Hello everyone,
The Teenage Engineering OP-Z is now available second hand at a reasonable price, would it be fun to have it coexist with the DT2 and A4mk1 I already own? I like ambient and dark techno. Thanks
Hi, I don’t own the OP-Z but it’s my understanding this is a device best utilized with the control app, so do you wish to add an ipad with an app into your setup? If not, then it might be a poor fit.
From what I’ve seen it’s also a device which prefers for you to interact with it directly. Many times, something like that has a difficult time finding a place with other devices which also require constant attention.
It might be fun for you to use independently (as it’s highly portable) or you may like to find some ways to integrate it into your workflow, but as far as what it might offer which you don’t already have, I’d say that it’s mostly the punch-in FX.
Not that you don’t have FX on your machines, but the way TE implements punch-in effects is fun and playful as you can see a bit of in this video.
If you want a travel device then maybe it’s worth trying out, but from a standpoint of practicality I had purchased the TE original OP-1 hoping to find it to be a good travel companion and a unique standalone workflow and so far it’s mostly found it’s home as a midi controller for me, which is a gross underuse of it’s potential but simply didn’t have the right workflow to integrate with my other devices and I find it a bit laborious to use it standalone.
It’s not to say that your experience will be the same, because of course they’re very different devices, but I might suggest you identify which features are most interesting to you about it and see if they overlap with the features of your current devices, and then consider how you might be able to use those features in combination, or if they could be.
To me, spreading my attention in too many places at once is not always fun, and I see that you were interested in whether or not this would be fun to use. In my experience, I do find new devices fun and often enjoy learning and exploring them, but when it comes to combining devices together sometimes it becomes less fun because it may complicate the workflow if it’s not a good pairing.
If you like the idea of making a phrase on the OP-Z and resampling to the DT2 then may be fun, but I suspect that (for example) controlling the OP-Z with the DT2 sequencer would in fact not be fun at all, and would just add a layer of complexity, especially if you don’t want to use the iPad app along with it.
I did look at the OP-Z a bit for myself and this was my own assessment, so maybe an OP-Z fan will have a different opinion, but I thought I would at least share that this was the conclusion that I came to, that the device was less likely to find a permanent home with elektron products than to use it as it’s own unique instrument, and maybe your type of workflow is different than mine so it may be more appealing for how you want to use these devices together than it was for me and mine.
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Thank you for comment. Your opinions are always spot on and help me calm down.
I generally find DAWs cumbersome and prefer to be able to do most things with the equipment itself, but the op-z’s exceptional compactness makes it easy to carry around and I can’t help but find it appealing. I think it would be fun to make the detailed settings on my Mac and then play around with the equipment alone. I’ll think about it more carefully.
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You definitely don’t need the app to use the OP-Z. It helps when setting up midi and stuff, but is otherwise a hindrance imo. The Z is amazing because it’s so fast to use standalone.
Plus the app is also available on the Mac, so if you do need it, you won’t necessarily need an iDevice.
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Thank you for comment 
I’m the aforementioned OP-Z fan and my recommendation is that yes, it is fun. The UI is designed to put you into a flow state while sequencing and you don’t really need to use the app as a dedicated display (you can even set midi settings on the device itself although this is a massive pain in the ass!). It also plays well with other devices because it has exemplary MIDI implementation - the punch in FX, for example, live on their own MIDI channel and you can trigger them for groups and individual channels using external MIDI. You can switch between the OP-Z’s patterns using MIDI, control all of the (very limited) sound shaping options including mutes and sends, and even switch between OP-Z UI pages on the hardware by using MIDI commands.
Whether you’ll like it depends on your use case for the instrument. If you want something portable that’s very capable and you don’t mind the shallow sound design options, the OP-Z is best in class. It’s a fraction of the size of an OP-1 and actually small enough that you can leave it in your bag all the time (i’d recommend a hard carry case, though!).
The punch in effects are good fun and since they’re MIDI effects you can also use most of them on external instruments. The master channel has a smart transpose functionality that analyzes the sequencer data, tries to work out what key you’re playing in, and offers musically useful transpositions that try to fit into a key. It’s not always spot on but it’s one of the OP-Z’s killer sequencer features compared to other great sequencers like the Elektron boxes. Using an OP-Z to sequence an Elektron box sounds conceptually kind of goofy but there are fun and unique sequencing options that aren’t native to the Elektron workflow. And you can sequence these effects externally too! The punch in effects and master channel can be operated via MIDI by your DT2 while the OP-Z is sequencing your Elektron boxes.
Another unique feature compared to your Elektron boxes is the OP-Z’s tape channel. It has an always-running audio buffer that you can use for buffer glitch effects. Rather than a straight DJ-style beat repeat you can select which part of the buffer to play back from for coarse granular textures and you can pick and choose which channels are sent to it including the audio inputs. You also get two pitch controls for the buffer; a coarse control that goes from tape stop effect to tonal repeats of percussive sounds, and a fine control with a range of one octave in either direction (I’ve had some fun sending pad sounds to this channel and pitching them down for lo-fi textures). You can have it replace the input channels when it’s active or run it in parallel. It has its own sequencer (this is fun for drums; sequence in weird little percussive parts based on the tape channel resampling the drum channels). The tape channel also has its own audio processing including sends, panning, and levels.
There are some caveats to consider. I find that the synth engines have a bright, clean character that lends them well to EDM/trance style synth design but it’s challenging to push them into that dark techno space. There are some good examples of people using the OP-Z for ambient, though, mostly making use of the sequencer step components to make semi-generative music. The OP-Z’s weakest effects are its delay and reverb; they’re both very straightforward, clean effects that operate in mono. It’s challenging to push them into, say, a really nice dubby sound. That being said, the filter on the delay/reverb track does help and you can push it into a bit of overdrive.
I’d go listen to some OP-Z live sets online to try and get a feel for the character of the synth engines and the machine’s overall character. I like the Z’s master drive, compression, and DJ filter effects, but they’re not to everyone’s tastes. You can also use the synth channels as simple sampler channels but personally I think whether you like the character of the synth engines is make-or-break for your relationship with the OP-Z.
The second concern is connectivity. Natively the OP-Z only has a USB-C port and a TRRS audio jack. It can do audio and MIDI over USB. It’s a MIDI host but NOT an audio host. You can put in a single mono signal to the OP-Z using the TRRS jack as long as you’re mindful with the levels (and you purchase a simple cable splitter!). However, the OP-Z doesn’t have physical MIDI I/O unless it has one of the modules installed. The line module provides MIDI I/O, an auxiliary audio output, and a dedicated audio input however it’s unobtanium on its own - you can only find them for sale installed in an OP-Z these days. The OPLab module has MIDI I/O and CV/Gate outputs which is neat but doesn’t seem relevant to your setup. The rumble module has no MIDI I/O and marginally improves the experience using the OP-Z built in speaker (which is a truly terrible speaker).
I made a longer post about my thoughts on the OP-Z here if you want to read more:
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I have an a4 and op-z, op-xy too but not a digitakt.
Op-z is great for beats and adding enough variation with the step components and punch in fx to keep things interesting, a nice combo with a4 on other duties.
Built in sounds on the opz I’m not into, but if you can prepare ‘your orchestra’, a go to set of sounds you like with samples and just stick with them, it’s a great mobile sketchbook. Same with the XY, but XY is the moleskin notebook, and Z is the cheaper Muji one!
I hook up the patterns and midi from both those machines, print all the multichannel midi to ableton and then tend to put my favourite VSTs on and replace the placeholder sounds from the TE devices.
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Thank you very much.
Long time op-z user (and enjoyer) who at one point was sequencing an mc101 with it, so similar-ish use case. Never had a DT so can’t comment on that.
One thing to bear in mind is that the op-z track structure is pretty fixed in terms of polyphony, unless you get into mapping midi channels.
The 4 drum tracks each have 2 simultaneous notes, the bass track is monophonic, the lead track is 3 note poly, the arpeggio track is (I think) 4 note over midi (but only two from internal sounds) if you want to treat it for playing chords, the chord track can do 4 note which can be extended to 6 notes in midi settings.
Tracks 14, 15, 16 can each have multiple notes and are useful, but don’t have step components.
You can change the midi channel of every single track, which I’ve done before and is useful for polyphony or alternate phrases/parts on one channel.
I have no idea how any of that jives with your use case or the DT workflow. If it is just triggering one shots and loops I could imagine it being quick, fun annd effective.
When I was using it to sequence synth sounds on the MC101 I found that I was stuck in the op-z track configuration, so always making a bass, an arpeggio etc. and just using the MC as a sound module. The MC can have any track as drums or synth tracks in any config, longer sequences and clips, and that is working well for me right now.
Hope something of the above is useful.
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The OP-Z’s arpeggio and bass engines are only monophonic. To turn on six-note poly for the chord channel you need to alter a flag in the Z’s JSON file.
However, the OP-Z is genuinely a 16 channel sequencer - just with the caveat that some of the sequencer channels are weird in ways that make it impossible to actually use as a 16 channel sequencer.
The instrument tracks allow you to map 16 total midi CCs - four per page of parameters in the instrument’s UI. The four sampler channels can sequence two notes per step whilst the synth channels can sequence four notes per step. The Z supports sequencing more than four notes of polyphony at once via sustain - if you sustain a four note chord for an entire bar then add more notes to other steps it will manage all of them at once. I’m not sure what the sequencer’s upper limit for polyphony actually is when you use it like this, but the arpeggio track seems to be able to handle 8 note arpeggios.
- The FX channels both have monophonic sequencers. However the notes are used for the reverb and delay engines to sequence pre-delay and delay times respectively. These channels have two UI pages thus they can only be used to address 8 MIDI CCs each.
- The tape channel is also a monophonic sequencer. However it naturally triggers the tape engine. It has two UI pages and can only address 8 midi CCs.
- The master channel has four notes of polyphony per step. However it is used to transpose the sequence of the Z’s audio channels. This can be disabled since you can select which channels the master channel’s transposition function affects. It has one UI page and can only address four MIDI CCs.
- The punch in FX channel can support SIX notes of polyphony per step! However it alters the MIDI transmitted from the audio channels when in operation and I don’t think this functionality can be disabled. Additionally, when recording punch in effects from the audio channels, they’re recorded to the punch in effects channel. It has no parameters but can still be used for four MIDI CCs.
- The input channel can have six notes of polyphony per step. It can address 16 MIDI CCs via its four parameter pages. It also hosts the controls for managing input signals and it has a modulator! I would personally only use the first eight MIDI CCs on this channel for this reason. The modulator can be attached to the first four MIDI CCs or be used for vibrato.
- The DMX lighting channel seems to operate its DMX sequence completely autonomously, only letting you select a preset pattern to play. I won’t lie, I have no idea what MIDI data this would actually output if you connected it to something because I’ve never used it for that. However you can use the two UI pages to control 8 MIDI CCs.
- The last channel, the video channel, allows you to sequence four notes per step and address 16 MIDI CCs.
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No worries. I’d be interested to hear if you think the OP-Z has a place in your setup or whether you’ve decided the DT + A4 combo already covers all your needs.
I think the Z has a bit of that fun factor but doesn’t have a lot of unique features that can’t be replicated by your existing gear. However, using the Z for supplemental synths while making the A4 the focal point in a composition could be fun. I’d characterize the OP-Z as an instrument that always sounds good but rarely sounds great - I think it lacks a certain je ne said quoi on its own.
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Thank you for your detailed explanation.
The drum track and synth track are fixed, right? It would be even better if I could freely combine them, for example, by removing the hats and adding more synth tracks instead.
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Thank you for your detailed explanation.
The DT2 is my favorite piece of gear, but I mostly use the A4 to complement the arpeggiator and analog oscillator.
One of the things that attracted me to the Z is its portability. I can write in bed or play outside. I’m also drawn to the randomness that seems to be common to elektrons. I like the parameter locks on the dt2, and the step component looks like a lot of fun.
I think it’ll be fun to come up with new ideas by using gear with different workflows.
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Yeah they are fixed at 4 drum tracks and 4 synth tracks, but have some flexibility….
- The synth engines are all interchangeable so you can run the analog engine or digital engine on any synth track.
- You can turn the arpeggiator off and treat it as a mono track.
- You can sample in your own synths for every synth engine slot.
- It’s setup for drums to be kick, snare, percussion samples, but lots of people out a whole kit on track1, another whole kit on track2 and that leaves track 3 and 4 for one shots or loops.
- Some people even sample 12 or 24 (short) notes from a synth and put that on a drum track.
In my post above, I assumed you wanted to use the op-z to sequence the DT2, but I think you actually just want a portable music maker. Then op-z is great for super fast note input, generative, polyrhythmic and happy accident patterns.
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Thank you for the helpful information again.
Got one used in November. I wanted a little box to create synth stuff for my DT 1. Right now it hooks up to an MPC Live 3 and makes music fodder for my sampler perfectly. Yes I know it is a phenomenal sequencer and can do a bunch of shit and I don’t care. The fun is had when you step sequence quick beats and loops into your sampler. I have not and will never use the internal sampler either bit it would counter intuitive to do so in my situation. I don’t think i answered your question but I have established a universal truth. OpZ + sampler = hella fun.
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Thank you ! 
Ah, I misunderstood your original post like @dhunterrr did! I assumed you were looking to integrate it into your setup rather than use it as a standalone device. In terms of portability the OP-Z doesn’t really have much competition. The Woovebox and the Dirtywave M8 are the only other similarly portable grooveboxes I can think of that are also powerful enough to put together just about any kind of track you want. I keep my OP-Z in the bag I bring to uni just in case I find a spare moment to jam!
Edit: Also forgot about the Donner Medo. I’ve seen very little coverage of this machine so I’m not sure how users get on with them, but they’re cheap as chips, small, and battery operated.
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I apologize if my question was unclear.
Of course, if I purchase it, I would like to use it in combination with the DT2 and A4. I also own a Korg NTS-1, and I thought the combination of this smal synth with the OP-Z would be interesting.
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I had an nts-1. Sounds good, not very robust. I wouldn’t want to drag it around unless I had a hard case for it. Probably good for sampling from, and the effects are great.
If I remember correctly the effects can’t be turned to wet only, so they dont fit in all fx setups.
But I think if you have a line module with the op-z it could work well for running synths/drums through.
Good luck!
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