Yes? No? I’m seriously thinking about it. I like the sequencer and overall workflow but I truly hate how bad the buttons are. They either don’t trigger or decide to machine gun trigs if you look at them wrong.
I’ve been toying with mechanical keyboards and I figure it wouldn’t be impossible to create a dock of sorts with mechanical switches corresponding to each one of the buttons.
Of course another alternative would be using an external MIDI keyboard but sadly MIDI can only be used to input notes, not trigger any other function on the OP-Z.
So, am I the only crazy nerd thiking about this? I couldn’t find any projects like this on the intarwebz so far.
not to discourage but i think u’d have one helluva time wiring up all the buttons
not to mention that u’d basically have to destroy your Z casing
in the process of removing the front board to get at the button contacts in the first place
if its worth it you then what the hell do i know ya know?
There is documented fixes for both the buttons and the bending of the chassis so folks are gonna have to try hard now to find stuff to hate with the opz now… it was a huge blow to the haters as they have been on a roll… but they will find something I’m sure…
I wonder why nobody has attempted that before, probably because it is not trivial, but it seems a great idea. I think the keyboard, pitch bend and power button are connected to the main board using a flexible circuit board, so you would probably need to create your own to replace it.
I think if the OP-Z was in a slightly larger but still portable form like an OP-1, so less fiddly to operate and a sturdier build, people would take it much more seriously as an instrument. Especially if they ditched the visuals aspect.
Swap out track 15,16 (DMX, photomatic) for more sample or synth tracks, extra effects tracks or more tape tracks, or even just midi tracks with step components, and you have a very capable bit of kit.
To answer your question, no you are not the only crazy nerd thinking about this. If only TE implemented midi messages for every button on the OP-Z, it would be an incredibly easy endeavor but instead you need to be an expert with solder. It’s far, far beyond my capability.
The encoders often need remagnitizing,
The keyboard needs to be sprayed with a chemical that if too much is used, it will brick the device,
Some people have resorted to heating their op-z to fix the bend…
Now imagine if none of these ‘solved’ issues existed… maybe there wouldn’t be so many ‘haters’.
I’m thinking that if (or more likely, when) I start seeing issues, I’ll do it. As a couple of others have mentioned, it’s not going to be an easy task, but when the time comes, at least I’ve got a good soldering/rework station…
The magnets are put in backwards, that is why they fall out… if you put them in right you won’t have to remagnetize anything… and the worse that can happen if you put too much deoxit in the buttons is that the buttons stick for a couple days until they dry out… they won’t brick anything… pretty dramatic… but if you want to try to build a better box, by all means… I wish you luck… you are gonna need it.
We are not haters, I know that are too many happy OP-Z users, but others like me had very bad luck, when I bought my OP-Z the case showed signs of bending within a few weeks, and using it very carefully, then double triggers appeared. I got another two OP-Z from the store, both had worst double triggering problems than the first unit from day one. For me it is not normal to have a gear that needs deoxit from day one (if it works with your OP-Z, some youtubers retired his OP-Z because deoxit didn’t solved double trigs, so it’s not the solution for all OP-Z with double triggers), or put weights to bend it, none of my other gear ever needed that treatment, and they are cheaper than the OP-Z, my Novation Circuit, Circuit Monostation, Roland MC-101, even my pocket operators work flawlessly. And I really loved the OP-Z workflow, but for me, and I think for others, this is not a normal situation for a product in that price range, I hope than TE develop a new OP-Z solving this issues, until that OP-Z it’s not for me, too much problems.
I’m looking at other portable music making options, which is actually a bit sad as I like the OP-Z concept and a lot of what it can do, but material execution is poor.
Ok bye!!! Maybe the fact there other synth’s are made of cardboard and cheap sheet metal you put it together yourself world have been a clue this company is not novation but whatever… TE is definitely not for you… they make very weird stuff with weird builds and encourage you to mess with it and take it apart… It is not mass consumer goods…
To reply to your question — I have totally had this thought, and if you can do it that would be amazing! OP-Z with mechanical switches would be a dream. I think you’re right about not being able to map functions, only notes. Here’s an interesting controller for that, anyway: OMX-27 - a DIY Mechanical-Key Keyboard/Sequencer - Tech - lines
I suppose if you bought one of TE’s expensive plain white t-shirt’s and then after 6 months it had a few holes appear, you’d just say “ahh well, I can sow on a few patches, it still does the same job, and anyway, that’s what the company’s concept was in the first place”. Why should the consumer have to pay for their mistakes, their lack of quality control? Why do you care so much for them when they don’t give a damn about us? They are not rectifying the problems, and frankly, us users/consumers feedback should be valued. A recent poster commented that when they asked about the android app for the ob-4, saying it wasn’t working, TE’s helpful solution was to “use IOS” instead. That sums them up.
If $600 was a considerate investment from you then you really need to get your priorities straight… worry about yourself not TE… for most people I think $600 isn’t sh!t!!! Who cares if it breaks… it is not a car or something serious.
It’s far, far beyond my capability.
are you ok?