Out of curiosity, what does everyone use to get their own Samples on to the OP-Z. I was using the TE OP-1 Drum Utility early last year, but I am wondering if there is something better that works with the OP-Z specifically.
Cheers.
i only sample line in
been meaning to use this as well to make stuff with my laptop but havent yet
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Most OP-Zs have some sort of problem. It’s hard to get a perfect OP-Z. 
That sounds pedantic, I don’t think that is true… Most might have a slight bend that doesn’t effect anything… I think the vast majority of problems don’t really effect anything… except if the magnets are in backwards… but you can turn them around, or use a drop of electronic silicon adhesive and problem gone…
Most people having a bent OP-Z is an issue and shouldn’t be downplayed. Till this day I don’t understand why TE has not fixed the issues with the build of OP-Z. It’s really taking the piss out of consumers. Sure with the encoders you can ‘fix’ it, but who the hell wants to fix a synth on day one of getting it?
It is especially sad because the OP-1 on the other hand has been a solid product compared to OP-Z.
To anyone from TE is reading along: sort this out. People are buying your synth with their hard earned money and they deserve more than a product that comes with major issues such as encoder popping.
Op1 had just as many problems… have you been to the op forums? Half off the post are something wrong, the keyboards go bad constantly, the audio board fails on many of them, plus screen problems, there are two brand new ones in the past month that have just not worked at all, plus they constantly get bricked… the boxes on the op1 are misaligned on most of them…
If your opz is bent one or two millimeters then no… it is not a big deal… and the vast majority are… play it up all you want… that is in spec as far as te are concerned… you may not like it but already they work… half of the op1’s have problems that keep you from actually using it. Solid product…lmao… yeah ok…
ALL TE stuff has terrible build quality… just because the op1 and ob4 are made from aluminum doesn’t mean they are any better… just look better… I guess that is enough for most people.
They are not gonna redesign something that took them years to develop just because it bends a little… I don’t think you realize how much development it would take to do that, changing the plastic would take a ton of work that would probably tank the company, they are making tiny margins now… and why?? Yes it can bends some… they knew that at the start, but it is much stronger then most plastics too… have you ever seen any proof at all that the bending had caused any to break? Because I have seen a ton of complaining, but I have yet to see that…
This was way too complicated of a product for them to try too sell… Hopefully they have learned… I think so, that is why all we get from them now is a $600 Bluetooth speaker and next a singing doll to enjoy… thank the fans for that…
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You fail to understand the issue. Bending is a natural part of polymers such as plastic, it’s called warping. Warping is caused by the material wanting to go back to its original atomic shape (which the injection molding process disrupted). A Polymer with high tensile strength will be more prone to bending since the material is less flexible.
There are ways to combat warping, one is using beveled surfaces in the design of the molded part, so that the part is forced in a specific direction. The other is using additives in the polymer, this is less effective with the material in the OP-Z since the polymer already has a 50% blend of glas fiber making the polymer even stiffer.
You can also compensate in the injection molding tool, this is extremly costly and time consuming plus disturbs the manufacting process since you have to take out the tool from the injection molding machine which in turn reduces your capability to manufacture more devices. My estimate is that TE manufactures a cpl of thousans OP-Z a year, this amount is really small when compared to the automotive industry which can have upwards 1 million a year. So a smaller manufacturing batch means that it costs more per manufactured part. So every time TE wants to make a change in the tool, that is a cut in the margin. So my guess is that they only have a cpl of tries to get a tool change right.
The problem is incredibly complex but can be fixed by good design and good choice of material both of which TE neglected in this case. But like Stated before, it’s not a huge problem…
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I couldn’t care less about the materials used. It’s a product that often arrives in a state that one would consider faulty and not up to what was promised. Bends and popping encoders are not mentioned by TE, there is no disclaimer on their site, whatsoever. A TV is also watchable with a dead pixel, but if it arrives like that you’re returning it, right? Or are you gonna accept it because it’s, for some reason, a natural part of the tech?
This problem could have been solved long before production started as there were many beta units out in the wild and the design was already decided on years before it was released.
But hey, I’m just not a fan of companies not being transparent towards the consumers.
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They don’t go into specifications for every part of a product, but they have a internal specification of 3mm. If it is bent more then that they will replace it under warranty. I guess none of the prototype Bent that much, I have not seen one.
Pixels like everything else have margins of deviation too. Why do you think a Vizio is cheaper then a LG? They both are made at the same place, but one is more stringent with details…
Buying a boutique complicated pocket size workstation from a tiny company with known build issues with EVERY product they sell at a competitive price is like buying a off brand tv and getting mad a pixel is stuck… just return it or realize it’s is not gonna be perfect… but expecting a formal apology or a fix from them is just wasting energy… some of us can look past some flaws and still love it… I think the opz is gangster and the best $600 I have ever personally spent on music equipment… I have got so much fun and good material from it.
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People talking about op-z bends as if they’ve turned out to be the shape of a banana or something 
I’ve seen very, very few images of severely bent units over the years. Plenty with slight, mild curves. Totally understand why that would bother some. The slight catch on a Digitakt button drove me up the wall enough to return it so I get why this sort of thing is a line in the sand for many.
It was the encoders and double trigs that worried me more.
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There is so much opz hate… it’s is like it killed their dad or something…I don’t get it… I think people just hate it because it is not a op1.
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In my experience, it seems like the complaints mostly come from a lot of grumpy former owners who for some reason keep haunting around these threads to make sure everyone who still owns one knows that they should be upset about it. 
I really like mine, it’s a super fun little device, and it goes with me on any trip where I know I’m going to have a long flight or big stretch of downtime.
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Well that’s obvious since you seem to think TE could just wave a wand and fix the problem.
Is it a perfect product? No
Is it a major problem? No
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Agreed not major, though it is a problem.
I often ponder getting another one as it was a wonderful instrument. I just have reservations due to the known issues.
It’s a me problem, I know, but it’s enough to hold back from purchasing.
@MichaalHell your videos with the OP-Z are amazing and doesn’t help the inner struggle.
I absolutely love the opz. Had one since they were first released. The encoders popping out and triggering problems do bother me. I still adore this machine.
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I bought my OP-Z new last year. I was hesitant for sure. I’ve had zero issues.
Still perfectly flat.
I feel like if I played it on a flat surface a lot pressing those buttons, I can see it causing it to bend and I suppose that it is why some recommend sticking extra feet in the middle. I prefer holding the OP-Z while playing it.
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Oh no! Sorry I think you misunderstood me. I don’t think they can magically fix it. I think they knew about the issues before production started, but decided to ignore it and started production. See there’s a difference between issues popping (sorry) up after mass production vs starting mass production with known issues not fixed.
The issue for me is that OP-Z in the form we know it, is known to have been in development publicly since at least NAMM 2016. In the video from 2016 you can see the encoders on the prototype are popping too. Fast forward almost 4 years later and the OP-Z finally gets released in 2019 with the same issues. So what this tells me is that they were aware of the issues and decided to start production anyway.
Look I know you are an active user and have some level of affiliation with TE. I really don’t mean to shit on something you love. I’m simply a frustrated consumer who also ran into encoder and trigger issues when I got the Z and I felt screwed over. We work hard for our synths and to receive a product that, out of the box, is already messed up with popping encoders is wrong.
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It’s even weirder that it happens over at the OP forums, a place for fans of TE instruments, in theory. It seems like every single thread devolves into an argument about bends, pop-outs, or double trigs.
In other news, I got the Line Module, and it’s great. One thing I didn’t anticipate was that it now takes up two input channels in my mixer, because—of course—you still need to listen to the main out.
Alternatively, I might plug them directly into the Octatrack’s CUE loop.
Anyone else got tips or tricks for the new module?
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What I don’t understand is why so many bend exactly the same way and then others don’t. What causes the difference? Surely it just can’t be a random coincidence?
Yup, I got one and almost immediately sold it because those kind of issues were pretty obviously coming. It’s not just a slow encoder or slightly jumpy encorder. The thing pops out.