Hello friends. I’ve been a longtime lurker. After seeing so many op-1 videos and discussions I’ve been contemplating getting one. disclaimer: I have absolutely zero experience with any music production. unless you count the 4 years of trumpet I played 10 years ago lol. The op-1 looks like so much but im wondering if an absolute novice like myself can learn to use it effectively given my lack of music theory/production. I’m super big into the lo fi beats but I definitely like bass heavy tracks. not head banging on the rail bass heavy but more chilled out bass vibes hahah. Anyways I hope this doesn’t make me sound stupid lol but yeah is it worth dabbling in? I know the price is expensive but given that its something that’s so versatile it seems worth it in the long run. Any advice helps!
Hey @ionlytripon_LSD, happy to hear you’re considering jumping into thick of it with an op-1! As someone with an even more limited musical background than you (I never played any instrument unless you count that violin I bought and tried to self teach myself that’s still collecting dust) and I feel like I’ve been able to figure out the ins and outs of the op-1 without much issue as long as I’m willing to play around with it (I can’t say I produce wonderful music all the time, but sometimes I like what I make!), so I think as long as you’re willing to put in the time to experiment with it you should be able to pick it up.
That being said, have you considered the OP-Z? I recently got one and found it (for me) had a lower barrier of entry for making music than I enjoyed than my OP-1 (but using the OP-Z inspired me to go back and play more with my OP-1 which is great). I know it can seem limiting to have the smaller device, but I find my OP-Z to be quite capable. Also, here’s some lofi/boombap music made on OP-Z devices that I thought I’d pass along!
I think the OP-Z is a better choice in terms of ease of use, and the ability to build up tracks quickly. Or start with a Pocket operator and see how you go from there.
I wouldn’t start with the OP-1 without much experience because it can be discouraging at first while trying to figuring out how it works and because of its limitations and the price of course. I’d go with the pocket operators first, then maybe the OP-Z.