I’m totally new to synth, OP-1 and even music, so please forgive me my noob question.
I just bought a OP-1 and I’m certain I have a lot ahead of me to learn before I would consider buying another device, if at all.
But when looking at Youtube videos I often see the OP-1 used together with other devices, for example the Elektron Digitakt.
What I don’t really understand is, how are these devices used together? Don’t the functionalities overlap? Or is it some people prefer the drum machine of another device, together with the synths of the OP-1 or something like that?
Related question: you can make tracks solely on the OP-1, I have seen that. But sometimes I also see people using a DAW. After reading about what a DAW is, am I correct in stating that in combination with a DAW you wouldn’t use the tape/album feature on the OP-1 but instead records loops/sounds on it and compose them together in the DAW?
As you can tell, I’m still searching my way in all the terminology
There are no right or wrong answers to your questions… here’s some broad pontificating:
Overlap:
Sort of. The Digitakt is a sampler, the OP-1 has a sampler. Workflow is a big deal on both instruments. They crossover, and differ. Additionally, since you can only have one engine (drum or synth) happening on the OP1 at a time without playback of tape, the OP-1 gets paired with a lot of other toys quite often. So, “some people prefer the drum machine of another device, together with the synths of the OP-1 or something like that?” Yeah! Something like that…
Can you make tracks solely on the OP-1:
OH, hell yes. Check out the battle threads. Without using a DAW, I have yet to match the production quality of many on this forum who make tracks completely on the OP-1. The battles are really something to behold!
Speaking of DAW:
A lot of Operators lay down stems on the tape of the OP-1 and bring those stems into a DAW. Others, skip the tape and record the OP-1 into a DAW like any synth. Some, perform on the tape to the album… there’s not ONE method. I use a variety of approaches depending on what suites the tune. I also save a lot of stems from just messing around on the tape… and maybe drop them in a production in my DAW at a later point.
Bottom line:
There are a lot of workflows… you will find different ones that suit you for different modalities and approaches to writing. You’ll develop a bag of tricks that you cull from depending on the situation in front of you. My advice is to watch videos from folks like Red Means Recording, and Cuckoo. I learned a lot from both of their videos just by watching them work.
Small question: what is a stem? I googled it but the term is too generic, even in combination with 'synth', to give good hits.
Ah. Yeah. A stem is basically an audio track. So, if you’re working in the OP-1 tape, for example, you can call the musical phrase you lay down on track 1 a “stem”.
The term is also used for a sub-mix (which you can also achieve on the tape). For example, if you’re recording drums in a studio, you have a kick track, a snare track, a tom track, overhead mic tracks, etc… when you mix all these tracks down into a stereo file of JUST the drums, you have a “Stem” of the drum tracks.
It’s nice to get machines talking to each other. This can simply be firing audio from one to another.Op-1 makes great food for Octatrack (so also Digitakt).This is often enough, anything with OP-1 is good fun,because its a brilliant recorder.
Then there is sync and midi control.Midi can take extra work as USB host is needed to play with other midi machines(I use interconnect iCM4+) but basic sync is achievable without. Volca,Monotribe and Pocket Operators can all be syncronised to start at the same time and keep rock solid tempo. Then record all these things to OP-1 tape.This is more simple and only requires a stereo splitter cable from OP-1 to send sync to the other machines .Though it helps to have a mixer also.A @Darenager mixer is a simple solution and requires no power so is in line with portability/picnic jams.(They are available on this site- just search his name here or passive mixer ,if you get to that stage).That’s the kind of sync you see a lot of YouTube’s doing with korg Volcas.
It’s not nessassery with OP-1 because OP-1 is so flexible for recording (IMO) but it can be a master source and recorder and does this well.
One approach I’ll try is recording MIDI data from an OP-1 sequence (Endless, Finger, or whatever) into Octatrack MIDI sequencer, or other external MIDI sequencer. I think others have done this already.
It’s one way to “save” a sequence that you created on OP-1. When you switch off the OP-1, whatever sequence you currently have recorded will be automatically saved, but once you create a new sequence, your old one is gone.
So, I just bought a digitakt and i’m desperately trying to get it synced with my op-1. I have an oplab, set it to usb frenzy, op1 is host A, digitakt is host B connected via USB, not sure what to do next, any thoughts?
So, I just bought a digitakt and i’m desperately trying to get it synced with my op-1. I have an oplab, set it to usb frenzy, op1 is host A, digitakt is host B connected via USB, not sure what to do next, any thoughts?
Try setting oplab to mode 0, then connect op-1 to either usb host. Press select button on oplab until the selected usb host light flashes then connect a midi cable from oplab midi out to Digitakt midi in.
Do you know if is possible to connect two devices like a pad and a midi keyboard to control the Op-1 or am I dreaming? What I’ve been thinking is that it would be be nice if I can play the Op-1 drums with pads and the op-1 keys with sensitive keys from other instrument? And is if that’s the case I still have other dream, is it possible to play both pads (op- drums) and keys (op-1 synth) simultaneously?
