Sequencer Tips

OP-1 Tricks and Tips
#1

Maybe this should go into the general Tips and Tricks thread, but I think sequencers in OP-1 are complex enough to warrant a separate set of posts. I remember there were quite a few tips in that regard on the old forum.

Something important I recently discovered: you can go beyond two octaves while playing – in real time! This was a very annoying limitation that I thought could only be bypassed via recording stuff into Finger or Sketch. Apparently not:

1. Switch to Pattern, Sketch or Endless.
2. Erase all notes.
3. Switch back to synth screen.
4. Hold down a key.
5. Press left or right arrow to shift octaves.

Your old notes will continue to sound uninterrupted as long as you hold the corresponding keys.

I don’t know why it works this way, but somehow erasing all notes from the sequencer switches OP-1 into an entirely different key tracking mode more akin to how Analog Four does it.

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#2

I want to continue the thread, because there is a lot to learn about OP-1 sequencers. I’m still finding “hidden” features after a year of ownership.

Endless

  • When you’re entering a pattern you can undo the last steps by pressing <.
  • You can advance a step forward by pressing >. Interestingly, this can be used both for entering rests (silence) and stretching notes. If you hold a key while pressing > it will continue to play on the next step. Which doesn’t mean you cannot enter other (shorter) notes. You can do really fancy-sounding sequences this way if your sounds morph over time.
  • Multi-step notes continue to sound until the end unchanged, even if you transpose the sequence using keys. (But not < >.)
  • Interestingly, while long notes play properly in random mode, it also plays their “tails” as silence. To me this is a bit of an annoyance, bit it kind of makes sense if you consider how the sequencer works.
  • If you enter nothing and just press Shift + > you will create an empty sequence. This puts OP-1 into a different hold/transpose mode. (See the post above.)
  • If you crank the sequencer all the way up to 1/32nd of a note and run something with a long decay and poly mode, you will get granular-ish effect. Throw in a high-speed delay to smooth it out.
Note: some of these were posted by other people on the old forum.
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#3

I’m not quite sure what you’re describing in the first post - do you mean to say you can leave a sequence playing and then play over the top of it without changing the sequencing loop? Or do you mean to say you can change the octave of a sequence whilst its playing? I presume you mean the former, as I can already do the latter by just going into the synth page whilst a sequence is on ‘hold’ and mess with the octaves there.

#4

With Sketch, play a note then use Orange as an alternative pitch bend. It shifts in 3rds if a semi tone.

Another tip posted elsewere is draw a note at beginning of sketch, in C. Then move back to beginning and click once up with Orange, then redraw same length. Repeat one click drawing note underneath.
This gives us a unison type note three lines thick.
Goto synth mode ,set to poly and its a nice fat detune type synth when keys are played.

#5
I'm not quite sure what you're describing in the first post - do you mean to say you can leave a sequence playing and then play over the top of it without changing the sequencing loop? Or do you mean to say you can change the octave of a sequence whilst its playing? I presume you mean the former, as I can already do the latter by just going into the synth page whilst a sequence is on 'hold' and mess with the octaves there.

Paradoxically, it’s not about sequences. It’s about retaining the octave of the keys you hold while switching to another octave to add more sounds. During normal, manual playing.

…

Another weird and useful thing about Endless I didn’t know: when you switch to crank mode it holds “current” notes until you advance it one step. So:

  1. Turn on Endless sequences and do shift + blue-clockwise.
  2. Press any key.
  3. Turn blue in any direction. You note(s) will start playing.
  4. Press another key. Nothing will sound different.
  5. Turn blue again. Now it will trigger and hold the notes you have “set” in #4.

Quite useful for ambient pads, since it frees your hands to tweak the sound.

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