Whoa! This thing is way more complex that I thought...

OP-1
#1

I’m definitely going to work my way through the manual and all the tutorials when I get back from holiday travels and can concentrate. This is a good thing, imho, that it is complex. Plenty of OP1 to discover over time and plenty of music to make!


Looking forward to everyone’s posts to learn more! Keep up the great music!
#2

Are you feeling like the complexity gets in the way of creativity? I’m hoping to get mine on Tuesday

#3

Not at all, just happily surprised that the OP1 has way more depth to it than I had witnessed in videos and all the reviews I read beforehand! You will be very happy with it. Just holding it is a pleasure, it’s built so dang well, it feels GOOD!


I was able to set a loop, lay down some drums, tweak a synth and record both parts before ever cracking the online manual!

I’m super happy with it, it’s some of the best tech I’ve ever bought and I’ve bought a lot since the 80s! Can’t wait to dig in and really get going on it after the holidays, though.


#4

the manual is kinda shit. so many undocumented abilities and workflows. the 4th page in the drum/synth is crazy powerful. ive had an op1 for 6 years and im still discovering new things. much of the op1’s functionality is hidden or not obvious. experiment alot. ask tons of questions. this forum can be incredibly insightful.


one thing i can say is that the op1 is very much like a production instrument. much like the work flow of an MPC or other all in one boxes. the more time you spend with it the easier it will be to rattle off music. imo nothing comes close the the op1s ability to turn the production aspect of music into a self contained instrument. its pallete is unlimited. i realy love my op1!

and remember practicepracticepractice.
#5

@masterofstuff124 Can’t really agree. The manual is very basic, but it covers all functionality. The OP-1 is very easy to use but at the same time very flexible.

It’s like brush, paint and canvas. You need to know some basic things, like which side of the brush and canvas to use (well you COULD use the other side) and how to apply paint, but what you do with it is only limited by your creativity and imagination. This can’t be covered by a manual.

#6

Though I would like for the manual to be a bit more detailed in some areas (e.g. some of the LFO settings) I think @motone hit the nail on the head with the analogy.

Make sure you read the Tip &a Tricks thread in its entirety for some inspiration.

#7

Turning the tips & tricks thread into a wiki/pdf to use as an advanced manual could be awesome!

#8

There already exists a wiki, but I always forget the exact name/ URL of it…

#9

The tips and tricks page is quite a lot of info to parse for the newbie! But a great help!


For now, the Pdf manual is great and most of things I’ve learned is through experimentation. It’s all starting to make sense and as soon as I feel like I understand how things work and the workflow, I plan to start getting creative!!

I played tournament tennis for years and the motto we ALWAYS lived by was “Always Play Up!” And I believe the OP-1 is playing up, it will help me learn more about tempo, rhythm, sequencing and how songs are constructed than any computer based set up or workstation keyboard set up that I could use! That is a great tool!

Thanks all!
#10

I got mine at the start of December and have written about 30 or so new tracks (or at least the foundations of some). That’s compared to about 4-5 tracks in Ableton and one in Pro Tools… It just makes me want to play!


There’s some really cool tricks to get extended jams going, by setting up a few similar loops, and using the shift+arrow button during playback to switch loops, then overdub stuff. Using the M1/M2 buttons with delay master effect is really good for getting stutter fx while you lift things from the tape (otherwise you get a tiny mute when you lift a track). Planning on doing a full boiler room set with just the OP1 in feb.

Stoked I picked one up finally! Still can’t believe there’s nothing really like it out there after 5 years… (Deluge is close tho, going by the info out there)
#11

That’s great to hear! I fear it will take me quite a bit longer to get that kind of productivity going

#12
Stoked I picked one up finally! Still can't believe there's nothing really like it out there after 5 years... (Deluge is close tho, going by the info out there)

Very surprised as well about the lack of OP-1 type devices years on. It seems as though major manufacturers have been focused on reproductions of analog gear while the boutiques have mostly been on that and modular. There’s just nothing like the OP-1, and it fulfilled a need I never fully knew I had.


The Deluge, to me, has seemed more like a slightly-underpowered Ableton Push, albeit without the need to be hooked to a laptop to operate. I love the Push though, especially having played the bass for a long time and being able to use the Push’s guitar/bass-style layout to play chords, solos, and such much more intuitively and easily than on a piano keyboard layout. Deluge, with what I’m currently operating, just feels like too much of a halfway-point to be worth adding for me.

Tl;dr Using the OP-1 and Ableton Push in tandem is for me an unbeatable workhouse combo. Lets me go through all production stages with unique options and benefits.
#13

I showed off my newly purchased OP-1 last night during our NYE party and I think it really amazed many people. They all balked at the price, then I showed them it wasn’t a toy and that in less than 5 minutes, I laid down a 4 bar loop with 4 parts including overdubs on drums and sampling myself on the fly. They were floored!


I think it’s an awesome and underrated/underestimated tool and creative instrument!