New OP-Z Footage!

OP-Z
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But to me, an 'ultimate' portable device that relies on being connected to a phone simply to have a gui, isn't really an optimised 'portable' design.

From what I’ve seen, I don’t perceive a GUI as necessary. Obviously, will be for video fun. I find this to be a hard thing to form an opinion on before getting in it my hands. I totally see your perspective, but i’m trying not to form to heavy of an opinion on the screen “issue” before I get my greasy fingers on it.

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I’ve been thinking about the whole “cost savings” of not having a screen. While the hardware would affect the price in a fixed way, the development of the GUI whether on built-in hardware or external iPhone is not eliminated. So unfortunately I don’t think anyone can claim it was a cost savings in the final product of the opz. If they stuck with an exclusively GUI-less approach (like POs or countless hardware synths) then it may have saved quite a bit on engineering and design. Just my ¢2.

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Here is a comment on YT from cuckoo about the OP-Z I find interesting:

"It's an 8 track sequencer with a pretty impressive polyphony in total. There are master effects much like on the Pocket Operators. There's an intelligently implemented transpose. You can also sequence external MIDI devices. You can sequence visuals. You can sequence DMX lighting equipment. You can sequence CV stuff. The step components are very interesting. There's 10 projects with 16 patterns each. Each track can have individual length and playback speed. It is a very different machine than the OP-1. This is something where you build up patterns and keep the music going in a totally different way than on the OP-1. I find it much more advanced and powerful in most ways. But they're so different so I don't think that one can replace the other."
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Here is a comment on YT from cuckoo about the OP-Z I find interesting:

"It's an 8 track sequencer with a pretty impressive polyphony in total. There are master effects much like on the Pocket Operators. There's an intelligently implemented transpose. You can also sequence external MIDI devices. You can sequence visuals. You can sequence DMX lighting equipment. You can sequence CV stuff. The step components are very interesting. There's 10 projects with 16 patterns each. Each track can have individual length and playback speed. It is a very different machine than the OP-1. This is something where you build up patterns and keep the music going in a totally different way than on the OP-1. I find it much more advanced and powerful in most ways. But they're so different so I don't think that one can replace the other."

Wow. That is real nice to hear. “KEEP THE MUSIC GOING” is a BIG thing… As much as I love the OP-1, it’s just a bee’s dick away from being something you can spontaneously build up a groove in real-time while “keeping the music going”.

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As much as I love the OP-1, it's just a bee's dick away from being something you can spontaneously build up a groove in real-time while "keeping the music going".

Totally agree. If the OP-Z improves this to keep the music going, that will be great.


I believe the lack of expandability with the OP-1 (3.5mm or DIN midi, usb host, usb audio) is something that most have run into, although they have done a lot with tech that was new when the hardware design was done. After all, the OP-1 quite old these days from a technical perspective and yet still totally relevant!

I hope they are going to this with the OP-Z - set the hardware spec where they can do as much expansion/connectivity in the future, even though that maybe years out.

My thoughts are that they left the screen out for several reasons:
- as it is probably one of those hardware components that is hard to source for x years out (I think Elektron have seen this).
- TE don’t re-invent hardware very often. They don’t want to build a new hardware device every year. Think of the PO’s - essentially an early model and an upgraded ‘metal’ model. Software is the rest. This is good for the customers usually, since you don’t have to keep re-buying (OK, not so with the PO’s but they are cheap).
- Connectivity means you can use a much better screen of your choice for the most part. And if you want to be super portable (me!), you don’t even need one.

I’m impressed with TE’s hardware design decisions in particular.

All that said “I want my OP-Z now!”

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Knowing TE is extremely UX-focused, the lack of a screen is most likely a indication the workflow has been optimised in some way to don’t need it. I am eager to try this new instrument, I will definitely buy it :slight_smile:

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No screen = longer battery life.

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i have to say i don’t look at my PO screens hardly ever. mostly only to see if they’re in write mode or not, which seems like that could be achieved with a little LED on the write button itself. i’m guessing the op-z is like that in terms of playability. i think its genius to use an external screen for other functions when needed- like remixing video, where the type of screen like on the op-1 wouldn’t really work.

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i have to say i don't look at my PO screens hardly ever. mostly only to see if they're in write mode or not, which seems like that could be achieved with a little LED on the write button itself. i'm guessing the op-z is like that in terms of playability. i think its genius to use an external screen for other functions when needed- like remixing video, where the type of screen like on the op-1 wouldn't really work.

I agree! First I thought the tempo setting would be an issue without a screen, but on opz it seems like they solved it in a very good way by holding tempo button you just type in the numbers on the keys. Very smart!

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Hopefully you’re right. Just seems like sample browsing/editing, slicing and editing the new layered trig components etc are maybe things that would benefit in a big way from a screen even if it was just basic. Guess like op1 it’ll only really make sense when you have it in your hands though and see what solutions TE have implemented in to the LEDs and buttons. Hopefully using it screenless isn’t a PiTA…

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There are things you can do perfectly fine without a screen, but at some point of complexity you need feedback. It could be visual, tactile or audio, but you need something. And aside from listening to your track, you can’t use audio feedback on a serious real-time music production device. (I’m talking about stuff like mode-change blips, or a robot voice reading stuff for you.)

In any case, I haven’t seen any proper demos, especially for synthesis, so we will just have to wait for the release to learn what this thing is capable of.

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It seems to fit inside a cup!
Very important information here guys:

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hope he finished his coffee first :wink:

So looks like you can download user samples on at least one track onto the OP-Z via a computer on the beta version. Still don’t know about more than one track yet.

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hope he finished his coffee first ;-)

So looks like you can download user samples on at least one track onto the OP-Z via a computer on the beta version. Still don’t know about more than one track yet.

Where did you get this info?

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It seems to fit inside a cup!
Very important information here guys:

I had to google what a TS-1 was. I had no idea TE designed a shoe.

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I really want those shoes. I wanted them for like a year. If I could get one of the TS-4s which PSN accelerometer-based flat disc that goes into the shoes so that you can modulate with your dance movement then I would be very happy

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It might be able to do this and all of that but Im out on this one. Stylistically it flatlines in my eyes. On top of that its plastic, just to add to that extra grey cheap feel. Youll be paying for the RND thats gone into this (probably magical) device, but im the kinda person who never needs to spend more than £200 for a pay-as-you-go phone. Itll be fun to see the unboxing vidoes on YT. “So beautiful, and soo light!” £600? (My guess is that this price will drop to £499 on release to make the pain more acceptable). If the same unit had been designed/branded by Korg, etc would you still desire it?

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Haha, I can’t understand all the negging… I’m so keen for this thing… I think a healthy attitude towards it , is to desire the unit for what it is rather than what you want it to be… Ie. 16 tracks of samples etc. You can easily do that with a laptop and an interface… Probably with an iPad… But for me it’s about having a unique unit which will inspire new work flows, and dat tiny footprint is the nuts! Love it… Also, I think it’s made of some kind of fancy “plastic”…

NB: Everyone is entitled to their opinions, even if I don’t agree with them <3

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Haha, I can't understand all the negging... I'm so keen for this thing... I think a healthy attitude towards it , is to desire the unit for what it is rather than what you want it to be... Ie. 16 tracks of samples etc. You can easily do that with a laptop and an interface... Probably with an iPad... But for me it's about having a unique unit which will inspire new work flows, and dat tiny footprint is the nuts! Love it... Also, I think it's made of some kind of fancy "plastic"...

NB: Everyone is entitled to their opinions, even if I don’t agree with them <3

People have to find out some time in their life that not everything is made specially for them :slight_smile:

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I’m curious how much cv you can sequence — with all the eurorack madness these days, it would a shame if they went all midi… imho. I’m def on the fence about it. It could be amazing. …or not!
Personally I really dont like the direction TE went after the op1, the oplab (ugh!)… the POs are great for what they are and many peole have made great tracks on them, but I can’t stand those things… terrible user interface, worst screen usage i maybe have ever seen… triple button function combos… basically the exact opposite of everything I love about the op1.

If the opZ is an op1 in PO clothing, thats my worst fear… :slight_smile: