I’ve just been offered 730€ for my second-hand op-1. I’ve had it for a couple of years and the guy I’ve bought it from used it several years before that. But I love it. Haven’t been using it lately, because I’ve been learning to play the banjo, and would like an upgrade on the banjoside. Banjo and op-1… Doesn’t get anymore hipster than that:p anyway I’m really struggling with parting with it! Talk me out of it! Is there anyway to use it more “organically” like in combination with the banjo/guitar, maybe?
I’m evolving out of the edm-stuff and I’m not getting what I want off it for synth wave/synthpop stuff…
I sold mine to buy a Machinedrum, which I then sold in order to buy an Octatrack a few months later. No regrets.
I wouldn’t mind having one again at some point, but the lack of connectivity makes it not really fit in with the rest of my setup. Might hold out for the OP-Z and see how I go
Sell it, you can always get another one if you end up missing it.
I don’t know, from my point of view, combined with an acoustic instrument like the banjo (I like to play bass, guitar and ukulele), the OP-1 is a great ally and can be really fun to use. You could record your banjo into it, or use it as an fx processor (CWO on the banjo should sound nice), or play along a nice arpeggio of synth or drums, etc. It’s a really convenient and creative little machine for this kind of uses - check Mason Self’s videos for the inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEhTprkaFduWxNI8a7VL-lQ
I put the op on my lap behind my banjo and recorded a small segment which I bounced to drum. I ended up keeping it. It is to convenient to dismiss… I played around with Samplr on iPad, and was impressed with the quality and options but it’s still more of a hassle to make a track outside of the op-1. I need it in my life:p With the prices still rising both pre-owned and new, I’m figuring it is going to be one of those really expensive hard to get synths in the near future.
Don’t sell it. Use it with your Banjo whichever way you can conceive to. You sound like you are sitting on the fence about it so I say no. But I can empathise if you are in tight spot with money. I live in Thailand and don’t earn much money. It took me a very long time to save for an OP-1 and for this reason alone I keep at it, trying to make the most of it even with a bad connector board that sometimes makes me swear at it.
I put the op on my lap behind my banjo and recorded a small segment which I bounced to drum. I ended up keeping it. It is to convenient to dismiss.. I played around with Samplr on iPad, and was impressed with the quality and options but it's still more of a hassle to make a track outside of the op-1. I need it in my life:p With the prices still rising both pre-owned and new, I'm figuring it is going to be one of those really expensive hard to get synths in the near future.
And iPad software can have a pretty short shelf-life by comparison (Samplr seems all but abandoned). The OP-1 is unique and while I don’t have banjos, I have a couple of Cigar Box Guitars and appreciate/love both those little guitars and the OP-1 as suitable for just something simple to take outside on the patio. And the battery in the OP-1 is so good that I don’t get precious with it like I do with some of my AA battery instruments (ie, I seldom take the Circuit out on the patio).
I came very close to wanting to sell my OP-1 a few months ago, but ended up having a second love affair with it and now I’m convinced that it has enough tricks and secrets and opportunities for creative exploration that it is in the ‘absolute last-resort if I need to sell stuff’ pile.
I really need to see how it might handle recording the cigar box guitars. I haven’t even tried that yet! And then blend that in with the Pluck synth engine…
I’m keeping it. The mic picked up the banjo clear with good low ends. Layed down a couple of drum loops, recorded an organ from korg module via line in… All in the matter of minutes. Recorded the banjo with the built in mic. As I said, just placed the op in my lap behind the banjo. It just works.
Don’t sell it. Took me a while, 2 years of “why did I buy this?” to understand in one night of boredom in a hotel room on a work trip, that it was the shit. Saw videos from @speckdrum with his live looping and I was back on it. Then started using the sampler, the endless sequencer, etc etc. Now I use it as an ultra portable yet limited MPC but much more fun to play with because I has 16 hours battery life haven’t used any other machine since.
Which brings me to this question. Have you tried sampling records and play around with it?
Yeah, I sampled some 1920-30s slow jazz! It was awesome. If only I could finish a track sometime!;p I’ve watched several of your videos on insta lefilou! Missing more of that YouTube stuff with the girl? “If you knew”…?
