Not sure how to feel about the OP-Z not having a display

OP-Z
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Old i-devices won’t work. It needs the Apple metal framework. See here for a compatibility chart: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/DeviceInformation/Reference/iOSDeviceCompatibility/DeviceCompatibilityMatrix/DeviceCompatibilityMatrix.html


This is stated here under “compatibility”: https://www.teenageengineering.com/products/op-z
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Good find, so to summarize iPhone: 5s and up or iPad: Air and up or Mini 2 and up, iPod Touch: 6th Gen

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^ And maybe Apple TV?

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I think it should be ok on the audio side of things without a screen judging with from the cuckoo’s video.


If anything it can lead to a new social experience. Whenever I take the op-1 out I I always get curious looks. On odd occasion someone will ask what I am doing or what is that, and I end up showing the fm radio to sample thing. It’s gimmicky but for someone that hasn’t ever seen an electronic instrument or know what it entails you can see their faces light up.

Since I probably won’t ever have an apple device I’m imagining a scenario where this would happen with the op-z. Except I would say download this app and lets make some visuals and music together!


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In *principle* I think the idea— "you have a device with a screen already, use that"— is actually pretty cool, and if it allows them to make the device cheaper or lighter or easier to hold that sounds like a big win. However in practice this will probably prevent me from getting the OP-Z because of the requirement the device be iOS! My phone is an Android so if I get an OP-Z I'll be missing out on every screen-related feature. If you could put the display on different kinds of phones or project it in a window on a desktop computer I'd be totally gung ho about this…

What's especially weird to me about the iOS requirement is that they are advertising some sort of Unity integration feature. Unity runs everywhere! If they had designed the actual UI in Unity, they could have had Android and Desktop support.

I’m pretty sure they said in a Q&A session earlier in the year that Android support was on their agenda too.

Indeed they did

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Comparing apples to oranges will always lead to disappointment. The OP-Z is not meant to be a sequel to the OP-1. From what we've seen, It has more in common with the Pocket Operators in terms of sound and workflow.

Have a little faith in TE! They took a lot of design risks with the OP-1 and created one of the greatest musical instruments of all time. Henry Ford said “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Actually, he probably didn't really say that. But you get my point :)

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I’m comparing it to both the OP-1 and the POs. The more I think about what it wants tp be the more I get the impression the device will be very tailored towards live performance and not really all that conducive to making more refined tracks. I guess it’s just not the device for me

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OP-Z display
It is possible to build a working display interface for about £40 ish, a screen is not required as learning the different button function is essential, it can help with visualising modulations recorded in or master / taper and module controls. I recon it is possible to get the whole display interface inside the OP-z, a lot of messing around and chopping into your OP-Z would be necessary.

Still work in progress, almost fully working. Displays most of the parameters of the 8 Audio tracks per song, as the op-z sends out a completed midi overview of each page / song, this device can listen for this and set itself accordingly when a track or song is changed. Pages for the send effect 1/2, tape track and the master track, also a track to show the notes played and voltages from he MIDI/CV module. There is a single overview page for each track and a page that shows (ADSR, Filter, Send 1/2 and Volume) this page is useful for monitoring track modulations that have been recorded in In this rendition the teensy is powered over USB from the OP-Z this is ok I think, had to reduce the display brightness with a resistor 100hm. The OP-Z would not power the screen without this, software dimming did not solve this problem. The teensy is running a reduced clock speed this does not affect its functionality. I tried ESP-32 but could not get Bluetooth MIDI to work, the ESP-32 doesn’t have the proper midi stuff to work without some more hardware, Bluetooth MID would be great and I may dive back into this avenue because the controller is super cheap in comparison to the Teensy.
If running on the OP-Z over USB is a issue you could USB from the Teensy to a computer and direct the USB midi from the OP-Z to the Teensy MIDI in
Equipment -----------------
1 x OP-Z :slight_smile:
Screen = 1.9 Inch IPS Full Angle TFT Display Screen LCD Screen Color Display Module SPI Serial Port High-definition 170x320 ST7789

Controller = Teensy 4 (or above)
Buttons = From an old calculator
PCB = cut at seed solutions

2 Likes
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Hi,

Whether screen is needed or not, this is a huge and beautiful work!
What you did is fascinating. Congratulations.