I did once get a concerned Transport for London station worker come down to the platform and tell me he had received a report of a man doing something on the platform with some strange equipment, and he had to ask me what I was doing with it. I’m lucky I’m white.
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Hi! I also had to downsize and go portable and have tried a bunch of options. I’ve had the op-1, digitakt, mpc live and macbook+controller. Here’s my view on them
MacBook + controller: pros- unlimited power (daw+vsts), great for editing/mixing/mastering on the go. Without the controller it is very lightweight and fits easily in your backpack/briefcase, plus you’re probably taking your laptop to work anyway.
Cons- “poweroverwhelming”, with so many vsts its hard not to suffer from option paralysis. Nowadays I rarely come up with new music ideas on my laptop and I find that you can consume the whole trip just browsing through presets. Not very comfortable to use in tight spaces like trains especially if you want to use a mouse or controller, if traveling by night the screen can annoy the people next to you
Digitakt: pros-extremely focused and fast, it is a breeding ground for musical ideas and happy accidents, small, very well built and light, relatively inconspicuous
cons: 1 octave “keyboard”, need to prepare/load samples and sounds beforehand, (in my case) needs a separate carry bag or a larger backpack than my usual one, looks like a very boutique terrorist bomb with a fancy timer
Mpc Live: pros- built in battery, mpc software is super friendly, built in vsts and effects, pads feel great, touchscreen, can be very inspiring and fast for those used to the mpc workflow. Ableton integration now is nuts so exporting your projects to finish in daw is a breeze.
Cons- this thing is heavy and relatively big. If your are walking long distances you will definitely notice. Also YOU will get noticed. The touchscreen and pads draw attention for miles. Lack of dedicated buttons was a huge drag and slowed me down considerably (mpc one might be better?)
For me at least, I found I was quicker on ableton than mpc, but this is definitely an “all in one” solution, especially if you throw in a mini keyboard like a keystep. You could probably finish a whole album with those two alone.
Op-1: pros- smallest, lightest of the bunch, can fit in your pocket if you try hard enough. Built like a tank. Not very flashy. Has synth engines, sampler, radio (limitless sampling on the fly), sequencers, 4 track tape recording etc. The battery will probably live longer than you and me both. Can make beats on the toilet (they tell me)
Cons: um… No aftertouch? I’m not being a fan boy but for making music while traveling this thing is unparalleled. I had one and sold it a while back mainly because I was focused on studio music making and the lack of friendly midi integration and proper output jack as in other “serious” machines. Bought it again now that I need a portable setup and it is a lifesaver. The main con for the OP 1 is that you probably won’t finish the track on it, you’ll have to do it in a daw, but being honest, the same is true for me with the other options.
So my vote goes for op1 all the way
*(no experience with opz but the lack of screen of any kind is a deal breaker for me)
My 2 cents. Hope that helps
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no velocity either 
nice overview though. some folks have been modding their DT and DN with an internal battery, that might be appealing as well.
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Im currently using my iPad with Korg Gadget but have the PO33 now so will add that along with the Duet.
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I still find it hard to believe an OP-1 is now double the price from when it first came out. I remember when I bought it at the original price, it kinda seemed too good to be true. The whole tape mode though drives me mad. the sequencers are cool. But if, as u say you want a sketch pad for larger ideas, it’s great. You can just do records to the side a and b vinyl mode, that works great. Or even the tape and just grab the files later on USB mode. It’s truly a magical device, I kinda want it back, warts and all
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I tried the portable life for a while, I would take a portable synth out with me for commutes, vacations, etc. I found that it was not for me. The train is too loud to properly produce anything, and I cannot get into a good creative headspace when I’m in public and compelled to “sit still and be quiet”.
Instead of putting pressure on myself to constantly be making music, I found that time was better spent: journaling, active listening, discovering new music, reading books, keeping up with social media, etc. And if I really gotta get music stuff done, my macbook + ableton is always there when I want to take it out.
This is just my experience, others have had great success with portable synths on their commute. Try it out and see how you feel.
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Indeed! A PO-33 KO could also be considered. Highly portable, it’s fun enough to design a bunch of songs, or add some drums on top of a little portable synth
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Couldn’t agree more on the price! It’s an amazing machine but the price is ridiculous. My feelings on modern high end cell phones are the same, amazing devices but I can’t believe they cost so much, yet people buy them nonetheless.
The tape mode is one of the reasons that I sold my first op1. (and don’t even get me started on the lack of an “undo” button)It drove me nuts. Ironically, it’s also the reason I bought it back 
. To me I think it’s just that the first time I wanted it to be something that it wasn’t and that was frustrating. Now, I like the challenge it presents and its limits have made me think more, be more resourceful and generally be more creative. That in itself has been very fun and gratifying, kind of like finally killing a boss in shekiro (or any from software game for that matter).
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Thats why I like korg gadget and the PO33 - its just fun rather than putting pressure to make anything serious - and yet can be inspirational.
But I agree about taking the time to reference tracks, ‘mix with your mind’ and think about techniques others may be using.
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Why aren’t you considering the OP-Z it’s perfect for this sort of thing… ideas on the move.
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OP-z has kinda slipped into very fragile item that I wouldnt travel with or move anywhere…
I used to travel with it but wont do that anymore , I am glad I have one of the first batch units, that is not bent with encoders that dont fly off…
So I am definitely keeping my OPZ safe in the studio now.
Being very much into serious but portable gear my ‘move’ setup nowadays is
a 1010 blackbox and a mc101 (the MC101 acting like a sketchpad to feed the 1010 blackbox samples or act like a midi controller // 16 pads mapped to the 16 pads of the BB)
or a 1010 blackbox with a Quneo controller with a Empress Zoia (all of that can be powered on the same powerbank if it has 2 usb ports of 2.4 A, the Quneo being powered via the USB device port of the BB) if I feel more like a finger drummer.
The Zoia is mainly used as a synth or as an all in one effect box to resample into the BB.
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Oh, and as you are on the move all the time, always pack a decent pocket field recorder.
I use the Roland R-07. small as a lighter, it’s even with me when I dont have a backpack.
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I would recommend the iPad and getting a Pro, because of the larger screen.
There are so many useful and creative apps for the iPad for little money. Everything can be done from playing synths, creating patches, making sound design experiments, jamming with loops, combining all of this, and finally working with DAW like apps, which export to desktop DAWs after the ride.
And you can also do all the other things, which are possible with an iPad, of course
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Thanks for the input!! Is the Op-z fun to work with?
good shout!
I do a ton of my production during downtime at my desk job and I’ve gone through a few iterations of setups. Portability has a very-wide definition.
I started with just Ableton on a MacBook Air and was too distracted by sound design to accomplish much in a short time. I added a Korg nanokey studio via Bluetooth and custom script which adds a nice tactile interface. It’s also super light in my bag. I still avoid Ableton for short sessions though.
I also use the nanokey with Korg Gadget on a standard iPad and am pretty capable of churning out ideas quickly. I love the cross platform phone/iPad usability and the ability to render Ableton files is incredible. The synth plugins are straightforward but have some robust capabilities. I find the file management for sampling annoying and I don’t mess with it.
I had a Circuit and was capable of creating tracks very quickly, but in the end they weren’t actually the types of tracks I was intending to make. It sounds good, but using a computer for sample loading and the mystery synth parameters wore me out. I ended up selling it and getting an Ultranova to satisfy my 90s VA lust. Circuit also had an unresolvable ground loop hiss when connected by USB. Sample flip is powerful and easier than the Elektron sound pool p-lock solutions, but there is no probability function and pattern chaining without a screen can get overly complicated.
I thought Digitone would be a contender, but I found it pretty bulky to constantly lug around in my bag.
I got an OP-Z six months ago, and despite its very real quality control issues, think it’s my favorite portable solution. The sequencer is my favorite of these, and step-components add a level of easily-implemented complexity that I wish some Elektron boxes had. It’s pretty discrete and I keep it out at my desk without any attention paid to it. Sample management is so-so, but far better than the Circuit. The synth sound plugs are workable and the new analog plug is pretty nice. I haven’t had any issues with the software, but yes, mine has loose knobs and is starting to warp. I’ll probably send it in before the warranty is up.
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the OPZ has so many good ideas in it, such a shame that the manufacturing quality is not up to scratch.
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Another vote here for iPad and gadget. Like others have mentioned it’s great to drag ideas back into the studio.
I always get something different dragging my fingers across the keyboard.
Love it.
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I pulled out my old ipad and have been using groove rider. It’s pretty cool once you pull in your own samples. Not as tactile or fun as a digitakt but it will defo do the job. Thank you everyone for the ideas!!
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