Teenage Engineering OP-1 Reviews

4.9/5.0 based on 4 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Matt Alexander

When I first set eyes on the Teenage Engineering OP-1, it made me think of a toy. However, once I actually started using it I realized it was anything but. The OP-1 has features for anyone - from the beginner following the step-by-step tutorials to the seasoned pro who dives into its diverse sound creation capabilities. This is the type of tool that can bridge the gap from a practice device to a stage-worthy instrument.

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Customer Reviews

mark valentine
from northridge, CA
April 27, 2013

Teenage Engineering goes above and beyond...

purchased the op-1 after many months of hesitation, along with saving up the money to put towards it. so i finally took the dive and purchased it. i decided to go with sweetwater since they offered a free two year warranty. ill start with the customer service on this item. i didnt expect to receive a call in regards to my order. i spoke with sean geyer and i have to say i was blown away with the great one on one customer service that they provide. i dont necessarily know how to use this synthesizer but i will say that the quality and craftsmanship is beyond words. i cant wait to learn how to use this thing to its fully potential. ill be coming back to sweetwater to purchase some of the accessories.

Ken
from Boston, MA USA
April 5, 2013Music Background:
Musician, Recording Engineer

GOOD THINGS DO COME IN SMALL PACKAGES!

I am amazed how fully functional this is. The OP-1 is quite sturdy with controls that are intuitive and well organized.The multiple synths and drum machines are endless fun. And it comes with a great selection of drum and synth sequencers, ranging from standard to exotic. It even can sample from the built-in microphone or FM radio. The Op-1 is a fully functional workstation, great for music production at home or while traveling.

~brrrd~
from Los Angeles, CA
February 1, 2013

Amazing

This is one of my favorite pieces that I've bought in years. Great, fun and simple interface and some really wild sounds. Hours and hours of fun and ever expanding possiblities... Teenage Engineering are super innovative and they are just going to keep making things better and better (which your OP1 will get in the way of firmware upgrade that add new features).

Just buy it already..

Lenny
from New York, NY
January 8, 2013Music Background:
Independent Musician

If you're on the fence about the OP-1 . . .

I love the OP-1. It's a truly unique instrument and a serious upgrade from the Casio VL-1 it kind of emulates. There is tremendous power under the hood and I feel I've only scratched the surface. The interface is less intuitive than Apple products, but you can start playing and having fun without even cracking the online owners manual. The build quality is fantastic, heavy and designed to last. The sound quality is better than I expected and I expected it to be good. While the OP-1 is a very playful tool, don't let the looks fool you into thinking it's a toy. It is not. The OP-1 has a great amount of depth and complexity lacking in all electronic music toys I've encountered.

That said, there are times I wish the OP-1 was more like a conventional instrument. I sometimes long for a filter cutoff or envelope controls. But wanting such things kind of misses the point. The OP-1 is it's own thing and you find yourself respecting it for being different than everything else in your kit. In the end, the only thing I really wish for (which wouldn't break the personality of the instrument) is the ability to juggle more than one song in the virtual 4 track tape recorder. I like to sketch a lot of ideas at once and bounce back and fourth. OP-1 makes you commit to an idea and see it through. For better or for worse, like a marriage, lol.

If you're on the fence about getting one of these, you probably aught to buy it. Yes, it seems expensive, but adjusting for inflation, it's only twice the price of it's predecessor, the Casio VL-1, and for that you get about 10 times the power and versatility. If you already regard this as a toy, it's probably not for you . . . then again . . . have you ever heard the beginning of Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft? There you have a professional major label recording using a toy piano*. My point being, even if it is a toy, who cares, you can still use it in a professional manner. It's not the tools that make the music, it's the musician and the OP-1 is a great tool.

*see also Da Da Da by Trio and Get Carter by the Human League, both of which prominently feature the "toy" VL-1 by Casio, mentioned previously in this review.