Saving up for an OP-1 and I have a few questions

So I’ve been doing tons of research on the OP-1 as I’m saving up to get one very soon.


But I’ve noticed a couple of issues people have mentioned and I’m curious to iron them out first;

1) How many actual tracks can be played at once? I know about the 4-track tape, obviously, but can you simultaneously have a sequencer loop playing? Can you monitor line-in at the same time too?

2) How seamlessly can you bounce the final mix to a tape? I know about the “ear” as an input, but can you bounce that without stopping playback? So I can wrap up one segment and immediately start working on what follows, but without interrupting playback?

3) Can anyone describe what those two scientists and the two gorillas are? Some kind of sequencer, I assume, but could never find enough info on them.

4) And lastly, does anyone actually experience the noise issue without plugging into USB? Or is it just a ground issue?

THANKS for all the help in advance!

1 - you can play all 4 tracks, be playing some other sequence non recorded, and monitor line in at the same time

2 - the whole album mode thing allows you to basically do anything in real time and records to a wave file

3 - sequencer that either works in synth or drum mode. Basically you can play 2 patterns at the same time, or chain patterns like ableton. Each pattern is its own key on the keyboard

4 - its mysterious to me, I get noise if I don’t use USB and use headphones, if i use monitors and plug my usb in i don’t.

2: There are some limitations when it comes to playing live like you can’t copy and paste (lift & drop in OP-lingo) segments without it having a noticeable effect on the playback, e.g. a brief silence. Also you always drop where the play head is, so you can’t pre-arrange on another part of a track while a loop is going on.

3: Here’s a relevant video from the TE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-rv2xO-MNc