Your favorite gear to pair up with the OP-1?

Hey yall!

My MV8800, as it is a stereo sampler… to be honest though the OP does work best for me when on its own, as you mention. Just so much to explore on it as it stands - throwing yet more variables into the mix results in options paralysis, for me anyway!

For me a portable field recorder is invaluable. I often record samples into the op1 from what I’ve collected and I also use it to jam back out to so I’m not limited to the record players duration limit. Organelle paired with it is great fit, I mainly use fx patches on it. iPad apps like fugue machine via an oplab are good fun too.

Man- two bits of gear is amazing when one is OP-1.
It’s been said that Octatrack and op-1 ends all gas. It is true they work so well firing at each other and is ultimate.
Another Op 1 is my usual answer to a 2nd synth companion and yes that’s a total buzz.Double heaven, but since it’s shot up in price it’s not as viable.
So anything with a click sync is good.Volcas(FM or keys),monotribe and ofcourse pocket operators!

Yea, the portability aspect of the synth is key for me. I’m just thinking that maybe i could add something else to it Maybe a better mic?

the Volca keys do seem tempting,

I love recording synth notes, drum beats, and everything in between to a cassette player then bouncing things back for some tape mojo. Sometimes i’ll bounce back and forth adding layers of FX until the original source is obliterated!

Man- two bits of gear is amazing when one is OP-1. It's been said that Octatrack and op-1 ends all gas. It is true they work so well firing at each other and is ultimate. Another Op 1 is my usual answer to a 2nd synth companion and yes that's a total buzz.Double heaven, but since it's shot up in price it's not as viable. So anything with a click sync is good.Volcas(FM or keys),monotribe and ofcourse pocket operators!

ditto, octatrack or really any sampler really brings the op1 to life imo

MPC Live. I bounce samples back and forth between the two and then finally end up with the samples and loops on the MPC Live and melodic of solo instrumentation on the OP-1. Both travel well but battery and size are much nicer with OP-1.

sonically, the strymon elCapistan is a match made in heaven

Favourite Op1 buddies -

IPad (usually running Quantum>OP1 and OP1>Looperverse).
Octatrack.
Dictaphone.

I love it with my MPC touch as the command center and the OP1 is free to just be an instrument. Also OP1 with my guitar is a infinity well.

A little late on the topic, but here goes!

Got my OP1 Field about a week ago, but much thought went into the purchase. Since the release of the first OP1, I always wanted one to use it in stand-alone AND paired with other gear.
So here goes two separate lists.

The “at home” set-up.
This is the not-so-portable set-up I usually create with at home. It doesn’t take much space at all. Meaning, my end of the couch and a coffee table. Bit of a cable mess, but that’s out of laziness. I just didn’t take the time to cable-manage the heck out of those (it’s a 10 minutes workaround).
As for the gear :

• Four guitars - a Telecaster, an Applause (Ovation) acoustic bass, an acoustic Martin&Co and the ukulele. They all live by the couch.
• My (trusted) Helix Floor. A bit bulky, but can live on the floor or on top of a coffee table (next to the couch, next to the guitars). It helps processing the guitars on the way in.
• A Tula Mic. On an arm stand (on the same table as the Helix). Since it’s a USB mic with recording capabilities, I use it there as a go-to mic (vocals, song sketching with the acoustic guitar while singing, vocoder, plain simple vocal takes). Still got try to hook it up to the helix for some delay/reverb FX.
• iPad Air 5. I got myself one of these computer stands to put on your knees with a notch for the iPad. That way, I can MIDI sync both the iPad and the op1f for some back and forth (usually creating MIDI sequences with LogicPro’s library through the op1f as a MIDI controller and recording it to tape into the op1f).
• a Marshall bluetooth speaker (plugged in the op1f). Totally sufficient when I don’t want to trouble the whole house with my songwriting. Add some headphones for the early morning/late nite songwriting sessions.

The “portable” set-up.
As you probably guessed it, it’s a variation of the first set-up. Only portable gear (although what’s portable is debatable since a guitar isn’t quite so portable in some cases). Most of it fits in a bag.
When travelling on planes, trains, etc. I’d ditch the guitars. But when going on a little trip (hikes, holidays, family stays, etc) and travelling by car, I’d get at least one guitar with me. Always have for the past 20 years. Always will.
The gear involved is pretty much the same, minus the Helix and some guitars.

• the iPad - way too easy to tuck it in the same bag as the op1f
• the Tula Mic - it’s about the size of an old Nokia phone
• my headphones (in this case, the AirPods Max)
• and depending on where I go, usually an acoustic guitar (nylon or folk, but an electro one) and/or the ukulele.

Then, at home, I do have a (somewhat pro) home-studio (with Focals and IK Multimedia monitoring, two MacBooks - one for music production, mixing and mastering, the other one for DJing purposes -, three audio interfaces, some MIDI controllers, some synths, some bulky expensive mics, etc.). There, I usually offload my op1f tracks in the MacBook (mainly fixing clicks and timing issues, processing FXs, mixing and mastering), in between jobs. And I gotta say, it opens up a world of possibilities for my op1f tapes. Don’t even need to spend hours on polishing. The tracks are good-to-go in a matter of minutes.

Lately, I’ve been pondering the potential use of two guitar pedals with the op1f. The Chase Bliss Mood mkII (a superb granuloïd FX pedal) and the Electroharmonix Platform (as some sort of glue comp out of the op1f). They would make perfect additions to the set-up, but they would kill the “portable” vibe in the end.
And, of course, I’m eyeballing the OP-Z (waiting for the Field version and its price tag) and some Pocket Operators.
But I’m not eager to buy all these since I’ve already got most of my need covered for now. I’m keeping options for when I get in a routine with the op1f - which is not tomorrow, I’ll tell you that much!

So here it is. Love this kind of thread - sorry for the long post!

Using a Torso T-1 with my OP1F.
OP1F powers the T-1, T-1 doing the sequencing,sync, random to midi LFO on the OP1F.
Works like a charm

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How are you using the T1 with the op-1f ?
Using it for drums as well as synths ?
How are you configuring it ? Are you needing to change the config between drums and synths or just sending every T1 track on midi channel 1 and muting ???

Using it for both drums n synths. All on one midi channel on all tracks on the T-1. Recording what i like to tape then go to next sequence and repeat.
The workflow suits me well

OP1, an eq pedal and the sp404. Very easy to layer and mix.

Thanks ! (I really like the T1 but havent tried it with the OP-1 yet - I’ve mostly used the op-1f as standalone - I’ll definitely try it with the T1)

Try the midi lfo with the T1…highly recommended

I’ll give it a go !