Hey there! I’m curious to hear from other makers where the OP-XY sits in your workflow. Obviously, you’d hope such a powerful machine would feature prominently, but I don’t know, maybe there’s someone out there who only uses it occasionally.
For me, it’s the only thing I truly make music on when I want to do something electronic. I have a setup to capture “real” instruments, and this is my machine if I want to get drums or synths. I take it with me traveling occasionally; it’s great to pass the time on flights.
the xy is like most other instruments and electronics i own…i tend to use no more than 2-3 pieces of hardware at a time & only my laptop or a mixer are ever truly at the heart of my workflow
i’m interested in field devices cause they collectively could be the center of what i do, replacing almost everything else, but as has been discussed to death already, connectivity between them is quite limited
laptop + push are usually my main workflow in a stationary home studio, especially for mixing or post production…i’d like to use ableton more for sample based beatmaking & arrangement but find the process kinda uninspiring
xy is more fun to me, and has more potential
i got into it at a bad time though (in the middle of moving house) and haven’t spent enough time playing with it to build confidence producing with one
The XY is a fun sketchpad and my main instrument on the go. I put my ideas in it so I remember them later when I am working with my big girl tools, i.e. the DAW. Its ability to make anything close to the production quality/value of things I usually produce in the DAW, but completely DAWless and only on-board, is currently blocked by several missing features and/or bad design decisions and/or bugs that need to be patched. I have discussed those on this forum. I would like for the XY to be more than what it is right now because I love the form factor and hardware.
I go through phases with all my gear, so even though I may really like the Op-XY, it’s not something I use all the time. For me it’s more of a summer tool, something small and powerful I can take to the park to make music on. I pretty much always use my groove boxes self-contained on their own, and the XY is no exception. If I’m going to write music on it, I’ll do it all internally and just record the stereo out. So for me it’s a portable do it all machine. I’m not one to usually sketch out ideas on a device with the intention of doing most of the work in a DAW later (though it does happen occasionally).
It is the centre of my set up. It is my set up I’m as productive (if not more so) with just the XY than I was with a desk full of analog synths and Elektron/Machine/MPC boxes. I see videos of people now with a room full of gear and I actually think it’s quite perverse. I’m really over the ‘got to have um all’ mind set of DAWless. I did just order a couple of things but they will just compliment the XY (and I’ll probably sell them on in a few months ) but the XY will stay. I just made a video on this actually https://youtu.be/yPy4moa8ZlQ?si=ybbOoVyt7a9MnoFq
For me, although it’s not perfect, nothing is, it’s as close to perfect as I’ve ever got with a one device set up. I feel it can do everything I need, and create the sound and quality I want in one tidy little box
I like the XY but the OP-1 Field is my main device. I use it to record a lot of guitar music. I have made a couple songs on the XY then put them on the OP-1 tape and added guitar and vocals. They pair well in that way. I have gotten rid of alot of my gear and recently started collecting the other Field pieces to add to my OP-1. I have everything but the mixer which I may get still, but I also feel like the OP-1 and the CM-15 are really all I need. The TP-7 is awesome but feels like a luxury piece I’m spoiling myself with.
Nomadic production, often when I use the OP-XY, it’s a standalone use and I find it incredibly efficient that way.
When I integrate it into my setup, most of the time it’s to tactically sequence a specific machine (I really enjoy doing this with my Moog Sirin or my Voyager). I find it particularly effective for managing basslines; it creates lots of interesting things with the FX-in. I also use it (when the current update doesn’t bug the MIDI) to control DAW plugins.
I generally don’t use it as my main sequencer though (the Cirklon takes that role), even though it’s very capable in that area.
I usually use the XY without any other devices. Occasionally, I connect my Micromonsta 2 when I want to work on/with more complex synth sounds.
To find new chord progressions or melodies, I always have a Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 within reach. It’s so much more fun than using the XY keys, and the Launchkey also has a scale feature, a much better arpeggiator and some clever chord modes.
By the way, I never synchronize the XY with the Lauchkey. I set the same tempo for both and record my playing in realtime, that works fine. The quantization of the XY corrects small deviations.
I come from a classical music background, that’s where I feel at home. For me, the OP-XY is the perfect addition. I use it for:
Live events. When my musicians can’t make it. I’ve recorded the songs and trigger them with the OP-XY. Since you can bundle sequences into different ‘songs’, I can switch between sequences live as needed. And I can always play my violin at the same time (although a third arm would be helpful…).
I use it to write songs. I can record the instrumental part and get a feel for how a song might sound. Then I write the notes in notation software.
And often I just sit on the sofa and play around with the OP-XY. I like that it combines so many things: portable, battery-powered, synths, sequencer… There is probably better (more cost-effective?) hardware for many applications, but it is perfect for my purposes.
Next, I would like to learn how to use a DAW.But that’s another topic (and tips are welcome ).
I’m as productive (if not more so) with just the XY than I was with a desk full of analog synths and Elektron/Machine/MPC boxes. I see videos of people now with a room full of gear and I actually think it’s quite perverse. I’m really over the ‘got to have um all’ mind set of DAWless. I did just order a couple of things but they will just compliment the XY (and I’ll probably sell them on in a few months 
) but the XY will stay. I just made a video on this actually 
).