Hey all, I just picked up an OP-1 after obsessing over it for a little while. However, I’ve noticed a number of bothersome things about the device and I’m wondering if you all could either provide an answer (if I’m doing something wrong), or any work arounds you may have come up with as a solution any OP-1 short comings! If you can answer any of the following, not necessarily all of them, any response is helpful! Here we go:
First and foremost - When in SYNTH mode, I understand that I can select different engines/presets and assign them to slots 1-8. However, when I’m messing around with the colored-encoders, ASDR envelope, LFO, etc., I want to be able to SAVE that preset’s now customized sound for an undisclosed period of time. In other words, if I were to somehow lose a preset’s custom settings that I like, I want to be able to get it back again. Possible? How to?
Similar to above - If I sample something, like a drum kit .aif file or some melody off the radio, to slot #1… I’ve noticed that if I were to change #1’s preset away from the sampler and come back to it later, the sample is gone. So again, how do I save samples for recall if I wanted it back again, say, a month later?
Should I use SYNTH or DRUM mode to sample? How are they different? Are they?
In TAPE mode, slots 7 & 8 can be assigned different, erm… effects? How do YOU utilize these memory slots?
I record into Ableton or Logic using a Focusrite Scarlett line-level input (channel 3, specifically) directly from the OP-1 headphone output. I’ve noticed that to get the signal close to 0 or -10 db, I have to do a lot of cranking up output and input levels, which results in noise. Any tips on how to reduce this? (I know that I can use DISK mode to get recordings off the tape or album).
1) if you hold the button of the current slot (1-8… hold the speech bubble “Help” button to show you what slot # you’re currently using) for a few seconds it will show you a count-down and save your patch; then you can load it whenever you want via shift+1-8.
2) I haven’t used sampling much, but I’m pretty sure that if you save the patch (as in (1)) it will keep the sample there permanently.
3) AFAIK: the Synth sampler only lets you specify a single region (start/end) to play, gives you 6 seconds of sampling time, and automatically repitches the sample chromatically across the keyboard. The drum sampler lets you specify a region for each key on the keyboard, gives you 12 seconds of time, and lets you manually set the pitch of each key – but the repitching is less high-quality/has more artifacts than with the Synth sampler. So, use Synth if you want a melodic sound you can play across the keyboard, and Drum if you want to chop something up into pieces. But I bet you can abuse either for fun weird results
4) I haven’t really used these much, but I’ve seen people use them for DJ-style “EQ cut” effects, eg cut all of the highs or lows while the button is pressed. (I’m not sure if you’re asking how to actually use them; if so, IIRC you just hold the button while turning a knob on one of the Mixer’s T1-T4 pages and it will remember that setting)
5) I’m afraid I have no experience of using OP-1 with a DAW, but I do know that you should have the volume knob set to max/full clockwise, and you probably want the mixer channels to be at 99 volume. I think the output of the OP-1 is a bit compromised simply because they wanted to support headphones and line-level with a single jack… but I’m not an electrical engineer so this is just hearsay from the forums
To save hold down the key 1-8 that your patch is on until you get the “tick” symbol.
2. Same as above.
3. It depends what you’re going for. They both have different uses. For example: sampling into drum means you can have your bits of the 12 second sample spread across every key on the keyboard while sampled into sample (synth) engine means you can have one sample represented at different pitches across the keyboard.
4. Hold the 7/8 keys down while you manipulate the effects assigned to the master. You could also change eq this way.
5. Check your audio path. If noise is a problem one option is to buy a noise isolator. I know a number of people on the forum have found one useful (and they don’t cost much).
Also, for 4. – to create a trigger-on effect, initially set the effect so that it is not altering the sound (i.e., for Nitro, keep the low frequency all the way low and the high all the way high). Then hold down the 7/8 and turn the frequency to where you want it (i.e.- to where the effect is applied).
Now when playing, use 7 or 8 to essentially trigger the effects on. This works all of the effects. You’ll just need to set them in their default state to be “off,” usually with the mix parameter.
