-1. However, this is now outdated advice, as the price of new first-hand OP-1 units has increased to $1,300 (presumably due to production costs going up as a result of now-obsolete parts being replaced.)
So, would I have spent $1,300 dollars 2 years ago for an OP-1, without the knowledge and experience of the unit that I now have? Perhaps not. But with the benefit of hindsight, I would spend another $1,300 on an OP-1 in a heartbeat if for any reason my unit breaks.
With that in mind, please please protect your OP-1 if you have one already. I'd get a decksaver and an official OP-1 case, and use both at all times when not using the unit. In addition, if you are comfortable with electronics, buy replacement parts on iFixit- you never know when you might need them!