OP-Z - initial thoughts?

I wouldn’t get it if it was gonna be my only workstation type thing, but I have a digitakt too and man, this thing is the best thing since sliced bread, I just love it, is incredibly fun, sounds great in its own way, and the workflow just makes sense for once, it makes you actually enjoy using a workstation more than I ever had before. I can’t wait for the CV/midi controller… I’m completely sold on it.

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im doing the opz too check out red means recording he is doing tutorials at the moment for opz

Got my OP-Z in December. In the first 48 hours I already used it in two lives that I did in Japan (hip hop oriented). Really fast to sequence and the punch in effects/performance mode are amazing to create on the fly variations. As another brother said, it feels like more than the sum of its parts.

Did an acid techno live two weeks ago and a more hip hop/grime one this weekend - zero problems in those stressful situations (and the OP-Z sounds more punchy and full in P.As than the OP-Z). I got some videos of those gigs if you want.

What I like the most:

  • The OP-Z is JAZZY. The more organic sounds (pianos, strings and bass “guitar”) are very beautiful and the combo of variable scales per step in the master track (!!! - never seen this before) + random notes with the step components + variable track length make it perfect for improvisation. Never seen something like this before;

  • The OP-Z feels organic. I really like that it´s texture is somewhat rough, like a piece of stone. And the portability of it is supreme, which is central to me - making beats in the coach is magic! The interaction with the iOS is also interesting. It´s very nice to sequence a beat of two just in the “analog mode” during the day then mix it with the iPad when I come back home;

  • On the other side, the filter/ressonance of the OP-Z is surpisingly acid. It can do consistent - even if not sounding analog - acid lines and very liquid sounds;

  • The best way to understand the OP-Z is to think that it is a hardware tracker with a semi-modular approach to light, photo and video. As a hardware tracker, step components are an integral part of the music making process - they are less a kind of extra fx´s and more essential sound design tools, like the ADSR, the filter or the LFO. Although the synth engines are limited in comparison with the OP-1 (we are talking about two specific parameters + filter/ressonance + ADSR+ one LFO + 2 send/returns), you can go deeper with the step components + p-locks.

  • Although the OP-Z still isn´t a sampler, it´s a capable sample player, specially for “drum sounds”. It´s hard to explain because if you just look at the features it appears to be full of limitations in the sample side, but somewhat it just works - it´s fast and fun to use the samples and navigate the kits.

What needs improvement:

  • All the “utility” side: computer backups, exports, sample packs management, etc

  • It was never anounced as a kind of gear hub, but it was somewhat a surprise that syncing with the OP-1 is very hard/unstable and with the PO´s currently impossible without sacrificing stereo and one audio track. The MIDI needs also to be tighter - I experienced some MIDI drift with the Digitone, even if it runs smoothly and directly with the cable;

  • The Unity possibilites are amazing and very promising, but it´s an important aspect of the OP-Z that will need time - probably years - to develop all it´s capabilities. Isn´t different from what is happening with the Organelle (which I feel that only in the last year it got really deep, with the modular stuff and video codes), but we´ll need some patience :slight_smile:

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Posted this on another forum:

Ive had my op-z for a day and a half now and I am loving it. Although the synths do have macros, not a full range of parameters, with the filter and lfo section you can get some great sounds. The filters resonance is pretty nice!

Although there are fewer parameters to tweak within the engine the parameter locking can let you get some complex step to step changes! In that sense, the op-z is super accessible. I feel like sometimes within a DAW I have some interesting ideas about panning, reverb, and filter to direct an instrument around in 3D space within my mix, but it takes a long time to automate these parameters.

Everything is at my fingertips with the op-z I love it! I guess step sequencing is a much better fit for my playing style.

The punch in effects are really fun to experiment with, as well are the step components. Haven’t messed around with the tape yet, although I think it seems more playable than the tape effects on the op-1! Very happy with this little unit so far.

I learned the Op-Z purely from reading the manual and watching a video or two! Totally doable with out the screen.

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