Sorry to barge in out of nowhere…did this got fixed?
Nope, out of warranty. It’s actually not severe, certainly nothing compared to my op-z but it is a big disappointment. Not many folk have noticed this on there’s so please don’t let it put you off getting one, especially with those superb new colour editions.
The one problem I do have which is a problem is the low noise warble. At minimum volume it very noticeable. Again, I have only read a couple of other people noticing it on their units. Apparently TE are looking into this issue.
Oh, and the battery lasts nowhere as long as the stated performance time.
I’m pretty sure the OB-4 will be the last TE product I’ll ever buy.
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Thanks for the detailed answer.
There are big miss opportunities on the OB-4 for me.
The battery life for one, your issues too.
But the main feature missing for me is an audio out feature to export your loops. That is not just a missed opportunity here : it was mandatory to start with.
Had the price tag been 150€ less, I could have wrapped my head around that. But that’s a big no for me.
And that’s too bad. Cause it would have been a perfect way for TE to tie their Field ecosystem even more.
The OB-4 is, with the TP-7, a product that I just don’t understand right now.
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No AUX OUT was just a daft decision. Guess no-one at TE ever likes to listen to the radio late at night on headphones so not to disturb others. And although you are right about most of the extra gimmicks, the metronome/808 kick is really handy for songwriting, as is the looper.
If I get something going on the Toraiz that I like, i’ll then input into the OB, and have that as a loop I can carry into another room (or wherever my guitar may lay) and work on chords but mainly lyrics/melodies.
If I want to record anything from the OB I’ll use the Boss-BR micro on a small tripod (as the two mics align perfectly to the speakers. You can save up to 70 (?) loops…but as yet there is no way to delete them (another touch of TE ‘genius’ haha).
Something which had concerned me before buying one was if the handle becomes floppy after a time, but it still has the same smooth resistance as one day one.
To protect the cones I use a hairband as a dust shield;)
To transport the OB I use a child’s plastic rucksack that was about £5 from the local supermarket.
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@jim , my man, I owe you one.
Thanks for these reposts, answers and feedback. Precious af.
The line out/aux out omission is just outstandingly bad indeed. And the fact they updated the colors but didn’t upgrade the hardware lately is another move I’m just quizzical about.
I shit you not when I say that a better line-in experience, an aux-out, some grills in front of the main speakers and a better ecosystemic integration with the Fields, and I would buy that thing for 800/1000€ tops.
But the way it is right now, it looks like a half-assed effort into using their FM radio love in their offices.
A friend of mine bought it and told me it was the perfect radio for his open space office. Perfect for a small team. Their unit serves the whole 6 persons space. They each get a day a week to operate it.
But he was adamant : not for musicians, not for the home.
And still, that’s TE for you, I’m kinda eyeballing it. Granted, I’m GASing it a bit because I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for rn.
But it is a weird thing on its own.
But for me, not on par with the op1f limitations.
It’s a radio. Period. Nothing more, nothing less.
Thanks, @jim
Helps a lot
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Two questions, tho, if you don’t mind.
a) there seems to be some kind of issue when the OB-4 goes to stand-by mode and kinda « gates » the incoming signal when waking up. Can you confirm such an issue (which, admittedly, could also be just a fail safe to preserve speakers, idk)?
b) what about the fact that loops can’t be erased? First time I hear about that. And clearly, it would be quite annoying - not to say plainly stupid - from TE not to permit resetting. I’m guessing you need to fully Factory Reset the unit in order to clear loops?
c/bonus question) does the Line In feature works well? No issue with Bluetooth trying to take back control (just happened to me with a Kilburn II from Marshall)?
Thanks, again.
Don’t want to take up too much of your time anyways!
Cheers!
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The bag is lovely. What a vibe!
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Lol I wouldn’t use a see through bag in an area with muggers
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Hadn’t thought of that.
But I can see why!
I’ve yet to test the bag out in an area filled with muggers, but if I ever walk the wrong way I’ll let you know how things go 
if TE had made that bag folk would buy it for £100+ haha.
I actually thought it was a pretty smart idea to fill that see-through bag with my portable music toys once…thinking, ah…straight through customs/x-ray machine without having to unpack everything…but no. Still had to unpack everymotherfckin’thing…grrr.
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Gotta say I dig the see-through vibe.
Where I live (south of France), I’m pretty confident no-one knows what the op1 Field or the OB-4 is.
Not to say it wouldn’t get stolen. But see-through or not, it doesn’t really matter in 2023. From what I know, at least.
But you’re never too careful.
Anyhoo.
My wife just ordered an OB-4 - she liked the Magic features (and, believe it or not, the fact that it was all on board-not-to-be-exported) cause they seemed creative and simple enough.
To the point where I was promised a second unit if she liked the first so much that she would keep it to herself.
She’s also probably going to make some kind of protection for the OB-4 at some point.
But mostly, knowing her (she’s 8+ months pregnant), she’s gonna use the OB-4 at home for nap purposes and the occasional op1 Field fiddling (or, as she likes to say, the OP1 Fielddling).
can’t help you with knowledge on question one.
The line-In works as expected, zero delay.
I’ve yet to try/buy one of those 3.5mm T-shaped mics.
A few additional thoughts;
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the surface finish is matt smooth plastic. It doesn’t feel tacky-cheap, it’s good although very addictive to fingerprints (but ive got the black finish so I think the vinyl colours might be better).
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the feet pads are perfect, quite like Mary Poppins.
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weight/heft to size ratio, again, perfectly judged.
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display brightness is just as visible outdoors as in.
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Sound quality is superb, and this should be point 1! Not being able to change eq is yer typical arrogant TE limitation (ala no op-1 undo etc). Odd to write this but I really don’t have the terminology to describe adequately; it’s clean, crisp, neutral, very well balanced. Superb to judge mixes on. And having recently just moved, it’s perfect for a small flat but can equally kick out the jams if nessacry without any distortion. It’s a real buzz to see those wee speakers vibrate to some dub bass!
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from zero to the first audible sound isn’t as smooth as I’d like but there’s no big step from silence to something.
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it powers to a full charge pretty fast (2hrs to max ish).
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I only ever listen to Radio4, so I never use it for a radio music speaker. Always line-in for music.
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the scrub disc is pretty usual. All the mantra guff is just filler. A TE sweetener to convince folk to buy something that they haven’t already got (like the 'drum machine on the tx-6 etc).
If you can afford to get one, get one.If I ‘lost’ mine I’d buy another. It seems like you are a songwriter so for that purpose I would defiantly recommend one. Butt it certainly is far from essential. It’s a luxury. And along with my SP-16, the other thingy I’d grab from the inferno amigo!
- besos.
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The 10th point got me.
Well down, sir. Well done.
And thanks for all these details.
Now, it’s official, I can’t wait to receive mine!
I guess it’s gonna be a long wait, but a worthy one.
Please, feel free to share any pro tips.
I gotta find me the thread mentioning the update process, for one thing. And I guess, reading the manual earlier, that TE wrote yet another cryptic manual. So I’ll have to explore sub-threads once again.
Forums, here I come!
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ya gonna love it, it soon becomes a real (songwriting-aid) companion!
my only tip would be find a nice graveyard and have a 6am still-drunk dance to Kevin Morby.
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Perfect track. Perfect vibe.
Love the outside-the-box suggestion.
I’ll keep you posted as soon as the OB-4 lands here!
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cheers:)
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So.
Just had the OB-4 landing today.
And best part of it is…I welcomed my first child late last nite.
Why am I bragging about my daughter?
Well, because the OB-4 and the ambi features just put her to nap.
Maybe a simple coincidence. But hey. It stopped a big helpless crying session.
From the moment the Ambi was 100, she stopped and slept for a whole hour.
So yeah.
One point for the OB-4.
Which is a beautiful piece of gear.
It looks a bit cheap at times, but as my wife said : « the immediacy is something else on this one ».
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