I am thinking about buying an OP-1 Field, it sounds like a lot of fun, but I have a few questions: #1 I am a guitarist and would also like to use the OP-1 field as a notebook for my ideas and improvisations. Can I record directly to one of the four cassette decks and how long could I record for? #2 Is it possible to import jam tracks from my PC to one of the cassette decks. Say for example a jamtrack with a length of 3 - 4 minutes? #3 Reading the manual, I get the impression that I can’t sample anything longer than 20 seconds. Is this correct?
From the line in or mic (or usb, radio, etc) you can directly record to each of the tape styles. And each “reel” has 4 separate stereo tracks. They support overdubbing, too. You can have 8 of those “reels”. Max length is 6 minutes each. The other style of sampling refers to the the drum sampler or melodic sampler where you play your samples like an instrument. Those are limited in length (e.g. 20 seconds).
You can access each track on each reel as a separate stereo audio file (to backup). You can also create them on the computer but they do have specific format requirements. I find it easier to simply “record” audio from the computer and other devices (e.g, via usb).
thank you for the detailed and good explanation.
well, now i will probably be more often with you in the forum, because I think I have to buy the op1…
I’m a guitar player and the op-1 field is wonderful for what you’re talking about doing. Just yesterday, I spent a few hours playing guitar through the hologram microcosm pedal into the op-1 field. You’re gonna love it.
I tried to do that on my iPad but having no headphone out on my Pro (damn you Apple) it gets clunky with the adapter and headphones etc. Also the iPad comes with lots of different associations. Mail, web, games, twitch etc.
Do post any tracks/doodles you might have for reference.
I (sadly) would not refer to myself as a guitarist. But the OP-1 Field is especially well suited to be an audio songwriting tool. The details have been well described above.
What’s super cool is if you set up loop points and record a loop, and hit play - it’s playing that loop and that’s fine but while playing at any time you can hold REC and add another bit on top and it merges rather than erase what was already there. It gets layered over the top. Obviously you have four tracks but you can do this merge on a single track. You can also do a lot of in-the-box trickery and resampling - there is a stereo recorder on the main output. Suppose you record your guitar playing in, then while it’s playing back you’re manipulating an audio effect while twiddling the knobs. This would be recorded on the fly to another stereo track, or that main stereo recorder. You can “lift” out of the stereo recorder and drop it back into a track, even on a different tape. But yeah suppose you’ve recorded some noodling on track one and you use the telephone effect to do some pitch shifty goodness, and you want to print that effect into the audio to then use the master effect for something else, like reverb. You can set the record source to Ear (what you hear) and record on to track 2. Track to will be track 1 with effect, that way. Then you delete track one. You could lift track 2 and drop it back to 1 if you then wanted to.
The built in sequencers are simple but effective, best thought of as complex arpeggiators or similar. But you can program a little drum pattern and hold rec then as soon as you hit the key your drum pattern plays in perfect time and gets recorded to the tape. It’s like having a four track, some effects, and a bunch of simple vintage synths with apps and drum machines etc. Different way of working but I’m way more productive on this than on the computer really. For most things.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing.
And this is what I had in mind. The recorded acoustic guitar sounds really good btw. Maybe even better than necessary for this kind of thing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This sounds like an advanced looping pedal, synth, notebook/sketchbook, drum machine or like a Yamaha QY20 for the 21th century … This kind of device I am searching for quite a long time…
But like many people said before, …the price point is steep (sigh)
Yeah I was surprised how good the internal mic on the op-1 field sounds. It has become so easy to use that I’m constantly filling up all the tapes and having to transfer them to computer to make room for new projects. It’s actually forcing me to just finish stuff and move on instead of spending days and weeks messing around with stuff in Live and never finishing anything. I know the field is expensive but it’s really inspired me as far as trying new ideas with my guitar. Here’s what I was doing last night with the field’s internal mic…
You can record for 6 minutes to four parallel tracks, meaning 24 minutes if you want to use each track as a separate recording and not a mix.
The tracks are stereo files so in theory yes, but the format will need to be specific — maybe 32-bit aiff 44.1khz? (Not sure if 24 or 32-bit and not sure if 44.1 or 48khz).
So sampling has 12 seconds to sample into a synth that you can then play as an instrument and 20 seconds into a drum that can be played as a drum, or as a 1-shot of 20 seconds. Depending on what you want to use it for these sampling features may or may not be relevant.
I am a guitarist and have an op-1f. The issue for me is that to record to the op-1f you need to use your hands. To get clean loops with guitar you really need a pedal. There are workarounds but they’re clunky. E.g. record with a looper to get a clean loop, then record to op-1, or start recording early on op-1 to have time to pick up guitar, record, and then chop the recording to the length needed on the op-1.
If you could describe in more detail what exactly you want to do with the op-1f and guitar I could be more specific. But, an example of something you could do is use a track to make a beat, use another track to record a guitar rhythm part, another track for guitar lead, and another track for other effects or parts or synths in the background. So, you definitely can do that in a portable form factor with the op-1f (also with the op-1 but only in mono for each track). You will need some kind of amp or interface to get the guitar’s audio into the op-1f unless it’s acoustic.
Imo the op-1f is ideal for electronic loop-based music that lends itself well to sequencing. It can be used for more “organic” music like guitar but it is kind of clunky and lots of its features won’t be used.
Personally I would use a looper and recorder and ipad for guitar-based music since it can support amp sims, limitless tracks for multitracking, multiple effects per track, etc. and be just as portable as an op-1f. The op-1f shines when you use its unique features to make unique music, which can be done with guitar, but is more electronic-focused imo.
But there are no rules — it’s about creativity.
Thank you for your inspiring text and questions. If I am to be specific, I want a portable solution to record notes and ideas I have while playing guitar.
I have a pedal with looper and can go into a Kemper amp with recording capability in Ableton. But lately I sometimes don’t feel like turning on the desktop PC and all my equipment and just want to play acoustic guitar and sketch ideas in the living room. This is probably a first world consumerism problem and actually there is no need for such an expensive solution.
Well I am not decided yet…
