Teenage Engineering OP-Z

The Lounge Other Gear
#2354

Regardless of how you feel about the OP-Z and TE, this videopak that Cuckoo put together is super cool. The first-person mode one is bananas!

I’m really hoping that the recent updates to the videopak system mean we continue to get more awesome videopaks.

Before I bought the OP-Z, I really imagined using it someday to create a live set with a purpose-built videopak that I could play along with the performance, and watching him talk about the one he’s made was super inspiring.

Also, the video he did making an OP-Z cover of Dr. Wiley’s Castle earlier this year makes a lot more sense now :upside_down_face:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sW9JjQpzTo

1 Like
#2355

My first music video, let me know what you think!

I wish there was a way to chain mute group switch the same way you can chain patterns, it would be so useful for live performance.

I had loads of trance/psytrance patterns like this I wanted to make videos for, but I lost them in my OPZ crash… So this time I made sure to record the video after I had something usable for a track :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#2356

That’s great stuff, and kudos for the bringing it all together on the OP-Z itself. I know that’s the idea, but I always end up getting a beat together and then taking it to another device. Something like you’ve put together here, I think if I waked away from it for five minutes to get a coffee I’d come back with no idea what was going on.

1 Like
#2357

Could have posted this in the Pulsar thread but I feel like the OP-Z needs some love as well…

Getting back to the OP-Z always kinda feels like coming home… it’s the sequencer I pretty much know inside out. So when I haven’t used it in a while, it always feels like I’m coming home from college or something.

The mix in the jam isn’t my finest mix but I really like the sounds here so I’m posting anyways :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:. Drums and bass are pulsar and the rest is OP-Z.

5 Likes
#2358

I’m still interested in the OP-Z. I have never bought one and would never own one over Elektron gear, down to build quality.

But it still interests me. The updates along with the Frekvens line I think clearly point to TE being a lifestyle / party brand. They aren’t a serious music brand, they don’t seem to be serious anything brand. But the OP-Z, the portable speakers. Handling basic VJ and basic audio. Party in your pocket.

I’d buy one as an experiment if I didn’t think it would explode.

1 Like
#2359

OP1 and OPz are very serious.
Forward thinking, inspiring, innovative imo.
Only problem with the OPz is the build quality. Otherwise it‘s one of the best allrounder grooveboxes

5 Likes
#2360

Honestly, the newer OP-Z are a big improvement from the first batches.

I have one of the first ones and also a newer one (which was gifted to me) and the newer one feels way more solid…

I also happen to be a mechanical design engineer who has worked a lot with plastic parts and I know for a fact that the process of making injection molded parts is almost down to an art form…

Materials with glass fiber (like the OP-Z) are really hard to mold and take a lot of time to get the parameters correct in order to produce parts within specified tolerances… take that aspect together with how incredible small the OP-Z body is (2mm wall thickness at some areas) and the very straight and edgy corners of the OP-Z makes injection molding really really hard.

IMHO I think TE should have went with a milled aluminum case like on the OP-1, but that is not without its problems as well. Micro cracks would probably be a very frequent problem and having a high scrap rate on those would cost a lot more for TE…
plus a milled aluminum casing cost A LOT more then a plastic injection molded case…

I’m saying this to try and make you understand some of the difficulties In developing a part such as this and why the part has gotten better over time.

4 Likes
#2361

I love my opz, possibly the most interesting purchase I’ve made in the last decade

But I have a first batch model and I’m getting continually frustrated by the buttons as sometimes when I hold one down to alter a parameter or set trig conditions it deselects and I get double trigs and sometimes a button doesn’t work. Each time it just requires another press but it impacts my workflow.

The bend is also annoying but I can live with it

I bought it from somebody so warranty of any way to get it fixed. I’d gladly pay if it wasn’t too expensive

It really is an intuitive and beautiful little machine. Ticks so many boxes for me. Just wish it was more solid

#2362

Damn, everything I see here from you these days is really good!

#2363

I bought the first batch when released, and Haven’t had any problems whatsoever with it, but I’ve had it just lying in the expensive pen-case from TE for about 6 months and decided to pick it up and pair it with some other hardware.

I was sorry to see that now the body was slightly bent, I also find that it is hard to hold down the shift key and press the other buttons (the shift-key double-triggers about 25-35% of the time), do you find your “new” to be more reliable than the old one?
Considering getting a new one (to replace the old) but I have my worries…

#2364

Yeah I have the same issue with my early batch OP-Z… can’t hold rec and punch in notes with the rec button double triggering which sets the marker back to the first step…

But like you said, it is really a creative and intuitive device…

@Skyddsrum

Dang that sucks, sorry to hear that…

With the material being a glass fiber induce Poly Amid plastic material, it is prone to warping as one side effect of the material aging. For this instance a aluminum casing would have been better… but with the Op-Z being as small as it is it could have been prone to cracking instead…

@qlamerand thank you! I really appreciate your kind words, glad you like my stuff :blush:

#2365

@muzka @MichaalHell and others with button problem:

Disclaimer entirely at your own risk, of course.

You can fix the button problem using Caig Deoxit D5.

I have done this successfully on one of my OP-Z, do not be tempted to use any other type of spray, especially WD-40 or contact cleaner which are greasy and will make a mess and probably make it worse.

Deoxit D5 is safe on plastic and leaves no residue, the D5 version is the only product suitable for this particular job.

How to do it.
Remove bottom plate and battery from OP-Z, you will probably want to take a backup first.
Place OP-Z on a table with some kitchen paper or similar under it to prevent mess.
Set the nozzle on the D5 to the lowest setting, and carefully spray a short burst into each button affected, press the button multiple times to ensure that it penetrates the contacts, like 20-30 times and firmly. Repeat for any other buttons.
When done wipe away excess on top and underside and let it sit for a while, probably an hour or so, then re-assemble. You might find that they are all working, or some still do not, if so repeat for any that are not working properly. Mine took 2 attempts to get them all working perfectly.

Edit: A very tiny amount is recommended, you can always add more if needed.

I think the problem happens because dust or oxidation gets inside the small metal domes under each switch, the D5 cleans this out if used in the manner described.

D5 is quite expensive (I paid around £20) but it comes in handy for other things, like cleaning switches and sockets, though do not use it for potentiometers as it removes all of the lubricant, there are other versions of Deoxit for that purpose.

A can will last for years, you only need a few sprays to fix the OP-Z buttons, and I have no doubt that they will need redoing in the future, so it is handy stuff to have around.

Hope it helps, it worked well for me but be mindful to follow the instructions if you want to try it on yours, at your own risk.

14 Likes
#2366

Definetly saving this post!

Thanks for that, will definetly try this!

1 Like
#2367

Great info, must try this, you might have saved me the cost for a new OPZ. :grin:

1 Like
#2368

:+1:

#2369

Ohhhh nice

Thanks for this

Could be a game changer :slight_smile:

1 Like
#2370

Ordered :slight_smile:

1 Like
#2371

Anyone know how to fix the problem of one of the jog wheels keeps popping up? I can click it back down, but it floats right back up again.

#2372

@brodykauff Some users have had success with PTFE tape, aka plumbers tape.

1 Like
#2373

I should have posted this in the appropriate thread. This is a video about the op-z Tape track.

8 Likes