OP-1 Tips and Tricks

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#141
Just found a pretty useful thing. I don't know, maybe i just missed it and it is well known feature.

Consider you are using drums with endless sequencer, and it is running the sequence. If you switch to synth page [1] and start to tweak knobs, those tweakings will affect all drum sounds that currently playing in a sequence. For example, you turn blue knob (pitch) down, and while you turning it both bass drum and hihat was played, both will be pitched down. And if you press note keys, entire sequence will be pitched to corresponding key.

But if you press SHIFT+key, instead of pitching it will choose certain drum sound, and moreover, it will "focus" on that sound, and now only this sound will be affected by knobs. I find it veeery handy to tweak drum sequence live, or mute some sounds on the go by turning volume of with SHIFT+RED, or similar stuff. This also works with pattern and finger sequencers, but difference is that with pattern sequencer pressing SHIFT+NOTE will both choose the sound and triggers it simultaneously, so it can be less handy to tweak sounds, but you can add some sounds over the sequence.

This tip has made me love the OP-1 even more, and I didnā€™t think that was even possible.

#142

Yes indeed, this is very cool.
Shift+drums for (not so) instant sound reload and youā€™re back from your venture in tweaking madness !

#143
Always thought would be cool if the sequencers ran when in MIDI control mode so I could tweak the CCs while running. Assumed it wouldn't work, but it does! :)

Good god, I had no idea. So many great tips in this thread. Thank you!

#144

Ok, some time ago i made a couple of videos where i try to explain how to use external audio signal as an LFO (Element LFO with mic icon). I didnā€™t share it, but now i think it is not obvious and it can be useful for someone, so i decided to share.

In the first video i try to explain whatā€™s going on using Pure Data:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtNLNqoGaKc

In the second i just use external synth on ipad (Waldorf Nave), which acts as LFO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF3i6hhQTtc

#145

@tralivallo genius! I miss a standard LFO on the OP1, I will be using this technique from now on :).

#146
@tralivallo genius! I miss a standard LFO on the OP1, I will be using this technique from now on :).

Exactly. I already understood the technique, but itā€™s nice to see it so well demonstrated. This thread is awesome, thank you everyone so much for sharing these tips.

#147
I think shift and loop will select length of currently selected part , so change track to a different sized recording then shift and loop, if I remember from Lymtronics excellent previous posts properly.

Adding to this excellent, overlooked tipā€¦

Setting up each track with different length regions will allow changing the quantized loop length by just selecting tracks and then using shift + loop.

For instance,
My first track (drums 1) is usually cut into 2 bar segments, with every 2 or 4 bars having a variation on that beat.
Track 2 (drums 2, or bass) is usually cut into larger segments, typically 4 segments of 4 bars each.
Track 3 (melody 1, synth) Iā€™ll have cut into either 4 or 8 bar segments, depending on the song.
Track 4 (melody 2, or FX sounds) will be one long 16 bar segment. Often for breakdowns, Iā€™ll prefer a 16 bar loop, so a quick selection of this track and then shift + loop gives me an instant 16 bar loop length.

With my tracks set up in this way, I can easily change the loop length while muting and soloing tracks to get all sorts of variations. And of course combined with using shift + > or < to navigate between looped regions.




#148
Here are some tutorials I had originally posted on OhPeeWon:
...

and How to use the finger sequencer
OP-1 Finger Sequencer How-To

Thank you, this was helpful. I did not know I could place chords rather than just single notes on each step.

#149
I'm sure this website has already been posted here, so forgive me if this is repetitive.

Whomever started this site and went through all the work, thank you. Well worth the $1 or more donation.
I'm stocked up now!
https://op-1samples.bandcamp.com/

this is incredible

#150

I used this in an ambienty thing I did several months ago. But for a chilled and mellow vibe, simply slow the tape down after recoding. For an extra challenge, record the part faster before slowing it down if you donā€™t like the notes when itā€™s slowed.

Great to record pads into something else you plan to add parts to afterward so you can better match notes/chords/etc.

As for the bandcamp site, the user is around here somewhere. Iirc they work in a synth repair shop and sample everything that comes in. Pretty sweet.

#151

Yeah I slow down a lot of my op-1 sounds when I record them. My latest dethwave stuff contains a lot of slowed down op-1 synths:

http://0f-digital.bandcamp.com/album/--4

#152

Used the slowdown on too on this track :slight_smile:

I like the LoFi effects it provides to the drums too.

https://soundcloud.com/quarantequatre/pwm-stars


@tralivallo Youā€™re Shift+Drum trick seems awesome, iā€™ve got to try this ! (and the others too :slight_smile: ) Thank you

#153

I donā€™t remember reading this in the thread, but correct me if in wrong.

To make pads especially fat, record synth. Then overdub the synth, but detune (shift+tempo button) up and/or down 4-6 cents.
Doesnā€™t just work for pad, can give some good results for all sounds.

#154

@contraben You can also do detuned saw oscillators same way (record 6 seconds of raw saw oscillator from Cluster to tape, detune, overdub, and drop to sampler), and then use it like your own synth engine:)

#155
Used the slowdown on too on this track :)

I like the LoFi effects it provides to the drums too.

https://soundcloud.com/quarantequatre/pwm-stars


@tralivallo You're Shift+Drum trick seems awesome, i've got to try this ! (and the others too :) ) Thank you

Great VHS vibe on the synths in this too. Are they all internal? Or samples?

#156

someone please help me Iā€™m going crazy trying to remember: what is the trick to maximize your levels when you drop into drum sampler. Where it automatically raises the levels over the entire key range? Iā€™ve done it before but I cant for the life of me remember how to do it again.


thanks!
#157
someone please help me I'm going crazy trying to remember: what is the trick to maximize your levels when you drop into drum sampler. Where it automatically raises the levels over the entire key range? I've done it before but I cant for the life of me remember how to do it again.

Are you looking for this?
Consider you are using drums with endless sequencer, and it is running the sequence. If you switch to synth page [1] and start to tweak knobs, those tweakings will affect all drum sounds that currently playing in a sequence. For example, you turn blue knob (pitch) down, and while you turning it both bass drum and hihat was played, both will be pitched down. And if you press note keys, entire sequence will be pitched to corresponding key.

#158

Lift ,then drop should do it.

#159

That did it so easy and useful. Thx @Spheric_El

#160

Discovered by accident:


In endless, one can delete steps while the sequence is playing with (shift) + ( < ). If you desire 24 steps but instead you axesidently poot twenchy feev, you can delete the extra with the aforementioned combo.