this thing looks so cool. it seems like it really is an op-z field. the price isn’t that much more than the op-1 field, op1f is 2k and this is 2.3k. seems reasonable to me. i know there already are a lot of comments about price in youtube but i dont think any of those folks understand or appreciate how much work goes into these things. there was tons of negative comments when the op1f came out too so nothing new there.
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This thing is the result of the OP1field making love to the OPz. For me it’s perfect! I never liked the tape crap and the autistic I/O of the OP1 and the flimsiness of the opz.
Bought it the minute it was online!
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its perfect for the sequencer folks. im partial to audio and tape myself so the op1f is still my preferred TE all-in-one device. but im super stoked they released an op-z field of sorts. seems like a true upgrade plus a bunch of sick features. im sure ill try it one day.
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But what does it have that OPZ doesn’t?
AFAIU it doesn’t even have VJ-ing stuff and DMX.
It also bothers me that every YT reviewer acts like they never held OPZ in hands 
Is it some marketing directive from TE?
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If I’ve ever been called upon to answer a question, it’s how the two devices compare 
Might make a video or go live later to discuss this in more depth, though I’m still getting the hang of the XY.
I think the Z is a lightning-fast beatmaking machine that can sequence a whole show at once, and XY is their project workstation.
Z stores 10 projects containing up to 16 patterns and autosaves (unless you disable that); XY can store “thousands of projects” (te’s guide language) organized into folders. You have to manually save, but it saves a full history of project revisions. Each project has 10 songs, which are chains of scenes. You can have up to 99 scenes.
It’s too much to type, but every difference is kinda like that: expanded to the point where it’s more in depth but a slower workflow. I was pretty happy with OP-Z’s MIDI capabilities, but you get to assign MIDI channels per project on XY. There’s no designated kick track, but you can put any engine on any channel and set the polyphony yourself. Step components on FX tracks? Yep. Resampling? Yep.
So it’s all more work but also way more flexible for full songs.
My opinion may change, but OP-Z wins in these categories:
- Speed: if you know the buttons, nothing is more than a combo away on the Z. On the XY there are menus.
- Arpeggiator: I love sequencing the Arp track on the Z and using step components on top of it. Every XY track can have an arp, but I’m a bit disappointed you can’t seem to parameter lock changes to the arp.
- LFO: I really like OP-Z’s LFO options and I’m very fast with them. XY has more flexibility but there’s something about it that just seems like no fun to me right now. Might take time.
- Drum kits: XY has a much more flexible drum kit setup, but I already have kits ready for the TE setup and I don’t think they’ll work with XY
- Outgoing CCs: You can do a bit more with XY, but you only get a max of 8 per track. Z had 16 per track, though it got iffy with the last page not always sending them or saving them.
- Size: duh, but I love Z’s encoders because they’re flush with the surface and kinda force me to make a rough estimate and keep moving, which I like
- Copying and chaining patterns: XY’s arranger mode is surprisingly deep but I’m move very fast with this on the Z.
Once again, thank you all for coming to my zed talk.
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Op-XY also has 4 synth parameters you can tweak and automate (OP-Z was only two), plus 64 steps instead of 16 like on the Z. Plus 1192ppq resolution recording. With step length setting to max, that’s basically 64 bar long patterns.
Also separate filter and amp envelopes, yay.
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I think the XY does address every single limitation I have with my beloved Z. I feel like TE genuinely listened to all the gripes users had and delivered even more.
But at the moment I don’t have much time for music and cannot afford the price.
So for now I guess I stick with my Z and MC101. Maybe in a couple of years I can get one.
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Both of these together or xy with tp-7 will be a pretty powerful combo.
Me going to a local grocery store at 2am to buy XY because it’s worth every penny
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this things looks and sounds awesome. Never had the op-z, but maybe give this a try one day.
Does this mean we can finally freaking get a field firmware update?
Yes please. A good update for all 3 machines would be amazing.
Is it just me or is it the only time price actually has been an issue? I didn’t feel it towards the field, koii, or op-z but this one just feels priced wrong to me.
With the op1f I could record audio from other things over usb and 3.5’mm in a linear DAW so it became an amazing portable DAW AND synth workstation +groovebox too
I see the op-xy as the Z field aka a midi sequencer + groovebox…but it’s isn’t really a portable DAW; so I don’t see the appeal due to price because of that
Mind you - if it did what the op-1f did ON top of the XY, it would make it truly the z field and I’d get it ; but as it is, it just seems like they took the Z and fixed and improved every single thing but to a price point I can’t follow
I usually think Te stuff aren’t too bad at value for product and price but this time I’m having a hard time, maybe cuz I thought the Z field would’ve been around $1500 or so…
Anyway - anyone else just kinda like “damn finally the z field but man did they kinda go too far with it?”
( almost want my op-z back just cuz they are so similar in function and sequence, what really makes them different is their sound quality I think but no I’m done, I got my op1F and ko2…and I’m out )
I would agree if they had just done the “field” treatment to the Z like they did with the OP-1. But they added a LOT more functionality to the XY than just a field upgrade of the Z could have been IMO. Lot of elements of the Z and 1 in it, so for me it feels like a new instrument and doesn’t fit that field pricing model.
Just my $0.02 though.
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Yes, this is the only time TE product price actually has been an issue.
Thank you so much for your vast insight and all of your video content. They’ve been the most informative and objective vids I’ve seen so far.
Based on the Z wins you listed, would you say you still prefer it over the XY? Although the XY is more extensive and flexible, it seems like the Z maintains a significant edge in the categories you listed.
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Glad someone agrees
It’s actually funny how much more I appreciate the Z after I saw the XY. It already was my favorite machine before, but now it’s even clearer there is just nothing quite like it. That’s why I also like the fact that the XY is just so much more expensive, so op-z sales won’t be cannibalized so much and hopefully the device continues to get technical and community support.
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For my purposes, XY destroys the Z in every category I didn’t list above and immediately became the center of my setup, even with the speed tradeoff. But I still want to keep the Z community alive because there’s more to explore in terms of functions and use cases.
At the risk of tempting people I’ll share a few highlights for me:
- Projects have folders, names, and revision history. They take up very little of the 8GB of storage for samples.
- Steps can store way more notes and aren’t affected by the voices designated to that track. Notes display on the keyboard one at a time instead of per-step, even at step length 9 (1 bar per step)
- Pitch bend works, records with decent resolution, and can be assigned to other effects. In my tests, it responded to and recorded a sustain pedal.
- Amazing sound. Stereo, and the best-sounding TE engines I’ve heard with the deepest sound design they’ve offered. Plus they fixed track linking so now it works with sequencing, meaning layering a voice is VERY easy.
- Step components and more steps on control tracks (FX, Tape, and Punch-in FX), plus improved timing, means they’re starting to become my go-to sources of variation instead of step components on instrument/audio tracks.
- The option to smooth automation is a great addition. Sweeping any parameter is a matter of locking it on different steps (or recording it in and smoothing it out)
The drum sampler’s completely different (no auto-chopping), they turned the Mixer into its own module, and there’s an arranger with a song mode.
It’s seriously too much to write–a complete overhaul. I’ve seen comments wishing for a full-on audio track and I don’t expect that here. Going from 12s as your longest sample option to 20s per key is a massive change, and I don’t think it’s a halfway point.
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All sounds awesome… been trying to keep up with your videos on the OP-XY and so far most everything sounds like what I wanted out of an OP-Z upgrade. I was actually kind of surprised at how “not” obtuse some of the synths are given the OP-1/OP-Z heritage, but happy to see quite a bit looks very straight forward.
Funny enough, I’m with you… I don’t think this replaces the OP-Z fully, but I also am not sure it was meant to be. I’m not exactly sure where this leaves the OP-Z in my setup, and I guess I’m also okay with that.
Now to just wait for Perfect Circuit to actually ship the order 
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Where can your videos on the XY be found?