First off, some of this might seem redundant but unfortunately, resources are slim in regards to the OP-1. I still wish the old forum had been cached somewhere as I am sure my answers would be found there…
So on to my questions:
Sound output: So far, not impressed. I did buy this to incorporate into my DAW (Logic Pro X) as I think some of the synth sound engines are unique. What are some tips to get a good line level recording that doesn’t have audio hum? Right now, I am running it into my Foccusrite Saffire Pro pre and the sound is a bit thin and noisy. I like to compose and play live when recording and would hate to have to stop and export audio.
Sampling:
Not impressed with the input either. I love the simplicity of this machine but I really feel that for the price, we should have better quality inputs and outputs.
Right now, I have my iPad hooked up and feeding from headphones out to the OP-1 input. It’s not bad and for some things, the lower fi sound works great. But for pads and what not, not impressed! Should I just record the samples through my audio through on the ipad and iConnect+4 to my computer and import through USB on the OP-1?
All in all, I am not unhappy with my purchase as I feel it still has a lot to offer. I just really wished they didn’t skimp on those inputs/outputs
Any other resources on the OP-1 you guys might recommend would be great. I have the cookbook and check out Cuccoo’s videos on you tube so far.
The ADC/DAC are what they are. TE says they’re 24-bit/96kHz, and yet the Tape tracks are 16-bit, so I wonder if there’s some noise introduced when they lop of 8-bits, and again if they tack on another 8 at the output converter.
Not really sure about that sort of stuff mind you, so don’t take that as gospel. There’s definitely some digital unpleasantness with the input and output, though. It bothers some people more than others. I will say it’s better than it used to be, so maybe there is room for further improvement from TE.
As far as hum, try disabling USB charging if you have it plugged in to a USB port. That works for a lot of people.
I use some drive and a little compression (?) (Press shift to lower both left and right channel in the drive screen) to beef it up. Also, If you want clean sound you have to record to OP-1 tape and then transfer the tape to your mac (you won´t get the drive and master effect if you do this) or record to album and then transfer to your mac to get stereo, drive and master effect.
Also, check to see that all effects are off in both the synth stage and the master stage as the effects add noise too. Personally, I would leave the USB completely unplugged when recording, to avoid any possible ground loop noise. Some of the OP-1 noise issue is a matter of finding the right settings, some is deciding if it’s acceptable to you and your type of music. I hear the noise and it never bothered me in the least, but if my setup was different, it might be unacceptable, everyone’s milage will vary.
As for sampling, I use a field recorder from Tascam for all my sampling needs (I have it with me always). I edit my recordings in audacity, save as a mono AIF, and drag into the OP-1 from my computer. That method really gives you the best quality. For electronic samples, I record directly into audacity. It’s trippy to hear my little OP-1 sound like so many of my other machines, with head phones one almost can’t tell the difference. P.S. The home note for samples in the OP-1 is “A”.
Like you, when I got the OP-1 I was a little disappointed. In fact, I was wishing I’d gotten something else. It just wasn’t the machine I was expecting. However, after I came to understand the machine it was (rather than the machine I wanted) and started to work within it’s strengths, it came to be the most valuable synth in my collection, getting more use than all my other synth combined.
Thanks Tribix for the response and the tips. I too use audacity and have the zoom field recorder. I was going to go that route if I needed a more fuller sound. I am not going to lie, after messing about with it the first day I got it, I was a little sickened that it just wasn’t what I was expecting. After spending 3 days with it, I am starting to change my mind. Today, I just took my lunch in a secluded parking lot from work and spent the entire hour working on an experimental piece. I couldn’t be more happier with the results. It was moments like these that I am glad I purchased this very expensive little guy and know that I did the right thing.
That’s where it excels: workflow. You can do just about anything to some approximation all within the unit. No feature in particular is worth the pricetag (many features are even underwhelming), but when you put them all together in something you can carry around with you it makes all the difference in the world.
You can certainly get a solid sound from it. Sometimes the sound you want is hard to achieve but I’m often amazed at what I can get to come out if it after a little prodding.
For about the first week I felt like I had overpaid, but by two weeks I was saying I would buy another one in a heartbeat if something happened to the first one.
