Most recommended 2nd instrument for op1

Hi all together ,
ive saved about 550€ and wondering about which sidekick i should spend my opee…
An iPad with midikeyboard and highpitchlevelcontrolledoverdrivedoszillatedhigend-app?
The new Korg electribe,maybe the old One?
Microkorg,Mininova?
Or just a Shrutibox or Waldorf Rocket…maybe an evel Blofeld?
Iam very pleased about any suggestions,but remember,I have only 90x40 cm space before my wife gonna wild ( she dont like those strange tones i produce

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Often on this forum the octagrack is recommended but not as food for the op1 but the other way round. Using the op1 as sample fodder for the octatrack. Alternatively the iPad is nearly endless with sounds and new apps. Essentially any hardware could be recreated as an app and that keeps me very excited. Any korg product is great sample material. Finally I think the op1 s ability to sample anything easily is amazing and being creative anything becomes an instrument! Shruthi is pretty epic btw! But for that price you can’t beat an iPad

iPad with Korg Gadget App and a little pressure sensitive portable keyboard like the Qunexus or K-board from Keith Mcmillen Instruments.

You’ve then got the best little portable studio :wink:

Like Master said the iPad is endless in its possibilities whether you use it as a sampler, daw, fx, synths, sequencer, midi controller, daw controller … Or even checking your email!

My suggestion would easily fit in the space available :wink:

It will also leave you space to get a shruthi in the future!

Micro korg is decent, I had ones years ago when they were first released. It wouldn’t grab my attention these days though not in this high tech marketplace. It’s also something that to get the most out of you probably have to be a decent keyboard player.

I’ve been thinking of Blofeld ,but to control the desktop unit with OP you would need something to shuffle the midi,a MacBook or a USB >midi device. iPad does seem a good suggestion,but I like Monotribe and TB3. I will suggest a good mic with pre,maybe a portable device by Zoom (H1 or better).

Zoom H1 very usefull,ive thougt about it for Athmos an fancy soundstuff or liferecordings and remixes

ZoomH1 is a good buy. I just got one a month or so ago for doing field recordings in China and South Korea.
Quality is great for the price (grab one cheap on eBay!) and the newer ones double up as a USB mic too.

I’d get a Microbrute… Scratch that, I’m getting a Microbrute. Why? Simples - it’s small and portable (complimentary to OP1) and it’s a VCO, so you’re getting something with a distinctly different flavour to the OP1’s admittedly quirky but nonetheless digital nature.

Oh and +1 for the Zoom idea. Great for field recording and also allows you to record synths sans-computer.

EDIT:

Or this…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBxhOXFrvrI

I reckon the quirky sound of the odyssey would compliment OP1 VERY nicely! Even the pitch controls are the same - kinda, lol

Blofeld or Mininova would be the best bang for your euro, imo, though there is a lot to be said for the MicroBrute as well.


Really just depends on the kind of sounds you’re after.

Doesn’t the Microbrute weigh like close to 5 pounds (around 2Kgs)? Does it have battery power? I guess we have a different idea of “portable”! :slight_smile: ha ha

it is definitely hefty, and would need a 12V battery capable of supplying 1A on top of that to be ‘portable’ hehe

I thought i need analoge sounds.but truth is: Ive had moogs,monopolys, Pro One, Tb303 sold them during the years.The people tell me:You need analogmonstersounds but Iam tired about them…I need fresh unusual sounds,some Sample and hold Pads ,a few tribal Sounds ,funny vocal samplestuff and orchestral Sounds…

I would say get a Blofeld and the License SL option if you want all that in one box within your price point, though the OP-1 can handle a lot of the latter stuff if you want/need it to.

Im going for a Bass Station 2 next. I think they will complement one another nicely.

I mostly use a turntable and a microkorg xl. The microkorg would see a lot more use if it was smaller… but it could be worse. There’s a JX-8P here but it’s too massive to get much use out of.

Unless you are looking for a dedicated synth-sampler/sound module to expand your sound palette by controlling it with the OP-1, I recommend a groovebox. Although they're tailored for dance music, I can say that I've been always using them for just plain songwriting, and they're also good for pretty much anything else in my opinion.
Of course,,, over time I just had to make a few techno beats here and there for fun, I mean, any drum machine just calls for that stuff :) I consider that aspect more of a playful side thing though.
Thinking about it, a groovebox is not that different from the OP-1: a self contained electronic music studio. The main difference, a part from the design / OS concept, is that the OP-1 multitrack prints audio, so it's harder to perform back your sequences and have access to the timbre, envelope, LFOs etc of each sound. Perhaps that could intrigue you? It's a very engaging musical experience, performance oriented, requiring manual skills much like any traditional musical instrument.

Hi Vince_Noir,


which Groovebox may fit to the OP-! ? I ve been thinking about those boxes, if the new electribe sampler would be available i had tested this box, but the shipping will be in June, thats too long, ive get an gear-turkey in this time;-)
What do you think about the new “konventional” electribe 2? The sound seems to be good, it´s got dynamic and polyphonic…
Most important for me is to have fun while making music, not to invent the wheel an second time new…i guess having fun is possible with grooveboxes. Iam right?

A SP404 would fit your budget as well. I just bought a SP303 but haven’t received it yet. I love its grit and its effects and i think they will complement each other very well. I’m looking forward to let them feed upon each other and plan on doing live sets just with the OP-1 running thru the SP.

Hey @karma_koma I know! I’d get the Sampler too, but release date speculations are all over between now and the summer…

I’ve owned a Roland MC-505 and several Electribes, and the latter are so much simpler and fun to play with. You can literally write and re-write notes while the sequencer is running, something not so real time on the Roland MCs. The Electribe synth must be pretty cool, and I’m wondering myself about getting one, while we’re all waiting for the Sampler. The new features are amazing: polyphony, velocity, groove templates, kaosspad…
Other modern grooveboxes are the Elektron Monomachine… mmmh and I think that’s it. It’s out of your price range though. There must be some current model of Akai MPC, but I consider that more of a drum sampler (unless they’ve changed it).

Great catch @nya! The old SPs are lovely. The 303 is especially sought after by beat makers for its lo-fi sound. A good friend of mine performed a lot with it and an MPC.

This just nails with details the electriba

http://youtu.be/8szG9KFfW4Q

Elektron Monomachine is Very powerfull but the handling isnt very easy a friend told to me,he fight with the mono since weeks…Keynesianische i go with the new electribe synthi,it seem to produce fun and an officially approved sound