Teenage Engineering OP-Z

I have all 3 and honestly, there’s not a ton of overlap, but that could just be me justifying having all 3. The OP1, for me, is a key piece of my ambient tool kit, using samples and running sequences, not the tape so much. I also use it to make lofi beats with samples, which is just a hoot. The OPZ to me is more like a pocket elektron. A portable and deep multi-track sequencer with decent engines and the ability to play samples and interface with other gear. The Organelle is whatever you want it to be, seriously. It fills in as a sound generator, an FX processor or a (semi) complete modular system using ORAC. Again, I mainly use it for ambient, but in different ways than the OP1. Hope that helps.

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2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Pocket operator modular system

yes this is actually very helpful so thank you! I am really getting into pure data for / with my Organelle at the moment and I love learning more about audio synthesis in this way but all the patching, study and testing (which can be extremely complex as you may know) doesn’t leave as much time for actual music / sound recording creation so I am thinking having another very immediate machine would be a very welcome addition.
I have a Digitakt which is about the most immediate machine I’ve ever owned considering how much you can do with it but I really like the idea of having a very small and very powerful portable machine that isn’t a volca or a pocket operator.
I think you saying the OP-Z is kind of like a ‘pocket Elektron’ to you may have tipped me over the edge :wink:

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Pocket Elektron is about the most exciting thing I’ve heard about the OP-Z. F yeah

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That OPLAB module, in need! Want it yesterday. :diddly:

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Midi out would be super useful. But what other modules will they make? Why not just put midi and CV in there from the start? :thinking:

Yeah should have been built in. If they make a sampling module then I’m gonna have to switch out modules every time I wanna flip between cv/Midi and sampling :confused: And no sync’d sampling… TE = oblivious to the obvious. Shame cos they’re exceptional at a lot of the non-obvious…

Agree, but I don’t think they are oblivious to the obvious, they just choose to not incorporate it into their designs, I don’t necessarily see that ethos as integral to their success but I think that it goes somewhat hand-in-hand with their brand/image.

It’s annoying. I’d probably have bought an op-z if they didn’t decide to bypass (or charge additionally for) that stuff… decent connectivity and a screen and I’d have jumped on it. Just my opinion though.

The lack of screen isn’t actually as much of an issue for most operations, the small size and some button placement and button type are actually more of a problem for me, but YMMV.

Yeah same size as op1 and all buttons on top would have been perfect from my POV.

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Perhaps their reasoning is not everyone would need that module, so why charge those who don’t want it for the connectivity?

Perhaps leaving it out helped them achieve a certain price point / profit margin goal.

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Yeah, without knowing their roadmap with the modules and presuming there will be more than one then it’s really difficult to be sure on this one.

With how I use mine, I don’t miss either CV or midi. I can hook up my Xkey via USBC and jam away using that. I’m not even sure I want to use my OPZ to control other bits of gear. It’s something I never really enjoyed all that much on the OT.

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I would also check out nanoloop 2 and mono… with gameboy hardware, they definitely give the pocket elektron vibe and a much smaller cost.

I guess what I mean is I’m finding it hard to think what other modules they could make, and a bit worried like those modular phones that this will be the only one they ever release. But since they didn’t just put the midi/cv in there from the start, probably there is a good reason for that and they are planning some really cool modules…

If they add extra audio engines/capabilities through a module I’d be so happy!

I hope there will be a sampler modul with audio inputs for recording and a SD card slot or a bigger storage.

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  • DMX on mini jacks.

  • 4x 2ch CV jacks

  • 4x MIDI in (and/or) out, switchable

  • Minijack microphone preamp

  • Multitrack line inputs to use with a new audio input track (less likely but not impossible)

  • Various combinations of the above that are different than the OpLab scheme

etc.

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Echoing the others, but… brilliant work!

If you read you right, each track was all samples played on the OP-Z, so I have to ask - did you have to erase samples from the OP-Z and replace them with new ones for each new track, or does the OP-Z have enough memory to hold all the samples for all 6 tracks?

You get about 32mb for user content including bounces, iirc that leaves 24mb for samples, I am working on some sample packs for the OP-Z and synth samples 6 seconds take about 600k, drum samples about upto 1.2mb (12 seconds), but as mentioned before drum samples can be used for multisampled synth parts with upto about 0.5 second per key. All of the sounds in this clip are my own samples.

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