So how many of you guys are considering the OP1 as the only device you actually need to make music?
Ive been using ableton for years, owned Push 2 prior to buying OP1 just over a year ago. I now have an Octatrack, Heat and OP1.
Love my Octatrack, you can get so deep and yield amazing results. Paired with the OP1 you enter a world of sampling fun. HOWEVER…just recently I’ve been solely using the OP1 and getting deeper with Tape and resampling. Mainly because the OT takes alot of brain power and after work I just can’t sum up the mental strength to sit down with it, also having a 10 month old daughter time is of a premium. The OP1 is just so inspiring to use and you can pretty much do anything you want (other than timestretch).
So I’m just wondering how many of you have stripped thier setup right back to OP1? Maybe an organelle or a couple of pocket operators?
I’m really considering selling the Octa and having £800 sat in the bank and just enjoy making music with the OP1!!!
I don´t know what kind of music you do, but the OP-1 can be easily your only device if you are ok with 4 tracks and/or overdubs with a more digital lofi approach (i.e with artifacts, glitchs and noise in more harsh way than the old analog vibes).
Indeed, for focus reasons I sold last year most of my synths and drum machines collection, including some really nice analog stuff (sold my Octatrack too), but never think about selling my OP-1, even as I do more music today with the Pocket Operators than the OP.
I don’t have anything helpful to any other than you CAN timestretch with the op1 Albeit in a very lofi / op1 kinda way. I think it’s actually the first post in the hints and tips thread…
Another way is to create a very tiny loop length and then I think it’s shift + blue knob to move the loop location… If you bounce that to album and then album to drum sample or tape via ear mode, you get time stretched goodness. Albeit no time stretch quantization
I’ve made full tracks using only the OP-1 without even passing them through Ableton. The one thing I absolutely need is my laptop to offload the OP-1 memory, because I want to keep every snippet of music I create using the thing. Sometimes I get inspired and grab another part of the tape and create a new piece of music there. So in the end I filled up a 6 minute tape with like 4-8 musical ideas which I want to keep for later. I backup the tape and either pick one idea to develop into a song, or just clear tape and repeat
My method is exactly the same as the one used by Michaelology. The OP-1 is the hub of my set-up which I’ve stripped down to include just the OP-1, PO-14, Korg Monologue and various iPhone apps. I make mostly short riff-based stuff, so I don’t even need to sync (for instance) the Monologue; I just match the tempo, get a nasty bass riff recorded to tape and sample in a beat. Loop it, create some variances, overdub and repeat. Simple but effective.
I use an OP-1 (and a portable turntable for sampling) and have been for a little while.
And now for the shameless plug, here is a beat tape made solely with the op-1. I learned tons doing this in terms of tape tricks. Some combinations aren’t obvious at all and make for great variations. Beats recorded one by one from tape to album: http://le-filou.bandcamp.com/album/op1-bt
You will eventually get bored of the effects. But that’s the beauty as i now love the OP-1 more since I bought a space echo cassette unit to jam with it.
You will eventually get bored of the effects. But that's the beauty as i now love the OP-1 more since I bought a space echo cassette unit to jam with it.
I tried to add fx boxes to the op’s outputs. Strymon Deco, sp303 vinyl sim, Really Nice Compressor (RNC), kaoss pad 3, mini KP, boss pedals RV7, DD7… I always end up with just the OP. Has to be a personal thing, just love the bloody thing.
I have other gear, but so far I pretty much never mixed OP-1 with anything else. All my OP-1 tracks are OP-1 only. 4-track limit never felt like too big of a deal, but I do struggle with noise and I feel that onboard Spring reverb is not a good fit for many music genres. I solved the last problem by buying Strymon BigSky. That said, I don’t use samples all that much, so my needs are rather different from a lot of other users.
I don’t own an OP-1 yet but can say minimal is bliss. All I owned for 20 years was my acoustic and it was/is all I need. However, now that the kids are older and cash ain’t as tight, Playing with other gear is cool. Went through my electric and pedal phase, sold almost all. Now my recording and sampler phase. But at the end of the day, can only take one thing, I’m grabbing my acoustic.
At the moment my “setup” is just the OP-1. I do have an iPad with several apps which I barely use.
Now, I’ve only recently gotten into making actual tunes with it, even if they’re just short loops and not full songs yet. As far as other gear I sort of made a pact to not purchase anything new until I’d “earned” it by making a tangible song/album/whatever with the OP-1. But even now I’m not sure what additional device I’d buy besides a PO or two.
There is a much much better all in one machines, for about one third the price of an op1. But I want to keep the prices at that level… maybe RZA can tell you
There is a much much better all in one machines, for about one third the price of an op1. But I want to keep the prices at that level... maybe RZA can tell you
No there’s not. Name another standalone device with a microphone, let alone all the other stuff op1 has
Your commitment to the op1 is touching. It’s a nice machine. So nice I bought one.
But if the RZA reference doesn’t give it away for you…then I get the impression you haven’t a lot of experience with other machines
Your commitment to the op1 is touching. It’s a nice machine. So nice I bought one.
But if the RZA reference doesn’t give it away for you...then I get the impression you haven’t a lot of experience with other machines
Your commitment to the op1 is touching. It’s a nice machine. So nice I bought one.
But if the RZA reference doesn’t give it away for you...then I get the impression you haven’t a lot of experience with other machines
Couldn’t give a shit mate to be honest. Your tone is condescending so I can only presume you surround yourself in a room full of synths with a pot noodle in one hand and your dick in another wishing you’d taken piano lessons as a kid. Good day to you sir
Your commitment to the op1 is touching. It’s a nice machine. So nice I bought one.
But if the RZA reference doesn’t give it away for you...then I get the impression you haven’t a lot of experience with other machines
That doesn’t really follow… maybe into sampling but not into RZA?
Anyway what is this groovebox that rivals the op1, I want one
I’m guessing it’s not the ASR-10 or Roland MV your talking about but something small like op1?
The only current groovebox/sampler I know of that’s significantly cheaper than OP-1 and can produce reasonable music is Electribe Sampler. But you can’t record and edit songs on that thing alone.
Ok… let me rephrase that… if you like the op1 and are into sampling sequencing and synthesis have a look around… there some really good fully featured work station all in one units that go for very reasonable prices atm. I’m not dissing the op1 here. Just saying that if you like this type of thing then there are units that have features that you may really really like.
Anyway, can’t let my pot noodles get cold. Got to go
