Hi, I am used to sound designing within a DAW. I’m a bit confused about the limitations of the OP-1 considering the price tag…
So heres my concerns/questions
1. Is it possible to turn on 2 effects with one sound? example reverb and delay?
2. is it possible to pan each drum sound individually so there are stereo imaging with the drums. (high hat right, kick in the center, ride cymbal far left etc…)
3. is there a way to record midi drum patterns and tweak it after I perform? Not plug into a sequencer but play it live and fix a few mistakes?
4. If i record my general drum or synth pattern and I want to layer another sound onto that track (since there’s only 4) and I later realize that the layered track is too loud, is there a way to turn it down???
Right now I’m enjoying the OP-1 because it’s fun, but it seems like it’s not the solution for me as a standalone instrument/sequencer.
no (workaround: Engine FX + Master FX + sample/resample) 2) no (workaround: two track, one left, one right, route audio to left/right track according to pan) 3) no (workaround (sorta)): resample to drums, slice, re-arrange 4) no (workaround (maybe): clone track, resample using Nitro or punch to filter out/tone down certain stuff
Advice: Don’t treat it like a DAW. Treat it like a 4-track tape recorder with one built in synth engine at a time.
Another piece of advice (not sure it’s needed here, no offense, but just in case): There is no use in asking “why doesn’t it do this” or “why doesn’t it behave like #favouriteotherpieceofgear”. It’s an instrument in its own right. While it might be cumbersome to do the things different than the way you’re used to, it’s just the way it is. There’s not changing that, especially since there will be less and less OS updates (I’ve been told “only compatibility ones” but I’m sure that was not a hard-and-fast statement).
It’s like e.g. comparing a flute to an organ. Yes, they’re both used to play music, yes, they both use air to generate sound, yes, you might be a skilled flute players but if you switch to playing an organ you’re going to have to get used to it. Nobody’s going to fundamentally change the way an organ works just because it’s not a flute. That’s no reason not to learn to play the organ though, if you like the sound of it
Sorry about the rant, this topic has been discussed many times even though you wouldn’t know because you’re new here.
Another piece of advice (not sure it's needed here, no offense, but just in case): There is no use in asking "why doesn't it do this" or "why doesn't it behave like #favouriteotherpieceofgear". It's an instrument in its own right. While it might be cumbersome to do the things different than the way you're used to, it's just the way it is. There's not changing that, especially since there will be less and less OS updates (I've been told "only compatibility ones" but I'm sure that was not a hard-and-fast statement)...
Thanks for the info!
It sounds like the op-1 might not be for me??
I got it because the cool sound design features as well as a hands on device.
maybe i should get a few analog synth units, and some effects pedals instead? or feed into ableton?
@destinationsound give it some time. I originally bought mine as a “DAW-in-a-box” and was severely disappointed. Some of the limitations seem extremely weird at first.
It’s now the most valuable piece of gear in my setup. I treat it like a reliable 4 track tape deck, with multiple synths and drums built in.
There are lots and lots of sound design opportunities - especially when you factor in tape manipulation, chopping up the tape and re-connecting strange parts (essentially musique concrete) - but you DO have to approach some of them abstractly. For example, to apply 2 FX you would have to record a track with one effect, then resample and apply the second effect.
I’d recommend you check out instagrammers “masonself” and “steeezo_946” for some inspiration, not to mention “red means recording” on youtube. If none of that tickles ya pickle, I’d move it on.
If you want to go down a more traditional sound design route with a more familiar interface, you could trade your OP1 in for a poly synth, monosynth, and a multi fx unit. That said, the OP1 is literally all those things, and more, with a 16 hour battery life…
@destinationsound If you are already using Ableton, then replacing OP-1 with other synths and pedals is really more a matter of your taste in sound than workflow. I use the OP-1 as a simple “sketch pad” for ideas. Then when I want to flesh out the track, I pull everything into Ableton and add more synths/FX on top of that. So if your goal is to replace Ableton with the OP-1, then you probably won’t be able to do that based on what you are wanting from the OP-1. But if you want to keep using Ableton, then the OP-1 is still a great synth for recording ideas on the go and sequencing, etc. A lot of the sounds you get from the OP-1 you will never be able to get from analog synths (unless you have a lot of space and money).
Another tip for using the OP-1 more flexibly for later bring into Ableton – Think of sets of bars as extensions in time of a track in Ableton. Like maybe you have a 4 bar drum loop split between 4 Tape tracks. Then the next set of 4 bars has all of the drums on Tape track 1, bass on 2, lead on 3, pad on 4. Then the next 4 bars combines the bass and drums on 1, then some vocal stuff on 2, effects on 3, etc. Then when you pull it into Ableton, you still have all the tracks individually for manipulation, but you have the idea of what you were wanting to do saved there too.
GCF: Thanks for the second paragraph. I figured this is how i would build sections. Constantly using 1 of 4 tracks as a guide and then new material is on the other 3. Then export to ableton and assemble.
Millbastard: Yes, I watched most of what Red Means Recording has released. Very inspirational.
I think everything you guys mentioned makes sense. It’s just wondering if it is worth the $900 So far I would say no, but I barely scratched the surface. So ill stick with it a few more weeks and then see.
