the latest update with multiple input routing is cool!
Sending midi to synths with the op-z is soo fun! It’s like make something nice on the unit and connect it to some synths and then you have something way danker very fast.
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inquiring minds on the fence would like to know what those things that bothered you are… ?
A few things.
First, I wasn’t pleased with the build quality. I know that some people are fine with it, but in the ~9 months I owned it, the power/volume knob split so that it was always loose, the body warped badly enough to crack near one of the module input/output jacks, and the back just never felt secure. The first two were fixed under warranty and I sold it before they could recur. I don’t think there’s a way to fix the back.
The build quality undermined the—for me—primary benefit of the OP-Z: it’s portability. It’s hard to feel good taking it with you if you feel like you’re going to break it by taking it with you. I wasn’t especially hard on it, and always kept it in the TE roll-up case when I put it in my bag. But it still didn’t hold up.
I didn’t really miss having a screen, FWIW. It doesn’t take long to learn to use the OP-Z without one. And you can always use the app if you need it. But I do think it’s too easy to bump the encoders and change a parameter. It sucks to work hard at getting something just right, and then you accidentally bump an encoder and throw off the sound.
For what it’s worth, the OP-Z never made any sense to me for performing. Because of the location of the buttons, you often have to use two hands for things that would take one on pretty much any other device.
And this one’s mostly on me, but I felt like everything I made with the OP-Z sounded pretty similar. I don’t actually have many complaints about the sounds you can get out of the OP-Z. The synth engines are fine. I just seemed to get in a rut with it.
All that said, I miss having a portable, all-in-one groove box. I don’t want another OP-Z for all the reasons I explained, but I do want something that does that. I’ve got my eye on the Synthstrom Deluge, which ticks all the boxes but portability—it’s the size of a small laptop! I’m also interested in the Polyend Tracker, but (a) no battery, and (b) it’s still pretty big. And there are all kinds of iOS apps, but I haven’t found an iOS “groove box” that I gel with, yet.
Anyway, that’s a long-winded response with lots of subjectivity. Speaking of subjectivity, this is worth mentioning: I’m barely over a year into my music production hobby. I’ve played guitar for 20+ years, but I just started in on synths and samplers a little over a year ago. I’m still learning and figuring out how things are supposed to work/how things can work. The OP-Z taught me a lot, but I could tell I wouldn’t care for it in the long run and I haven’t yet begun to second-guess that judgment.
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it’s good to get a fresh perspective, nothing worse than hearing an opinion on workflow from someone and then finding out later that they’ve been mummified by their own modular system and patch cables for 30 years prior to giving their opinion… 
appreciate your insight, might hang out on this fence a little bit longer… and for anybody else reading this what is the closest/ most comparable thing to the OP-Z that you know of… the thing I’m most interested in is it’s sequencing/ performance capabilities and the fact that they can be recorded?
I’m also interested in the Polyend Tracker, but (a) no battery, and (b) it’s still pretty big.
Have you considered the Dirtywave M8 tracker? It definitely fills the role of a portable all-in-one groovebox, just a little bigger than a Pocket Operator, has a battery, seems well-built (you could probably rip the keys off if you tried hard enough, but anyway it comes with a bag AND a case). The only downside is that pre-orders are currently sold out, but I believe there will be more in upcoming months.
You can even try out the headless version now with just a Teensy 4.1 board and a microSD card. I’ve been playing around with it for a few months now and it’s really fun and capable… I pre-ordered as soon as I could.
Elektronauts discussion here: M8 Tracker
Demo clips: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23m8tracker
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this is actually a really great description
i mean not glad you had a poor experience but i appreciate the very honest/balanced critique
messing with the z this past weekend i once again wished it were sturdier and still portable (imagine the same features and batt power in a roland SP or elektron model series enclosure 
)
searching for an alternative is wise but there’s really nothing exactly like it!
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Yeah, it’s pretty intriguing, and the price is attractive. I’m definitely considering it. The Organelle should probably be on the list, too.
I’ve had my op-z since the year it launched and haven’t run into any hardware problems, luckily. However, I really wish they’d stuck to the op-1 form factor, as I think they really nailed it in terms of sturdiness and portability, yet it still is a very playable device.
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I made a MC-202 sample pack for OP-Z and OP-1, I made a little promo video:
Some more audio demos:
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sounds great man, good job!
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Instant buy!
And I realise your name is Daren Ager, and not Dare Nager as I was pronouncing it in my head 
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ive been saying Da Ranger in my empty cavity…
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@qlamerand thanks I hope you enjoy the sounds 
Funny enough a friend of mine used to call me Dare.
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Whoa, that video is so good!! Love it and the song.
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Thank you, it (video) was quite painstaking (and painful!) to make, it kind of fought me all the way, due to buggy software issues, but after so many hours of working on it, I wasn’t going to throw the towel in 
I think that was attempt 29 or 30, and there are still a couple of errors in the final render, but it was literally the best one out of all the failures.
Still, I learned a bit along the way, so all ok in the end!
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Nice video, it came up on my IG while browsing.
I found that the OP-1 serves as an excellent FX box for my MC-202, so that’s some great timing!
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Very nice video! Awesome work
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nice!
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In the end I decided to give the OP-1 a try. I think I was right to sell the OP-Z, but I missed having a portable, battery-powered groovebox. The only real alternative for me was the Deluge, since it’s also battery-powered and can do just about everything. I decided on the OP-1 over the Deluge for three reasons: (1) size, (2) I think it’ll be easier to sell the OP-1 (for the cost of a Deluge) if I don’t gel with it, and (3) I think I need to get away from 16-step sequencing. Also it’s pretty.
I haven’t had it long, but I think I made the right choice. I like the way the OP-1 discourages me from relying on sequencers. And I’m the kind of anal retentive person who will set a value at 30 instead of 31 because round numbers “feel” better, instead of just using my ears. Since so many of the OP-1’s values are obscured, I don’t even know where the round numbers are.
Plus—and this is the real key—the build quality and sturdiness seem way better than the OP-Z. Which they should be for twice the price. But what I really want is a very portable groovebox that won’t bend and break easily, and I think the OP-1 will do nicely.
Edit 4 months later: I changed my mind. It turns out I like sequencing. I like tweaking parameters until it’s just right. The OP-1 is more of a looper for capturing a musical phrase in the moment. I thought I wanted that, but it doesn’t work for me. It’s hard to leave, then come back and pick up where you left off. And I don’t love the instruments enough to use it just as an instrument. I don’t think I made even one full track on the OP-1 in that time. So it’s going up for sale.
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