Hey - well, they seem quite sensitive to the gain staging. Especially the porta tape doesn’t handle low level gain staging all that well, and some patches are inherently too low in their output even if you pimp their volume, so they just won’t work particularly well through these tapes.
Also, for every track you layer down, there’s added degradation and noise. It’s not like a plug-in or a filter-like effect, it’s printed to audio, which means four tracks recorded into the porta, has the degradation and noise printed four times (if not times four, if the difference makes sense).
I always use them for flavor on one track, two at the most, then move the tracks away from there and finish them on the minidisc, which to my ears introduces zero extra shenanigans. Even the studio tape has a liiiiitle something going, so when you want to add zero artifacts, I use the minidisc.
yeah I really wish they could fix this. Last time I used my Field was ages ago, and I was trying to add some custom drum kits using the drum utility they have. But every single drum sample had a pop/click in it which was super annoying and made them unusable.
A little experiment with various tape machines, and then through the album function and back again for using the master output as a resampler. It’s a mess, I know, but it’s an interesting experiment on a bit of a Roland sampler workflow kind of thing-ish-y -
Yeah, the Minidisc definitely has artifacts. Record something high-pitched and then slow the tape down and you’ll notice. I’d say the studio tape is cleanest.
But all that matters in the end is what sounds best to you!
What a lovely piece of experiment. It has a fractal-esque kind of vibe. An evolving still. A sepia sound. It has life in it.
Thanks for sharing.
Listening to it in front of the morning sun is quite something, I’ll tell you that!
Another little something, recorded from my piano to the porta tape. Played back into album feature at twice the speed, while working the tape live. Then back to studio tape, but pitched down -24. And then the fast version on top of that. And some pads. And some printed fx throughout all this as well -
This truly demonstrates what I (kinda) miss (the most) from the op1f : its ability to make living soundscapes that tell a story.
I’m a bit of a fanboy of your tunes, @circuitghost . That’s for sure.
But your tracks are quite the ride, I’d say.
And this one…well…lemme put it this way : if Silent Hill was a game about finding back happiness, then this would be its theme song.
Kudos, as always.
I keep getting close to purchasing a TE device - at various times I’ve really lusted after OP-1, OP-1 Field, and now OP-XY. But any time I start reading about them, these smaller issues make me hesitate. Between less-than-durable hardware (seriously seems like most used devices have cracked encoders, weird keys, etc after less than 2 years) and software bugs like pops on chopped samples (which is not present in the OG, but it’s present in the Field, and hasn’t been fixed for a year? Correct me if I’m wrong)…
Well, I really want a device that’s portable and fun for making complete tracks. But these devices are very Not Cheap and I don’t want to feel like I’ve spent $2000 on an unfinished or flimsy piece of hardware. I feel so conflicted.
Am I overthinking small issues? Is OP-1F still going to get bug fixes and updates, or has OP-XY replaced its life cycle? Should I just get a used OP-1 original to see if I even like it? Are the issues overblown?
Sorry if these are rote questions which have been covered already. The TE threads here are massive and hard to get through.
Yes, they can be picked up cheapish (about £600) and are 80% of an OP1-F IMO, if you love it the OP-1F is undoubtedly better (but not worth double or even triple the cost which seems to be the current gap)
OP XY is a different fish altogether, totally different thing to the IP-1F, no real comparison- you would need to try an OPZ to see if you get on with that workflow, you can pick one up super cheap as well! If you buy second hand you will have no problem getting rid of it if you don’t like it.
PS- I now have both the OP1-F and the OPXY, but stated with above.
Yes! I thought my op1 field was going to replace my op-1 and while it does sound better and has a few new features the op-1 is still super amazing and capable!
Meanwhile, I’ve nurtured the Thomas Newman in me and wrote something that almost kinda reminded me of that maple alley scene in American Beauty - all OP-1 as usual, piano recorded from my Roland straight into the OP -
I sold my OP-1F bc i wasn’t using it much but I loved many things about it just not the workflow and I sold it eventually thinking that the XY could be the right TE for me but reading more about it and after watching probably every YT video there is about it and listening to all available demos that i could find on the net I’ve decided not to buy it! I just can’t imagine myself making anything worthwhile with it, worthwhile for me! It seems and sounds like id just be sticking with the same problem that i had with the OP, making half baked tracks just better sequenced. Maybe other ppl are more capable but i just can’t imagine myself doing anything that’s 2360 euros worthy! Not even in a long run!
… aaaand now i miss my OP
I miss it bc it was so cute, so unique and so immediate ! Even more special than the XY imo! So I guess i could have forgiven it its clumsiness? My advice is never sell your OP if you really don’t need to!
Time to move forward from TE (for now?)!
Im definitely buying a DN2! That thing seems to be another story! Goodbye TE!
Agreed, I did and still regret it.
there were plenty of things I didn’t love about it, those things still stand.
yet still, I want to have it back. The only piece of hardware that’s ever done this to me.
Indeed. If money is not an issue, it’s one very flexible tool to keep in your arensal.
A 4-track recorder with sampler, fx & many many synth engines.
Having an extra p-lock sequencer would make it almost perfect.
if I’ll ever do a show, you and the family got front row seats for free 